From GEORGE ONYEJIUWA, Owerri
The seeming political serenity of Imo State was punctured last week when Governor Rochas Okorocha and Senator Chris Anyanwu’s convoys clashed, thus heating up the polity in the state ahead of the 2015 electoral contest. The clash gives an insight into what to expect in the state. The incident has been ascribed to the cold war and political rivalry between Governor Okorocha and Senator Anyanwu, who is being rumoured to be eyeing the Imo State governorship seat in 2015.
Okorocha who is also nursing a presidential ambition is doing everything possible to edge the Senator out of the way. Political observers in the state predict that similar clashes among politicians may mar the conduct of the 2015 elections in the state, adding that the recent battle of ego between Okorocha and Anyanwu was unnecessary and disgraceful display of power unexpected of people in their positions. The incident, which has dominated political discussions in the state, is seen as desperate efforts by Okorocha to have absolute control of political structures in the state and to achieve this, all those perceived to be standing between the governor and his ambition must either have their wings clipped or stampeded out of the state.
Senator Anyanwu had joined forces with Okorocha in the All progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2011 general elections in the state to dislodge former governor Ikedi Ohakim. However, after the battle for the Imo State Government House was won by Okorocha of APGA, Senator Anyanwu, it was learnt, was shoved aside by the new power brokers in the Government House, as she has never been accorded the necessary recognition by him.
Anyanwu, who represents Imo East (Owerri) Senatorial Zone in the National Assembly, had described the incident as a misplaced show of power by Okorocha whose convoy, she said, not only pushed her car off the road but her security details were ordered to be disarmed while the governor allegedly watched from his car as her drivers were dragged out of the cars and brutally assaulted, leaving them bloodied. Okorocha’s aides had alleged that the Senator’s vehicle suddenly rammed into the governor’s convoy close to the staff car cutting off the pilot security vehicle after overtaking dangerously and in a very suspicious manner.
Senator Anyanwu, who was obviously rattled by the experience, spoke with journalists at her Owerri residence and described the actions of the governor’s security men as frightening and brutish, adding that she had been harassed, intimidated and threatened in the past on several occasions in the state. She also revealed that Okorocha derived pleasure in demonising her at every public function in the state, adding that as a result, she always stayed away to concentrate on her legislative duties in Abuja to avoid trouble.
Giving a graphic detail of the clash between her convoy and the governor’s security men, the Senator explained: “My day started about 9.30am on Tuesday when I visited the governor at the Government House to exchange pleasantries and he asked if I had adequate security and I said, yes, after which I left for my home town Mbaise.” “When we got to Azara Egbelu, along Owerri/Umuahia Road, we heard a siren coming behind us and when it grew louder, we parked to allow the convoy to pass but surprisingly, the approaching convoy, which comprised truck loads of armed and stern looking men double crossed us and pulled out two of my drivers and dragged them into the bush where they were mercilessly beaten and left one of the drivers, Odilichukwu, with a cracked, broken skull and bruises.
“When I could not bear it anymore, I rushed out of my car on bare feet and started shouting, ‘I am Senator Chris Anyanwu. Please, don’t kill my driver.’ But one of the armed men charged at me and threatened to shoot me for running into the governor’s convoy. All this while, the governor was seated in his car with the glass rolled down and I heard him shout at his security men to disarm my orderlies.” Anyanwu, who is also the Senate Committee Chairman on Navy, described the governor’s action as “a misplaced show of power. The power of the State is so enormous and you don’t need to intimidate, harass or kill your people to assert your powers as a governor.” “I am tired of all these abuses and harassment in this state.
It is not only in Imo State that they have female legislators. If they could do this to me, what will happen to the ordinary people? This has to stop.” See added that strong men did not fight with women or intimidate them but fight with their fellow men. Senator Anyanwu further alleged that the Azaraegbelu incident was not the first time that Governor Okorocha would order his security details to attack her aides. She pointed out that barely three days after his victory, he had instructed his men to attack one of her drivers for parking her car inside his compound. “His police detail broke a stick and used it to attack my driver and in the process cut off the upper lips of the boy exactly in half. Till today the boy’s upper lip is deformed. We covered it for him then. But this time, he cannot hide behind the shield of a folk hero.
