Prof Obioma Iheduru is a native of Mbeke in Isiala Mbano LGA, Imo State. He is presently the Dean, School of Post Graduate studies, Madonna University. And was the immediate past Acting Vice Chancellor of the same Institution.
A political scientist and scholar, Professor Iheduru was the Special Adviser on Employment to the former Governor of Imo state, Dr Ikedi Ohakim, and the pioneer Director-General of Imo Job Centre.
Imo Trumpeta took on the University Don on various issues, ranging from 2011 to 2015 Imo politics. Here is the excerpt.
Trumpeta: Prof, what is your assessment of the political environment of Imo state as various politicians “warm up” for 2015?
Prof Iheduru; We have barely a year to have a change of leadership in the state. As usual in a democratic environment, people should be organizing by now. Even though INEC does not allow that, but clandestine meetings are going on so that the electorate can be adequately sensitized. The party primaries will soon commence, after the emergence of delegates. It is not surprising that political activities are taking off in earnest. It should be expected.
Trumpeta; For easy transfer of power among the three political zones of Imo state namely; Orlu, Owerri and Okigwe, some elder statesmen in the state devised this thing called Charter of Equity in 1999. Do you believe it is still a in play?
Prof: The leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 1998 were wise people. They came up with the Charter of Equity which means that all the zones will feel belonged. The environment of power must be made amenable for power change.
At that time Orlu had not tasted power. The PDP founding fathers from Owerri and Okigwe zones said it must go to Orlu.
In 2007 Governor Udenwa insisted that it must move to Okigwe.
That was how Okigwe came onboard. Therefore, it was left for that Area to sustain the power for eight years. By moving power to Okigwe, that Charter of Equity had been satisfied in Okigwe zone.
All the shenanigans, intrigues and who played what role or which zone, we know. The conditionalities have been certified in the Charter of Equity in the case of Okigwe zone.
Therefore, it should go to Owerri in 2015, for peace, stability, orderliness of Imo state. Owerri should be allowed to produce the next Governor in 2015.
I want to reiterate further my support Charter of Equity and the rotation and zoning of the highest political office in Imo state. We in Okigwe believe that it is only through rotation and zoning of the office of the Governor that Okigwe will continue to be politically relevant in the political frame work of Imo state.
We take this stand for the sake of our children and grand children which it will please us to be in the helm of affairs of Imo state Government in the future. If Okigwe sticks to open field play, it will jeopardize political opportunity of Okigwe in the future.
Trumpeta: There is this notion that Owerri short-changed Okigwe zone in 2011, therefore Okigwe zone is out for a reprisal action in 2015.
Prof: In my opinion there were some intrigues that resulted in Orlu people working against PDP which caused Ikedi Ohakim not to retain his seat.
No doubt Owerri Federal Constituency especially, voted massively for APGA, and some part of Ngor Okpala too. But did not Okigwe zone shoot itself on the foot?
Ohakim lost that election with about forty thousand votes (40,000). Remember, there was a candidate from Okigwe zone who polled about one hundred and ten thousand (110,000) votes.
Assuming that those ballots given to that Okigwe man had been put for Ohakim, he would have won that election with landslide.
So, when we blame other zones, we should also ask our selves some salient questions, because Okigwe zone had a hand in Ohakim’s defeat in 2011.
And again, who was that person responsible in informing INEC to stop announcing some results? Was it an Owerri, Orlu or Okigwe man? Therefore, a cock does not forget the person that plucked off its wet feathers during the raining reason.
Trumpeta: There is the insinuation that Okigwe zone has been having meetings, plotting how to sabotage Owerri Governorship in 2015.
Prof: I am not aware, have not heard, not attended meeting or read any thing about the so called Okigwe project. No call, no contact. If somebody like me in Okigwe zone have not been informed of such meeting, that means it only is existing in the minds of the people who conceived it.
Trumpeta: Sir, even as I can see that you support Owerri for 2015, but the zone is beaming with legions of Aspirants. What is your take on this?
Prof: It is to the advantage of PDP and the Aspirants. Every Aspirant comes from a Ward and LGA. People in those localities seem to support their daughter or son. But I believe it is good for PDP because it sensitizes the people there about PDP. You see, in the end PDP will produce one candidate. And party loyalty will make other aspirants queue behind the chosen candidate and rally their followers to support the candidate.
I believe that in the end Owerri zone will produce a well tested and trusted candidate because PDP needs such a person to boot out the obnoxious administration of Governor Okorocha.
Trumpeta: You were the progenitor of Imo Job centre when you served as the Special Adviser on Employment to former Governor Ikedi Ohakim. How do you feel that the edifice you erected has been dismantled by the Okorocha administration, including sacking the Ten thousand 10,000 youths?
Prof: I took my time, through empirical researches to arrive at setting up the Imo Finishing School, where we registered over thirty five (35,000) thousand Imo born graduates who had no jobs. Some of them had no jobs after ten (10) years of graduation.
I give credit to Ohakim for setting up the centre to know how many unemployed graduates Imo state has.
We had the highest unemployed graduates from Mbaitoli, Aboh Mbaise, Ikeduru and Isiala Mbano LGAs in that order.
We took a biometric account of Imo Civil Servants to know those to retire and employ new ones. We employed a consultant, KPMG, a consultant of international repute. We set the exams, and the applicants were interviewed by the Civil Service Commission, screened and those who passed were given appointment letters; they still have the appointment letters till date.
But six days after election, Okorocha went on air and dismissed these Imo citizens from the state Civil Service, and today he said he is employing twenty five thousand (25,000) youths under the Imo Youths Must Work programme. What a contradiction!
Every thing Okorocha has said, he has contradicted.
A Governor who cannot keep to his words. That is terrible.
Trumpeta: Thank You Sir.
