For any student of Literature-in-English or anybody conversant with what transpired in the epic drama piece,MACBETH, written by William Shakespeare, King Macbeth, the protagonist, was destroyed by vaulting ambition. Macbeth was hitherto loyal to his former boss,King Duncan, until greed and destructive ambition set in. King Duncan gave Macbeth everything he ever wanted or needed, as the commander of his army.
But, like some greedy mortals of today (including Barr Cyrian Akaolisa),Macbeth was not satisfied. He wanted more. He started dreaming big. He even saw himself as a potential king of Scotland. And,he ended up killing King Duncan, his benefactor, and thereafter, became king.
That was the genesis of his misery. In his desperation to protect himself from both known and unknown foes,he resorted to vodooism. He sought the wisdom and protection of supernatural forces that hoodwinked him with bizarre assurance that no man born of a woman can ever defeat or destroy him. That was the three witches’ foolhardy prophecy for the greedy Macbeth.
He became emboldened and ruthless. But little did he know that Macduff,a noble man and soldier,was not born naturally like any normal baby. He was born through a cesarean section (CS).
Suddenly, Macbeth started seeing apparitions, which I guess, C.O.C Akaolisa must be seeing now. Macbeth ended up falling to the sword of Macduff and order was again restored in Scotland. In summary, vaulting ambition led Macbeth to his unfortunate doom.
I have taken time to bring to the fore what usually happens to greedy and over ambitious elements like Barr Cyrian Akaolisa, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Imo State,who last Monday, was ignominously shoved out of his exalted office for constituting an embarrassment to the government of Governor Hope Uzodinma. Akaolisa abused his Office, believing he was untouchable.
He spoke with unbridled arrogance and recklessness. He dabbled into political issues that are not related to his office or the Imo State government. He unilaterally metamorphosed into an unsolicited spokesman for Owerri zone’s agitation for Imo governorship come 2027. He forgot that his Oga, the governor, has seriously warned against Owerri zone political leaders overheating the polity in Imo and thereby distracting his administration. He was blinded by the hoax assurance of a Deputy Governorship position if Owerri zone clinches the slot for 2027 governorship,just as the three witches assured Macbeth of indestructibilty.
Shocked? Habaaaa, you reading this, should not be shocked !
Akaolisa,in his over ambitiousness, forgot that he was working for a governor who is a political wizard, a governor whose knack for information gathering is topnotch; a governor whose reticence is baffling and a governor, who though is very benevolent, but stings like a Scorpion whenever he stings.
The TMO CONNECTION
Unknown to many, Akaolisa lost track of his duties as Imo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice immediately the anti-government group called “The Mazi Organization (TMO)” stormed Imo’s political arena with their showmanship brand of politics. Dr Chima Amadi, founder of the TMO and 2027 governorship hopeful became Akaolisa’s paddy man all of a sudden. Banters were exchanged, agreements and promised were sealed.
First, was the Deputy Governorship deal.Second,was the issue of accommodation in Canada for the lieutenants, which was allegedly sorted out by the new cash cow. The man on the hot sit can explain this better.And many more to be unveiled sooner than later. Then,voom,Akaolisa suddenly became an advocate of Owerri governorship,talking zig-zagly and without any modicum of respect for the governor or restraint, at least, for the office he held.
In his desperation and blind pursuit for the deputy governorship position promised him by some Owerri zone political leaders, believing that he could influence the governor to their favour, Akaolisa developed amnesia over his duties as Attorney General, and forgot to advice the governor rightly. His amnesia over his duties led to the embarrassment of the governor and the near head-on collision between the governor and the National Judicial Council (NJC) over the appointment of Acting Chief Judge for Imo State .It took the governor’s ingenuous approach to navigate through that embarrassing situation.
All these while, Governor Hope Uzodinma, as is characteristic of him,kept his cool. He observed in awe, Akaolisa’s abuse of his office as Attorney General and his degeneration into a liliputian politician, all for Owerri zone’s imaginary Deputy Governorship slot,while inwardly working for Chima Amadi.
