The task of marketing HON. Emeka Ihedioha to the Imo State electorate is a very easy task because it is a classic case of the maxim:”A good wine needs no bush”. As a political product, Hon Emeka Ihedioha has a powerful unique selling proposition(USP) or a niche which makes him very competitive to grab a giant portion of market share. In choosing the best candidate for the PDP Governorship ticket, I worked with a marking scheme which makes it possible for every aspirant to be given a free and fair chance in the race. Some of the factors used in picking the best candidate include academic qualification, top positions held in the political arena, party loyalty/ consistency, financial empowerment of party, Integrity and dependability, interpersonal relationship, rule of law /due process, records of carpet crossing, criminal records and others. Others include the constituency/empowerment projects, records of Bills and contributions in Legislative deliberations(i.e. for those who are legislators) and others.
After a diligent analysis of the marking scheme as it affects the individual contestants, Hon Emeka Ihedioha came up with an impressive showing which overwhelmed most of his peers. The Green-capped legislator has an impressive academic background as an alumnus of the prestigious University of Lagos where he bagged a degree in Food Technology. In the area of party loyalty and dependability, Hon Emeka Ihedioha came out tops. Since the PDP lost the governorship slot in 2007 election, Hon Emeka Ihedioha is one of the few PDP members who have provided much needed funds and logistics to keep the party alive today. Even as we speak , he remains one of the big financiers of the party. In the just concluded fund raising of the PDP in Imo State, he was the highest donor with a whopping sum of N22million. He must have spent more than this amount in financing the PDP since 2007.In the course of this analysis, a cross section of the PDP members I interviewed was unanimous in the fact that Hon Emeka Ihedioha has been providing financial assistance to bail out the party from financial distress since the last eight years. At a time when some of the governorship aspirants abandoned the party and defected to other political parties in search of greener pasture, the like of Hon Ihedioha and several others remained loyal to the PDP.In keeping with the maxim, “A patient dog eats the fattest bone” those who remained loyal to the party in times of distress must be allowed to eat the good of the party.
A short while ago, about 37 PDP members of the House of Representatives and some others from the Senate defected or decamped to the All Progressives Congress(APC) , Hon Emeka Emeka Ihedioha was at the verge of losing his exalted position of Deputy Speaker and No 6 in the order of Protocol in Nigeria, if he did not defect to APC. In spite of this insuperable odd, Hon Emeka Ihedioha shocked most of us when he called a press briefing to emphasize that he did not have any plans to abandon PDP.In normal and saner societies, the like of Emeka Ihedioha who have remained faithful to PDP would simply be given the governorship ticket by acclamation or the right of first choice. It is only in the PDP that prodigal sons who return to the family after a riotous and profligate living insist that the loyal siblings must bow to them. This contrasts sharply with what happened in the Bible where the prodigal son remained remorseful and penitent .He was just asking his father to allow him a place where he would have a roof over his head, provided he would eat the crumbs from the table. The Biblical Prodigal son was neither proud nor arrogant ; he showed remorse , humility and penitence and did not ask to be restored to his order of seniority. Please read the “Parable of the Prodigal Son”(LUKE 15:11-32).Is there anybody who prays that while he is busy baking the cake, someone else will be busy eating the same cake- a case of “monkey dey work, baboon dey chop”? Is there anybody who prays that this near success syndrome will be his portion? Those who go to equity must do equity.
Law making, Representation and Oversight Functions: These are the major functions of a legislator. I do not have space to discuss Hon Emeka Ihedioha’s superlative performance under this heading. I advise his office to put these land mark feats in a video cassette diskette (VCD) and donate them to the public so that any doubting Thomas can feel the quality of his representation in the past eleven years. But, I will try to scratch the surface.
He was first elected to the House of Representatives (HoR) in 2003 to represent Aboh Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala Federal Constituency in the HoR. In spite of the fact that he was not a ranking member, he served as the Chairman, House Committee on Marine Transport(2003-2007) and in 2007,he served as Chairman House Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa.He was elected Chief Whip of the House in November 2007 where he served till June 2011.On June 6th,2011, he was unanimously elected Deputy Speaker by his colleagues in the House of Representatives. That was the first time members of the House of Representatives(HoR) elected their own principal officers without any manipulations from ASO ROCK or from the PDP bigwigs. It was a paradigm shift from the past when principal officers of the House were imposed from the political demagogs. On the commencement of the 7th House of Representatives, legislators were vehement on resisting any imposition of officers on them. After the election of the presiding officers,Hon Aminu Tambuwal from North West and Hon Emeka Ihedioha from South East were elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. Hon. Tambuwal defeated his opponent, Hon. Mulikat Akand-Adeola from the South West by 252 votes to 90 votes. In the same vein, Hon Emeka Ihedioha(OON) emerged Deputy Speaker unopposed. The courage of the members of the Green Chamber House to elect her principal officers without any external intervention was applauded by right thinking members of the society. It would have been foolhardy/ naive for Hon Ihedioha to reject such a high office which was given to him on a platter of gold.If he had chickened out, right thinking members of Imo State would have denounced him as a saboteur, a Fifth Columnist in the family. However, any of us who does not understand what happened then should be given a small lecture so that he can be carried along.
