AT A TIME LIKE THIS; MAY ALL IMO PEOPLE NOT BECOME, “UNKNOWN GUNMEN”, “BIAFRA COMMANDERS” AND AGGRIEVED OR DESPERATE POLITICIANS
By Sam Onwuemeodo
I take this lane. Hon. Stan Dara, was a two-time Honourable member of the Imo State House of Assembly, representing q State Constituency. He was also a Special Adviser, after his exit from the Assembly. A very brilliant man. Very jovial, but stingy. He is a well known Politician in Imo. We have also been close. So, when I say, he is a stingy man, I do not need a witness or any motion in support of that allusion. That is not even the story.
The disturbing story is that, this stingy man called Stan Dara, was the same person, arrested penultimate week, on the accusation that, he was a major financier of IPOB. A stingy man, financing IPOB? The story does not synchronize. Someone wrote petition or gave the false information to the Security people. They came and arrested him. The rest of the story will be told, but not in this essay. He only came out alive, by the grace of God.
In Stan Dara’s Case, all the Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) from Orsu, Livy Uzoukwu, Jude Nnodum and the Attorney-General of the State, Chief C.O.C. Akaolisa, also from Orsu, went to tell his “captors” that, he was only a victim of a frame-up. He was allowed to go, but had almost gone to be with his Creator, before his time because of what he went through. Whether he has begun to see well, as I write, is what I do not know.
But what if Hon. Dara was a lesser person, who didn’t have SANs and so on, to vouch for him. The story would have been a different one. Like I had intoned, at a time like this, may all Imo people not end up becoming “Unknown Gunmen” or “Biafra Commanders”. Aggrieved or desperate Politicians. Or, both. In the Case of Dara, he was accused of being a financier, even when he is stingy by nature.
I had also read a similar story in the Vanguard Newspaper of Friday, April 23, 2021. The Story. The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Western Zone, had fixed their election for Benin, Edo State Capital. The election was scheduled for April 21, 2021. According to the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Mr. Napoleon Kenerrekedi, before the date of the election, one of the Contestants, for the office of Chairman, who knew that he would not make it, petitioned to the Security Agencies. And alleged that, a Pro-Biafra group were meeting at Inikorogha community (venue of the election), to hoist the flag of Biafra, for Ijaw Communities. For that reason, the initial approval was cancelled. And armed military personnel began to patrol the community. It took the intervention of Prominent Ijaw men, for the election to hold, with stern looking security operatives around.
But what if there were no Prominent Ijaw men, to talk for the group? May all Imo people not become unknown gunmen and Biafra Commanders or, aggrieved or desperate politicians, at a time like this. They were also made to sign an undertaken, that they would not have any connection, directly or indirectly with “Biafra Republic”.
Both Orluzurumee and Ohaneze Youths’ Councils, had respectively, raised alarm over the indiscriminate arrest of young men in Orlu Zone area by Security Operatives. And the same day they raised the alarms, the governor of the State, Chief Hope Uzodinma told State House Correspondents, after meeting with President Mohammadu Buhari, that, 50 people had been arrested in connection with the Owerri attacks. The question becomes: These 50 people the governor had talked about, were they among those arrested for which Orluzurumee and Ohanaeze youths had raised alarms? Is there any guarantee that all those already arrested, were parts of the attacks in Imo? Can anyone look up to heaven and confirm that the 50 folks arrested and those arrested, who may not be parts of the governor’s own 50, were involved in the Owerri or Imo attacks? At a time like this, may all Imo people not become unknown gunmen or Biafra Commanders. Or, aggrieved or desperate politicians.
Before the ENDSARS Protest, every well dressed young man, perhaps with a clean car, was arrested and branded “Yahoo Boy”. And so many young men were victims of that development. During the era of Bakassi, some of the victims were innocent people, branded criminals by their rivals or opponents. May such not be the portions of Imo People, at a time like this.
The Imo government had continued to talk about aggrieved or desperate Politicians as those behind the Owerri attacks, including the attack on the Governor’s house. The governor had also talked about IPOB and later declined on that when the April 5 attack happened. Then the Ohaji/Egbema and Northern elements angles, vis-à-vis, the Okorocha dimension. All these point to one missing link. The picture is not yet clear. We have heard about the CCTV in Government House. It would be wonderful if the Video of what the CCTV recorded at the night of the attacks is released for people to see, because of the prevailing atmosphere.
On the issue of “aggrieved or desperate politicians” or “opposition politicians”, it may interest all and sundry, to read that, there had never been any time in the politics of Imo State, that there were no “aggrieved or desperate politicians” or “opposition politicians”. Right from the time of Sam Mbakwe, from 1979 to 1983. And we do not expect the trend to change this time, under Uzodinma or in future.
