The beauty of life is that none gets out of it alive. I know I am very much indebted to nature on its call and it shall come one day where destinies meet and part; but permit me to say the truth and do not annihilate me because I am exhuming the politically buried truth of Okorocha’s led administration. Threat cannot stop me but only truth, justice and equity can.
Any leader who is not big enough to stand criticism is very small to be praised. Yes, what lies in our power to do also lie in our power not to do and like Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”For Shakespeare, “Sparing injustice feed iniquity.” Injustice anywhere in Imo State, has posed a serious threat everywhere. It is on this note that the question of conscience is asked to Imo state governor due to his ignoble activities, Okorocha, is it good?
Today in our society, a thief is sorry that he is caught but not that he is a thief. What is happening in Imo State now justifies the Chinese saying that, “Sit a beggar at your table and he will soon put his feet on it.” This is exactly what Gov. Okorocha is doing and I make bold to ask, is it good? In the words of Martin Luther, “It is both hazardous and dishonorable for a man to act contrary to the dictates of conscience” while his son Martin Luther King Jr. infers, “Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politics? Vanity asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him that it is right…”
The time has come for the real and concerned Imo citizens to take the bull by the horn without minding whether it is safe, expedient, popular, politic and vanity or not, but we must take the bull by the horn to ask Gov. Okorocha the question of value and morals-Is it good? Because it appears that he has buried his conscience on the altar of selfish ambition and lies occasioned by apostasy and bigotry. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place”. Every human being becomes free when he/she accepts the fact that his/her life should be ruled by conscience. Gov. Okorocha, with all these lies you have told, do you have the peace of mind? Oh, is it good? Those who disobey their conscience know without being told that they formulate new evil premises for their daily life. This is where you find yourself now. Is it good?
According to Schiller, “A brave man risks his life, but not his conscience” but today Chief Okorocha is risking his conscience and not his life with a bogus claim of being a brave leader-Okorocha is it good? When you were manipulated in as the governor of Imo State you promised Imo people of not borrowing any money to run the affairs of the State, you sworn by all you considered sacred and holy that you will not loan money, today you did not only loan money but have mortgaged the future of Imo people with various loans- Okorocha is it good? You recently told Imo people and Nigeria as a whole that you never borrowed any money even though you have informed us of having a four year rolling budget. How is it possible? Oh Owelle, is it good?
Is it good that the money EFCC has acknowledged that you borrowed and attested to by some of your cabinet members is now being denied by you our able governor? Is it good? The people that signed the loan are still alive; I mean the N40 billion in zenith bank. Why are you still lying Okorocha? Is it good?
It is on record that Ohakim’s administration handed over the sum of N13.3 billion naira to this present administration led by Okorocha. Evidence abound that the N13.3 billion naira has been spent without resource to the projects attached to the Bond money collected by Ohakim’s government. Okorocha is it good that after spending that huge money your government petitioned the Security and Exchange Commission {SEC} for variance? Is it good? Is it good for your administration to spend the money before requesting from Security Exchange Commission to redirect the N13.3 billion naira to other projects? Question of the conscience re-echoes, your Excellency. Is it right?
When you openly informed Imo people that Ohakims government house spent N150 million naira in a day, some people believed you but when common sense was used to analyze your claim, we discovered that N150 million naira per day for one month came to N4.5 billion naira and the Imo state monthly allocation within that period was between N2.2 billion naira a month. Is it that you did not do simple Mathematics in school or you just wanted to discredit Ohakim by hoodwinking Imo people? Tell us Owelle is it good?
During that madness called massive road construction in Imo State which you claimed to have spent N13.9 billion naira on roads in some local government areas yet your administration cannot boast of seven or eight km of tarred roads. Gov. Okorocha, is it a lie? Is it good? In Onuimo local government where you claimed to have spent N255.6 million on roads not even one meter of road was tarred. Gov. Okorocha is it good? Recent record shows that you awarded contracts to non-registered and existing companies and went further to effect payment. Okorocha is it good? Lufransa engineering services Co. and Ellison Gen. Supplies Co. were not registered by the time you awarded them contracts. Gov. Okorocha, you went ahead to pay N36 million naira on April 24th, 2012 to a company that was registered only on Dec.13, 2012. Is it good? To which account was the money paid into? We all know that any company that is not registered in Nigeria cannot open any account in any bank. So our noble governor, tell us how you did the magic, is it good?
