I was in Port Harcourt penultimate weekend to attend a wedding ceremony. Actually, my wife and I were the sponsors of the ceremony at which Engr Ken and Mrs Ogechi Amadi tied the nuptial knots.
By way of digression, the latest couple will be bringing to over a dozen marriages which we have sponsored. I consider this a bit of a feat, and I do not intend to swell the number any further. I am already contemplating declining the acceptance of any further request to the effect of sponsoring any more marriage since one is not getting any younger to live up to the expectations from such status.
Back to the main subject of this article. After the wedding ceremony, the father of the groom engaged me briefly in political discourse. He sought to know why people from Orlu senatorial district are so greedy that they have monopolized governance in Imo State, producing governors of the state for a whopping 20 out of 24 of the present democratic dispensation. By the time the second term of the current governor would have been over in early 2028, Orlu senatorial district would have been in the saddle of governance for 24 years in a state with three senatorial districts like all other states of the federation.
I pleaded with the father of groom who comes from Okigwe senatorial district to kindly oblige me the favour of answering a question from me before I proceeded to provide answer to his initial question. I asked him if he was sure that everyone from Orlu senatorial district harboured a sense of joy because the zone had legitimately produced three governors each for eight years, when Okigwe had just occupied the coveted office popularly called Douglas House (as the government house in Owerri is known), for only four years. Owerri senatorial district has not been able to legally produce a tenant in the prestigious Douglas House throughout the current democratic dispensation which began in 1999.
Ironically, the father of the groom did not express any certainty that everyone in Orlu senatorial district is excited at the prospect or reality of their people dominating governance in the state. He did not hide his feeling, anyway, that, the vast majority of the people are enjoying the unfair dominance.
Thereafter, I told him point blank that I am one Orlu son, who has never beaten and cannot beat his chest in celebration of the dominance of the zone in the governance of the state for such prolonged period of time. It runs against the principles and laws of natural justice that one zone will be in control of the leadership of the state presumably for 24 out of 28 years. I do not find this to be in consonance with good conscience. It’s unjustifiable. This is notwithstanding the fact that, for in explicable reasons, out of 27 local government areas, a staggering number of 12, was allocated to Orlu senatorial district. I believe that this is at the root of the dominance of the zone over the governance of the state.
I simply narrated to the father of the groom an encounter I had with my close relation in 2018, when I was still in service. The said relative had put a call across to me, inquiring if I visited the state, to which my answer was in the affirmative. He told me that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was holding their governorship primary election on that day and he requested that we travel to the village to help the then Senator Hope Uzodinma to emerge as the party’s candidate.
I told him that I did not waste time, neither did I mince words in letting my relation know that I would be the last person to wish for, or support the emergence of another governor of Imo State from Orlu senatorial district on the heels of Rochas Okorocha- an Orlu son, who was terminating his 8-year governorship. Meanwhile, before Okorocha, Achike Udenwa spent 8 uninterrupted years in office as governor of the state which was separated by a one-term of four years enjoyed by Ikedi Ohakim.
I sounded it very clear to the groom’s father that, at the time, I was totally against any Orlu person succeeding Rochas Okorocha, notwithstanding that I was close to him and he had chosen to pursue the ignoble and highly reprehensible dream of anointing his son in-law, who is from Orlu senatorial district as his successor. I made him know that not even the fact that, Senator Uzodinma is married from my village could alter my indisposition or outright abhorrence to an Orlu person succeeding an outgoing governor of the state from the same senatorial district. For me, it does not matter who is involved and what benefits one could derive from a situation that portrays unfairness and lack of equity.
If I am irked by the marginalisation of Ndi Igbo or their relegation to the background as far as the leadership of this country is concerned, there’s no way that I would be supporting the senatorial district where I come from to crassly dominate the rest of the districts in the state. It’s senseless and unjustifiable to condemn injustice when one is at the receiving end and embrace same (injustice) with delight when one is benefiting from it. Whatever is bad must be seen as bad in all circumstances. There’s no sane person, one who’s not stripped of conscience, who would jump at a situation of injustice merely because the fellow finds same to be favorable to his selfish ambitions and desires.
I am using this opportunity to make it abundantly clear that some of us from Orlu senatorial district, especially those who are not very active partisan politicians (you may call us non-professional politicians), do not find comfort in the domination of the governance of Imo State by the zone. Such dominance runs contrary to equity and fairness and should not be encouraged by people of good conscience and character.
I must, however, concede to the fact that this unwholesome development is fuelled by the fact that Orlu senatorial district has been structured with 12 LGAs, three more than Owerri and double more than Okigwe senatorial districts. I strongly believe that this provides the fertile ground to sustain the political dominance of Orlu zone in the state.
Quite recently, I have heard of the resuscitation of the moribund and ineffective Imo Charter of Equity as a presumed solution to the dominance. Only time will tell how committed the desperate and ravenous crop of politicians we have will be towards the realisation of the spirit and contents of the charter. They can hardly ever be trusted to promote just and fair processes. Generally, to the average political leader in our country, all is fair that results in the attainment of his personal goals and selfish interest. Most times in the past, some of the contending candidates from Orlu have depended on politicians with self-serving motives from especially Owerri zone to accomplish and perpetuate this contentious leadership dominance of the state. Hence, one remains sceptical of the workability of the Imo Charter of Equity. Nevertheless, I hope and pray that it works this time around.
Ultimately, the overriding permanent solution to the dominance of Orlu senatorial district lies in the rearrangement of the lopsided structure of the country at the national, state and local government area levels.
LAST LINE: Sadly, Orlu township and the entire Orlu senatorial district cannot bear any eloquent testimony of substantial development as evidence of the prolonged leadership of their sons in the state. So, where lies the joy from this political governance? I can say that, it’s mostly in the personal fortunes of the key players and their acolytes outside the zone.