– Ethelbert Okere
The tone of the language of those who have laid siege on renowned politician and business mogul, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, over a certain comment alleged to have been made by him, suggests strongly that he fell into an ambush.
As a person, I wasn’t altogether surprised that the Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo would be enmeshed in such a controversy. For me, it was a question of time before opposition elements in the state would seize an opportunity to ‘nail’ him for reasons that are not difficult to fathom.
Chief Iwuanyanwu has openly identified with the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimm which, as far as the so called opposition in the state is concerned, is an “enemy” with whom no Imolite should come close to even with a one-kilometre pole.
This blackmail of the entire state by the opposition, especially of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flank, has persisted regardless of the fact that Governor Uzodimma has showed a lot of maturity in handling the understandable animosity and bitterness of leading members of the party towards him.
Apart from his statesmanly decision to continue with virtually everything his predecessor began, Uzodimma showed an uncommon tolerance to the hostilities unleashed on him and, indeed, the entire state, by the so-called opposition.
For example, his retention of the judicial panels set up earlier by his predecessor, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, was construed by some members of his own party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), as pursuing an agenda of the opposition PDP. We shall return to this later but meanwhile, let me illustrate with what happened on the day Chief Ihedioha made his ‘triumphant’ return to the state sometime in June last year. Ihedioha rode in a long convoy of vehicles right from the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, criss-crossed the length and breadth of the state capital, Owerri, with supporters and party members hauling invectives and personal insults on Governor Uzodimma. Yet, not a word was uttered by the latter or his own supporters or insiders of his administration.
Now, let us rewind to about six months earlier. A top member of the Ihedioha administration had declared the latter’s predecessor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, as a persona non grata in the state. One day, this top functionary got a wind that the ever recalcitrant Okorocha was on his way to Imo and pronto, he mobilized a group of thugs and headed for the Sam Mbakwe airport to ambush and capture the former governor once he stepped out from his aircraft.
Since I have reminded Imolites of this episode in at least two previous outings, it is needless going into further details. It is sufficient to simply go to its significance, which is that once we place that incident with what happened on the day of Ihedioha’s triumphant return, it becomes apparent that the so called opposition believes that either it is in power on there should be no Imo state.
I have given this anecdote to underscore the point that, as far as I am concerned, it is this mindset of “we or nothing”, that informed the brazen hostility which the PDP in Imo state has unleashed on no less a person than a member of the party’s Board of Trustees for an allegation that is yet to be proved beyond all reasonable doubts. In other words, the haste with which individuals and groups within the state’s wing of the party descended on Chief Iwuanyanwu clearly underscores my earlier assertion that the latter clearly fell into an ambush.
Here, two important things stand out.
One, Chief Iwuanyanwu has not only denied making the statement he was alleged to have made, he has also challenged the newspaper that published the alleged statement to provide “evidence”.
As I write, the newspaper is yet to do that; not even the usual “we stand by our story” posturing. Now, for a party that has in its fold such a highly rated politician, might it not have been better to give the chief the benefit of doubt while those that charged him provide evidence as he has demanded?
It is possible that PDP chieftains in the state have the proof Chief Iwuanyanwu is demanding but decided not to make it public yet for reasons best known to them. If that is the case, then it is an affront on the rest of the state.
At best, it means the rest of the state is being taken for granted by the PDP. It also means giving the impression that it is only what the PDP thinks or believes on every issue that involves the collective integrity and interest of the entire people of the state that matters.
If, it is on the other hand, the opposition (PDP) elements are yet to be in possession of the evidence and still went ahead to traduce Chief Iwuanyanwu, then they have failed to live up to what they want the people to believe about their party, namely that of a better leadership alternative. A better leadership would not stampede itself into denigrating a person of the calibre of Chief Iwuanyanwu on the basis of an unproven allegation.
If the aim of throwing such an intensity of mud at Chief Iwuanyanwu is not just to express the anger over his romance with Governor Uzodimma and his administration, then there should have been more circumspection before the volley of bullets were directed at him.