He has opened himself up to propaganda. Now, the world is seeing the real man behind that angelic smile.” The senator also said the marks of a great man was the courage to stand by what is true, what is right, even when it may be costly and the humility to admit fault. “A simple show of conscience and compassion on that occasion would have saved him a lot of trouble and saved the state the horrendous bad image this act of bestiality has given it. Rochas that makes great show of his love of the common people watched his men bludgeon innocent men almost to death; blood pouring all over the tarred road and he simply wound up his window and sped off to owerri to fabricate stories to cover up his act.”
However, the state government described Senator Anyanwu’s conduct as a security breach, unbecoming of someone of her position, adding that her outburst of anger could have resulted in heavy casualty if not for the discipline of the governor’s security men, who displayed high sense of decency, professionalism and maturity. “Surprisingly, Senator Anyanwu, who no doubt knew the convoy was that of the Governor of Imo State, alighted from her car and ordered her naval security personnel to open fire. The senator further went berserk by slapping both the Governor’s Aide Camp and chief security detail. She also rained abuses on the governor,” the Special Assistant to the Governor on media, Ebere Uzoukwu, said.
Meanwhile, the state chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief (Prince) Okafor Anyanwu, added fuel to the simmering fire when he declared unalloyed support for the governor. Prince Okafor also slammed Senator Chris Anyanwu’s row with Okorocha as he described the conduct of the senator as a breach of protocol and gross disrespect to constituted authority. This is a clear indication that the senator may be in for a rough ride. Addressing journalists last week at the party’s secretariat in Owerri, Prince Anyanwu stated that the party viewed the action of Senator Anyanwu as gross disrespect, adding that the senator had the antecedent of disrespecting her elders and constituted authority as well as fighting in public.
“It is obvious that the senator has the antecedent of disrespecting her elders and constituted authority as well as fighting in public. It is on record that the senator had similar encounter with former governor Chief Ikedi Ohakim and on a different occasion, slapped chief Innocent Nwoga, a PDP chieftain, and broke his walking stick. She also did the same to a commissioner in the state.
Rochas has no where to hide at this point,we all know him very well in Imo state but he can,t keep acting this way,He has this similar incidence with Peter Obi of Anambara state few months ago.This said road is a function of tax payers money and imo state resources and no where in Nigeria constitution that allow the public to jump into the bush because the Governor is coming.I met Rochas in London around November 2012 and he can see that the mayor of London goes on one car and have no power to drag the road with anybody otherwise he will face prosecution.If you don’t respect the citizen of the state at least you respect women in the society.And for Imo state APGA Chairman he is nothing but a fool and a sycophant.Rochas is only a good man in the pages of newspaper but we all witness the so called development in imo state and the free education.We all know that everything about Rochas now is a big scam.
Mikapower, you indeed have eyes.
