Couple of days prior to this discourse, the out-going governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, inaugurated a 21 member Transition Committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of Imo State (SGI), Engr Mark Uchendu from Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State. According to the release signed by Sam Onwuemeodo, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, the transition committee is to inter-face with the start – studded 140 member Transition Committee earlier set up by the Governor-elect, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha, chaired by the former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Ernest Ebi. Obviously, the difference here, is of course clear.
Curiously, the out-going governor, probably on the advice of his spin doctors, outlined series of activities for the in-coming governor and his transition committee. This programme of activities, as has been severely criticized by many well meaning Imolities and public commentators, laid a lot mines and booby traps for the in-coming governor.
Okorocha, instead of announcing his transition committee to naturally interface with that of the in-coming governor, also sought to goad the governor-elect into taking actions that will inadvertently or surreptitiously legitimize his ineptitude and failures in several spheres of governance for the past eight years. He laid booby traps, believing that Rt. Hon Ihedioha, despite his God given exceptional intelligence, would commit the error of hubris and step on them.
After a critical appraisal of the programme of activities heralding the inauguration of Rt. Hon Ihedioha as the Governor of Imo State come May 29, 2019, I began to wonder when Okorocha and his very bitter disciplines, including his son- in- law Uche Nwosu, developed sudden love for Rt.Hon Ihedioha so much as to fraternize with him and wish him well. They must have considered themselves smart guys to believe that a leader as circumspect and wise as Rt. Hon Ihedioha will foolishly step on their banana peels by suddenly dangling love advances at him. That is indeed, Iberiberism of the highest order.
Okorocha’s son in-law, Uche Nwosu is still at the elections petition tribunal foolishly clamouring for a re-run election which will never happen. His media goons led by one FCC Jones Onwuasoanya (a.k.a Johnbull Chikwe) are still busy deriding and casting unrelentless aspersions on the Governor-elect, albeit very stupidly, yet, Okorocha wants Rt. Hon Ihedioha to wine and dine with him, using his God forsaken Transition Committee as a bait.
I ask: what actually do they take Rt. Hon. Ihedioha to be – a numb skull, a foolish man or somebody who cannot decipher between real love and the love of Judas Iscariot? The whole thing is bizarre and too good to be real.
If Okorocha was to be in Rt. Hon Ihedioha’s position, would he agree to dine and wine with him after much hatred and opprobrium have been exhibited publicly? Would he agree to be in the midst of enemies of rule of law, antagonists, suppressors, oppressors, and promoters of nepotism? These are what Okorocha and his goons epitomize and even more.
Okorocha during his eight years horrific reign as governor, acted like the “Lord of the Manor Farm,” in George Orwell’s Animal Farm. He was a reincarnate of Nepoleon in the legendary fable. Now, that it dawned on him, that the walls of Jericho have collapsed on him, he is now seeking for a man without blemish to lash on for cleansing. Rt. Hon. Ihedioha is too intelligent and sophisticated to fall for such gimmick.
My point here is that Okorocha has set up his Transition Committee, so also has the Governor – elect. Let Okorocha allow the two committees to do their work without tele-prompting them. He cannot draw up a programme of activities for Rt Hon. Ihedioha and expect him to sheepishly okay it. The Governor-elect does not and cannot take instructions from him.
Okorocha never liked Ihedioha. In one of his garrulous utterances before the elections, he even vowed and boasted that Ihedioha can never succeed him. But man is not God. Man proposes, but God disposes. His sudden love for Ihedioha is very suspicious. One should always be wary of a reconciled enemy because he is more dangerous than a fresh enemy.
Imo people do not want Okorocha to infect Ihedioha with his iberiberism. We hear that iberiberism is more infectious than leprosy and even HIV.
Rt. Hon. Ihedioha was the popular choice of Imo people and he cannot therefore, afford to be seen hobnobbing with Okorocha or anybody or anything associated with him. He cannot also afford to incur the wrath of Imo people because of any unholy association with Okorocha.
As far as Imo people are concerned, Okorocha has acquired a pariah status. The excruciating pains, agony and sordid indelible memories he caused Imo people might take over three decades to erase, if not more.
If Okorocha is seeking for whom to help him accord legitimacy or commission his China projects, let him look elsewhere. Rt. Hon. Ihedioha is never an option. It is childish of him to think he can lead Ihedioha by the nose to legitimize the atrocities he committed in Imo State and turn around tomorrow and say “even Ihedioha agreed with me”. He has diahorrea of the mouth.
As we point out these devilish schemings of Okorocha to lure Ihedioha to be a partaker in his perfidy, we pray and appeal to the Governor-elect, Rt. Hon Ihedioha to “beware of the Ides of March”.
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