Which brings us to the second important point: What, exactly, did Chief Iwuanyanwu say? This question arises because there are two versions of the story in the media. One is that he said he regrets voting for the PDP at the last general elections.
The other is that Chief Iwuanyanwu said he regrets or regretted voting for an “Owerri zone” man at the election in question. The two are not one and the same thing and those that took it upon themselves should have first discovered what actually was said before going to town.
Differently put, the ambiguity which arose from the haste to seize an opportunity to teach Chief Iwuanyanwu a lesson has put the newspaper in question in further dilemma. Which is it going to provide proof for: that Chief Iwuanyanwu said he regretted voting for the PDP or “an Owerri zone man”.
I am aware that some would like to dismiss my “insinuation” and bring up the “a matter of semantics argument”. But I would insist that since we are dealing with pure politics here, semantics does not arise.
If Chief Iwuanyanwu said he regretted voting for the PDP, then he is less susceptible to danger – whether physical or emotional – because the bitterness and animosity is more eclectic, especially as he would not be offending any particular section of the state or individual.
Conversely, to say that he regretted voting for an Owerri zone man clearly delineates his enemies. In other words, it makes him more vulnerable to abuses and insults, considering, especially, the emotive nature of the issue of power sharing in the state.
Those who took it from the “Owerri zone” angle would have done so deliberately, with a view to evoking maximum emotions among the people of the zone (Owerri) which is where Chief Iwuanyanwu comes from.
While they may have succeeded in that, the overall result, however, is that it further cheapens the “Owerri zone” argument before the rest of the state.
One, PDP is not an Owerri-zone-only party and as such, leaders of the party who are of Owerri zone extraction would be doing it a big harm to further pigeon hole it as one. This is more so at a time when Imolites, generally, and irrespective of partisan leanings, have decided that for the purpose of stability at least, the administration of Governor Uzodimma should be given maximum support.
Extrapolated, the courage, maturity, humility, transparency steadfastness etc which Governor Uzodimma has brought to bear in his fourteen-month old administration has so endeared him to majority of Imolites, from Ngor Okpala to Ideato; from Aboh Mbaise to Nkwerre; from Ikeduru to Ihitte Uboma etc that the emotional out busting and volume of vituperative statements on Chief Iwuanyanwu become of little or no consequence.
Thus, pending the time the PDP resolves its dilemma over what, exactly, Chief Iwuanyanwu said, my position is that its penchant to pour venom on any Imolite for saying a mere “good morning” to Governor Hope Uzodimma is condemnable, given the enormity of challenges the governor is confronted with in returning the state to the path of sanity. We are all witnesses to the havoc wrecked on the state and its people by Chief Okorocha.
Agreed, Governor Ihedioha showed promise, vision and capacity but like Moses, he is no longer there. He might have even been the best governor Imo state would have had but since he is not there now to govern, should the hapless people of the state, who knew nothing of the “orography” that pushed him in and out of office, commit mass suicide? As we await an answer, it is apparent that some elements in the PDP would have preferred that the state be shut down pending when next Ihedioha is declared winner of another governorship election.
As an elder statesman, Chief Iwuanyanwu recognizes the fact after elections, governance begins and that those on whose lot it fell to governor deserve support. This is what some glibly refer to “Any Government in Party”. Okorocha ‘succeeded’ in what he did because he adopted the tactics of first scaring away every matured and experienced person from himself and his administration.
Recently, I came across an interview in which Governor Ikedi Ohakim said that if Okorocha had taken heed of some of the advice given to him by well meaning Imolites, the state would not be where it is today. That is quite instructive and it also means that more than ever before, as many well meaning and experienced individuals as possible should be encouraged to get closer to every successive administration.
Opposition politics, perhaps unknown to the Imo opposition, does not mean plotting for the fall of an incumbent administration. If opposition is for the interest of the people, it is to argue constructively on areas where rooms exist for improvement. And there are usually a lot of such rooms, no matter how hardworking an incumbent administration might be.
The essence of opposition is not to cajole hapless party followers into believing that another court ruling that will return their party to power is in the offing.
9News Nigeria (Owerri)
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