By: Ohanele Casca, 07031515106; 08134192508
The political climate in Nigeria nay Imo is getting more charged as the gladiators put on their armour and arsenals together for a final onslaught. Soon, parties will begin the process of differentiating pretenders from contenders. On this mission to political Golgotha, all the aspirants will be put to test to ascertain their preparedness and capacity to take the sour cup of public scrutiny. As the situation continue to shift to a crescendo, politicians are resorting to different strategies to convince or confuse, to malign opponents or to ally with compatriots. Over the months preceding this present momentum, some interested dramatic personae in the political arena have shown superlative performance in consultations and in absorbing the arrows of detractors and enemies of the masses. One of such actors is Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha.
Like a listening democrat, a mass mobilizer and an astute politician, his clout and capacity which has endeared him to millions of people in and outside Imo has continued to baffle some pretenders who hitherto thought that gunning for governorship is a tea party. Many have continued to wonder how, the man Ihedioha has been able to combine his national assignment effectively as No 6 citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives and his aspiration to be the next governor of Imo State without slacking in any of those responsibilities? While others exhaust their energy criticizing the man, he has continued to wax stronger.
At this point, may I digress a bit to appreciate my numerous readers who showed concern and wished me well through the social media and telephone calls while I was overseas doing journalism work. You wondered why I was no more writing and I was touched for the vacuum my absence created and I wish to assure the readers that am back more internationally experienced and equipped, more daring to call a spade a spade. Absence sometimes are for good like in my case as my communication comes with more in-depth analysis of the real political situation in Nigeria, Imo State and environs. My sojourn outside of our shores brought me face to face with opinions and impressions of Imolites, Ndi-Igbo and Nigerians living in diaspora. I was able to understudy the strategies of some American media in the strategies of in-depth search for facts, opinions and how to decipher truth from falsity. Sahara Reporters that operates in New York and New York Times provided me with the challenges of moving a step further from our ways of practicing journalism in Nigeria. The responsibilities of a journalist and concept of true journalism is to equip the public with information that is authentic, enlighten the people on the trends in the society, expose evil that is or that could be detrimental to the good of the society. Commend good works with the view of encouraging the public to imbibe such virtues. Journalism therefore is investigative, expository, educative, entertaining and curative and not expected to romance propaganda, falsity and deception.
With these behind the mind, the people look up to practitioners of journalism as an agent of truth, an opinion moulder and as the voice of the voiceless. This makes the responsibility of the journalist sacred, respectful and dignifying. During my sojourn, all these vibrated in my mind and charged me to be more proactive, vocal and daring despite the dangers being faced by journalists. In America, journalists are well respected as they are one of the best paid. They have free access to information and its sources. Journalists are dreaded because when they scoop on you, your political or business career becomes a nightmare. Journalists are loved as well informed people.
In real situation, the journalist holds a double edged sword. Whatever he writes, a section of the society, a group or individuals or a person will be affected either positively or negatively. This makes the predicament of the journalist very sympathetic. To the journalist, he finds himself in a dilemma and sometimes chooses to sit on the fence of matters; neither condemning nor appraising but allows the public to form their own opinion.
Because journalism trade on information, most people see it as an all-comers affair. They mistake it to gossips, rumour mongering and false claim. People who have no business in the media today parade as political writers, analysts, columnists and hackers. These emerging writers sponsored by politicians, impostors, propagandists, political contractors feed the public with lies, wrong impressions and total false claim that is inconsistent with the truth of the matter. The simple reason for such unprofessional enterprise is to paint black, white with the intent to swing public opinion to the advantage of their pay masters. These people fail to understand that no matter how the rain falls on the leopard, it cannot wash away its spots. No matter the lies, false claims, newspaper advertorials and publications that are inconsistent with the facts on ground, the truth of the matter must surely come out in the light.
Recently, Owerri People’s Front, OPF led by Comrade Ebere Chukwuemeka has been on the news. OPF has distinguished themselves since the organization started championing the course for an Owerri zone man or woman to occupy Douglas House Oweri come 2015. The group has insisted that their desire is non-negotiable but believe that it will become a reality by collaboration with people of Okigwe and Orlu zones in the spirit of equity and fairness.
It is no longer news that the Orlu zone is about to complete 16 years at the government house Owerri come 2015 with Okigwe having the record of calling the shots at Douglas House for 8 solid years {Dee Sam Mbakwe and Chief Ikedi Ohakim} leaving Owerri zone on a pitiable note of being a mere caretaker for less than two years at Imo Government House. These are truth of the matter.
This piece is not a historic analysis of governance in Imo State but a correctional piece geared towards establishing the truth of the matter as regards Owerri Peoples Front, OPF and their recent opinion poll on the gubernatorial aspirants from Owerri Zone. This exercise, as good as it was intended has been manipulated by interested parties laying claim that OPF has adopted candidates or has endorsed a particular party aspirant for governorship. Any such claim is far from the truth. Some politicians have rushed to the media to even congratulate OPF for endorsing their candidacy. Some have shamelessly commissioned some hack writers to quickly script lies, propaganda and comic articles claiming that OPF has endorsed their pay master. To all discerning minds, to all rational thinkers and pragmatists alike, they know that OPF never endorsed any candidate.
