By Ifeanyi Onyekachi
Our society has turned upside down. The consistent erosion of our highly cherished moral value has reached the climax.
Might has become right while right is despised. Deep pocket is now the measure of human value.
Gone are the days when men of valour and virtue are celebrated.
When hard work and probity count.
The popular maxim, “dignity in labour” has turned to a cliche that has lost all relevance in the “new order” of things.
Our ‘modern society’ has been overrun by oestantation, illicit aquisition of wealth, greed that runs deep and avarice of dispropotionate dimension.
Riches without work has become the order of the day. While those who eke a living by dint of hard work are perceived as ignoramus by the largely perverted members of our society.
In our typical African society, honesty, forthrightness, courage in speaking truth to power are core leadership criteria. But all these are not any more!
Leadership, especially in the political sphere is now a perogative of the rich and connected. Character matters nothing.
Regrettably, the few men of nobility, character and honour, true models of our society are gradually going into extinction.
They are too morally upright to compete with perverted majority in the political class, hence it is easier for a camel to pass through the eyes of a needle than for this class of people to win election and cause a systemic positive change.
But the truth is that if there is any value left in our moral fabric as a nation or state, it is attributable to the indomitable spirit of these few true models who have kept our true nature as a people alive.
That is why this article is dedicated to celebrating one of such men. A man or rare value and proven integrity. A man who has seen both ends of the divide and chose the path of honour, Chief Emeka Diwe.
To venture into what drives the impeccable nature of Chief Diwe will be an uphill task, because the man himself is an enigma of some sort.
Chief Emeka Diwe is a man of genuine means and resources who derives happiness in preserving his good name rather than questionable riches.
Perhaps, Chief Emeka Diwe is propelled by early positive family influence but his chance meeting with Anthony Aboki Ochefu, former military administrator of defunct East Central state while in secondary school, made the whole difference.
Chief Diwe caught the bug of integrity as he listened to this military administrator dished out moral instructions to the students, of which he is one, way back in 1976. This was in the good old days.
He told them that” when wealth is lost nothing is lost, when health is lost something is lost, when character is lost all is lost”.
These were the eternal words that stuck in chief Diwe’s memory and guilded his footsteps ever since.
Any body who comes in contact with Chief Diwe knows that he is a man of integrity and honesty who do not only practise what he preached but he is what he preaches.
He has bluntly refused to compromise at every fronts he is in charge.
No wonder his tenure as the National President, Association of South East Town Union, (ASETU) has been transformational.
An astute Igbo leader who has used his position to champion Igbo cause relentlessly.
Within the national political space, he shuned all entreaties by powerful oligarchies in Nigeria polity to abandon the Igbo agenda anchored on equity, justice and fairness.
In Imo, our dear state, his exploits are too loud to be silent.
Chief Diwe can rightly be called the
father of modern Imo State Town Union.
He and his men ensured that governments, like that of Rochas Okorocha’s administration, did not stifle Imo State town union.
In the twilight of governor Okorocha government, he proscribed the town union, but Chief Emeka Diwe led his team to challenged the purported proscription in court.
They eventually got judgement against the illegal proscription.
When Chief Diwe’s balance sheet was not more than N3 million, he paid N1 million counter part funding agric loan for the union. This was during the regime of former governor Ohakim.
It was that counter part payment by Chief Diwe that entitled members of the town union in the entire Imo state to the agric loan.
It is on record that this same Diwe did not benefit a dine from the loan. His interest is the well-being of his people- Imo people.
Owing to his unreserved love for the people of the state and growth of Imo state town union, he bought 3 vehicles for Imo State town union for the 3 zones in the state. Again, the funds were provided without fund raising, without bazaar.
He did this without expectation of any monetary gratifications nor political uplift of any form.
Chief Emeka Diwe is also the President General of one of the most powerful social cultural organization, Orluzurumee.
As it is his nature, he utilized the honour of that office to resist some questionable characters who wanted to appropriate the social cultural association for selfish purposes.
Investigation shows that this singular act could be regarded as the most outstanding legacies of his administration, because he has continued to preserve the sanctity of the powerful social cultural group.
Chief Diwe mobilized funds and established a transport scheme for Orluzurumee youths to manage by themselves so that the jobless can get employed.
He started the transport scheme for the youths by purchasing 5 buses. No launching, no find raising, no publicity stunt. The striking thing about this actions is that it is selfless.
His numerous enlightenment programs including free health care and interactive session between critical stakeholders and Orluzurumee for the purpose of cohesion and even development has remained legendary.
Unknown to many, Chief Emeka Diwe played a significant role in the search for good governance in Imo in the last general election.
He organized the almagamation of the academics, artisans, business men, town union etc to fashion out processes to determine the best candidate among the four that were narrowed down from the numerous governorship candidates.
He caused the almagamation to carry out a research on the candidates with over 300,000 questionnaires printed and administered.
In his usual character, Chief Diwe did all these without asking for a penny from the politicians to avoid been compromised. He is always watchful!
But the question that has bug the minds of many observers is: why is it difficult for the ilk of Chief Emeka Diwe to be invited to sharpen the government?
With rich pedigree and aboundant capacity of brain,character and value one can only imagine what will become of our state if such people are offered opportunity to pilot the affairs of any part of the government institutions.
Government every where in the world is not only run by those who helped to win election.
There is need to bring in People with track record of integrity and capacity. People in the mould of Chief Emeka Diwe.
These people will never lobby for appointment because they have no intention to dupe the system. The system must go to them.
However, this is not a campaign for Chief Emeka Diwe to be appointed for political position, he probably will not accept, but a celebration of one of the few icon of hope left in Imo.
Chief Emeka Diwe, a rare gem. A man whose life radiates value. We appreciate you for your consistency in teaching all that comes close to you that ” no legacy is so rich as honesty”.
Ifeanyi Onyekachi, journalist and public affairs analyst.
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