in the past few weeks, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, has been exposed to the slings and arrows of public discourse, courtesy of the botched polls to elect a lawmaker who will represents them at the Imo State House of Assembly.
Unfortunately, Oguta unlike other LGAs in the state which operates as state constituencies in 2011 is experiencing a chequered history since the new dispensation as it has lacked representation at the state legislature. The sordid picture began on April 28, 2011 when INEC declared House of Assembly and Governorship election inconclusive.
However, while arrangements were on to have the disputed “Supplementary Election”, one of the candidates, Eugene Dibiagwu of the PDP rushed to the law court to secure an injunction restraining INEC from going ahead with the exercise in the area. Oguta was one of the four LGAs where elections were declared inconclusive. Dibiagwu followed his legal action until INEC was directed to conduct bye-election in the remaining booths which the PDP candidate eventually won.
Ominous signs that Dibiagwu would face uphill task representing Oguta interest emerged when controversy heralded the swearing-in by the Imo State House. After much delay, the Speaker Ben Uwajumogu-led House swore-in Dibiagwu.
However, the issue of Oguta State Assembly seat went back to the law courts moments after Dibiagwu was sworn-in as his main challengers, Chief Walter Uzonwanne and Hon Henry Igbomezie also rushed to challenge the process that threw him up as the winner. The tribunal sacked Dibiagwu and Appeal Court recognized the earlier ruling thereby setting the stage for another re-run election battle.
Saturday June 29, 2013, was another historic day in Oguta. While the rest of the people in other LGAs went about their normal businesses, Oguta residents returned to the polls. At the end of the epic battle where two major contenders; Dibiagwu and Uzonwanne, enjoyed massive support from their respective parties, election was declared inconclusive by the INEC.
But as daylight melts into darkness, what is the fate Oguta as INEC repositions itself to ensure the representative of the people emerges? The inconclusive nature of the election has exhumed some posers that is worthy for discussion. To avoid unwarranted skirmishes witnessed during the last exercise, should INEC put a stop to further elections and allow Oguta remain without an eye in the State Assembly?
Has INEC exhausted all known electoral process in the Oguta case for it not to produce a winner after three conducts? And are Oguta people directly or indirectly benefiting from the re-run exercises?
In line with the popular saying that where two elephants fight, the grass suffers the people of Oguta are at the receiving end of this debacle. Taking into consideration the benefits accruable to a constituency from the Imo State House of Assembly, the area have not had adequate representation. That could be the reason why one of the oil producing areas of the state has been denied the essential ingredients of democracy since the coming of the Okorocha government. As nobody from the area acts as a check to the State Chief executive, that is why the N18bn bond meant for the Oguta lake Resort was diverted for other purposes without necessary consultation and reference for which it was secured by the previous administration. The Oguta Resort target is to make the lake a tourist haven that would generate enough revenue for the state as well as create job opportunities for less than 1000 persons. But for the absence of legislative check, the executive arm of government surreptitiously cornered the fund and diverted it from the Oguta Lake project to other supposed assignments that have no relationship with the bond and the people. It was only when petitions to national anti-graft bodies exposed this illegality and utter misdeed to Oguta people that the State Assembly hurriedly met to change the bond law to avoid sanctions. A lawmaker of Oguta extraction representing interest of his people would have not only objected but raise alarm over the diversion of the bond money.
The undue attention paid to the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Commission, (ISOPADEC), an interventionist agency, meant to cater for the infrastructural development of oil producing areas, by the present government can be attributed to the inconsistent representation of Oguta in the House of Assembly. Since the other member representing the next oil producing council, (Ohaji/Egbema), Hon Luke Chukwu, seems unperturbed by developments in ISOPADEC and does not chair the House Committee on Petroleum/ISOPADEC, the Commission has become a willing tool in the hands of those who are out to plunder the resources of the area and make a mince-meat of the people by using their ranking positions to devour ISOPADEC as part of their political loot.
An independent-minded lawmaker would have questioned the rationale behind the continuous blackout witnessed by oil producing communities occasioned by the inability of ISOPADEC to properly fund PHCN for electricity bills. In the last dispensation, ISOPADEC paid electricity bills of oil producing communities of Imo state until the Okorocha government step in to put a halt to it. The absence of an elected member who also has voters’ mandate, like the Governor, would challenge the ills meted to his constituents.
