By: Bernard Obiloh, 08130279499
If there is any writing that has elicited so much comment, I think it is the piece on: A NEW SONG FOR ROCHAS, OHAKIM, which was written by Ugochukwu Favour-Mayor, a media consultant in Owerri. It is a piece he carefully put together to shade light on what one could summarize as total desertion of ones purpose or mission statement; in fact is a tablet from the writer to Okorocha. At times a leader will be seeking people’s mandate, and whenever the power is handed over to him, grounds will seem to be changing. Even his style of communication with the people he seek their votes will totally be a different thing.
The comments I personally read on the Daily Sun Newspaper website on November 1, 2012 from the above piece made me to understand that politics could at times be an emotional idealism or indeed a sentimental issue. For my governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, I do not see anything wrong in that piece. And if you find it disturbing, it shows that it served its purpose. And the purpose is to put you on track, to that promise which you made to thousands of Imolites who upon the sun and rain shunned every other leader with their millions and pounds only to vote for you. The same people who sworn to support and believe in you, ones you remain their governor.
Now that you have the power as a governor, why don’t you make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world or to make it the last? The moment that piece came on newsstand and on many social networking websites, mostly your aides were throwing words on the writer. However, the writer I know is one human being who is always strategic to issues; he rejected not to allow the words to be traded. Dynamically, I know that if words were allowed to be traded, it would have been made open for the public to judge. I still tell myself that the problem of Imo today is manmade, and that is why it is only man that can solve it. How? It is man who empowers sycophancy into governance, and it is also man that heed to it.
My governor, the purpose of Ugochukwu’s writing is not only to enlighten and inform you on the happenings in the state, but hopefully to stimulate you to action. Any leader who does not accept constructive criticism will have a hard time reaching his full potential. My governor, if you must get it right, you should not shiver nor quiver over communicating piece.
It should not be seen as if the writer has an unfinished battle with you. By the way, like your aide who read his comment last time would say, “Who are you in the hands of my governor to question him on some actions to take?” Already in the hand of God, we all as human beings are nothing. So, even the young writer shouldn’t be deterred by their words or even to be stalled by cheaper criticism. Notwithstanding, the aide forgot that Ugochukwu is also an Imolite, meaning he is opinion free.
What really does the writer have against you? Oh, thanks to the other comment who noted to applaud the writer’s courageous effort to stand for the oppressed, when he wrote, “last time you gave a good analysis of Okorocha’s free education policy, and today you are standing against the negative side of his policy.” Of course, were you expecting to hear that Okorocha or Ohakim have bought him over? No! Like Ugochukwu Favour-Mayor, would always add to his writings: “I still stand to live for the downtrodden that have wished to speak but had no medium to reach the public. For the ignorant, I write to educate and inform them about realities of good governance”.
Perhaps, last time when he wrote to applaud my governor on the educational stride he has got for himself, the same people who rose as foot soldiers never appreciated him on it, until the negative side came on print; maybe they would succeeded in wooing him over, but they have lost the game. Also, my governor, maybe you weren’t aware when they took their actions against him. And again, the same writer who your aides are requesting for his head like the one of Peter appreciated your effort in alleviating sufferings from the poor masses through your free education policy in his piece. How much then did you pay him for his usual intimidating media followers who ignited and gave it a huge hype?
Even when I saw the school uniforms that in the same manner received media hype, stressing to have been distributed to every school child in Imo, I also doffed my cap for you. But maybe the never told you that some of these school children are still wearing their old school uniforms, which made me to think if the school uniforms I watched on the television being distributed are real? Maybe you are not aware my governor that those you asked to distribute these never fulfilled it, I still wonder where that attention of yours might be resting. Again, as of last week, the media report was that school uniforms and writing materials have been shared to students while at this moment nothing could be shown for it.
On road construction, my governor, I heard on television and radio as usual when you declared that you have completed all roads in the rural communities, while ones leading to my community still have red sands spread and heaped on them. Maybe you are still not aware of it, due to your busy schedule to not be able to reach those at the rural areas. I might not wonder if you have not heard, because after you declared that the roads are complete, you still came and pleaded with Imo people to have patience that when the raining season goes by that you will return contractors back to site, also mind you that raining season is over and we are keenly waiting.
Tell me why we must stone Ugochukwu Favour-Mayor to death? Tell me why we must go on to lynch him? Has he not spoken well? What endeared me to stand by this young and courageous writer were his words when I called to thank him for his wakeup tablets to you, it might interest you to know what he said, “Do not mind the ethic of journalism which I promised not to derail from, yes, I am blunt whenever I want to write on issues concerning failed governmental policies. Just that as an ambitious writer, I try as much as possible to wake angry, at least to get the fire in my belly ready to do something. I love getting things right. I love responding to injustice, inhumanity and corruption. I love comforting the afflicted, because as an ambitious writer, I don’t see it as somebody else’s job”.
Then I asked him if he wishes to question your credibility, hear him: “Is the governor forgetting that credibility is everything? Even as a journalist I try as much as possible to retain my independence, so to successfully make my analysis and findings to be skeptical and not a cynic type. However, I do not wish to question his credibility, for it is for the masses to decide come 2015. That will be the time for reassessment and consolidation, for inasmuch as we know, with the free and fair election in the country today, the polling unit will be the people’s checkpoint”.
Your Excellency, please forget those sycophants around you who might come with the consoling words, “Don’t mind that writer, he was sponsored to put that article”. No! Don’t you think it is exactly the line of words opposition used on him when he has been writing to applaud some of your good policies; especially the one on education which I thought is effectively working in the minds of people, especially those at the Diaspora who might wish to support your kind gesture. Tell me why this writer must allow himself to be used by your detractors? Is it not more like mortgaging his integrity as an ambitious writer? If you must know my governor, integrity is like virginity that when you lose it, you have lost it forever. I do not wish to admit that the writer is practicing a surviving type of journalism, but a thriving type. He doesn’t seem to be coasting along, and that is why you see his material being new, because he try new things everyday. My governor, as he wishes to aim and dream high everyday, so I wish you to aim.
However, if he who is a layman is been sponsored to write, would you also admit that the man who battled Ohakim in Enugu by name, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka through his Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria, (AMEN) activities was also sponsored? The writer must be an investigative journalist to gather Mbaka’s comment who faulted you of gambling with governance. You heard his voice clearly: “Even in Imo, the free education format they came with to win the 2011 election is no longer effective and working, as none Imo child is genuinely benefiting from it.” If actually he got it wrong, should he not be scribbling it with the Ministry in court by now?
Could it be that the Catholic priest also received the swerved largesse with Ugochukwu? My governor, there are obvious reasons for you to wake up. Do not mind those who would want you to battle it with that courageous and strategic writer, Ugochukwu Favour-Mayor; you can even make him a friend, who knows, he might be the one to fuel your vision for a better Imo. Please, see his piece as a wakeup call to action.
