Article: Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government, Is This Fair?

By Kenneth Uwadi

Ahiazu Mbaise is a Local Government Area in Imo State of Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Afororu (or Afor Oru). It has an area of 114 square km and a population of 170,902 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 463.The people of Ahiazu Mbaise LGA under the aegis of Ahiazu Political Movement (APM) once appealed to other LGAs’ in Imo State to support their quest in producing Douglas House Chief executive come 2015.The motion for the adoption of its name “Ahiazu Political Movement (APM)” was moved by former member representing Ahiazu Mbaise in the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon Pius Nwoga. The meeting which was convened by Chief S.A. Adi, the traditional prime minister of Nnarambia Ahiara Autonomous Community in Ahiazu Mbaise L.G.A discussed the political future of Ahiazu people.

One thing that caught my attention is the remark of Chief S.A. Adi . Chief Adi told the people in attendance that Humpty Dumpty must fall down in 2015. Who will ever forget that song ‘’Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again’’

From that song, nobody knows exactly who or what Humpty Dumpty was. The rhyme gives no indication that the character of Humpty Dumpty is an egg.The rhyme was first printed in 1810 and became famous through Lewis Caroll's book, 'Alice Through the Looking Glass', where Humpty Dumpty is shown as a round egg. It is a very old rhyme and goes back much earlier than this. Humpty Dumpty was a common "nickname", used in 15th century England, to describe large people. Sitting on the wall can be seen as indicating a high power rank; think of a king on his throne. This had led to many ideas as to who, or what, the Humpty Dumpty in the nursery rhyme really was and there have been many interpretations of the original.

Some say Humpty was King Richard III of England, portrayed in Shakespeare’s King Richard III as a humpback. Some say Humpty was a failed Siege Engine during the English Civil War during the Siege of Gloucester while others say Humpty was a large cannon on the wall. Whenever it shot, it would crumble the wall beneath, ultimately causing its own fall.

For Chief S.A. Adi of Ahiazu Mbaise ,Humpty Dumpty is Owelle Rochas Okorocha the executive Governor of Imo State. Adi believes that Humpty Dumpty must crash down in the 2015 Nigeria general election like a packet of ‘’Whot” cards. Like Chief Adi, I believe that Okorocha will fail woefully in 2015. I do not hate Owelle as a person but i hate his anti-peoples style of governance. His worst enemies are the choir members that surrounds him singing hosannas into his ears for their selfish reasons. I call them vultures because they feed fat on the carcasses of the poor. These people are not only castigating him presently in their closets, they will be the first to shout ‘crucify him’ as soon as the chips are down.

What we have in the Okorocha’s government is the more you look the less you see. The worst hit of his autocratic government is the state civil service and the LGA’s. Owelle dissolved elected council chairmen more than 3 years ago via radio broadcast and appointed his boys as caretakers of the LGA’s and they have been looting council funds. The governor used force to chase the elected chairmen and councillors out of office and collected all government properties in their possession.

Since he dissolved the LGA’s , can someone tell me why he refused to conduct another LGA election for more than three years now? Yet this same man wants us to re elect him in 2015 as governor. Imolites is this fair? According to the country’s constitution, local government is an independent level of government and not an appendage of the state or federal government. It is abuse of power for Governor Okorocha to appoint his boys as caretaker s of the LGA’s . It is a breach of the Imo State Local Government Administration Law and Section 7 of the country’s constitution .The governor now loots the LGA funds ,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. Ndi-Imo is this fair?

Ahiazu has notable men like Chief I.D. Nwoga. What have they said about the LGA allocation of Ahiazu since May 2011. Okorocha is creating a dynasty of poverty in Ahiazu Mbaise yet people like Chief Leo Okeahialam, Chief Paddy Morre Anyanwu, Chief Tony Dimegwu ,Hon Tony Ahunanya ,Ban. Charles Onyirimba ,Hon Pius Nwoga, Ex Vice Chairman Ahiazu Mbaise LGA Hon Magnus Chigbu, Hon Chinedu Acholonu, Chief Larry Chikwe, Chief Tony Dimegwu, Hon Tony Ahunanya, Hon Richard Iwu ,all are prominent men of Ahiazu Mbaise but are keeping quite.

From May 2011 to December 2013 Ahiazu Mbaise LGA received as LGA allocation the sum of N4,893,694,597.34 (four billion eight hundred and ninety three million six hundred and ninety four thousand five hundred and ninety seven naira thirty four kobo) Where is the money? The money has been squandered by Okorocha and his caretaker chairman of Ahiazu Mbaise.Must we be deceived with white elephant projects that have no economic value on our lives? White elephant projects merely attract cheap credibility. Yet this same man wants us to vote for him again in 2015. Ahiazu Mbaise is this fair?

With N4.8 billion naira Ahiazu Mbaise LGA will take proper steps to eradicate poverty. With this kind of money cottage industries can be introduce in Ahiazu according to the availability of raw materials and marketing viability. With this kind of money people will be educated in the proper way to understand their way of living and to pave way for their own development. Health facilities will be improved in the villages and protected drinking water will be arranged for the rural people and equal importance will be given to improve the social status of the women folk in the villages.

Ahiazu Mbaise are we going to vote this man again in 2015 that has squandered our LGA funds ? What moral right has this man to ask us for our votes again when he refused us our own democracy at the grass root for more than 3 years now.

Find below the squandered LGA monies that came to Ahiazu Mbaize from May 2011 to December 2013. Why should 4.8 billion Naira that accrued to Ahiazu Mbaise local government in the state be administered without elected local council officials.

May 2011 N92,013,829.50
June 2011 N125,864,362.99
July 2011 N229,789,120.45
Augt 2011 N130,872,208.32
Sept 2011 N141,816,222.17
Oct 2011 N165,191,109.12
Nov 2011 N225,531,188.33
December 2011 N142,141,727.60
Jan 2012 N160,466,979.02 3
Feb 2012 N142,264,724.48
March 2012 N177,742,686.33
April 2012 N143,818,422.04
May 2012 N133,311,508.73
June 2012 N133,495,170.66
July 2012 N127,192,316.46
Aug 2012 N163,764,964.30
Sept 2012 N127,464,422.98
Oct 2012 N125,620,904.90
Nov 2012 N166,064,618.28
December 2012 N219,636,739.26
Jan 2013 N164,802,581.96
Feb 2013 N135,260,432.49
March 2013 N177,742,686.33
April 2013 N169,181,723.54
May 2013 N179,844,466.11
June 2013 N1184,978,723.73
July 2013 N142,135,711.14
Aug 2013 N166,320,934.65
Sept 2013 N141,644,370.06
Oct 2013 N127,464,422.98
Nov 2013 N165,191,109.12
December 2013 N225,531,188.33

(Uwadi  writes from Mmahu-Egbema, Imo State, Nigeria)