Apart from the issue of electricity bills, the non-consideration of undergraduates from the area for scholarship programs is another cause of worry. In the past, ISOPADEC awarded scholarship to a reasonable number of graduates. But such welfare packages have become a thing of the past. No thanks to absence of effective representation being witnessed by the people.
While the remaining 26 state constituencies have elected members benefiting from their “natural cake” in Imo State House of Assembly, Oguta is playing the loser. More so, the multiplier effects of the offices are too numerous to be quantified.
In the face of growing unemployment, the retinue of aides and personal assistants, who may likely be from the same state constituency with the lawmaker, is another veritable means of political empowerment to be ignored. It is on record that while lawmakers of Imo Assembly cruise around with their Prado Jeeps, courtesy of Governor Okorocha, Oguta missed out as nobody is there to take their share of the car gift.
If certain developments that characterized the recent re-run should be considered, another school of thought suggests that inconclusive elections should continue and frequent re-run elections be held in the area. The prognosis is that a section wants periodic re-run election for the purposes of getting immediate material needs.
Taking into consideration the amount of money the major parties and their candidates mapped out for each of the election, it was obvious that political players from the respective electoral wards may have grabbed “something” in the course of the election. In our clime where “money politics” is sacrosanct, some Oguta electorate would want the re-run show to continue.
It is pertinent to note that the stalemated election undoubtedly brought good tidings to the people. Since 2011, Oguta people have not witnessed structural and infrastructural development like other LGAs, but the recent re-run has attracted government and money-bag politicians. For people of Agwa clan, they must be thanking their stars that the fresh election came. Prior to this period, the area has been in darkness as several efforts of successive governments to install power supply proved futile. But the June 29 re-run has done a magic. To win the support of the people, the APGA government embarked on Agwa-must-get-electricity-project. The project handed over to a commissioner in the state was meant to induce the people into accepting and voting APGA candidate, Uzonwanne.
It was like a dream come true for the rural based people. The State Government who feigned ignorance about the Agwa case brought about two rolls of wire for Mgballa and Obudi Agwa communities abandoned electricity project. Work was in earnest a week to the election to convince the populace that a vote for APGA candidate would make the electricity project work. Apparently aware of the massive votes from the clan, some contractors handling road projects who did about 2% of the job were asked to go back to site to impress on the people that the APGA administration loves them.
Another community that would be singing halleluiah for the renewed poll is Awa, where ISOPADEC has mobilized a contractor that provided 10 out of the needed 25 poles to fix the power supply. Most abandoned projects in Oguta communities where contractors had disappeared got immediate revival for the sake of the fresh Assembly elections. Even as it was impossible for the state government to release the N400m Federal Government flood money to Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema flood victims in the state, Governor Okorocha two days to the election promised a whooping N500m empowerment grants to youths of the area.
Since the misfortune that befell Oguta may have turned to a blessing in disguise, who says another re-run will not be welcomed?
That Lovely Match With All Stars
Last Saturday, yours truly was in action on the turf of the Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri, Imo State. The friendly soccer encounter that was more of a novelty match was between my side, Owerri West Football Referees Society, (OWFRS) and Owerri All Stars. Owerri West Refs is an, an arm of the Imo State Referees Council, affiliated to the Nigerian Referees Association, NRA, while All Stars is more of a social outfit for ex-soccer internationals in the mould of Kanu Nwankwo, Mobi Oparaku et al.
In the course of the game, I noticed that life is like a brief candle. I also observed that no one can cheat nature and there is time for everything. I was the top striker for my side and I played against ex-internationals. It was a good game. In all, one aspect drew my attention; age is just catching up with one. I played against one player I adored for his left foot canon shots. The person is Mike Obi, ex-Rangers, Iwuanyanwu and Super Eagles star. When we lined up for the game, I watched the once power-packed footballer from a corner of my eyes and inquired if it was the same Obi of the old Iwuanyanwu.
As soccer enthusiast who followed Iwuanyanwu as a teenager any line-up without Obi means no goal. The Uratta-Owerri North-born striker remained the Naze Millionaires goal getter during his active days. His free kicks and shots at goal were excellent and beauty to watch.
Despite few flashes in that game, Obi was a shadow of himself last Saturday and that reminded me that life is a stage. Unlike in the past when I joggled ball ceaselessly like a power monster by challenging and contesting all balls, the fire power in me was also missing. Indeed, the world is a stage.