I have been accused of writing in favor of Ohakim but the fact still remains that Ohakim is a friend and Okorocha is my brother but in between my assessment of the two comes the saying that “A good friend is better than a bad brother.” The evidence of this abounds in this article. In the words of Aristophanes, “Wise men learn much from their enemies.” Augustine of Hippo enthuses, “He who is good is free, even if he is a slave, and he who is evil is a slave, even if he is a king.” It is better for one who professes that his government is anchored on the truth of the gospel to live by example. Our king today is a slave to corruption, Imo people is it good?
When Ohakim succeeded Udenwa, though they had their political differences which did not degenerate to the type of Hiroshima bomb we are seeing today. Ohakim did not for one day touch any of “Udenwa boys” Dr. Vin Udokwu can attests to this. Even doctor Alex Obi, his wife remained a special adviser to Ohakim till Ohakim left office. When Udenwa left, Ohakim paid all the severance allowances to Udenwa’s commissioners, the then governor {Ohakim} allowed them to go home with their vehicles. Ohakim’s political differences with Udenwa did not prevent him from executing his statuary duties to Imo people in spite of the fact that they were appointed by Udenwa. In the case of Okorocha, the moment he was declared the winner of the supplementary election and after the swearing in exercise, he ordered all appointees who worked with Ohakim to return their official vehicles within 24 hours. Gov. Okorocha I am aware that some of them had their homes invaded by thugs in search of the vehicles as if there was a serious war in Imo State. Their two months salaries and severance allowances which Ohakim as indicated above paid Udenwa’s appointees were all seized by Gov. Okorocha. I make bold to ask, is it good? You did not pay the appointees, not to talk of paying Chief Ohakim any dime as gratuity after leaving office. Gov. Okorocha is it good?
Instead of paying Ohakim his gratuity which his colleagues have all received in their respective states, you are seriously asking for his probe and went on to institute a probe panel, giving them a mandate to recover N62 billion naira which you claimed he stole while in office. Is it good? Is it good to first of all accuse Ohakim of stealing N62 billion naira in the face of the entire nation before setting up a panel to probe him or set up a panel before accusing him? Gov. Okorocha is it good?
Is it good for you as the executive governor of Imo State to award scholarship to Imo State students only for IMSU school fees to be increased to N120 thousand per section instead of N53 thousand it used to be? Gov. Okorocha is it good? Is it good for your government to ignore the cry of IMSU students? Following the same manipulation you removed Prof. B.E.B Nwoke as IMSU VC unannounced and without due process simply because he refused to do the wrong thing you asked him to do, Gov. Okorocha is it good?
Now you instituted a judicial commission of inquiry to probe traditional rulers though we know you are targeting at the 106 autonomous communities which Ohakim administration approved. What wrong have they done? Why do you want to destroy every legacy Ohakim left in Imo State? Gov. Okorocha is it good? Now you have acquired two Private Jets for your personal use. Where did you get the money from if not from the state treasury? Owelle is it good? Ndi Imo our present state is like that of a stag that was chased by the hounds, and took refuge in a cave, where he hoped to be safe from his pursuers. Unfortunately, the cave contained a lion, to whom he fell an easy prey. “Unhappy that I am,” he cried, I am saved from the power of dogs only to fall into the clutches of a lion. Imo people is it not our experience today? Is it good?
Okorocha it is better to weep with the wise than laugh with the fool. Better to hide your knowledge than show your ignorance. The first winner may be the last loser. The taste of morality is what you do when you have power. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Imo people may shut out realities but not memories. Only the truth really hurts. Your attitude of giving publicly and stealing privately has dented your reputation. Talk sense to a fool and he will call you foolish. If you say what you like, you will hear what you don’t like. Fools are wise as long as they remain silent, for we may regret our speaking but not our silence. Time does not go. Time stays-we go. Finally do not forget that when a tyrant dies, his rule is over- when a martyr dies, his rule begins. War is a coward’s way of escaping the problems of peace.
THINK!
By Prof. Protus Nathan Uzorma (JP). Email Profnathanuzomah@Yahoo.Com
