The incumbent Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is an enigma. He is a puzzle to the people of Imo State he is meant to lead. By the time he leaves office next year, he will continue to revibrate in Imo polity, depending how you rated his administration.
He is bold and fearless. But at what cost to Imo people? He is different thing to different people and he is left for posterity to judge.
One thing certain is that Okorocha dares where angels fear to look in, and in the process has touched every facet of Imo State.
There is no sector the Okorocha “magic wand” has not left a mark in Imo State. From the Civil Servants, Artisans, Legislature, Judiciary, Security, Markets, Roads, Churches, Houses, Schools, etc.
The Governor seems to carry a lot of loads on his shoulder at the same time. He is seen to be waging wars at different fronts simultaneously. And because of the erratic nature of his administration, Imo populace is restless because tomorrow is quite difficult to predict under Okorocha’s regime.
Nobody is spared in this new “revolution” to make “Imo better”. And unfortunately, Okorocha does not take war prisoners.
When the account of Okorocha’s tour of duty in Imo State would be reproduced later, those described as the Imo Elites would have volumes dedicated to this political leader, who bestrode Imo as a collussus for Eight solid years.
Recently, Okorocha openly boasted that Imo Elites never liked him, as he too does not bother about them since his political fortunes hardly lie in their hands. Okorocha made it clear that despite their hatred, he continues to soar high in his political pursuits. And therefore concluded that as 2019 approaches, his anointed successor, and son inlaw, Chief Uche Nwosu will still win the Imo Governorship election without these so called Big Men.
You may think that in the normal circumstance Okorocha ought to have been a little more diplomatic in order not to incur the wrath of the so called “Imo Elites” against his son inlaw when the D day comes.
But, not to worry. Okorocha knows “Imo Elites” better, and that was the reason he openly lampooned them, including challenging them to an open battle as represented by the 2019 Imo Governorship war.
Can anybody blame Okorocha? In a normal clime, what Okorocha has done to and with Imo State these past years cannot even be contemplated in such States like Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Enugu, even Abia where real Elites exist.
Okorocha has discovered that Imo State has no “Statesmen” in the real sense of it.
In the last Seven years, the Governor has deciphered the antidote to the “Busy Bodies” called “Imo Elites”. He has discovered that those who parade themselves as “Imo Elites” only care about themselves, friends and families and are simply Bulldogs, who yell out barks with no teeth to bite.
But who are these Elites? In normal parlance Elites are those in the upper class of the society. But in political lexicon, it comprises of those called “Godfathers”. These are the people who must be consulted within a given political society, by those contesting for various elective positions for “Blessings”.
Okorocha is absolutely correct if he says that not “all Imo Elites” supported him in 2011, when he first won the Imo Governorship seat and in 2015 when he retained the seat. Because “some Elites” did support him then.
In 2011, some of the political Godfathers were solidly behind him, although his major source of support came from the “Common People”, the Artisans, Civil Servants, Bus and Keke Drivers, Students etc.
However, Okorocha cannot deny the fact that if not for Chief Martin Agbaso, he would not have picked All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA Governorship ticket in 2011. Is Agbaso not an “Elite?” What of Nze PC Onuoha, Prof Anthony Anwuka, Prof Anwuzie, Prof Dike and others? All these men are Elites in their proper rights.
But unfortunately, these “Elites” fell out with Okorocha even before he could spend a year in office, simply because the Governor does not want “interruptions” from any quarters.
Whether anybody likes it or not, the absence of “Elites” in the Eight years of Okorocha Governorship in Imo is glaring in all sectors.
Although the “Imo Elites” could be a pain in the Ass for some Governors, but sometimes their “disturbances” are good for the good leadership and development of the State.
Looking at Okorocha’s administration, there are hardly any of the top Imolites of note that associates with the regime, except the ones accepted or created by the Okorocha administration, which is a misnormer. In normal circumstances, all well-meaning Imo Elites should be welcome to Imo Government House, because it is assumed that with elections over, any Governor of Imo State belongs to all the citizens, including those who did not vote for him/her.
But that of Okorocha has remained different till date. Okorocha deliberately shut out all Imolites out of the Government House, with exception of “Ndiagburu ya”. He wanted to chop Alone!
By so doing, he missed the advise he would have gotten from all sectors of Imo State citizens devoid of which zone or clan you come from. But not Okorocha.
That is the reason why only Okorocha’s relatives and members of his old political family are the only people meant to occupy the plum positions in Imo Government.
Now, if you say that the “Elites” deserves the treatment meted out to them by Okorocha because they “hate him”, what would you say about his “major constituency”, the common people?
As Okorocha prepares to leave office next year can political and social Analyst swear that those people who stuck out their heads for Okorocha to win Imo Governorship election in 2011 have benefited enough from the Government they put into power?
Today in Imo, where are the places of Civil Servants, Taxi Drivers, Keke Operators, Mechanics, Traders, Contractors, Politicians, etc in the Okorocha’s administration? I mean those who toiled day and night in making sure Okorocha became Governor?
How good have these sectors fared? Now, if the “Elites” are groaning and the “common people” are wailing, who then are the beneficiaries of the Okorocha’s proverbial goodies that have placed Imo on Utopian height?
Maybe, the Governor believes that he has changed the fortune of his “major Constituency” with the Urban Renewal policy which displaced most of them?
Can anybody point at any Factory rehabilitated on founded under Okorocha’s regime? Any employment outlet of the regime since 2011 till now?
But despite this scenario, the Governor is still filled with confidence that his anointed candidate will sweep Imo Governorship election come 2019.
Well, except the Governor is seeing farer than us, I would suggest that he rejigs his policies and strategies to at least pretend to subscribe to the whims of Imo populace for once, for the people to pander to Okorocha’s coming requests as regards his own election in Orlu Senatorial race, and for his successor.
As an observer, I perceive much antagonism in the air against the Okorocha administration, not that it is not carrying out some people-oriented projects, but because of how they are being carried out as if Imo electorate matter only when Okorocha wants them to vote for him or his anointed.
But as a political thinker and strategist, Okorocha knows his way, and we shall see how it pans out this time in 2019.
And for “Imo Elites”, they should have a sober reflection for they have been derobed in the public, and have lost their value to the Imo masses.
It is the “Imo Elites” that ought to have been the conscience of the State and act as the watchdog over impunity and maladministration in the State by checkmating whoever is the State Governor at any given time.
Therefore, for Okorocha to write them off is an indictment, which only a change of attitude hence forth, can atone them of their iniquities against the poor people of the State.
“To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men” Abraham Lincoln seems to have “Imo Elites” in mind when he posited this.
