Assistant Editor (North), CHUKS EHIRIM, reports on separate meetings in Abuja and Orlu by sections of Imo indigenes as indications of developments in the state ahead 2015 politics…
The picture of events in Imo State ahead of 2015 started emerging penultimate weekend when two separate meetings were held, one in Abuja and the other in Orlu, possibly to shape developments in the days ahead.
Held at Merit House, Maitama, on Saturday, July 12, the Abuja meeting was organised by a group that goes by the name, Ike Ngorkpala Nigeria.
Though its president, Sam Ekeh, had argued that the occasion was not meant for politics, it ended up creating a platform for mobilisation of Ngor Okpala people for the great role they are expected to play in the 2015 general elections, especially in their federal constituency which is made up of Ngor Okpala and Aboh Mbaise where the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, hails from.
Speakers at the event, which was put together to honour illustrious sons of the local government, that was chaired by the Chairman of Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, spoke on how the area had been marginalised by those who have been in the saddle for close to 12 years now.
Among those honoured at the occasion were the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nworgu; Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. Theodore Ekechi; a member of the House of Assembly, Emeka Nwafor; and Dr. Matthew Nwagala.
In his address, Ekeh had remarked that the gathering had no political undertone, but was a day “to dine and wine with our people, Ndi Ngor Okpala”.
The event, he added, was not to celebrate any political party or political class, but people who occupy positions of interest, as well as to articulate issues and ideas for the development of Ngor Okpala.
He also stated that the gathering was to remind detractors of the community that Ngor Okpala must change for the better in 2015.
The remark set the tone for other speeches of the day.
Amadi advised his people not to despair, reminding them that their position is like that of Ndigbo in Nigeria. According to him, whatever they call themselves is how others will regard them, adding that most times, the things said about them are exaggerations, not the true position of events.
“Every time, we keep saying that Ndigbo don’t have kings, that we cannot agree. It is not true. Those things are exaggerations. Every community has its social capital. We are not the Hausa; we are not like the Yoruba. If we say let’s copy them, we may not succeed because we are not like them,” he said.
Amadi who spoke in Igbo mostly, advised his people to refrain from holding the impression that they are disadvantaged.
His words: “We are not disadvantaged. The fact that we have not occupied the House of Representatives seat within the last two or three electoral cycles does not mean that, within this period, we have all failed.
“The beginning of revival is that, in the course of awareness, you must be conscious of who you are. My advice to our people is that, in the next election, we must try and have a balanced view of where our problem started, so that we don’t uproot the vital support system that we have.
“Onye kwe chi ya ekwe (one’s destiny agrees with his will). As a people, if we all agree that our community will progress. We must put aside our individual personal differences,” he said.
Dr. Ekechi was not completely different from this line of thought when he spoke. He used the occasion to thank the organisers for coming up with the idea of event, though he reminded them that they started a little late.
He stated that whatever political problem the people of Ngor Okpala have is caused by their kith and kin.
“What is happening to us is caused by us. Those who stopped our own sons from going to the House of Representatives in the past were our own people. Those who rigged election for our opponents in the past were our own people. We have a lot of Ngor Okpala people who suffer from inferiority complex,” he said.
Most of the other speakers at the occasion were of the opinion that in 2015, there will be a major political showdown between Ngor Okpala and Aboh Mbaise over who takes the slot for House of Representatives.
Though the darts fired that day seemed to have been aimed at the current occupant of the seat, Ihedioha, the man himself seems not to be interested in the race anymore.
When contracted, Special Assistant to the Deputy Speaker on Media, Austin Uganwan, told TheNiche that his boss is no longer interested in the House.
“The Deputy Speaker has said he is not going for the House of Representatives any longer. He is going for governorship election, and by the grace of God, he will get it,” Uganwa said.
Meanwhile, Ihedioha has continued to pursue his governorship ambition with vigour. A day before the Abuja meeting, he was among the political juggernauts from Owerri Senatorial Zone who stormed Orlu to seek cooperation in the 2015 governorship election in the state.
The team, which was said to have been led by the South East member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) and President General of Owerri Peoples Assembly, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, also included first Military Administrator of Delta State, Air Commodore Luke Ochulor (rtd); Owerri zone chairman of PDP, Nnanna Igbokwe; House of Representatives member representing Ahiazu/Ezinihitte Mbaise, Ambrose Ejiogu; a respected leader of Owerri zone, Alex Obi; former state chairman of PDP, Ngozi Pat-Ekeji, and Minority Leader of the House of Assembly, Samuel Anyanwu (Samdaddy) representing Ikeduru Constituency.
Also on the list were former member of the House of Assembly, Alex Emeziem; former Provost Marshall of the Nigerian Army, Gen. Sunday Chikwe (rtd); Ernest Ibejiako, Oliver Enwerenem, former members of the state House of Assembly, all PDP chairmen of the nine local government areas in Owerri zone, with their leaders and other interest groups.
Leaders of Orlu zone who played host to their Owerri counterparts included the chief host and former Governor Achike Udenwa; former deputy governor, Dr. Douglas Acholonu; and a host of other leaders.
