2014: A Year of Defections
Since after the 2011 general elections in the country, it appeared as if the political atmosphere is indeed calm and business as usual.
This ofcourse is expected and normal too as both winners and losers in the election collapsed all their structures with the ultimate goal of providing as well as reaping the dividends of democracy.
Political gangerism and bickering also gave way to issues which centred on how to impact on the general well being and lives of the masses.
Even while all these lasted, there were series of group meetings across party lines which supports the adage that says “he who fights and run away, waits to fight another day”.
And that perhaps is the reason for all we have currently in the political arena where no day passes without any story of people, groups and individuals defecting from one political party to the other.
This is expected during elections and indeed is part of the beauty of democracy.
There is absolutely nothing wrong for anybody or people to leave their present political parties to another if one feels and believes that the party runs contrary to his political ideology.
Again, there is nothing wrong for anybody to abandon one party to another where he feels that he could better be protected or rather put, where he or she can realize his political ambition. All these form the basis of belonging to political parties because it is either that your party is protecting your over all interest or helping you realize your political ambition.
So, the absence of all these makes a nonsense of the membership of a political party.
But in so doing, political office holders in particular should be guided by both the Nigerian constitution, the respective party constitutions as well as the electoral law.
Granted that there is no room in any of the quoted guidelines above for mass defection for elected political office holders, it is instructive for them to always realize that the position they are occupying is in trust for those who elected them into such an office.
It is until they realize this fac: that they are holding the position on trust for some people, that they will appreciate that common sense demands that they should always seek and consult their constituents whenever they want or plan to take a critical decision like defection.
Yes, they are at either the local government, state or National Assembly as members but the truth remains that they are not there on their own or by themselves, rather representing the collective interest of a people who they owe it as a matter of right to consult with always.
Generally speaking, it is not good for birds of strange birth fellows to flock together because the consequences is always is disastrous with each flying towards a different direction at the end of the day.
Therefore, it is better for people and individuals to be allowed at any point in time to determine their political faith and friends without coercion. This will definitely bring some measure of sanity and discipline within the parties.
A situation where people claim to be members of a political party without working in accordance with the rules and regulations of the party should be condemned because it only but amounts to sabotage.
Open Letter to His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha; Imo State LGA’s
Headquarters Deplorable Conditions not in Line with Imo Rescue Mission
The condition of our Local Government Headquarters in Imo State is in shambles and almost in comatose, very shameful and appalling in all ramification.
It is not in line with Gov. Okorocha’s Rescue Mission program going on in the State. Infact a visit to any of the LGA Headquarter especially at the hinter lands of Imo State will make you think they are not part of the state.
Some of them are over grown with grasses, doors and windows are broken, some parts of the roof of the buildings are leaking, some of the buildings for the past 12 years have not known what is called painting as PDP governments left them.
Please our Grand Commander of free education in Nigeria, great achiever, beautifier and one man that love good things, I urge you to take a careful visit to some of these council headquarters and see the shameful and pitiable conditions they are in, or better still try and constitute a five man committee to go round and report back in two days.
We have entered “Mission” as you said, Owerri,Orlu, Okigwe cannot continue to wear beautiful looks like Dubai while council headquarters look like prisons yards, no light, no good roads inside the LGA’s, no water, only broken doors and facilities of outdated shapes are found here and there.
The worst of it all is that the workers now go to work once or twice every week and don’t even know how to say the much celebrated Imo Anthem nor observe the Imo 12 noon prayers.
The Administrators of these councils cannot put this administration into what Imo state had suffered in the past 12 ½ years under PDP because this is a new era in this our great state.
In view of the above, I want to make a passionate appeal to the Gov to put the necessary machinery in motion to ensure that the aims and aspirations of the present administration which are for good of all Imo people are completely actualized especially towards delivering the dividends of Democracy to the grassroot.
Onyema Louis, JR
08075553661
