Abuse of Demonstrations and Protests in Imo
Demonstrations and protests are some of the ingredients used by citizens in a democracy to draw the attention of the government and the public on some abnormalities in the society or injustice done to a group, individual, institutions, community or the citizenry.
It is always done when there is a breach of peoples fundamental rights.
Look separately, demonstrations could be to show solidarity for a particular issue while protest has a negative connotations.
In Imo State, the citizenry have heard enough of both in recent times. Some of such protests and demonstrations can be said to be reasonable taking for instance, the consistent demonstration and protest of IBC pensioners calling on the government of Imo State to pay them more than 39 months pension arrears owed to people who have toiled to keep the only electronic media of the state functioning over years is absolutely in order.
Much as some protests and demonstrations can be seen as rational and logical, there are some demonstrations and protests that call for the re -examining of the essence of protests and demonstrations.
A case in mind is the recent demonstration by some hired women equipped with various colours and designs of uniforms and brought into the Owerri capital from various LGAs of the state, to demonstrate against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, asking them to desist from doing their constitutional duty of riding the society of financial crimes. The demonstration which was seen as a ploy by some agents of government with skeleton in their box to divert the attention of the public from their financial crimes and paint EFCC as vindictive apparatus of the federal government was to enlightened Imolites illogical and irrational.
Another demonstration and protest was the one which tried to preempt the decision of the Apex court on the case of Joinder of the 2011 PDP guber candidate, Chief Ikedi Ohakim in the case of supplementary election brought against INEC by Senator Ifeanyi Araraume the candidate of the ACN in the same election. Again unemployed and unengaged youths across the state were mobilized to protest against an expected judgement.
Such demonstrations and protest have become daily occurrence in Imo of recent as politicians have resorted to such tactics with flimsy excuses to either malign or eulogize people depending on which side of the divide the sponsorship is coming from.
Most protests and demonstrations are spontaneous actions occasioned by misrule or introduction of unjust policies in the civilized world but for demonstrations and protests to be turned into business with sponsors and price tags for various categories of participant, is not only laughable but makes mess of the essence of demonstration and protest in a democracy.
The question therefore is, if a government is doing well, does it need to pay political jobbers to demonstrate on its behalf? If the government is transparent and has nothing to hide, will it be afraid of EFCC to the extent of sponsoring unemployed people to demonstrate and protest against EFCC doing their job? If government is paying pensioners and taking care of the disabled people, will pensioners and disabled people demonstrate or protest against government?
Therefore both individuals, institutions, communities, leaders, religious and political, government and its agencies should save the citizen of the embarrassing spates of unserious, irrational and illogical demonstration and protests by ensuring that the right things are done at the right time without bias. If the right things are done and at the right time it will save both our citizenry and Governments from the unnecessary embarrassment of protests that are ordinarily uncalled for.
A Shocker For Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha
When I spoke to the CPS to the Deputy Governor of Imo State I told him I don’t have a fixed party. When I was in Lagos in 2 007 I voted Gov Fashola ACN now APC. When I was in Abuja in 2011 I voted President Goodluck Jonathan of PDP for President. I wasn’t in Owerri to vote. If I was in Owerri I wouldn’t have voted Ohakim I would have cast my vote for Owelle.
But as it seems now Owelle Rochas Okorocha has a long way to go to convince electorate in 2015. APC don’t have a formidable structure to withstand PDP or APGA in Imo. I speak with facts and I can give a thorough analysis but because of time I will leave it for another day.
ORO said APGA which gave him the platform & Governorship ticket is a social cultural group which for me I do not buy with that statement. That same social cultural group have almost won the election in Anambra in a landslide margin throwing APC out. Even with the billions of Naira of tax payers fund donated to Senator Chris and the Seven APC governors backing him as at the latest count they couldn’t create an upset.
The biggest mistake ORO was to leave APGA to join APC which some sections termed “Islamic party”. Sen Ngige days back said he will eat the Chicken today which is the emblem of APGA. Has he eaten the Chicken up till now? Instead APGA used the broom to sweep him out.
My advice for ORO is to fashion a way out to get the confidence of the Imolites. who will cast their vote in 2015 for him succeed in APC in the next election else PDP or APGA will carry the day in the next general election in Imo.
I have taken time to make my analysis of how events will play and can be impugn if necessary. I do hope that ORO can read this and fine tune a way out on time before it gets to the boarder line. At this junction I rest my case.
by Kingsley Nduka
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