Maazi Iwuanyanwụ ma ọbụ Iwuọnwa, Maazi Okorocha ma ọbụ Okorojii, ihe unu g’amata bụ, na mkpa Ndigbo ugbua abụghị maka ndi g’achị na afọ Puku abụọ na iri na ise. Ọ sọ unu, unu gaa na iru gbuwa ma ọbụ kparịwa onwe unu na-ezi, nke a agbasaghị ụmụ Ikoroọbịa Igbo ugbua. Gịnị bụ mkpa anyị? Ihe ndi Govanọ, ndi Sinetọ, ndi nnọchi-anya, ndi Mịnịsta, ndi chịburu mbụ, na ndi ọzọ chọrọ ịchị na Anị-Igbo ga emere anyị bụ ihe ndia: ….. unu ga agwa anyị ụbọchị unu nile na ndi Ikoroọbịa Igbo nile ga enwe nzukọ pụrụ iche, unu ga ebu ụzọ zukọọ ọnu na otu obi na otu asụsụ, na nzukọ unu a, unu g’atụpụta ezigbo atụmatụ nke ga eju ụmụ Ikoroọbia afọ oge unu na ha ga ezukọ. Biko, unu echefula ị kpọtee Maazi Elechi na ụra ka o soro na nzukọ a. Anyi ga agwa unu ihe anyi chọrọ ụbọchị ahụ, Nzukọ a ga apụ iche, Ndigbo ga ekwu ihe gbasatara Biafra na nzukọ a, anyị ga-ekwu maka ọnọdụ Ụmụ-Igbo na Naijiria, nzukọ a ga-eme ka ỤJỌ baa ndi naijiria na ahụ. Nke a ga-eme ka ha ma ndi amụmụ ụgha dịka (johnson jisos) mata na Ndigbo dị na otu. Unu ma otu ha (nke ka nke ndi Ugwu) si agbakọ ọnụ nke ha. Ndi dịka Atiku, Babangida, Tambuwa, Chiroma, Shekarau, Buhari, kpọ ha aha, na enwe nzukọ ha na ndi nile na achị steeti ha nile oge ọbụna, otua ka ha na ezukọ na Mahadum nile dị na Ani-Ugwu na agwa ụmụ akwụkwọ ha okwu. Ọ bụ eziokwu na ịchị ụmụ Igbo a dịghị mfe kama ụgwo ọlụ onye ezi omume si na eluigwe abiala ya. Biko, Maazị Okorocha na Maazị Iwuanyanwụ (ndigbo ọma abụọ), unu ga-agbahara onwe unu, unu ga-ejikọta mee ka Nzukọ a nwee isi mgba adịghị anya. Ndigbo kwezuenu, Afọ a g’adịrị anyị na mma.
I g’enweta m na: nkịtị asatọ nkịtị atọ itolu anọ nkịtị asatọ otu itolu abụọ
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Rochas’ public show of endearment belies a false image of all wht he is not.He is a trickster.
The best way to win a election is doing what you were voted for, at 21 century we are still campaigning with construction of roads and building of school. If a state Governor is who is suppose to guide the citizen is intimidating his people, them i don’t know the faith of an average person on street.. some times i ask myself do our leaders interact with others leaders in the world. Nigerians are becoming more civilize daily and time will come when such intimidation will not be allowed again. Rochas is doing exactly what lead the former governor to early retirement. Let him who have ear hear before it is too later.
Both of them are fools
Hey. Hold it there. This is politics pls oo. Is it not possible to whip up sentiments & tilt d table against an opponent?? Many pple ar eyeing d 2015 guber & can use any means to mess up perceived opponent & draw sympathy 4 demslves. Do not judge anybody yet oo. Listen 2 both parties b4 passing judgemnt. May God help us.
Rochas is a confused and power hungry man. Even if the senator’s convoy broke into his, what is the position of law? That his security details should physically assault and maim the drivers? He should learn from the best performing governor in Nigeria, Fashola.
By the way, which road was he overtaking vehicles, including the senators convoy? The narrow windy Owerri-Mbaise road? Was he inspecting the permanent site of the Imo state university which he was fighting to relocate out of Owerri zone to his village?
@ CJ may be you don’t know Fashola or you just came to Lagos newly, can you tell me what makes him the best performing Governor? is it the ECOWAS road construction that is confusing you or the banning of Okada and Employing touts to cause menace in Lagos that is confusing you? Common be Matured and read between the lines. Okorocha is far better than Fashola & GEJ. LASU where i paid N 250 as at 2000/2003 as school fees is no more a school for the poor because Fashola want to satisfy his selfish libido. Compare it with Okorocha and think before you talk. Abi has he bribed you for the 2015 or are you one of the touts he employed?
@Joseph,fashola is 100percent better than okorocha,I was in imo state this xmas,all the projects okorocha came to london to tell us weree not seen any where,all re mere deceit,let us see the truth and say it so that we will be saved…u pple knows all his tricks and refused to speak..be is a liar,that’s all.
I don’t know if the people that read this piece truly understand it,the lady is said to have ordered her naval security personnel to open fire… It is on record that the senator had similar encounter with former governor Chief Ikedi Ohakim and on a different occasion, slapped chief Innocent Nwoga, a PDP chieftain, and broke his walking stick…..Can’t we see that this senator is a street fighter?