I interacted with Comrade Chukwuemeka, the OPF President on the matter of endorsement and he explained the truth of the matter, which is, that OPF did not and has not endorsed any aspirant. That the opinion poll being claimed by some aspirants and their attack dogs as the source of the endorsement is indication of the desperation of such aspirants to jump the gun which smirks of exuberances, tactlessness and competitive inferiority complex. The OPF President noted that Owerri Peoples Front has not endorsed any aspirant.
Figures as we know can be fabricated and photo shopping is the order of the day in desperation by some politician to deceive the public to sway their minds. Rt Hon Ihedioha has remained focused going about convincing Imolites that he is the man to beat and the man who will make the desired change in Imo State.
To all Imolites, it is no longer news that the desire of the people to make a change in government House Owerri come 2015 is inevitable. It is also the desire of Imo people that a man or woman from Owerri zone, which is what OPF stands for, someone who is generally accepted across the state in Orlu, Okigwe and Owerri zones and not a local champion is the most appropriate to make the change realistic.
Winning Gov. Rochas Okorocha in 2015 is a faith accompli but having the right man to do that is very crucial.
Can Imo afford another four years of showmanship, visionless, deceptive and rabble razzer rulership? The answer is NO!
Owerri Peoples Front, OPF is determined to throw their weight behind a man who is well experienced, articulate, highly cerebral, visionary and popular with all round capacity to beat a seating governor hands down in 2015. OPF, Imolites and discerning minds believe a quit in 2015 and return Imo State to the part of progress, due process, solid infrastructural development, sincere leadership and industrialization.
OPF believes that under Owerri zone Governor all sold properties belonging to Imo people will be returned to the people. Under such administration, genuine Christianity will be instituted in governance with education given its pride of place once again. Imo indigenes studying in Imo and in other parts of the country and across the world will be carried along in the educational policies of a man whose educational background is authentic, verifiable with physical classmates and teachers unlike our present emperor.
Imo people have rejected Abortion law of Rochas Okorocha who legalized it and which he will be remembered for. Imo rejected Boko Haram and APC which is synonymous with insurgency, terrorism and sabotage of Ndi-Igbo during the Biafra civil war. Imo have rejected substandard roads, the more you look, the less you see. Imo people have rejected another Hitler of our time who has messed up our revered traditional institutions. Imo have rejected a man who selfishly and wickedly sponsored the impeachment of an innocent Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso on allegation of bribe which was later traced to Governor Rochas himself.! The impeachment of Agbaso will forever remain a moral burden on all the members of the Imo State House of Assembly who participated in the fathom coup. Soon, yours truly will scoop on all the members of the House who are aspiring for another political position come 2015, check if there are some exceptions and expose their dirty deals for Imolites to decide if a conspirator is worthy of another position of trust.
On the topic of this piece, OPF and gubernatorial aspirants: the truth of the matter, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is the name in all the lips of Ndi Imo as the man with the political sagacity, capacity, contacts and vision to salvage Imo. This explains why no day passes without Gov. Okorocha looking for a way to eliminate the world class legislator, a superlative administrator and strategic politician. To complicate matter, some gubernatorial aspirants intimidated by Ihedioha’s profile resort to propaganda against him which has continued to help in making him even more popular. Ihedioha did this, did that but none has said that Ihedioha is involved in corruption or scandal. Nobody has ever said that Ihedioha has not attracted projects in Imo State. Nobody can say that Ihedioha has not empowered Imo people. There is nothing anybody can say to diminish the towering credentials of the stabilizer of the National Assembly and a succor to PDP and the Presidency at the House of Representatives at very critical moments. A man who has President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election as a project that must be accomplished, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha does not engage in cheap propaganda or publicity. Anytime any day, he is the choice of the masses that is why every other aspirant instead of marketing themselves and telling Imolites what they can do differently to bring development and progress in Imo has exerted their energy fabricating false information and propaganda against the man whose efforts so far has been geared towards meeting Imo people through consultations assuring them that he has the capacity to bring Imo back to the part of glory. This has endeared him to the responsible Imo youths, women and religious groups, the traditional and political leaders across the state, has thrown their weight behind him. From Orlu axis, he has been endorsed, same goes to Okigwe and Owerri zones, he has been confirmed as the man standing tall to quit Rochas come 2015. All eyes will be on the history making delegates that will emerge in PDP to confirm the affirmation of the masses by rallying behind Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha the man with the Midas touch and capacity to give Owelle Rochas a technical knockout. Rochas is praying that the PDP delegates should do otherwise so that he will shout uhuru. This is the truth of the matter. I do strongly believe that PDP is wise and will present Ihedioha as their candidate.
OPF wants the best. OPF knows the best is Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha and for those claiming they have been endorsed by OPF, the leadership of this organization have said that they are on their own as Imolites will choose who their governor will be. Recall that in 2011 when the Northern Elders Forum adopted and endorsed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to contest the presidential primary with President Goodluck Jonathan, that gangster contraption called adoption by Northern Elders came to nothing as President Goodluck Jonathan defeated Atiku at the primary. Anybody claiming to have been endorsed by OPF is already on his own. This is
