Governor Ngige’s New York Visit was a major public relations blunder

Town hall reception, press conference, and laying of wreath at World Trade Center abruptly cancelled. Organizations, guests, press, New York/New Jersey Authority, and the families of Sept. 11 victims were outraged.

New York, November 05, 2003—Freedom and Justice International, Inc. and Africans In America, Inc. wish to express outrage at the public relation blunder of Anambra State Governor, Dr. Chris N. Ngige during his just concluded visit to New York.

The governor’s office had requested our organization to schedule a meeting with New York political and business leaders during his visit. The governor’s office also sent us the governor’s itinerary requesting us to schedule events for the governor from 1.00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2003 to 6.00 p.m. on Monday, November 3, 2003.

Based on the written request, we contacted some key New York political leaders. We also scheduled a town hall reception and press conference for the governor to give him opportunity to speak to wider audience, as well as, market Anambra State to the American people. Admission to this function was free-of-charge. We also scheduled for the governor to lay a wreath at the site of the former World Trade Center. New York and New Jersey Authority gave approved and arranged a memorial and invited the families of Sept. 11 victims. This was intended to capture the heart and soul of Americans and bring positive awareness and bonding between the people of Anambra State with the American people. All these were agreed upon by the governor’s office.

Based on these, we proceeded to arrange and organize elaborate and decent receptions and press conference. We rented a hall at Marriott Marquis Hotel, which is in the strategic heart of New York City, and scheduled our event for Sunday Nov. 2 at 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p. m. We printed invitation, did publicity, and invited the press. We incurred tremendous expenses.

We had hoped the governor would also condemn the abuse of victims of child trafficking currently devastating the lives of many children from Anambra State.

The governor’s office also informed us about governor’s protocol and we followed it to the letter.

However, upon his arrival in New York, the governor for yet unknown reasons allowed himself and his activities to be highjacked by some egomaniacs, myopias, contract-seeking miscreants, interlopers, and anti-Americans led by a New York based low-life society lady, who we choose to identify at the moment as “lady ngooor”. These selfish miscreants had earlier boasted that they would not allow the governor to attend any other function except a factional gathering of dissolved Anambra State Progressive Union. Admission to this function was $75.00 per person. The threats were earlier discounted by the governor’s office, which assured us to continue with our program. How they were able to accomplish this monumental damage is yet unknown.

The protocol given to us by the governor’s office was not followed. The governor did not attend the reception and press conference organized for him, nor did he attend the memorial/laying of wreath organized by the New York and New Jersey Authority. The Governor’s aid and the low-society woman gave inconsistent reasons for the abrupt cancellation.

Effort to get clear information from the governor’s team was abortive. This represents a major public relations blunder for the Anambra State government. We are alarmed at the type of underhanded maneuvering which took place behind closed doors.

Despite his failure to honor his commitments, our organizations still gave him a plaque, which had been prepared for presentation during the aborted reception. It reads, ‘Presented to Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, the governor of Anambra State, Nigeria for liberating Anambra State from the clutches of political godfathers and cronies’.

Even though it appears that Gov. Ngige did a good job in bringing awareness to the mass corruption and looting of public funds in Anambra State by individuals he refers to as “locusts”, he scored miserably low in honoring commitments and improving community relations. This may play out in detracting highly needed credible western investors from investing in Anambra state. This blunder must be addressed immediately.

Government will loose credibility if low-society women (and men) are allowed to interfere, highjack, or derail its official business. There should be a boundary for government to maintain credibility.

Who we are:

Freedom and Justice International, Inc. (FJI) is human rights, anti-corruption, social, and economic justice organization based in New York. Our mission is to engage in generating awareness, resources and coordinating activities to promote freedom, address injustice, and exploitation of people of continental Africa and Africans in Diaspora. We also advocate facilitation of economic, educational and social development of the rural (villages) and urban communities in the hinterland of Africa. Freedom and Justice International, Inc. intends to tackle the issues of corruption, and exploitation of the people resources in the continent of Africa applying the civilized methods found to be successful in the Western countries.

Africans In America, Inc. (AIA) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to end the abuse of victims of trafficking, especially women and girls from Africa living in the United States.

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