Political harlotry is a disease, a deadly one for that matter.You see such political harlots when a new government is about to take off. They are like motor park touts. They will board a bus without a ticket.They come to the motor park and watch others spend their hard earned money to buy bus tickets. They will never buy. When the bus is about to move, you see them disturb the driver demanding to be taken as passengers or demand for settlement. In the end, confusion will erupt and delay the bus from leaving at its scheduled time.
Such political characters are resurfacing again, moving with measured pace into our Governor elect, Hon.Emeka Ihedioha, a man who has shown fine commitment to rebuild Imo.
I have watched the footsteps of the Governor elect and every reasonable Imolite agrees he is on track. He is moving on with so much passion. An Owerri based journalist wrote that Ihedioha has been humbled by the fact that he knows the weight of the problems he is going to face when he assumes office as Governor on May 29.
This is why I see no reason why the two major committees he constituted will be faulted by anyone.No matter the size of the Transition Technical Commitee, TTC, and Inauguration and Handover Commitee, Ihedioha deserves some applause. It shows his sincere determination to walk his talk by bringing all on board, especially those tormented by the holocaust that ravaged the State in the last eight years. Ihedioha has shown zeal and charisma to march on.There is nothing wrong in someone showing so much commitment to succeed. Those who fault him for being overzealous seem to miss the point or rather they are being mischievous.
Every leader has its style and approach to governance. When Rochas Okorocha resorted to eating Akara (bean balls) on the streets of Owerri to attract public support for his aspiration to be Governor in 2011,no one faulted him.Rather he was hailed and praised by everyone.When he said he came for the poorest of the poor, we clapped, believed him hook, line and sinker. When he mesmerized our people with his oratorical prowess, we sang his song and adored him.
Ihedioha is not towing that path.And he has no reason to do so. I believe he means business. He may not be an orator, but he does what he says. He said he will run an inclusive government.He has shown it already. The two commitees he constituted touched all strata of the Imo society.
If he believes assembling the best Imo have in a Transition and Technical Committee to chart a way forward for the State, it’s a welcome development. He must be encouraged to continue such worthy ideas.
We must also understand that these committees are working tools to fine tune the take off of the incoming government. They are not the Executives neither are they Special Assistants or aides to the Governor.Committees do have temporary lifespan with a time limit to achieve set targets and objectives. They will disappear after their work while some of them may be part of the administration.This is the norm, it’s nothing new.
But Ihedioha should watch his back. There are some political undertakers who are coming very close to him. That he wants an inclusive government does not entail he should walk into the lion’s den or open his doors so wide for Johnny Walkers to easily walk in. They are like passengers in the motor park who refuse to buy tickets but want to get on a bus ride.
One of the pitfalls of the Udenwa and Ohakim administrations was at that time they unknowingly surrounded themselves with those who had no value for them.Udenwa’s government began to fidget when I.M.O Umunna, the powerful SSG left. Umunna was Udenwa’s backbone. He sieved the wheat from the chaff. He knew the millipedes and centipedes that crawled around Udenwa and he curtailed their sneaky movements. Udenwa became vulnerable to political witches and wizards who were hiding in his administration for so long and were feeding fat on him when Umunna left. This led to the fumbling and wobbling of that government which climaxed in Udenwa’s inability to produce his choice Successor. The man who took over from him Ikedi Ohakim embraced all, only to be left like a chicken beaten by the rain when his government ran into murky waters.
These are lessons for Ihedioha. Imo is a place where most politicians who smile at you in the morning wine with your adversary in the evening. Ihedioha should resist political turncoats.Those whose antecedents are worrisome.They abound in Imo. Some of them have started creeping around him, slowly and steadily. They jump in through the window and escape through the roof.They have no value.They are serial blackmailers. They thrive on blackmail and deceit. They are wolves in sheep skins. They come like a thief in the night.They steal and leave no trace.
They claim what they are not. They rabble rouse a lot.They are ready to swear with their mothers pot of porridge just to realize a lie. Like millipedes and centipedes, they crawl and when you hit them, they pause, recoil and crawl again with their hideous motives and tendencies.
Ihedioha must avoid these Millipedes and Centipedes crawling close to him. They feed on crisis and very good in instigating confusion.If he falls for their antics, he may short-circuit himself. No matter how focused he is, he may be distracted.May be not now but in the future. They never worked for his election as Governor. They called him names, unpalatable names for that matter and today the music has changed, they now want to be at the front row and dance in the victory party.
The Governor Elect must be wary. He should stay focused. I know he understands the depth of his Rebuild Imo slogan.Rebuilding a house entails a lot. It calls for committed and willing assistants.
Imolites are watching. Okorocha made Imolites to see criticism as a vital tool to put a government in check especially when the House of Assembly is toothless, a dog that barks but cannot bite and eventually became the playthings of the Executive.
He should bear in mind that every step he takes is subject to total, overwhelming scrutiny and evaluation. Mistakes will not be accepted especially when expectations are so high.
He must not allow some political spent forces who want to recycle themselves to be an impediment to his Rebuild Imo mission. There is no time for theatrics. He should keep them at bay. Those negative elements who always sneak themselves into any government in Power not just to add value but to either segregate or run down others, should have no accommodation in this government. I believe this is no government of ashiri (Gossip).
Working with elder statesmen and political leaders such as Ex Governors is a good one. A good leader who wants to succeed learns from the tutelage of his predecessors. Udenwa and Ohakim being ex Governors of the State have vast reservoir of knowledge Ihedioha can tap from. And it will be well with him if he works closely with them.There are also other good fellas around him too. Core gentlemen who have so much to offer for the benefit of the State.
Ex Governors of the State are assets with wealth of experience.The essence of this piece are those who have Grade A in political gymnastics.They can jump in and jump out in any government at will. It’s in their character. Gossip is their strength.And because Gossip thrives in Imo politics, it has become their area of specialization. And they are simply good at it. They are Masters Degree holders in the act. It takes only one with the wisdom of Solomon to disarm them. They are pests, fleas and hypocrites who must have their way. Ihedioha must resist them. He should and he has good reasons to do so. And he will never regret it.
May God guide our Governor Elect.
Political harlotry is a disease, a deadly one for that matter.You see such political harlots when a new government is about to take off. They are like motor park touts. They will board a bus without a ticket.They come to the motor park and watch others spend their hard earned money to buy bus tickets. They will never buy. When the bus is about to move, you see them disturb the driver demanding to be taken as passengers or demand for settlement. In the end, confusion will erupt and delay the bus from leaving at its scheduled time.