Early last week, the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha was in Uyo, the capital city of Akwa Ibom State. He was there in solidarity to the members of his political party, the All Progressive Congress APC, who were competing in the State’s Local Government Election.
As the APC Governors Forum Chairman, Gov Okorocha was invited to give pep talks to the candidates and canvass votes for the Local Government Chairmanship and Councilor Candidates and in the same vein speak to the electorate to vote candidates of the APC in the Local Government election.
While the crowd at Akwa Ibom State roared and cheered to the oratory of the Governor of Imo State, the Imo electorate were at home watching bemused on Television, wondering if truly that was their Governor, His Excellency Anayo Okorocha preaching about Local Government Election.
Well, that was the height of hypocrisy. Many Nigerians were wondering what Governor Okorocha was doing at Akwa Ibom State, at the expense of Imo Tax Payers, canvassing vote for a local government election
For starters, since May 29, 2011 the Governor assumed office, he has not held any election in the LGAs, thereby concentrating power at the center in Owerri, mounting more pressure on his office that is already over loaded with activities, while the grassroots, the closest Government to the common man, lies waste and redundant.
That Okorocha showed his face to campaign for Local Government election in another State in Nigeria is an act of admitting failure, and no respect to the masses who voted him into office in Imo State.
His presence at Uyo showed that the Governor, who pleaded for our votes in 2011 as a servant, has turned much bigger than the entire Four Million Imo people, looking them in the eyes, asking; “What do you think you can do? I am now your God! You crowned me King to make your lives better, but I am now the Deity”.
For if the Governor has any atom of respect for Imo masses he would have dodged the Akwa Ibom trip, even if he was forced to attend.
Can you give what you don’t have? Imo since seven years now has had only one recognized administration in the entire State since 2011. Only one source has been managing the myriads of problems of teeming Imo masses; Douglas House, Owerri. That is one of the reason Imolites are rudderless and confused, with impoverishment devastating them.
In the last six years Akwa Ibom has conducted LGA elections twice in the Councils.
And when you visit the State, you realize why the Nigerian Constitution Framers put three tiers of Government in the constitution. The development in Akwa Ibom State LGAs is awesome.
Governor Emmanuel Udom, who was conducting the LG election which Imo State Governor participated in by addressing the electorate, succeeded Senator Akpabio just in 2015, and by 2017 he was holding elections in the LGAs.
Since 2011 Okorocha became Imo State Governor, how many times has he conducted election in Imo State Local Government Areas?
Before Okorocha in 2011, Governor Achike Udenwa conducted elections twice in the LGAs that produced some of the current politicians that are in the House of Assembly, Federal House and Senate today.
Between 2007 and 2011 he was Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim held LG elections that opened up the State, including providing Caterpillars, Trucks and Bulldozers for grading of rural roads for the LGAs.
In order to take the Government much more closer to the grass root, and reduce burden from the shoulders of the State Government, Chief Achike Udenwa created Forty Four (44) Development Centers to support the already existing Twenty Seven (27) Local Government Areas to take development to the people.
But when Okorocha was sworn-in in 2011 the first thing he did was to dissolve the elected councils. Rather than hold election to produce his “Own Men” and allow the peace and development that existed in the LGAs to continue, Okorocha locked the entire LGAs, this led the masses to frequently troop to Owerri literally with plates, begging for succor instead of remaining in their localities and develop it.
To faze off the legion of agitations from well-meaning Imolites calling on him to conduct elections in the LGAs, Okorocha periodically brandishes court orders as an escape route from allowing elected officers run Imo Local Government Areas.
When that story could no longer hold water, the Governor began assuaging the raging call for LGA election, by “posting” election dates to the masses. And at each time the dates “expire” Okorocha will yet again slate another date for local government election to no avail till this morning.
Often times, to cool tension among restless APC members in the State who were promised to use LGA Chairmanship position to “settle” them by the powers that be in Imo State, the party will announce for purchase of LGA elections forms, where prospective Council Chairmen and Councilors spend Millions of Naira only to be told that the exercise has been rested till further notice.
Therefore, it is not only Imo electorate that suffer from the “LGA election Magic” but including the members of the ruling APC, who ought to have benefited from the exercise, since it is certain that the ruling parties in the States usually manipulate the exercise to favour their candidates. Therefore, the major losers in the Imo LGA conundrum are Governor Okorocha, and his APC members.
Specifically, if Okorocha had held LGA elections since he assumed office in 2011, Imo Local Government Areas would have been well- developed now than as it is presently.
In this circumstance, it would have been to Okorocha’s glory that Imo LGA developed tremendously under him, which is big plus to his political dossier and acceptance among the populace, since posterity must take record.
The Isu LGA stadium built by Uche Diogu and the Orlu LGA secretariat constructed by Eze Mayor under Udenwa’s regime still stand there today as a testimony to that administration.
Indeed, if Okorocha had conducted LGA elections, the pressure on Government House Owerri would have reduced, as most people would relocate to their LGAs to help develop them and invariably Imo State as a whole.
And it would have been to Okorocha’s political advantage if he had allowed LGA elections to hold.
By now, he would have produced a college of former Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, Supervisory Councilors and Councilors, which would have served as a big “Electoral Army” on ground in the LGAs to carry out his instructions as the “General” commanding the force.
Many of the loitering and frustrated unemployed Imo Graduates would have been either councilors now or former, and would form the fulcrum of Okorocha’s loyalists who will stick out their necks to defend his course, since it was through him they got a break in life.
Go to Anambra, Lagos, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Kwara, Cross Rivers, Enugu States etc and see what magic local government elections are doing to such States, its citizens and its development. Local Government election liberalizes the people, challenge them and propel development at the grassroots, and reduces pressure on the State capital and the Governor. Instead, Okorocha wants to control all that is Imo State.
Hardly any State in Nigeria today has not held Council elections except Imo State. If it is stupid to hold LGA elections, these States would not have conducted theirs.
Therefore, it is only short-sighted Leaders, who erroneously believe that caging the masses; including crippling their means of income is the easiest way to make them remain loyal. In a short term such plans work. But it is more devastating to the leader in a long term. Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe are the latest testimony to indicate that you can fool some people some time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.
However, it is of no use exhibiting Machiavellian theory in a liberal democracy like ours, because it has a tenure. It is only in a Dictatorship or Monarchy that such theories work. Imo is a Democratic State.
Therefore, it would be to the developmental advantage of the State that the Governor holds Election, for wealth to trickle down to the grassroot and enhance peace and development to all.
However, what is lost today would be gained tomorrow because when Okorocha leaves office certainly, the next person will conduct the election as requested by Imolites and take the glory.
