 |
| Governor Okorocha 0n Inauguration Day |
By Kenneth Uwadi
On Monday, 3rd October 2011, I received a mail from a Mr. Chinedu
who threatened to deal with me for what he sees as
giving the government of Owelle Rochas
Okorocha a bad press. The threat was in reaction to an article I
wrote on governor Okorocha’s autocratic
government in Imo State published in some national dailies and in some online
news outfits. The Mr. Chinedu called me a grumbling loser. He said I am the man
who along with Chief Ikedi Ohakim siphoned the resources and finances
of Imo State. Na waow for him-o. If Mr. Chinedu has any
evidence of crime against me, he should not hesitate to report me to the
appropriate authorities for my arrest and prosecution and should stop sending
me empty threats.
To me, my
article looks unpalatable to Mr. Chinedu and attracted
his uncontrollable outburst because he is one of the
uninformed, money hungry, favour seeking, supporters of the present
unproductive government of Imo State that I have been talking about . The
proper thing that he ought to have done was to respond to the article and
point out what he see as the good side of his boss thereby leaving
the judgment for the people to make.
Unfortunately,
Mr. Chinedu did not think it wise to do this simple work. Instead, he dragged
himself into the theatre of absurd and comically rehearsed how he hopes to deal
with me for portraying his boss in what he described as bad press. Chinedu
should know that we have thousands of voices against the misrule going on in
Imo State. We have thousands of voices against dictatorship taking place in
Imo. We have thousands of voices against the daylight rape on Imo State.
Governor
Okorocha believes that the end justifies the means; that fear rather than love
is the best weapon in the hands of a ruler or leader; that a ruler or
leader has no business keeping to his promises, that in fact, the best ruler or
leader is that who is a master of lies and deceit. Above all, that a good
and successful ruler is one that is very ruthless with his subjects.
Those who saw
Okorocha to power are now all licking their wounds: the party leaders, the
financiers, the okada riders, the market women, the farmers, the students, the
workers, etc. They are all weeping now in Imo State. Every group has
its own painful story to tell. They are all wondering if this is the same
Owelle they defied the sun and the rains for his sake, risked their lives
and their all to get him to power. The people are all shouting now that Owelle is driving Imo into a rock of
destruction. The people are now singing a new song (Ikiri ka Onyeoshi mma e e)
Mr.
Chinedu should tell me why I should not join other Imolites
in shouting against a governor that runs to USA and other parts of the world now
and then to squander investment funds as opposed to
giving employment to the youths in Imo state. Mr. Chinedu
should tell me why i should not join other Imolites in shouting
against a governor who dissolved elected council chairmen via radio
broadcast and appointed his boys as SOLAD of the LGA’s and
is busy looting council funds. He should tell me why I should
not join other Imolites in shouting against a governor who goes to the
media to announce allocations sent to the LGA’s while the money he claims in
the media that he gives the local government councils is different from what
actually gets to them.
Mr.
Chinedu should tell me why I should not join other Imolites in
shouting against a governor who finds it difficult to pay salaries to
workers and who refused to pay minimum wage to Civil Servants of the state. He
should tell me why I should not join other Imolites in shouting against a governor
who sacked 10,000 Imo sons and daughters in the Civil Service and turns
round to provide 100 vehicles for Imo State Police Command to harass the
jobless youths of the state. Mr. Chinedu should know that for his
boss,Okorocha, to sack 10,000 workers ,he has pushed the sacked workers
into kidnapping and armed robbery.
In a very
brilliant write up in a forum, Prof. Dimgba Igwe asked
Owelle’s supporters if, in keeping with his promise, Imo people are being rescued today?
If Okorocha can be said to be doing well for the state. The answer is a
capital ‘NO’. Government in Imo today is Owelle’s only. Those in
government today are suffocating. For self respect, endurance has become their
motto. Governance in Imo State today is one huge deception.
Most of
his fanatical supporters are today his worst victims. The students were ready
to die for him. Today Okorocha is ready to harm them. When students in the
state called for a 50,000 man march against his government over the sack of
10,000 graduate workers, what did he do? He stationed military police all over
tertiary schools in the State with a shoot at sight order. He promised to pay
100 naira daily to each primary and secondary school students in the state but yet he sacked 10,000
workers in pretence that Imo cannot pay the salaries of the 10,000 workers. Who
is fooling who?
The market
women were ready to die for Governor Okorocha. What is their reward today? We
were told that they are being driven out of most of their locations. What
affordable alternatives have they gotten up till now? Are their children not among
the sacked 10,000 workers? What
have they benefitted from their hero apart from tears and harsh conditions?
Teachers
were ready to die for the man who they saw as a Messiah. Today, instead of
bread, Governor Okorocha is offering them stones. 5000 teachers were among
the sacked 10,000 workers. Teachers are owed salaries. He even made jest of
teachers of the state daily by saying that some of them will be drafted to
teach the Awusa’s in Imo under contract.
The
workers erroneously believed that a people’s welfare conscious governor was
coming to power and so they were ready to die for him. Today, they know better.
Okorocha was the first Governor to boast on the National Television that
he is going to pay the minimum wage. Today, he has reneged on his promise. He
has resorted to threats. When workers went on strike over the minimum
wage, what did Okorocha do? He ran away from the state like a chicken. Okorocha is
not moved by their strike action over minimum wage. He is a master of the game.
He is prepared to dribble them till the end of his tenure.
Okada
riders were ready to die for Owelle who promised them that Okada will return to
Owerri when elected. Today, they know better. Where are the Okadas in
Owerri? Owerri, the once cleanest city in Nigeria is now very dirty. When was the
last clean up exercise in Imo state? Four
months ago. We are tired of this government by deceit. Save us o’ God.
(Uwadi writes from Mmahu-Egbema, Imo State,Nigeria)
