As residents of Owerri, the Imo State capital, one common sickness I developed recently is traffic phobia. This fear is as a result of the stress road users, especially those operating from Control Post/Assumpta Avenue; pass through, before assessing the heart of Owerri Municipality.
To evade the regular physical and mental torture experienced on the Control/Assumpta Avenue by motorists, I devised a modus operandi to easily enter what one may describe “inside town” of Owerri for usual business, social and official activities.
Despite the opening of two heart-warming new bridges across the Nworie River by the Owelle Rochas Okorocha administration and resuscitation of Akanchawa-West End Bridge and road, traffic gridlock on the every-busy Control Bank Road, through Assumpta Avenue, remains a permanent feature.
For a greater part of last week, the traffic situation in Owerri worsened when motorists were forced to a standstill, no thanks to plethora of protests that rocked Owerri. The messy affair began on Tuesday last week when a large number of women and some youths took to the streets. Since I reside outskirt of Owerri, a friend alerted me to the development and warned that I should not attempt to step into town from Control Post area as we have a crucial appointment in one of the federal agencies in the state. The appointment was however rescheduled for the next day courtesy of the pro-Okorocha women group who among other things requested anti-graft bodies like Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, as well some security agencies, to stop distracting the Imo governor from discharging his function.
The next day, I received my baptism of fire from the protesters who made life miserable to residents of the state capital during the shortlived “Operation Occupy Owerri”. On reaching the newly-constructed Orlu/Warehouse Road Roundabout to negotiate, scores of buses filled with physically challenged persons parked on the road. In a jiffy, the packed vehicles were used to form a barricade on the road. Before one could shout Jesus, wheel chair rolling and walking stick clutching disabled persons took over proceedings on the roads.
Yours truly were among the helpless and unsuspecting road users who suffered serious setback in solidarity with the aggrieved groups. Within split seconds, members of the Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities JONADAP, swarmed the area and disrupted free flow of traffic. Owerri was instantly shut down again.
Ironically, the disabled people’s onslaught came ten hours after the women protesters exhibited resentment over the alleged intimidation of Gov Okorocha by the presidency. Pundits tried to compare and contrast the two incidents with a view into determining their relationship and if there was the hands of Esau in the two developments. In apparent bid to possibly score cheap political points and demystify the protest of the handicapped persons, another pro-government protest was again arranged the following day. For Owerri residents, it became “one day, one protest”, as business activities were partially grounded.
Watchers of political developments in Imo State are of the view that except for the disabled persons’ protest, the remaining may have been induced by the Okorocha-led government. Judging from the characters of the women groups who wore uniforms bearing Okorocha and the assemblage and ealier notification to some privilege media houses ahead of the protests, one needs no soothsayer to deduce that state government actors are behind the mobilization and organization of the protests as the actions may not be unconnected to today’s Supreme Court judgment on the inclusion of PDP candidate and ex-Governor of the State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, over the matter instituted by Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, on the legality or otherwise of the Supplementary Election of the May 6, 2011 Governorship election, that ushered in the Governor.
Signs that the Rescue Mission government may have outlined strategic measures to whip up sentiments ahead the Supreme Court case manifested when one reported but unknown figure in APC leadership raised alarm over plots by the Presidency and PDP against Governor Okorocha. APC spokesman, Lai Mohammed went further to issue a press statement accusing President Jonathan and the PDP of attempting to influence today’s judgment. Moments later, it was harvests of protests by the women groups. There is nothing absolutely wrong for group of protesters taking to the streets to express their grievances if violence and acts capable of disrupting peace and tranquility are eschewed. Protests are accepted civil procedures of resistance in democracy. What however surprises keen watchers of events in the state are reasons behind the siege mentality exhibited by the state government in the prelude to the Supreme Court verdict.
For observers, Imo is introducing another brand of Pol-tricks in politics by dragging innocent and unsuspecting women onto the streets for pro-government demonstration.
Definitely, something is wrong in the system in the state. Except the state actors who mobilized the women for the protest are suffering from memory lapses it would have realized that protesters were not used to subdue arbiters or secure court victories in the past since he was elected Governor of Imo State. It is a known fact that Okorocha has won several court victories against his election challengers without mustering protesters to whip up sentiments. The state government should have also known that court cases are strictly judicial matters where points of law and not weight of demonstrations are considered in delivering judgments. I will end that aspect of the protest as judgment would have been declared on the matter by now.
