By May 29th, the incumbent Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha would have clocked three years in office, leaving the next May 29th 2015 as either his hand-over date or commences another four-year term, that is, if he wins the next year’s general election.
Therefore, what faces Okorocha after the next celebration in a few weeks time will be to begin to finish whatever projects he embarked upon since May 29, 2011, and articulate what to tell Imo people as he takes to the roads on his campaign trails.
This is because, despite how confident he may be in returning back to Douglas House in 2015, yet he ought to have an open mind, as the masses can decide otherwise, and thwart his plans.
Therefore, in order not to be shocked, he should take the issue like it was in 2011, where the matter was like if I win good, if I lose, I go back to my business. I write from experience. This posture will make Okorocha take the entire situation as a football match. Not a do or die affair. No winner, no vanguished.
Having said this, Okorocha should realize that the position he is occupying now has a tenure, and still, a legion of people are interested in the seat and out to dislodge him, just as there was somebody occupying the seat in 2011 whom he sent packing.
Among the fiercest opposition the Governor has is the Peoples Democratic Party, the PDP, the party ruling Imo State since 1999 until Okorocha came and broke that jinx.
Therefore, it will not be an over statement to say that the Imo Governorship election in 2015 will be the fiercest the state will ever behold. However, the entire episode will be educative and entertaining if all the political actors play it by the rules.
One thing now clear is that Imo electorate have “seen the light” and from the out-come of the 2011 governorship election, have realized that they can decide the fate of whoever governors them, and any thing to the contrary to intimidate the peaceful Imo electorate by foisting unacceptable candidate on then may attract ugly reaction from the teeming voters.
Following this aforementioned looming danger, the only panacea to doom in Imo before, during and after the guber election in 2015 is a free and fair election, where a level playing ground is granted all participating parties.
Experience has shown that any arm-twisting will be resisted by the Imo enlightened voters, who exhibited doggedness in 2011, when they came out strong to confront the then incumbent administration.
Therefore, what can convince Imo people to return Okorocha in 2015 election is by proving his worth to the masses that he was a better alternative to the toppled PDP administration in 2011.
This is where the pressure is pilled on Okorocha, not the opposition parties. This is because, while the other guber candidates build their campaign slogans and speeches on what they intend to do for Imo people, the incumbent Governor will dwell on what he had done and going to do better when reelected a second term.
Some people do ask if Governor Okorocha is running for a second term? The simple answer is yes. Already he has zoned the chairmanship position of the All Progressives Congress APC to Owerri zone, holding tight to the Governorship slot which goes to Orlu zone.
Indeed, the task before Okorocha is to convince Imo people that he deserves a second term. But the Governor will begin by helping himself, since Heaven helps only those who help themselves.
It is certain that Okorocha will hoist the APC flag in the 2015 Imo Governorship election. But how solid has he made the party to confront the mammoth monster called PDP?
Already, the PDP in the state is beaming with men of timbre and caliber, some of them trooping out from APC to boost PDP number.
This was caused by Okorocha who naturally wants to control the soul of APC in Imo, so as to plant his stooges who will facilitate his emergence as the party’s candidate, and pilot his return to Douglas House.
Indeed, in the process of dismantling the party’s old structure and erecting another one amenable to him, Okorocha paved way for many APC members to dump the party. Unfortunately, the APC in Imo is still going through nurturing stage and has not grown to the status of Imo PDP, which has become a catholic church where the absence of a member is not felt in the congregation.
Therefore, the implosion that has followed the restructuring of Imo APC, after the sack of its former state chairman, Marshall Okoroaforanyanwu has really caused bad blood among the remnants of the party in Imo.
The sudden subscription to zoning by Governor Okorocha has also shocked most APC members, who thought he does not believe in political zoning, which will soon create more internal squabbles within the party members as time comes.
Looking at the scenario, Okorocha will be facing Imo electorate in 2015 with various backlashes that may not be favourable to his strategies, unlike in 2011 when his posture as a man being persecuted by the powers that be, simply because he came to “rescue” the suffering Imo people, endeared him to the hearts of many Imo electorate.
Now, the situation is completely different because he is now the man holding both the knife and the yam, and rather has explanations to make to the inquisitive Imo electorate.
Therefore, as the months of May approach in the calendar as a handover, or take-over for a second term, Imo electorate wait in ambush to unleash for their pound of flesh, or roll out the drums to celebrate Okorocha for taking them to the utopian height.