His Chairmanship of the prestigious House Committee on Marine Transport, even when he was a green horn/neophyte in the House is traceable to the fact that long before he joined the HoR in 2003, he was already versed in the business of legislation and House Rules. He started his political career from the grass roots when he served as media aide to top politicians like Senate President (1992-1993), DR. Iyorchia Ayu, Senate President(1999-2000) the Late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, the former Vice President,(1999-2007), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and others. Unlike most politicians who have no personal discipline to start their political career from little beginnings, Hon Ihedioha spent over twelve years learning the ropes as lawmaker and aide to top politicians before aspiring to be Governor. After serving twelve years in the Green Chamber and rising to the position of Deputy Speaker and No 6 person in the Order of Protocol in Nigeria, I doubt if there can be a better choice for Imo State Governor in the next political dispensation. Having acquitted himself creditably in the Green House, the only place to go is the RED Chamber zone which is composed of the Presidency, the Senate and the Governorship. But he desires to start from the Governorship as a first step in his journey to the RED CHAMBERS. After all, it’s often said that the reward for good work is more work. A good study of Emeka Ihedioha’s political strides reveals that he is a man that has a date with history in the political ambience in Nigeria.
CONSTITUENCY PROJECTS: Hon Emeka Ihedioha’s feat in the area of constituency projects is both record shattering and record setting. Unfortunately, some of his constituents in Aboh Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala Federal Constituency are oblivious of what they have in Hon Ihedioha. I come from a senatorial zone where a particular senator served for over 12 years, but, today, there is no modicum of constituency project (not even a one – room project) that stands as a memento to the period of his miserable and pathetic reign as senator. This contrasts sharply with Hon Ihedioha whose constituency projects are not only earmarked, they are also eyemarked in his immediate Federal Constituency and even across the various LGAs in Imo State. He has severally explained in many fora that constituency projects of National Assembly (NASS) members are federal projects attracted by legislators but funded by the federal government; they are not funded with the individual legislator’s money.
Empowerment Programmes for Women and Youths: In partnership with the National Directorate of Employment(NDE),he organized an “Empowerment of Imo Women and Youths Skill Acquisition Training” for 500 beneficiaries drawn from the three zones of the state. Each of the beneficiaries was given a full complement of start-up kit to facilitate effective take-off .The venue was Villa Maria Complex on Wetheral Road .Another batch of trainees had their own empowerment training at Metallurgical Training Institute(MTI) Onitsha .The beneficiaries were drawn from the three senatorial zones of the State. They were also provided with a full complement of kits .Another empowerment programme for the youths drawn from across the state took place at the Entrepreneurial Complex of Federal University of Technology(FUTO),Owerri. In the same vein, in collaboration with the National Root Crop Research Institute, Umudike, Umuahia in Abia state, he organized a three day intensive programme for about 700 beneficiaries from the 305 Electoral wards of the state. The training spanned the period Thursday Ist Saturday – 3rd of November,2012 at Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri. There are several of such empowerment programmes for the Women and Youths and beneficiaries were drawn from the 27 Local Government Areas of the State. The Green-Cap lawmaker has also built federal Skills acquisition centres in some communities in his constituency. The list here is a tip of the iceberg.
Capital Intensive Constituency Projects:Some of these projects include the construction of Isinweke-Onicha-Uboma road in Ihitte-Uboma LGA in Okigwe zone; it’s an NDDC project. Although Imo state is not a coastal zone, he was able to use his position as Chairman, House Committee on Maritime Transport to build Wharf/Jetty at Imo River Okpala . As at 2010 when I last monitored it, over N500 million had been spent on the project. In December, 2011, I was one of the pressmen who went on a facility tour of his constituency to verify his constituency projects. I was overwhelmed at the massive projects which confronted us. Some of the projects include the 132 KVA and33 KVA transformers installed at Mbutu and Nguru communities. The 33KVA substation at Mbutu was commissioned on December 24th,2011 by the then Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji. According to the Project Engineer, the 132 KVA on completion would supply electricity to more than 50 communities and decongest the Egbu sub – station. Through the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC), he facilitated the project for the dualization of the 35km interstate Owerri-Elele road. The Deputy Speaker has assured the polity that adequate funding for the NDDC project will be achieved. Other projects include the 17 KM Okpala- Igwurita road linking Imo and Rivers State. Also affected is the Chokoneze-Mbutu-Logara road, Chokoneze-Ife Road and Chokoneze-Lorji-Amuzu road. The rehabilitation of Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, construction of Nigeria Immigration Service Centre at Aboh Mbaise Council Headquarters.
