April 29th this
year was a Saturday. It was my birthday and friends came to wish me well. It
rained, not very much really but it was pretty cold outside. The tiny
"rain" caused so much traffic delays. My friends who live inside town
were screwed. One of them who only live 12 miles away from my place had a three
hour drive to my home. Another got stuck on some odious bus that wasn't moving
anywhere and took nearly two hours to reach my place. And it took yet another
person three and a half hours. My God!
I brought out shots and we ‘cheers’, we clink glasses and
did the normal "happy birthday” thing. I turned up my sound system to the
highest volume. In fact, I was surprise the sound system can actually be that
loud. I honestly did not think it was capable of generating that much sound. We
all whoop it up and had a good time dancing like kids . I am currently passing
through challenges so my birthday celebration did not come with the normal
serving of fried rice. However, there is one thing I can never overlook and
that is the blessings I enjoy in the form of life. By having a deeper
appreciation of what we have had and what we still enjoy, our life will be
greatly enriched. Life is a gift and it offers us the privilege, opportunity
and responsibility to give something back.
Aye came to see me too. He is a former House member in
one of the Nigerian States. When he got to my house it was about 5:00 pm and
the tempo of activity was gradually winding down. He has grown beard but his
beard isn't that weird. When he was in the House he sponsored in his state a
bill to prohibit forceful entry and illegal occupation of landed properties,
violent and fraudulent conduct in relation to landed properties. In my state,
Imo, government officials have turned land grabbers, forcefully collecting the
land of Imo people. These are some of the things we speak against and they say
we wail like siren. They say we should keep crying and getting wrinkles.
I have always made it known that I write what I write as
service to humanity. My concern is the well-being of the people. I think,
speak, write and act as the unknown servant. My intentions are pure. I never
write to promote evil. I act for general interest. And for those of you who say
I always criticize my state government, remember the words of the master Jesus:
“ I come into this world to show the way to sinners and not to the just, since
it is the sinners and not the just who need guidance’’ The qualities I expect
of a leader include honesty and integrity,goodwill ,altruism, foresight and a
love of peace and justice.
I cannot say I am proud of the members of the Imo State
House of Assembly from 2011 till date. First it was Benjamin Uwajumogu . Now it
is Acho Ihim and his gang. Imo has been unlucky to have morally challenged characters
as legislatures since 2011. With Uwajumogu and his cousin Acho Ihim, Okorocha
wrapped the entire Imo up, confidently put it away in one of the folds of his
wife’s wrapper and retired to his bed for a long, refreshing sleep. Is it not
deceitful for a governor to rule a state for six years now without elected
council officials? Since 2011, the councils in Imo have been run by unelected
appointees of the governor yet our House members have done nothing but are
‘looking yansh, killing goat’’ like the music master Sunny Bobo. The powers of
the legislature are not judiciously exercised to guarantee Imolites the
dividends for electing their representatives.
By not conducting council elections for six years
Governor Okorocha has acted unconstitutionally and violated the democratic
rights of Imo people. Section 7 of the 1999 constitution says "the system
of local government by democratically elected local government councils is
under this constitution guaranteed” Under Okorocha many communities in Imo have
ceased to have pipe-borne water. Other things like markets, schools ,
government buildings, that were in good condition before he found himself in
the apex political seat of the state are neglected. Certainly, Imo LGA’s are
worse under Okorocha. So many roads in our rural areas are impassable; thus
making him one of the most hated political office holders at this time. Other
LGA’s in the state except Owerri are out of the circle; groping in the dark,
isolated and treated as leprous victims.
That we don’t have elected council government in Imo for
six years shows the collaboration of the Imo State House of Assembly with the
Executive in the looting of the state. Imo House of Assembly members are part
of the too many impunities of this government . The House is involve in the
pro-rich pro-imperialist cum capitalist policies that Governor Okorocha has
been operating. Okorocha’s government, acting under the dictates and or in
concert with imperialism has completely jettisoned the idea of government using
local government funds and resources to better the lots of the local councils
Instead, it has adopted a whole scale capitalist, neo-liberal strategy of
looting of these funds. Today, over 80% of Imolites at the grassroot areas are
suffering.
The members of the Acho Ihim led Imo State House of
Assembly are nothing but 27 thieves. They are conniving with Ali Baba of Imo,
aiding and abetting gross financial impropriety in the state. I am bold to call
them thieves. If Nigeria is Nigeria some of these House members will be in one
of our dilapidated and uninhabitable prison houses enduring the just recompense
of their grave sin against Imo. Do they think we don’t know about the looting
of the 13 percent oil derivation funds of Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta . Do they think we
don’t know about what happened to our bailout funds? Or what happened to our
Paris fund return? We will , week by week say so many things.
Our House Members are doling out fitting sadism to
Imolites while fittingly lining their dirty pockets with dirty money with their
tag team partner. I laugh whenever I see them carrying people around showing
them white elephant Bongo square and Heroes square projects in Owerri as if the
city of Owerri is now a state in Nigeria .It is regrettable that rather than
check the executive arm, the Imo state House of Assembly is criminally
colluding with the executive in fraudulent diversion of billions of Imo
people's money.After stealing our money they turn round to give youths Okada(
motto bike) as constitutional project. Nani Okada o!.
Do we allow them to continue to make our mothers and
grandparents suffer helplessly in the villages? Do we continue to allow them to
deprive local governments of the funds needed to build schools, roads, motor
parks, markets etc.? Do we continue to call them “dike na mba” when they are
all “agadi na agwo ofe’, when they have made us beggars and impoverished us in
perpetual state of squalor? Who will save Imo in 2019? “Ihe ojo ama nme na Imo
ozo’. Our Saviour will come no matter the political party.Help us oh God!
-Kenneth Uwadi is
from Mmahu-Egbema, Imo State, Nigeria and can be reached via 08037982714
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