Before we begin this year, I want to welcome all my readers to the year 2014; a year away from 2015 predicted by many as the dooms year when Nigeria may not be again. But we all shall be grateful to God that we are breathing today. The Bible say s that a living Dog is better than a dead Lion.
But take it or leave it, 2014 will be a serious year in the life of many people, especially the politicians as they jostle for the various elected offices; from House of Assembly to the Presidency.
Already, the entire polity is on fire as politicians scheme to lay “structures” that will facilitate their dreams. But while we human beings plot against the future, it is only God who knows who will survive to witness the next day.
But while tomorrow is uncertain, that cannot stop man from thinking ahead, since you cannot fold your hands and wait for the last day. If you do so, hunger will hasten your demise.
So, man will ever remain adventurous no matter the reality of life exigencies.
This brings me to the various developments that took place around us since December last year. The most prominent was the letter former President Olusegun Obasanjo wrote to his godson, President Goodluck Jonathan.
In that well analyzed letter, the Ogun State born farmer carpeted his former prodigee and till date the dust raised by that letter is yet to cool down.
While Obasanjo was busy lampooning Jonathan, various state chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP were endorsing the Otuoke born zoologist for a second term bid.
Till date, despite the verdict by the House of Representatives that the Minister for Aviation, Miss Stella Oduah be sent packing for allegedly purchasing two armourd vehicles at the rate of (N200m) Two hundred million Naira, including receiving the Report of the Committee set up to look into the matter, President Jonathan has kept sealed lips on the contentious issue, even as the woman in question is moving about as if nothing happened.
Unfortunately, President Jonathan is yet to make open the recommendation made to him by the Committee he sent to work on the Oduagate. Was she indicted or not? Nigerians are all ears on this matter to no avail.
My candid advice to President Jonathan is that if he decides to shield Oduah, assuming she was indicted by the Presidential Committee, it is Jonathan that will reap the consequences, because he must lose too many votes in 2015 because of this singular person and act.
2015 election looks ominous, because the electorate are now more enlightened, having realized that if they vote a wrong person into office because of hand-outs, it will not last, while the wrong fellow continues in office for years amassing wealth for himself and his/her families. Therefore, the alternative is to shun the carrots and vote a good material and trusted candidate who will remember the electorate when he assumes office.
Therefore, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, headed by Prof Jega must be careful not to expedite action on the prediction that Nigeria will “scatter” in 2015. The easiest route to that evil prediction would be to manipulate the result of 2015 elections not to reflect the decision of the now charged electorate, made up of the army of unemployed youths, conversant with world affairs through their handsets and other electric devices.
In the last Christmas in Imo, politicians in the state let the people know that they (politicians) have not yet learnt any thing as they still think that the electorate are gullible and stupid as before.
From Oru West to Aboh Mbaise, to Obowo and Orsu LGAs, the trend continued, where politicians after making Billions of Naira from the masses in terms of constituency funds only call the people together and regale them with Keke NAPEP and Okada.
And very unfortunately, these Keke NAPEP and Okadas were meant for State, LGA and Ward Officers of political parties. And a few hundreds of naira for party members who traveled long distances to witness the sham jamborees.
If our elected officers focus their largees on party officials, what about the teeming electorate who spent hours in polling Booths to vote for them? So, when Ward Officers are given Keke NAPEP and Okadas, it means the entire electorate of such Wards can go to hell? Are Ward Officers the electorate?
I learnt that these politicians targeted the party officers in their Christmas “Greek Gifts” because elections are fast approaching. The idea is that it is these party officers from the State to Ward levels that will vote in the party primaries. Therefore, they must be taken care of to the detriment of the electorate!
Even in some cases where the politicians were magnanimous enough to ask the Ward Chairmen to extend the goodies to the poor members of their Wards, the Ward Chairmen ended up pocketing the entire “property” to themselves alone.
If you move around some parts of Imo State, you will see where a Ward Chairman cornered over two Keke and two Okadas to himself alone, leaving the common electorate to clutch the dust.
