Between Ohakim And Okorocha

By Chuks OLUIGBO

When sometime ago Ikedi Ohakim, the incumbent governor of Imo State, reportedly told Imo people that he was Ikiri, an animal known to hold on to whatever it grabs, even unto death, many laughed it off without much thought. When he said that he was holding power passionately to his heart, they laughed again. And when much later it was alleged that he called himself agu ji egbe, a gun-toting lion, they laughed yet again. Until he began to show that he meant every word of what he said by bulldozing whatever tended to stand between him and power.

Ikedi Ohakim

Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha, the self-acclaimed Gani of Imo State, is still nursing his wounds for daring to expose what he called the maladministration, devaluation of leadership, and unreasonableness of the Ohakim government. In an interview with an Owerri-based newspaper, Mr Iwuoha recounted how he had received over 120 strokes of koboko from Governor Ohakim right inside the governor’s office.

Rochas Okorocha

Last year, 2010, Ohakim’s anger against perceived opponents turned fiery. On Saturday, September 25, Owelle Rochas Okorocha was denied access to Grasshoppers International Stadium, Owerri, proposed venue for the celebration of his 48^th birthday, even when he was ready to pay more than the usual rate for the place. The government in power probably thought he was going to use that forum to declare for Imo governorship. Rochas Okorocha shifted his venue to Township Primary School, Wetheral Road, Owerri. Even there, some touts, acting probably on order from Willie Amadi, so-called Special Adviser to the governor on Sanitation and Transport, stormed the place to disrupt activities, but they were promptly arrested by security operatives of Okorocha.        

Two days later, on Monday, September 27, key Igbo leaders, including the highly revered Second Republic Vice President of Nigeria, Dr Alex Ekwueme, former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa, former governors of Anambra and Ebonyi, Dr Chris Ngige and Dr Sam Egwu, immediate past governor of the Central Bank, Prof Charles Soludo, former Minister of Education, Mrs Chinwe Obaji, among others, were locked out of Sam Mbakwe Hall of Concorde Hotel, Owerri, which had earlier been booked for the proposed Igbo Summit convened by Chief S. N. Okeke. It was probably suspected that the gathering was anti-Jonathan. For as Dr Ngige said in his speech at the summit, he received a text message on his way to the venue accusing him of attending an anti-Jonathan rally.

In December, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, was also denied the use of Grasshoppers International Stadium, Owerri, even after the party had paid for the place for their rally. The rally was postponed. Days later, the gates of the stadium were thrown open when it was learnt that the erstwhile governor, Achike Udenwa, now a senatorial candidate of the ACN in Orlu zone, threatened to break down the gates if his party was not allowed to use the facility it paid for. On the day of the ACN rally, perhaps in its bid to see to the failure of the event, the PDP in Imo fixed an emergency congress in the three zones of the state, Orlu, Owerri and Okigwe. Yet people turned out en masse for the ACN rally.

Sometime earlier, the overzealous Willie Amadi had issued an order that only Ikedi Ohakim and Goodluck Jonathan had the right to paste campaign posters in Owerri. Other persons wishing to do the same were to get clearance from Willie Amadi himself before they could paste posters..

Much later, there was a massive vandalism of posters of non-PDP contestants in the state. Most recently too, unknown persons have been circulating a text message in the name of Samuelson Iwuoha reads in full: "Ndi Imo, now that Rochas Okorocha who claims to be a philanthropist and apostle of free education has been exposed. One then begins to wonder and imagine why some students who are beneficiaries of his free education die mysteriously. One also begins to wonder and imagine why nobody in the real sense of it has ever benefited from his so-called philanthropy without encountering problems. It is time to fast and pray for our state. May God save Imo State!"

Up until now, the people behind that obnoxious SMS have not been uncovered, and Samuelson Iwuoha, when the present writer spoke with him on phone, denied ever sending the text. Evidently, this is a case of sheer politics of calumny aimed first at discrediting the man Rochas Okorocha, and secondly, putting Samuelson Iwuoha in the bad books of Okorocha supporters.   

I can understand the desperation of an incumbent governor. Many who have tasted power, with all its allures and intoxication, would probably do everything to hold on to it, at least as long as the constitution allows them. That is, for those who have respect for the constitution.

But sadly, there are others in Imo who are as desperate as the incumbent, or even more so. Martin Agbaso, Ifeanyi Araraume, Achike Udenwa, et al, are all desperate politicians. The multiple litigation instituted against Ohakim and all the schemes aimed at making the state ungovernable for him since 2007, the unholy Redemption/Destiny alliance, the deadly battle for the control of the state PDP, and the eventual crossover to ACN are all acts of desperation, one way or another.

Then came Rochas Okorocha, the one they call a great philanthropist, a man of the people, a devout Catholic, and the Messiah Imo has been waiting for. When he was locked out of Grasshoppers, I was one of those who felt for him. I argued then that it was most unfair. Even if he wanted to use the place for political purposes, what did it matter? Jonathan declared for presidency at the Eagle Square in Abuja. Ibrahim Babangida, his strongest opponent at the time, also used it. Likewise many others who wished to. But later developments have proved to me that Mr Okorocha may not be a saint after all.

In December 2010, Okorocha, alongside his thugs, allegedly beat up the chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Imo State for daring to say that the party in the state would never abandon Martin Agbaso, the party’s governorship candidate in 2007. He, Okorocha, earned his party’s suspension for that action. The issue was later resolved within the party and Okorocha got his party’s ticket to run for governorship.

Most recently again, he has exhibited how intolerant of criticism he can be. Early in March 2011, following the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity’s congratulatory message to Rochas Okorocha felicitating with him on the way he was warming himself into the hearts of Imo people, Nigerian Horn, an Owerri-based tabloid, published an article in which they asked whether Okorocha was a member of Ogboni Fraternity. For this reason, Rochas Okorocha was reported to have descended on the paper with a sledgehammer as his men allegedly stormed the newspaper’s office, destroyed equipment belonging to the newspaper, and beat up the editor and other staff of the company.

It is not my aim to discredit anybody here. I am only worried that, given that the two key contenders for the Imo number one seat are desperate men, Imo State may be heading towards a blind alley once again. April is here already. As Imo people prepare to choose the man who will lead them for the next four years, let them not forget that it was this same attitude of let’s have a change at all costs that landed Imo in the mess it found itself in the last four years. There is absolute need to look well so as not to take a dangerous leap in the dark. All that glitters is not necessarily gold. Imolites, your destiny is in your hands.