Oh no! How could have people become so debased, shameless, conscienceless, and above all, careless of their integrity, honour and glory. Politics, struggle for power has become something else in Imo State. May God help us. But there is a popular saying, “God helps those who help themselves.”
Evidently, Imo politicians, particularly those who are blind followers of Owelle’s commanding regimentation are not helping themselves. Therefore, we do not expect God to help us all.
Any sincere, honest and objective observer who has taken the pain to read most of the tabloids published in Imo State in the last three days would have gotten enough fact, I mean, undiluted facts of the truth of what happened in Oguta last Saturday in the name of a re-run election. It was as it were a battle between the forces of evil and the forces of the people of Oguta. May God help us all.
Although most of the tabloids have given their own accounts of what happened, INEC, REC and other journalists have given their own accounts, but from all these jungle accounts polluted with blatant lies and unparallel falsehood, an average intelligent person must not fail to make an objective deductions from what actually happened. It was nothing but a show of shame where people in very high positions with their sons and daughters aspiring to be something, threw decency overboard, removed their robes of honour and dignity, replacing them with a mask of illegitimacy, criminality, hooliganism and outright brigandage in order to satisfy their Oga.
Eventually, Oguta, a peaceful LGA, blessed with blue lake and its accommodation and friendly serenity was transformed into juggle recklessness, display of imported and locally made guns, boys chanting war songs with their eyes turned red and deadly, looking for somebody to kill.”
Of course, having been armed with threats of sack, dismissal and dethronement both top civil servants and some traditional rulers were under order to deliver APGA Candidate. In order to succeed, they went on rampage of flawlessness, snatching ballot boxes and papers, distributing the “people’s money” in order to garner votes from all sources. It was indeed a show of shame and shame and shame. Different individuals working differently with one agenda to ensure that APGA Candidate succeeds, these highly placed officials, their cohorts, compromise INEC officials responding to their Commander-in-Chief who would want no excuse, overstretched themselves to win and win at all costs. But in all these, they all forgot their God and His infinite power of destiny. After all the distribution of the money, violent attack on innocent voters, beating up people, insulting and assaulting many, snatching papers and boxes going to Owerri to write results, one question remains, “did they win?”
Of course, they did not win. Why? Because “man proposes, God disposes.” Unfortunately, those on the throne of power today in Imo State must not fail to realize that God is the only defender of truth. They must remember that there is life after power. And that power does not go higher, it goes lower and lower.
Honestly, I have witnessed several elections and by-elections in Imo State since its creation in nineteen seventy six, I have never seen one to be compared with the last run-off election.
Firstly, the amount of money spent by both parties, particularly on the Government side could be enough for a Governorship election in the State. Secondly, the amount of propaganda was one over and above unleashed by Ojukwu and Biafra’s during the Civil War. The magnitude of accusations and counter accusations were enough to send a common robber who stole an egg to be sentenced to ten year jail term perhaps, the worst of the entire several actors attempted to win a cheap public sympathy.
Worst still, while the principal protagonists squared up to over-do the other side, painfully enough, some local tabloids without knowing it, in order to make their sympathy for the APGA, went extra mile by trying hard to market the falsehood and blatant lies to the people. Without knowing, one of two tabloids, particularly one that has taken over to play the role of Statesman as the Government organ, stopped shot of “declaring the result in favour of APGA.”
In all these show of shame, people have expected our local tabloids to be objective, fair and neutral without betraying themselves. They cannot because, journalists just like politicians, judges and lawyers in our society today have buried integrity, decency, honesty and objectivity in a dead grave of perpetual dishonor and unprofessionalism.
For me, there is no need talking of Orient Radio Station because, it is under conscience siege. More than that, what is remaining in IBC now is just a couple of professionals who are just counting their days to go, leaving a bunch of mediocre who know nothing or at least little of ethos and ethics of the profession. Otherwise, how could a radio station endlessly continued to broadcast results of election not authorized by INEC? Madness indeed. The station did not care for even the sanction of regulatory authorities as it abandoned completely those norms and ethos of a radio station.
Of course, what do we expect in a station where the leadership was supplanted in favour of one at the fourth rung of the ladder simply for smiling louding and “hero-worshipping more prostratingly to impress.
Thus, the Oguta re-run election turned out to be a political macabre in which some of the principal actors were dancing naked to a judgement platform of conscience. Today and by now, most of those actors and actresses including the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner must by now be troubled and hunted by their own conscience. While they are being tormented for their ignoble roles they played, the ordinary electorate in Oguta is basking in triumph of honour, dignity and respect for standing firm against the forces of intimidations, evils, deceits and threats. Yes, they did this because the people of Oguta know that their honour, integrity, future are at stake. One thing is certain, by the time these dusts must have settled down and until they did, all those who behaved like hawks to snatch a chick from its mother must be biting their fingers now for those notorious and disgraceful blunders for not succeeding in getting the INEC to announce the result in their favour. It is certain that in the longest long run, the will of the people of Oguta must prevail because God’s will will be done.
