The political firmament of Imo took an exciting and galvanized dimension Tuesday, January 20, 2015. This flowed from the official commencement of campaign by the People’s Democratic Party governorship candidate, Hon Emeka Ihedioha at Oru East and Oru West, Orlu zone of the state. Since then the campaign train has also moved remarkably to Okigwe zone berthing at Okigwe and Onuimo local councils. From there to Owerri zone, taking Owerri West, Owerri North and Ikeduru and Mbaitoli local councils by storm
The campaign tour to the local councils is a two-week long event, still on-going and would come to an end first week of next month. Since inception, the campaign has remained a political cynosure. It has too soon changed the political landscape of the state and far more significantly put the Governor of Imo state, Owelle Rochas Okorochas on the spot. All of these have been put in critical perspective in this piece.
At the level of participation and caliber of leaders attracted, the campaign train has been unmistakably profound. A cream of Imo leaders is usually on the campaign team and they cut across all walks of life. The roll call includes; Chief Achike Udenwa, former Governor of Imo state, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Professor Viola Onwuliri, Minister of State for Education, Dr Kema Chikwe, PDP national woman’s leader, PDP exco members in the state led by the state chairman, Nnamdi Anyaehie; members of the House of Representatives, former lawmakers at state and federal levels, former commissioners in the state and so on.
The crowd on the campaign train have continued to grow amazingly as the rallies wear on, holding from one local council to another, with the flag bearer’s entourage stretching over two kilometers. This reality combined with the usual large turn- out of notable Imo leaders is instructive of the level of solidarity and acceptance Ihedioha commands as PDP governorship candidate
The uniqueness of the rallies is somewhat palpable. The rallies have been evidently planned to be breath-taking, rich in music and political entertainment. Every aspect of the event has thus remained electrifying and hugely enriching. People usually surge and dance with a tinge of excitement to the melodious and inviting music that usually heralds Hon Ihedioha and his entourage into the venue of the campaign
As a mark of respect to the traditional stool, Ihedioha with his entourage in this on-going campaign tour to local councils has made it a point of political and cultural duty to pay courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of the community where the rally is being organized before going to the rally ground. Some top political gladiators in the area are also accorded this same courtesy
Apart from awareness creation, mobilization of votes and marketing of the manifestoes to the people towards enlisting their support, the Imo PDP governorship rallies have been used to strike one remarkable political mileage. This is namely, the presentation of the Senatorial candidates to the people.
Consequently, while Senator Hope Uzodinma was handed over flag as PDP Senatorial candidate for Orlu zone at Oru rally; Athan Achonu, popularly known as one arm general received his own banner to fly PDP’s flag for Okigwe Senatorial zone at the rally held at Okigwe local council. Amiable Samdady Anyanwu was officially presented to the people and party’s flag handed over to him at the rally held at Owerri West.
The message structure at the on-going rallies of PDP for Imo guber candidate has remained apt, concise, issue-based, development-focused and penetrating devoid of ambiguities. Governor Okorocha’s many sins, deceits, maladministration, mismanagement of public fund, bad governance, policy flip flop are constantly exposed at the rallies with a fresh and workable framework being articulated by the PDP candidate. Accordingly Okorocha’s administration is being put on the edge.
The speakers at the rallies particularly the guber candidate, Hon Emeka Ihedioha have been taking Okorocha’s government up sector by sector to identify ample gaps, the ruins and frauds and ,in so doing, throwing up feasible models on how to correct the anomalies and set Imo on a fresh but enviable road map for veritable development.
In Orlu, Okigwe and Owerri; Ihedioha made the crisis in education, health care, employment, local council system and so on, the peg of his speech. He provided veritable facts and statistics to buttress his position that education and health care sectors are in ruins under the watch of Okorocha
According to him, while all the hospitals in the state boast of only three consultants, the standard education is on a free fall due to poor staffing and lack of facilities. He provided graphic details noting that out of 548 secondary schools in the state; only 87 Mathematics teachers, 130 English teachers, 92 Chemistry teachers and 112 Physics teachers are in the system.
He also stated that Imo state recorded a dismal 46 percent performance in external examinations in 2014 as against over 75 percent prior to Okorocha administration. His plan is to provide qualitative free education with adequate facilities and teachers when elected to move the school system out of its current doldrums. He also promised integrated health care system that will meet the basic health needs of Imo people
He bemoaned the rising wave of unemployment in the state and Okorocha’s sack of 10,000 youths employed by Ikedi Ohakim administration. He said that he would reinstate them and intensify empowerment programmes in the state as an avenue of creating wealth and employment opportunities
The local council system has been destroyed since the advent of Okorocha’s administration. The over N2.3b monthly allocation to the 27 local councils is being cornered by Okorocha. Piqued by the development, Ihedioha promised to restore sanity and strengthen that tier of government for optimal grass roots development.
*Dr Uganwa, wrote from Owerri
