My last piece captioned “ImoStateand politics of Blasphemy” necessitated this week’s write – up. After that contentious piece, I was getting calls from all parts of Imo. One particular caller from Irette was angry that I wrote that APGA only exists on Paper in Imo.
PDP followers in their own reaction said that I wrote that the party started fighting Rochas Okorocha because they could no longer find meat in their “soup pots”. PDP got so infuriated that they withdrew an advert already given to Imo Trumpeta, forgetting that Imo Trumpeta is different from “Lastline” column.
Rather than get discouraged, these developments told me that people are taking note of what are writing and therefore, we shall continue to inform the masses.
However, today I would want express more on my postulation that as far as I am concerned the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA exists mainly on paper in Imo.
The first question is, since APGA captured Governor Rochas Okorocha, as member in 2011 and he flied the party’s flag as its bearer and won the Imo Governorship election, how many political heavy weights of Imo extraction has joined the party? I challenge any person to say that the Martin Agbaso era of APGA was not more vibrant and more accommodating than now. How does one measure the growth of a political party? Is it not the number of its members, since Democracy is based on Majority having their way, while the minority have their say?
Now let me get clearer. The APGA in Imo state since it won the last election has not thrown their doors open for new comers owing to the attitude of their leaders. There is this the “winner takes all” mentality in APGA inImoState, that has discouraged intending new members, and emboldened the opposition parties to remain steadfast till the end than joining APGA.
Let me make it clear here that political parties, every where in the world is organized from the ground to the top. In this case, Wards are the foundation and tap- roots of political party organogram. Therefore, I want to ask, how many times has APGA held meetings at the ward levels since after Okorocha’s triumph? Who are the Ward chairmen of APGA inImoState? Can they tell us the number of new comers since twelve months now?
Let me repeat it here that APGA emergence in Imo was a spontaneous reaction by the electorate to pay PDP back in their own coins for taking the people for granted, through their arrogance and over confidence that PDP could do anything in the state and get away free.
But rather than capitalize on the opportunity and retain the people’s confidence, APGA has bungled the chance through its politics of Bravado, than wooing the people.
Due to complex that exists among old APGA members, they see any new face as a challenge and competitor, forgetting that politics is all about “let us go, not let me go”.
When we say form a circle, is it one person? But APGA people abhore population.
In order to remain the only Cock that crows in Imo, Governor Okorocha has scared everybody away, rather than bringing everybody together, as the leader of all by the virtue of his position.
By right, a ruling party is supposed to attract more followers. Why is it that after one year, all the members of all the opposition parties in Imo still remain intact, no matter what they are facing now, despite Economic and social deprivations.
Let me give an example, when the past Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim won the Governorship under Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, many big wigs started moving to the party. I know of high profile politicians who decamped from PDP and joined Ohakim in PPA, until he returned to PDP.
Why has nobody joined Okorocha in APGA? Apart from Senator Osita Izunaso who romances with APGA, yet professes he still remains in PDP. Is it Chief Marcon Nlemigbo? Why cant these two gentle men openly join APGA? Some thing is wrong some where!
Approaching two years now, since the present APGA government assumed office, no Local Government Chairman, out of the twenty seven in the state has joined APGA. None of Ohakim’s Ex – Commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Former Board members, etc has joined APGA.
None of Udenwa’s henchmen has joined. Bar Soronnadi Njoku, the Attorney – General and Commissioner for Justice, an Udenwa apostle still sticks with ACN, despite being a member of Imo State Exco for over a year now.
Politics is played by and with politicians. Therefore, if none of these politicians have joined APGA, why was my caller from Irette persecuting me? How therefore do you judge the growth of APGA in Imo?
Let me say that APGA is afraid of new members, and may pay the price, as Ohakim did when he started to recruit new friends at the peak of 2011 elections. Then, it was late.
Okorocha thinks that the “winner takes all” will work for him, whenImoStateis made up of politicians of different hew, who need “recognition”.
And every where in the world, the moment elections are won and lost, the winner begins the process of reconciliation. It does not diminish, but shows the sense of accommodation and statesmanship of the winner. The reason is that there is no way you can find the best of brains in a particular party, no matter how large that political party is.
And a leader should always be ready to forgive and forget easily for the healing of old wounds, and for carrying everybody along. If he or she fails in this regard, it is a recipe for occasional crisis within the society.
That is the reason why the leader does everything, for his or her benefit, to woo the opposition no matter how small the group is. Because, distractions from opposition keep the leader restless and busy with frivolities that would not sustain the peoples good will. It was Abraham Lincoln who asked “Have I not destroyed my enemies by making them friends?”
How many enemies has Governor Okorocha made friends, at least for peace to reign in his era, so that he can concentrate on his job and deliver the goods to Imo people? Instead what we see and hear every day are self – induced. Crisis by a government in power, like the aborted and now controversial swearing – in of Hon Eugene Dibiagwu.