The phase one of the MBAISE Ring road was flagged off in May, 2013 .The road which is estimated to cost about N6.2billion will cut across 25 communities in the three Local Government Areas of Mbaise nation. When completed, the road will have a length of 59 km. It is a project of the Ministry of Niger Delta. He has extended his constituency projects to Radio Nigeria, Owerri and Nigerian Television Authority(NTA) where he donated computer sets, digital recorders, split air conditioners and even staff buses and various items of media ware to enhance their performance. His constituency projects on capital intensive projects are too numerous to be discussed here.
Appointments into Boards of MADs: Imo State has over fifty members serving in various capacities in federal Parastatals, Agencies and Departments(MADs). Even if for hypothetical reasons , we accept the nebulous accusation that he diverted the appointments to his federal constituency, he has not sinned. I also would have done so if I were elected to represent my constituency. The core responsibility of a legislator is to empower his constituents and not to be a Father Christmas for other constituencies. This allegation from top politicians validates my claim that he is highly effective as he is on top of his job. A legislator who has such capacity to influence federal largesse to the grass roots is the ideal governor we need in 2015.This feat gives him a head start in the PDP Governorship primaries. However, the truth is that in his capacity as Deputy Speaker, he has since taken the entire nation as his constituency. In Imo West zone(Orlu), he facilitated the appointment of Barrister Nnamdi Anyaehie, State PDP Chairman as member, NYSC Board. Ditto for HON Goodluck Opia, Chief Elvis Agukwe and others . Hon Onyeriri from Orlu zone is House Chairman of the powerful Committee on Banking. Ditto for Imo North(Okigwe zone) where he facilitated the appointment of the like of MRS. Comfort Chukwu as Board member. In his Mbaise nation, my research shows that he powered the appointment of the like of DR. Alex Obi, Chief Alex Emeziem, Hon Mike Iheanetu and there are cogent reasons to justify each case. Please Goggle and read online my article entitled “IMO 2015:HON. Emeka breaks silence & bares his fangs”. It can also be read on page 10 of the Nigerian Horn newspaper edition of April 16-17, 2014. Those who accuse Ihedioha of hijacking all the federal appointments need to be educated that Mbaise nation parades a crack squad of rugged politicians most of who can fend for themselves in the shark- infested waters of Nigerian political ambience.
Hon Emeka Ihedioha is Chairman, House Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review. On the 18th April,2013, he received a tumultuous applause from Nigerians when he presented the collated results of the People’s Public Sessions(PPS) on the review of the 1999 Constitution. The PPS itself was flagged off in the HoR Abuja on Thursday, November 8th,2012. The actual hearings took place on Saturday, November, 10th 2012 in each of the 360 federal constituencies in the country. That was the first time the Green Chamber in Nigeria was handling a task of such magnitude.He parades an intimidating Curriculum Vitae(CV) which may not be fully listed in the small space available.However, suffice it to say that Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha was born in 1965 and hails from Mbutu, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, South-East, Nigeria. He began his primary education at Town School, Mbutu in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, completed same at SDA Primary School, Abule Oja, Yaba Lagos in 1976. He then moved on to St. Ephraim’s Secondary School, Owerrinta in present day Abia State for his secondary education, rounding off his academic sojourn in Nigeria with a Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.) degree in Food Technology from the University of Lagos. This was in 1988. He has also since taken courses at Stanford University and Harvard University, respectively, both in the United States of America as well as Oxford University Business School and the University of British Columbia, Canada. Hon Emeka Ihedioha’s curriculum Vitae is large and may be published verbatim, if he permits.
A man rooted in tradition and who understands the ways and nature of his people, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is the recipient of several chieftaincy titles among which are The Omenka Ahuruanya of Mbaise; Ezeugo Nri; Odozi Obodo Ngor Okpala; Ezienyi Nguru; Ezienyi Uvuru; Ebubedike Agulu, Ebube Mba of Ngwaland; Odiuko Nnamba of Obinugwu-Orlu; Oke-Osisi Umuohiagu; and Aha Eji Agamba of Mbutu, etc.
A Knight of the Order of St. Christopher of the Anglican Communion, Ihedioha has bagged several religious awards in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of Christianity. These recognitions and honours point to a general acknowledgement of his community leadership position and religious piety.
On the strength of the snippets of facts listed here, I am convinced that HON Emeka Ihedioha is a fit and proper person to emerge as the best foot or choice of the PDP in its forthcoming governorship primaries. Ceteris Paribus, he has all it takes to overwhelm the candidates of the other parties in the Governorship election in February 2015. All in all, I am convinced that Hon Emeka Ihedioha has exhibited a stellar performance in the core duties of a legislator which include law making, representation and oversight. His performance is a paradigm shift from what we see around here since 1999.Aperson with such a strong background in political engineering should have a head start in the titanic battle for Imo Governor in 2015.
JOHN MGBE
johnmgbe@yahoo.com