The “aggrieved or desperate politicians” or “opposition politicians” were in NPN. And Mbakwe, the governor then was in APP, and with NPN being in Power at the Centre. One of the “aggrieved or desperate or opposition politicians” was Prof. Rowland Anyanwu, a Presidential aide then. An Mbaise man. Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN) was in the same boat with Anyanwu. So many of them. By 1983, the opposition was so fierce or so turbulent that Mbakwe had to take some unconventional steps to avoid being denied victory in the 1983 guber election. He had to announce the results of the election on the State owned Imo Broadcasting Service, IBS, before the official results were released by FEDECO. And the Resident Electoral Commissioner, was Prof. Anyanwu’s younger brother, Dr. Jonathan Anyanwu. You could imagine the picture. What is the message? The message is that, Mbakwe as good as he was, witnessed or experienced what the Imo government has described today as aggrieved or desperate or opposition politicians.
Chief Achike Udenwa, from 1999 to 2007, was made to see his ears with his eyes, by these “aggrieved or desperate politicians or opposition politicians. To the extent that, he could not produce a Candidate of his choice in the PDP. His preferred Candidate was Engr. Charles Ugwu. And not Ifeanyi Araraume, who was the Candidate of the Party. To stop Araraume from succeeding him, against his desire, he backed Ikedi Ohakim of the PPA, to win the 2007 gubernatorial election in Imo.
Chief Ohakim also saw the one that seniored both Beatrice and Julieth, in the hands of the so-called aggrieved or desperate or opposition Politicians, in Imo. Even after he had left PPA for PDP. Within his PDP, he had to contend with the “Onongono” block, led by Udenwa and his field men. In 2011, when Ohakim picked the PDP ticket, Udenwa and Co had to front Araraume in ACN. And Ohakim lost that election. He could not enjoy second term. Courtesy of the aggrieved or desperate or opposition politicians.
Senator Okorocha, from 2011 to 2019. Infact, he saw the one that seniored Beatrice, Ulunma, Catherine, Victoria, Helen and Josephine. His eyes did not only see his ears, but also his back. It was as if all the aggrieved or desperate or opposition politicians in the country, came together to keep Okorocha on his toes. He lost because he could not see the man after his heart, as his Successor.
Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha came and began to see these aggrieved or desperate or opposition politicians in action, right from the day he was sworn in. They never allowed him to drink water and drop the cup. And they succeeded in removing the silver spoon from his mouth, when he least expected it.
And the irony of it all is that, the current governor, Chief Uzodinma was among the referenced aggrieved or desperate politicians that engaged
Udenwa, Ohakim, Okorocha and Ihedioha. So, as it was in the days of Mbakwe, Udenwa, Ohakim, Okorocha and Ihedioha, so, it should also be, in the days of Uzodinma.
That is why it is difficult to narrow the attacks in Imo, down to the aggrieved, desperate or opposition politicians. The politics of opposition in Imo has been very strong. But has not been associated with attacks or destructions. In other words, there had never been any time in the politics of Imo, we never had “desperate or aggrieved or opposition politicians”. Nobody had governed Imo without having serious opposition. But Imo people, including their politicians, have never been known for the kind of things that have been happening in the State these days. And I ask you. Attacking Governor Uzodinma’s house in his village, or the Correctional Centre and Police Headquarters, of what political value would it add to any politician or to the opposition in the State? I cannot remember any. I cannot also see the reason, any Imo Politician should be happy with the whole security situation in the State. At a time like this, people talk less. At a time like this, people pray more. Free their minds from undue sentiments to assist them come up with more reasonable thoughts. Reason being that, where bias or sentiment has taken the front row, honest analysis or study becomes difficult.
This is an appeal. The Commissioner of Information, Mr. Mbadiwe Emelumba should please help the governor and help the State and her people. He cannot continue to say a different thing, while the security agencies, that were trained and saddled with security issues, would be saying entirely different things. Security issues must totally be divorced or detached from Politics. Even from religion. It goes beyond all. May the Commissioner remain blessed.
The Imo governor should also know that, as long as he is on seat, these “desperate or aggrieved or opposition” politicians, are here with us. So, if he thinks that, his attributing the ugly security developments in the State to them, would make them abandon the State for him, he has to forget that. In Case he does not know, they are coming together to engage him. Like I had said, as it was in the days of Mbakwe, Udenwa, Ohakim, Okorocha and Ihedioha, so it would be in the days of Uzodinma. There is nothing anybody can do about that. Our prayer is that, May God take over the Security situation in the State and bring a lasting solution to the ugly developments. Our believe is that, where men fail, God cannot fail. The reason, the Melodist wrote “My Hope is built on nothing less; Than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the Sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus name” (Melodies of Praise No. 6:1). May God touch the hearts of those behind these attacks, so that they can opt for a more refined approach, to pursue whatever is their goal, while we Continue to Clap for Jesus.