What is certain is that while Okorocha plots to retain his seat, his opponents also plan on how to pull the rug off his feet. What Governor Okorocha did to the PDP in 2011 which led the party to lose the seat of power, same is what other parties will also unleash on him to wrestle the coveted trophy from him.
However, for Okorocha to come out of the 2015 battle unscathed and retain his kingdom, he ought to change tactics, because all those strategies he used in 2015 have gone obsolete, as Imo people today can easily read his plans.
In 2011, at the Ahiajoku Centre Owerri, Owelle Okorocha said Imo State is too rich, and ought not have its name on the list of states owing banks. So, has Okorocha borrowed any kobo since he assumed office? Imo people will ask him that question.
He promised free education and has implemented it, but only those who have their children in public schools can explain how far the policy has succeeded.
The Governor has built general Hospitals in the 27 LGAs in the state. Truly speaking, he sited the Hospitals as promised. But while some have reached roofing level others are still at foundation levels. But the fact remanins that none of all the hospitals have been completed yet, much more equipped as hospitals. Therefore it is left for Imo people to accept that it was better to have channeled the funds in restructuring and fully equipping the old ones, than embarking on constructing 27 Hospitals which may not be completed as the administration faces the masses for a fresh mandate.
In the areas of roads, no person will say Okorocha has not constructed visible roads. But the argument is how strong are the roads, and what cost they took off Imo coffers.
A lot of roads are still under construction or abandoned, causing untold hardships to Imo commuters, when a selection of major roads which would have been fully completed would have been better.
For instance, the “JPross road”, which cuts across many streets to Emmanuel College Owerri/Aba road junction is a wonderful project, and should be completed, even though we learnt the Lebanese handling the road has disappeared, after he was paid fully, even before visiting site.
Okorocha has touched some communities with various roads which may count to his advantage. But the question many ask is how much was removed from Imo councils that have no elected chairmen, to construct such roads?
One observation made is that Okorocha is leaving the completion of the various round-abouts in Oweri to coincide with his campaigns and other activities that may kick-start his second term ambition. But a ploy to use uncompleted projects to hoodwink Imo electorate may back-fire.
In 2011, former Governor Ikedi Ohakim was about constructing the first fly-overs in the annals of Imo history. But did those uncompleted projects entice the masses to do otherwise after they had made up their minds in 2011?
Rather than allow these dangerous spots at IMSU and Orlu road-abouts continue to destroy vehicles everyday, he should complete them now and count them as part of projects completed by his administration. In this circumstance, delay is very dangerous.
The governor should revisit his policy on the economy of Imo state. It was like the “rebasing” of Nigeria economy by Okonjo-Iweala and co. Any economy devoid of shelter, food, clothing, water, transportation, is a voodoo economy.
In Imo State of today, the masses are gnashing their teeths. Things are getting harder everyday. Money has become such a scarce commodity, yet does not have value. Because of the difficult situation faced by Imo masses, they do not want to see or hear whether the Government is constructing roads or building hospitals.
The refrain is; only the living enter vehicles to ply the roads.
Okorocha’s highest constituency, the keke operators are dischanted with the administration. In 2011 they were the foot soldiers the then APGA candidate had.
Today those youths who were promised Taxi cars in exchange of their keke tricycles after Okorocha had spent six months in office are now living in much penury with their rickety keke. And the graduates among them cannot get any job. No new factory has been erected, despite the administration’s frequent visits to Kosovo and other European countries.
Today, I wonder how many catholic followers in Imo state are queuing behind our Governor. Same goes for civil servants, and the now-sacked 10,000 job employees, who worked against PDP in 2011.
It was out of anger that most of these keke operators refused to answer the Governor’s invitation last week, which led to Task Force to impound the keke of the recalcitrant keke operators.
My advice is that Governor Okorocha should go back to the drawing Board. He should now concentrate on his uncompleted projects and finish them, than embarking on fresh ones.
As it is now, the raining season is already with us as we are now in May, and through out June and July will be wet months.
By September and October, political parties would have selected their candidates, while December the campaigns would have started. And next Lover’s day on February 14, 2015 is presidential election. While next May is hand-over date through out Nigeria.
Therefore, should Okorocha encounter rough times in the hands of Imo electorate in 2015, it will not be because he did not do his best, but because Imo electorate are highly sophisticated and hard to please.
That is why I said this May is the main May Governor Okorocha should restrategise on what to do before the next May. What do you think?