If the pro-government demonstrators are not mercenaries beclouded with partisan pro-clivity, it would not have carried placards against federal bodies like EFCC, ICPC, and the security agencies. The paranoid posture of the women can be observed when there were no justifiable reasons to engage on uniformed verbiage against the anti-graft bodies.
The women who also took to Owerri streets to destabilize the state capital may not be residents of the state if their complaints against EFCC and ICPC are considered. The women should ask why EFCC and ICPC wouldn’t beam their searchlights on present Imo State officials when expected due process and laid down procedures for award of contracts have been neglected and abandoned. The women should ask themselves if the State Tender’s Board is existing for award of contracts and whether on going contracts observed constitutional processes before award? The women would have been expected them to use the protest forum to invite the EFCC and recover the “missing” N900m said to have been filtered away by the JPross contract scam. The women should have known that the controversy surrounding the N458m alleged bribery scandal that consumed impeached Deputy Governor of Imo State, Sir Jude Agbaso and the inflated value of the contract deserves EFCC attention if they mean well for the state before their infantile street showpiece. They should have known that the myriads of missing billions of naira allegedly looted from the state treasury by fleeing contractors would make the state become host of anti-graft bodies. Every discerning mind in Imo expect the women to invite EFCC and ICPC to move in and unravel the circumstances behind the abandonment of the state government monumental projects where the Okorocha regime has paid over 70% of the contract value but there is tangible at the contract sites to show for the huge amount paid, than wasting their energy and time on frivolities. Did the women who came through Owerri West and Ohaji/Egbema not pass through the Owerri-PortHacourt Road by Avu Junction to observe the billion naira worth Akachi and Ecumenical Centres still at foundation stages without presence of contractors? This particular project led to a frosty relationship between Owerri Municipal indigenes and the state government when Okorocha declared intention to site one of his signature projects at the controversial Area K land, in World Bank area of New Owerri. After erecting a captivating sign post depicting the 25-storey tower Akachi Centre and Millennium hotel, the project was moved to near Avu Junction, on Owerri-PortHarcourt road after government claimed that 70% funding has been advanced to the contractors. Before warning the anti-graft bodies to leave Okorocha alone, the women should also go to the old Ama JK Recreation Park where government planned to establish a Heartland Centre, designed to accommodate seven storeys for a car park and other facilities. After a reasonable amount has been paid to the contractor, no meaningful work is going on at the acclaimed monumental project. The women are expected to have also verified the huge amount of money said reported to have entered into the pockets of named Italian and Spanish nationals handed some of the monumental contracts without due process. The women are also expected to have considered inviting the EFCC to independently find out whether more billions are in the hands of fleeing contractors after the Members of the Imo State House of Assembly recently recovered N14billion from them. Will it not have been better for the protesting women to inquire about the activities of firms like Homipressa and Cone; two unknown firms who only came into prominence in Imo State in the past two years of Rescue Mission administration in Imo?
Imo people would also expect the women to as a matter of fact verify whether Okorocha’s predecessor, Ohakim left any money and what the balance of the N18bn bond meant for Oguta Wonder Lake was utilized for since the much-cherished hospitality and tourist centre has been abandoned. If they demonstrators were not women of easy virtue who may have sold their bodies and souls for material benefits, those from the oil producing communities, they should have found out what happened to the N400m Federal Government flood relief fund paid to Imo State and where the 13% fund meant for Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema LGAs, (two oil producing communities of Imo State) has been diverted since there is nothing in the area to justify the inclusion of the oil derivation in Imo State allocation.
Furthermore, the women instead of campaigning against EFCC and ICPC, should have probed into the mess of the local government funds and how alleged illegal processes were used in siphoning Council moniesbefore marching onto the major roads of Owerri for protests.
Space may not be available again in the page to accommodate reasons why the women should go on mental rethink before they would shamelessly march onto the streets to disrupt commercial activities and become willing tools in the hands politicians. Imolites are enlightened and cannot be bemused by deceptive tendencies. Imo is getting better.