And stupidly, in a very short time from now, these same Ward Chairmen will need these abandoned people to come out and vote for their parties. In order words, the electorate are only good and remembered during the time for voting, not time for “eating”.
And unfortunately, most of these big politicians who handed these materials to the party officers for onward transmission to the common masses, are not aware that their “messages” ended with only the party officers. So, the situation just narrated here only served to infuriate the voters the more, as they lay ambush, with anger, for these politicians who live on their collective wealths and only dish out stipends to the original owners of the goods, just because they will soon knock on the doors of the electorate.
But I tell you, the politicians will be highly shocked and surprised with the level of enlightenment among the Imo populace this time around.
What happened in Imo last December was just like what is in the Bible where it was said that you “take from the poor and give to the rich”.
Why would a politician buy Jeeps for “party leaders” while those who vote during elections were left out in the sharing of the booty. 2015 will really be tough for politicians.
This brings me to the Christmas celebrations organized in Imo State by the State Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha. In the first place, he declared a three week holiday for Imo Workers, with a (N12,000) twelve thousand flat rate of bonus to all categories of workers.
It is good for workers to rest and refreshen up. But three weeks break for Government Workers is too much. After all they enjoy their statutory leaves every year. Whether they got the N12,000 bonus or not is not my business.
And again, it is high time one called the attention of the Imo Government on the frivolous spending on Government Activities on live Network programmes, which costs nothing less than (N20m) Twenty million per programme.
For instance, Governor Okorocha last year, in each of the Christmas parties he held for each Group beamed the event live on AIT and NTA. As a Journalist, I know how much it costs to beam a programme live on Network in each Television Station in Nigeria.
Events are cheaper when they are recorded and aired later, yet it is very costly. So, you could imagine where ordinary Press Briefings in Imo State are aired live!
Governor Okorocha aired his rice sharing to Traditional Rulers and Handicapped persons live on television including his Christmas party with kids . How much is a bag of rice compared to over N20m (Twenty million Naira) spent on beaming the event to entire Nigerians?
Another question is; why even show such event on television to Nigerians since it was a simple Christmas gesture from a State Chief Executive to the masses. Such an even would have warranted National Television if the rice being shared were manufactured or produced in Imo State. Apart from that, paying millions of naira on such events is simply a waste of public funds.
Mark you, I am not saying that giving gifts to citizens by a governor is wrong, but the millions spent on show-casing such events to the world, which costs more than the gifts themselves was like during the military era when Military Governors were spending Billions to fence parasatals that worth just millions of Naira.
Let me state that one of the surprises that took place in Imo was the emergence of Bar Nnamdi Anyaehie as the new helmsman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Imo Chapter.
Not that the Nkwerre born Business mogul is not qualified to man the position, but because the intrigues and horse tradings that propelled him into office.
Before his emergence, the eyes were switched on more experienced politicians, because they may have held one appointment or the other before. But against all permutations, Anyaehie came tops.
For now, what remains certain is that Chief Eze Duruiheoma’s Successor has been found. We wait and pray that Jonathan inaugurates the Ideato South born Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN as the next Chairman of National Population Commission, NPC, so that Duruiheoma, Anyaehie and those who foisted him into office can heave a sigh of relief.
As expected in a political environment, Anyaehie’s emergence is already generating ripples, to the extent that some Imo top politicians have been reported to President Goodluck Jonathan for blocking the emergence of the structure being erected to fight his course in 2015.
My sources at Abuja told me that if care is not taken Imo PDP may relapse to its 2007 days, when crises was its second name. Can Imo PDP survive another crises in 2014 as 2015 election approaches?
Therefore, the only option is to embrace Anyaehie no matter which political cell he emerged from as the Acting Chairman. Politics is all about compromise. Those angry should put their requests on the table than to upturn the cart.
It is appreciable that other political parties are making inroads in the state to put PDP on its toes. A vibrant political environment in the state will be to the advantage of Imo, as a good opposition will checkmate who ever is at the helm of affairs at the Government House.
Unfortunately, things were very tough last year for many people in Imo State as the masses complained about cash squiz. Will things get better this year or worse, as predicted by prophets of doom?