Finally, the hammer has fallen on Akaolisa for the third time in a row. Yes,this is the third time he has been shoved out, but like a cat with nine lives, he always sneeks back into Uzodinma’s administration. Most recently, he was pardoned and asked to come back and sin no more after the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had banned him from practicing law anywhere in Nigeria for five years. As he was settling down, he just threw himself into another mess.
Akaolisa is like the proverbial stubborn fly that followed the corpse to the grave because he refused to harken to wise counsel. I can vividly recall reading last month, an article entitled: “Governor Uzodinma, Call Your Attorney General To Order Before He Destroys Your Reputation,” written by one Dr Eli Dibia,a public opinion analyst, wherein he beckoned on Governor Hope Uzodinma to rein in Akaolisa before he damages the reputation of his administration. Dibia, in the publication made around April 25,2025 and which trended on various media platforms, noted thus : ” it is quite unfortunate that a close aide of the governor,his Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, is fond of making bizarre utterances that is quite capable of sending out signals that are inconsistent with the attributes the governor is personally known for. Unlike Akaolisa, the governor is reticent, focused, not boastful and has never abused his Office.”
Dr Dibia cautioned that Akaolisa should be trained and retrained on how to talk with circumspection as an Attorney General, stressing that the governor is taking a big risk by allowing Akaolisa to remain in office as Imo’s Chief Law Officer despite his obvious short comings. Perhaps,with Akaolisa’s shameful ouster,one can say that Dr Dibia spoke like a Nostrademus.
According to Dibia, “Akaolisa is emotionally unstable to be the number one commissioner in Imo State. He is making Imo a laughing stock before Nigerians.” He recalled how Akaolisa betrayed former Governor Achike Udenwa, who revived him by giving him a political appointment. But, when Akaolisa started abusing his Office and privileges,Udenwa sacked him. Dibia hinted that in retaliation, Akaolisa wrote a book entitled: “Beyond Redemption: Odyssey of Political Ingratitude,” in which he allegedly said unprintable things against Udenwa.
Dibia,in his long essay, advised Governor Uzodinma to be wary of Akaolisa’s reactionary behaviour, pointing out that Akaolisa is canterkerous and at war with virtually every political elite in his Orsu local government area, adding that a character like Akaolisa is unfit to be Attorney General of a sophisticated State like Imo.
One Chidozie Njoku also took a swipe at Akaolisa for his indecorus utterances while in Office as Attorney General. Njoku noted in his own reaction entitled: ” 2027:Akaolisa and Beer Parlour Narratives,” that by dabbling into the 2027 governorship election matters and openly campaigning for Owerri zone candidature, “Akaolisa has put his job/office on the firing line.”
Njoku had contended that ” Akaolisa is gradually becoming distasteful by his utterances and portraying Imo in bad light too. He is abusing his Office as Attorney General. If Akaolisa wants to join field politics, let him resign officially and come on board. The danger in allowing him to be using the paraphernalia of office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and making unguarded utterances not related to his office is grave.” Njoku implored the governor to call Akaolisa to order before he rubs further mud on his sterling administration.”
These are just few of the complaints against Akaolisa’s serial misbehaviour while in office as Attorney General. As a decent governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has promptly reacted and Akaolisa was swept off.
One good thing for Akaolisa in all these, is that he is now free to become the campaign Director General for Chima Amadi’s TMO, or go and bootlick any other Owerri zone governorship aspirant of his choice. It is within his constitutional right to do so. But to use Imo State government’s insignia to be playing petty politics is not tolerable.
Governor Uzodinma should be commended for acting promptly. His action is indeed, populist and reaffirms the belief that he is a listening governor who is not avarce to negative public opinion. His decisiveness incontestably portrays him as being firmly in charge of his administration. It will also serve as a deterrent to any other appointee of his,who may be contemplating emulating Akaolisa.
By relieving Akaolisa of his Office as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice,and sacking him from the Imo State Executive Council, the governor has eradicated any misgivings that he was the person nudging Akaolisa into indulging in the reckless abuse of his Office, as the sacked Attorney General almost made Imo people believe.
While I am not holding brief for anyone, it is however, imperative to put Imo people on alert on the leadership antecedents of Akaolisa. A man who is always thrown out of every leadership position or office he is appointed into, is like a “Caveat Emptor,” as the lawyers will say.
