In the next few days, the good people of Imo State, a people known to be very politically conscious and assertive for their rights would troop to the polls to cast their votes for the next Governor of Imo State. Incontestably, it is going to be a race between Rt. Honourable Ihedioha, the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives and Owelle Rochas Okorocha, the incumbent Governor.
In the past one year, a lot has been written, said and conversed in favour of one candidate or the other. But after all said and done, there are two most critical issues which must decide this Governorship election.
The first issue is this; Did Owelle Rochas Okorocha tell the people of Imo State and also repeated it at the first mass he celebrated at the Assumpta Cathedral that “I will serve only one term and after me, it will be an Owerri man?” There is no doubt that he said that even before some elders of Owerri zone in the house of Martin Agbaso before they agreed to support him, he said the same thing before some elders of Orlu who were at the meeting.
One thing is certain; those who want to lead must lead by showing example of leadership in character and conduct. Then since it is not in doubt that Owelle made this declaration, does he have any iota of moral reason to renege on his own words of honour? To give him second term is to confirm political dishonesty and deceit. Are we ready to do that?
Another issue is the one already said over and over again that since Orlu man has held the Governorship for twelve years now: Achike Udenwa 8 years and Owelle 4 years; Okigwe 4 years under Ohakim and Owerri zone only 18 months under Chief Evan Enwerem, does it not prick on the conscience of anybody including a stone hearted person, that Owerri zone on whose soil is the Government house domesticated is to be given a chance to produce the Governor of Imo State? Oh no, where has men’s conscience, honour and respect gone for Christ sake and slaughtered on the altar of deceit, cheat, fabrication, falsehood, and indeed calling black, white because of inglorious power?
Indeed, in both Igbo mythology and antecedently linkage and lineage, Igbo man abhors falsehood, cherishes purity, honour and integrity. Where have all these gone in our political culture? Because of a promise for latent office or unfiled pot of porridge, we quickly sell our conscience and throw truth and decency overboard simply because we want to hold political power. We must remember that “Vanity upon Vanity, all is Vanity”. In the end, what we do gain if a man should collect all the wealth of this earth and still looses his name and integrity. It will hunt him, hunt his children and history will ensure that it also hunts heir generation after generation. Therefore, to vote for Owelle for a second term is to perpetuate Orlu hegemony in Imo State which belongs to three zones. Tomorrow, the political dynamics must change and perhaps, Owerri and Okigwe zones would come together to restore their integrity and birth-right said to have been snatched from them by a group of selfish Orlu people.
There is one thing many Imo politicians nay Nigerians have not come to realize. It is the fact that political fame and popularity must always be seen to be very transient. The speed with which they come is the same speed with which they disappear. A glorified politician today, once out of office will be nothing more than a “creeping giant ant” with no recognition at all.
Furthermore, there are few other issues with which people are concerned about returning Owelle to the Government House. These include his styles of leadership which has alienated him against the majority of the people with value and conscience. His relationship with the catholic faithful which helped to propel him to power, including the alleged destruction of altar prepaid as part of the catholic debate scattered by Owelle’s henchmen. The issue of his familiocracy which does not allow the people of Imo State including his own men to benefit from the government, and they continue to complain of his grabbing every opportunity for members of his family and other network of relations to the exclusion of the real owners of those dividends and projects. Furthermore, his muzzling Imo State House of Assembly for four years regularly keeps them in check with heavy payoffs to do his bidding. But over and above all, his recklessness over the state finances, claiming that he is not a conventional Governor. These and other sundry issues have culminated in reducing his before now seeming popularity to all time low, making him just like a king with excrement on his cloth while he moves around the market without anybody telling because he is “Eze onye agwalam”. That king got burnt in a village square with nobody coming for his rescue.
Thus, Rt. Honourable Emeka Ihedioha is fighting to restore and rebuild Imo which is today in tartars, fragmented and dissolute. The people are hungry, poor, sick, aimless, hopeless and certainly are saying, “This is not what we bargained for.” Ihedioha in a way has come to lift up the people of Imo State again from the abyss of hopelessness to that of hope, to a level of impoverishment to that of opportunities for people to use their creative energies to fend for themselves in an economically viable environment which opportunities should be for all and not for a few individuals and basically ignorant down trodden masses who see what has become of Owelle’s mesmerizing “The more you look, the less you see.” Soon the yoke would fall off their eyes and they could see that what they have been cheering for a long time is a mere window dressing styles without substance in the hands of a man who has the nature’s gift of the gab.
There is no doubt that Ihedioha is today fighting for the soul of political equity in Imo for the people of Owerri, Okigwe and Orlu zones, so that those in the state would have equal opportunity to Government projects and programmes. According to one advert lyric, “Ndi Imo anwuona, Emeka Ihedioha biamabiama.” Although this may be an advert lyric, it honestly said it all. That is the current situation of the people in Imo State.
There is one thing which Imo people do all the time. They may complain rather very subtly, on a polling day, party or no party, they would be ready to demonstrate their collective disapproval of the Governor’s performance. Ohakim can testify this more than any other person.
It is going to happen again on the 11th April. Soon, they will show that radio and television falsehood and lies, coated with primitive propaganda does not influence their reasoning sensibility. Adoption of gimmicks, intimidations, violence and other anti-democratic means cannot stop the people from expressing their collective will for a change. Yes, APC is talking of change, I support that such a change must go round. Douglas House must have a new face. Those legislators with whom Owelle hoodwinked the people of Imo State must be defeated and shown the way out. Of course, they have started to see the signs of awaited doomsday.
Imo State must be restored to the path of political sanity, economic prosperity and social tranquility where people should love themselves, move around without any fear of molestation irrespective of political mudslinging.
Therefore, giving Emeka Ihedioha’s track record of public service, there is no doubt that he would make the difference and he has worked very hard to merit the impending victory which of course could only come through the blessing of God and this will come because his name has good celestial linkage Chukwuemeka Ihedioha and his Chieftaincy title Omenkeahuruanya caps it all. What God has ordained, nobody can stop it. Let’s not slaughter this opportunity which shines on our faces. By the special grace of God, it will come to pass.
Written by Chuks Osuji.
About the Author
