Continued from last week

Deputy Senate President and the highest ranking official from the South East, Ike Ekweremadu, has a position but is absent at the current worktable because a good relationship does not exist.

Even in years past when both relationship and position placed the Igbo at the worktable, the product of our engagement reflected only the ability of our representatives at the table to enriching themselves only to the detriment of those they claim to represent. The South East roads became death traps, as they collapsed and were left unattended. The Second Niger Bridge was mere political deception even then but they preferred to feather their personal nests, building chains of personal estates, some now under investigation, while holding down position in the name of South East. What a waste!
Any Igbo with a modicum of sincerity, integrity, intellect and love will be seeking to ensure that this does not happen in 2019…ozo emena.

It is in our collective interest to sift from our people those proven to possess the proper mindset, then forge a relationship for them or build on an established one (where it already exists). Having done this, the deal would then be to give such a person a mandate with which a position is then secured. This represents a deliberate effort to put our best foot on the worktable. We have seen the result for our people of the “ike kekota orie” mentality; we must now do the negotiated entry style.
All this begins by Okigwe South removing the hand of monkey from the soup pot before it becomes human hand. The people, especially APC members, must ensure that Okorocha does not come from Orlu to tell Okigwe what is good for us. For sure, the trust is political manipulation MUST fail them this time; people must defend their votes and ensure that they count.

Nobody is casting aspersions on Okafor irrespective of whether he performed well or not. Nobody is even looking into that yet, as it a different kettle of Gish altogether. What is currently at stake is tradition, which was agreement that each of the three components of the constituency – Ehime Mbano, Ihitte Uboma and Obowo – would do one term and it had alternated likewise ever since. Now it is Ehime Mbano’s turn and it must not be truncated under any guise. Moreover, the old Etiti is currently holding the Senate and House of Representatives seats. It is only fair and equitable for them to relinquish one and that one, strategically, is the House seat.

Okafor should not be tugging on the apron strings of Governor Okorocha to be spoon fed. He risks losing out altogether if he does not act fast with a mind if his own. Okorocha’s baggage in Imo alone can suffocate him without even bringing in Nwajiuba. Whoever the optposition parties field, even nitwits, will give him a hiding. To secure his political future, Okafor should gun for another office, governor or deputy governor, for instance, or position himself for ministerial appointment.
Why should Okigwe South allow Okorocha to dictate who represents them? Have we asked ourselves what Okorocha’s interest in Okigwe South is? Does Okafor know that Okorocha merely wants to use him as a pawn on his own selfish political chess board?

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For Okorocha, this election being held with eye on 2023 with possible emergence of Igbo as president, which he has already declared interest, and plotting to go to Senate.  Okorocha is unsettled by HCN’s clout and can go to any length to scuttle his bid for the House, knowing his chances to emerge as speaker very bright, a reason Hon. Frank Ibezim stepped down his ambition.

Ibezim, former Imo commissioner for agriculture, has the means to contest the seat with very bright chances. However, recognisisng that HCN stands a greater chance to get a principal office, which will serve the constituency better, he humbly and selflessly dropped his ambition. The common taunt is Owerri and Orlu have developed leaving Okigwe behind. This is the chance we have to address this and Okigwe South must not only ensure that HCN gets the party ticket but is also successfully returned to the House. When he gets there, it becomes a national affair and he certainly has the reach to get the principal office that will wipe away the shame of our area.

The quest is not about party. So, nobody should take into consideration what Okorocha is doing in Imo. In any case, Okorocha’s agenda in Imo is totally at variance with the agenda of his party in the state.
I wonder why though the APC finds it difficult to tame Okorocha of his weird ways. Somebody says Okorocha could be possessed of the spirit of demolition, demolishing structures, destinies and all what. Every hand must be on deck to exorcise Imo of such spirit and frustrate all efforts of Okorocha to remain in power by proxy through his endorsed aspirants across the state.

His latest onslaught was the closure of people’s businesses on Douglas and Weathral roads, turning them to residential areas only. No notice, no warning was given and these are the people APC hopes will vote for them. Next is the noxious community levy on adult Imolites, with all the threat to suspend or starve traditional rulers whose communities fail to comply of funds. A simple calculation of the projected revenue is a whopping N60m x 637 autonomous communities, ostensibly for community development but in reality a war chest to install his stooges in office in 2019. This so-called development levy is undemocratic, draconian and amounts to double taxation. It is dead on arrival.

Okorocha must know that the Ezes he wants to punish have no power to force anybody to pay and he should go ahead and dethrone all of them even now. But he must have it in mind that no community will accept any imposition from him to replace their Ezes and anybody that accepts to play along with him risks being chased out into exile.

It is awesome how he has successfully played Imo people into a corner, recruited the state House of Assembly as his puppeteers and errand boys in an indecipherable novel  fourth tier government, tearing the state apart. He instituted a dynasty in the state and even created a ministry of happiness with his sister, who did not pass through the clearance of the House, as commissioner. And truly, Okorocha’s reign in Imo is one tragicomic sitcom that gives morbid relief and reflectively, Imolites sometimes derive sardonic mirth in the eccentricities of the man, pitying themselves.