Kpom-kwem! Na ya Papa born you Oshodi. Imeela!
Your name had said it all oshodi signifies an overcrowded area,i think your brain and that of menmumo are overcrowded at the moment.A senator ordering her securites to open fire on Governor convoy,you must be insane to buy such story..we know who rochas is so shut up your mouth and allow the people who knows him best to comment…in less than one year he is fighting peter obi, umeh and Apga leadership..the next he is fighting Apga guber candidate in abia,he is fighting royal fathers,he is fighting students,he is fighting the churches,I don,t need to tell you more just read the comments here and see the views of 95% of people commenting,Most of them travel for xmax to see the developments on the pages of news papers and they were disappointed.I know you might be an imo citizen that left home since 1960s but has never visited home..but try and travel and see for your self.
Mr oshodi, do you realy believe that sen anyanwu with two security men will tell them to fire at gov okorocha who have about 50 security men?
This is political Pure CONGOSOLISM
At last this people in Imo State are beginning to see what man is called Rochas- he is the noisiest governor in Nigeria- he is nowhere near Governor Chime of Enugu State let alone to be compared to Fashola. it is quite unfortunate that Imolites have voted this man to loose another 4 years of their destiny that would have been better shaped by another. However all blames would go APGA for fielding an incompetent Rochas as candidate after collecting their share of money. APGA should not give him the ticket for 2015 rather they should have the progress of this state at heart and bring us a well qualified and visionary leader not commander.
don’t mind dem, dey do not see those tns which a woman dt has no respect to men has has been doing, just bcos she is a woman senetor, na only God saved her the governor security no kill her, en for dey run anytime wey she see man
Both of them are fools. But okorocha should be carefu, let what happened to ohakim don’t repeat cos of his political ambition. Again sen. Anyanwu that faut with comm, fm governor and others should also be careful.
If Governor Rochas, watched the said act taking place without doing anything, then, he is not the ideal Governor i will like to be in future. political struggle or not, that act is unexpected by a Governor that i regard the most. Governor of Enugu state stays on queue with respect to traffic light; that is why he was proud to order the arrest of a taxi man, the broke the traffic rule of the state. Governor Okorocha, mistake or not, i don’t expect to hear such news about you because i believe you to be better than that.
I’ve said it before and I’m still saying it again this Rochas is a big Fraud, Imo will soon find out the hard way
LET ME FIRST OF ALL CONDEMN THE STATEMENT OF APGA CHAIRMAN MR. OKAFOR ANYANWU FOR FUELLING THE ALREADY COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL . HE SAID CHRIS ANYANWU IS NOTED FOR DIS OBEYING THE LAWFUL AUTHORITY. OKAFOR ANYANWU, YOU ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE THE CHAIRMAN OF THAT PARTY. HOW CAN YOU DELIVER JUDGN=MENT BEFORE YOUR COMMITTEE REPORTS?
ROCHAS OKOROCHA, WE ARE REALLY ASHAMED OF YOUR ATTITUDE TOWAEDS ORDINARY PEOPLE . YOU DISPLAYED YOUR ARRAGANCE IN ANAMBRA, IN GOVT, HOUSE OWERRI, IN ENUGU AND NOW IN AZARA EGBELU. OH WHAT A SHAME. WHEN YOU CAME TO LONDON, I GREETED YOU WITH ALL I HAVE AND EXHALTED YOU AS THE SAVIOUR OF IMO STATE. I EVEN TOLD MY PEOPLE AND MY GOVERNOR ROTIMI AMAECHI THAT THEY SHOULD EMULATE YOU. NOW I AM DISAPPOINTED. I READ IN THE NEWS PAPERS THAT ALL THE ROADS YOU GRADED EARLIER LAS YEAR WOULD BE TARED IN IMO STATE BY DECEMBER 2012 AS XMAS PRESENT TO THE PEOPLE. WHEN I CAME BACK FROM OVERSEAS, I DROVE DOWN FROM PORT HARCOURT TO OWERRI AND THERE TO MBAISE AND UMUAHIA , I DID NOT SEE WHAT I EXPECTED.I AM ALSO DISAPPOINTED BY THIS. COME