Let me give another example. When Ohakim won his governorship, he dissolved his campaign organization, paid off all the appointees who served his predecessor, Dr Achike Udenwa. He even borrowed money to pay all past Council Chairmen and councilors whose severance payments Udenwa could not do.
He courted the twenty six members of the Imo Assembly who were of PDP stock as he had only one member of PPA from Onuimo LGA. This gave him peace of mind among the political class. Having gotten power, Ohakim could have decided to engage them in a war to show – off his political power as the Chief Executive.
Till date, Okorocha has not dissolved his campaign organization, Rescue Mission. Already, there is class war raging among the members, that even those who ought to recruit new members are warning those outside to remain in which ever party they belong to now.
In Rescue Mission, there are those they call Agenda, who are more regarded as real Okorocha men. Even among Agenda you must be an old staff of Okorocha before you would be accepted with total confidence. Even in the pecking order, you are at vintage position if you hail from Ideato South LGA, and more if you are a native of Ogboko community. Can this create total happiness among its members and Imo public in general?
When the Governor wants to make appointments, in some cases a man is commissioner, his wife is Special Adviser, the wife’s sister is Special Assistant, the Uncle is commissioner, and the brother is transition committee chairman. From the same family! Imo has never witnessed this before. Political offices are used to settle individuals who worked for a particular government. And it done to touch each group.
Within APGA as a party, the people of Owerri extraction are complaining of not being carried along. They wonder why Okorocha hails from Orlu and the state APGA chairman, Prince Okafor, from Orlu East, Orlu zone still heads the party.
There is the thinking within APGA members that since the Governor is from Orlu, the party chairmanship slot should have moved to another zone.
Hon Udo Agoha, who was preferred by most members of APGA, was unceremoniously relieved of his post. Agoha hails from Egbu in, Owerri North LGA, like Chief Martin Agbaso and his younger brother Jude, the Deputy Governor.
The thinking was that Agoha may have the ears of his brothers. But instead of replacing him with somebody from Okigwe zone, assuming Owelle was not comfortable with Owerri zone, why would the position still go to Orlu zone?
With these scenarios, my angry caller should take a breather before crucifying me. APGA and its leaders are the “Agada gbachiri uzo” which hinders new comers from venturing into the party.
For the first time in Nigerian politics, we are seeing where people are treating a ruling party with a long pole, by preferring to remain in opposition, than moving to the ruling party and “chop”.
Tales from those working in the Okorocha’s government are not helping matters. Most of them lament of living in penury when they are working as government appointees.
We hear cases where a commissioners cannot “dash” his/her visitors just one thousand Naira transport fare.
If Commissioners are complaining, how then can they hold meetings at the grass roots to convince the people that APGA is it. It is through these appointees that the grass roots are galvanized.
As I earlier wrote, I have never heard of a meeting called by the past Transaction Committee Chairmen. Atleast, I did not hear about any in my LGA, Ngor Okpala.
The only one I heard of was the meeting by Senator Chris Anyanwu in her constituency tour last two weeks, and those who went there said it was a rainbow coalition of all political party faithfuls and no one mentioned APGA.
APGA is mismanaging its good will of Imo people through anger and vengeful politics by attacking rather than defending. Coercing rather than wooing. Pursuing than embracing.
It is out of fear that most Imo people avoid APGA gatherings, including that called by government.
For instance Ojukwu’s burial; many of opposition party members invited could not attend because of fear of physical attacks. Journalists seen as opposition are openly and physically attacked in broad day light inImoStateeven in Government House and nothing happens. It is an aberration in a civilized world and in a democracy.
These hostilities are part of the reasons Imo people run away from APGA. The way and manner appointees are disgraced are also one of the reasons APGA is abhorred. A particular commissioner was shocked and shamed when he attended swearing – in of his colleagues, only to hear another appointed in his Ministry, right there at the occasion, with no portfolio assigned to him.
The Commissioner sheepishly went back to office and carried his belongings and left. I saw him inAbujalast week looking dejected and expressing his disgrace in the hands of APGA government in Imo. So, can my angry attacker see what I mean?
I do not mean to belittle or attack APGA, but only expressing what I have observed. No sentiment attached.
Imo is made up of people from different political parties, and they can chose to join APGA if they so wish. Not all parties are heaven, but it is the duty of a ruling party to lure the people, despite the political power it wields. It should be for the good of the people, not the other way round.
It is the masses that is power. A politician without followers is doomed. Why is it that many politicians after wining elections inNigeriawant to return or join PDP? It is because of their numerical straight and not any thing in particular.
Governor Adams Oshomole ofEdoStatemet a State with greater number in opposition parties. Within two years, he “converted” all of them to join him buildEdoState. He did not say he knew it all simply because he was Governor.
He appealed to the people’s conscience, wooed them, treated them like kings and finally got their support.
The ingredient of Democratic politics is to appeal, not coercion or bravado. No one man eats an Elephant alone? Is my angry caller from Irette reading me?