TO MY STAT, RIVERS STATE AND SEE WHAT IS GOING ON THERE. MY AMAECHI HAS DONE WONDERFUL WORK AND HE DOES NOT PUSH PEOPLE INTO THE BUSH BY HIS CONVOY. ROCHAS, YOU WANT TO BE THE PRESIDENT. THEN YOU MUST SHOW HUMILITY. NOW MY SON, GET IN TOUCH WITH SENATOR ANYANWU AND HAVE THE MATTER RESOLVED BETWEEN TWO OF YOU AND TAKE PHOTGRAPH TOGETHER AND LET US KNOW YOU HAVE RECONCILED.THEN PURSUE YOUR AGENDA WITH HUMILITY. THAT WILL PAY A LOT.SEANATOR ANYANWU, GO MTO YOUR LOCALGOVERNMENT, AHIAZU AND MAKE PEOPLE OF AHIARA FEEL THAT YOU REPRESENT THEM TOO.I MARRIED FROM THAT LG.YOU HAVE DONE LITTLE OR NOTHING FOR AHIARA (MY INLAW)PEOPLE. I LIKE TON SEE YOU SUCCEED MY DAUGHTER. LONG LIVE RIVERS STATE, IMO STATE AND AHIARA PEOPLE, MY INLAWS.
All the contracts in Imo state is been handled by Rochas company.
If you are reigning in life without opposition,it connotes that you are not reigning….Rochas is not the first Governor of Imo State and will not be last…..So they should allow him to finish his turn and leave office Simple…That Anyawu of a woman has no respect at allllllllllllllllllllllll
@don m,make ur point and live senator anyanwu,she was the brain behind rochas emergence as a Governor….okorocha has failed….
Governor Rochas Okorocha has failed. He will notg be re-elected again, and he will not be given mandate for presidential election by either APGA or PDP. He knows this, and that is why he is doing everything withing and outside his authority to denegrade other people.Good riddance of a phony.
Plssssssssss we the abia youths are beging u all in Gods name to plsss give Rochas and chris anyawu and come and take T A orji and senator Nkecki nwogu, we can even give u sen chukwumerije as jara. Pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls .
@nwa okposi you are guru in what u knows best,ekelem gi obunaghi etu isiri adu ndia ndumodu chukwu gba gi ume nke ukwu, ka obin’igwe naputa anyi n’ajo ihe nile na aha jisos kristi bu onyenwe anyi!amenu
Isee!
ples dont kill rochas bring him to ABIA and take T;A ORJI with u, we will even give u two senetors as jara as my bros have already said
O lord help umu Imo; Okorocha may not be the messiah we all envisaged.We still have a long way to go.Let’s keep praying.
Am short of word and confused!!!!!!!!!!!! My Governor please be careful of your mad dogs, as they can mar or make you. Learn to control your Aides as they are overzealous doing every thing to please you. They have no image and nothing at stake. I was dissappointed of my Governor, Hero of our Time, the Rising Sun o the East, Hope of Ndigbo being engulffed by trivial issues. Please our head is your arm, dont disappoint us.
As for Senator Chris, i call her Tiger of Mbaise. Governor is the Chief Security of the State, and again the same political family. As a woman, no matter your position, always try to seek peace, even under provocation. Finally, never think of 2015 ambition of governing Imo State as our Governor shall seek 2nd term. It is a mirage
@ ndudi,,you started well and ended zero,u can canvass for ur governor and vote for him to rule in ur kindered,not imo state,because he has nothing to offer,,we have seen it all,and will follow him until he is voted out come 2015….criminal….
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Okorocha will win again!.
Hmmm. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. I think we need humble leaders and not street fighters. It is only in Nigeria that elected public office holders enjoy hundreds of convoy just for the fun of it. Since the hood does not make the monk, I don’t think that convoy makes a good leader. No wonder Sir Jerry Alagboso wrote the play ‘His Excellency and the Siren’. Rochas, to build a good name takes time but destory a good name is very easy.
Pls stop washing ur dirty linen in the public. Other regions are gathering n filing ur comments as fighting tools. Beware, use ur language if u must abuse/expose d weakness of ur leaders.