johnmgbe@yahoo.com
The Charlie Boy/Governor Okorocha face-off in Oguta refers to what transpired at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Oguta during the funeral Mass Service in honour of the Late Supreme Court Judge,Chukwudifu Oputa on Friday, 27TH June,2014.In the abnormal incident,Charlie Boy, the son of the Late Jurist, Justice Chukwudi Oputa, humiliated Governor Okorocha of Imo State when he walked up to Governor Okorocha and angrily snatched a microphone which was handed over to him to make a speech to the congregation who graced the occasion. On a general note,the bizzarre episode should be seen as a confrontation between two people who have no regard for rule of law. Governor Okorocha has always told Ndimo that: “I don’t believe in rule of law and due process; it slows me down”, while the entertainment supremo, Charlie Boy Oputa, is also not interested in the rule of law and due process. Most people describe him as a deviant and an iconoclast on the grounds of his deviant social behaviour. In fact, in Imo State, we are used to such power shows between Governor Okorocha and others. One of such instances is the power show between Governor Okorocha and Hon Eugene Dibiagwu which took place on Saturday, June 15, 2013 at AWA community Oguta-yes, in this very controversial Oguta Local Government Area. On that face off, the convoy of Governor Okorocha ran into that of Hon Eugene Dibiagwu, the candidate of the PDP in the then oncoming State Assembly election into Imo State House of Assembly for Oguta LGA. .Both Hon Dibiagwu and Governor Okorocha were running their campaigns for the rerun election when both groups ran into each other in Awa, Oguta. While the security personnel attached to Governor Okorocha were poised to use firepower and paraphernalia of office to subdue the HON Eugene Dibiagwu boys, the Oguta boys became so daring and poised to confront Okorocha’s security aides in spite of their automatic rifles and sundry facilities which they brandished. There is a need to emphasize at this point that in the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State, the youths in the axis of Oguta/Ohaji/Egbeme LGAs are the most daring, combative and militant. In the case of Awa, any politician who thinks he can subdue then through intimidation and harassment does so at his own peril. Governor Okorocha was full aware of the risk of using force on Dibiagwu Boys, hence he ordered his boys to back down and let go. But HON. Eugene Dibiagwu boys wanted the show to go full circle as it would afford them an opportunity to take their pound of flesh on the Governor who most of them have some grouse with. Even now, Oguta Local Government Area(LGA) in Imo State appears to be the only LGA in Nigeria that does not have any legislator in the State House of Assembly. The people of Oguta feel humiliated about this situation and they use every available space to vent their sadness over this barefaced dichotomy on the Oguta clan.
Again on December 26th,2012 there was another convoy face off which pitted the convoy of Governor Okorocha with that of Senator Chris Anyanwu, the senator representing Owerri zone in the Senate. Both politicians won their elections under the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA), but today they have abandoned the APGA in preference to other parties. The Okorocha/Chris Anyanwu power show took place on Azaraegbelu section of the very busy Owerri/Unuahia Expressway. Governor Okorocha caused panic when he described that convoy incident as an assassination attempt on him. Reports on that episode confirmed that the senator’s driver was severely manhandled by Governor Okorocha’s security personnel. It is pertinent to note that on the previous evening ,Senator Chris Anyanwu had paid a courtesy visit on Governor Okorocha in the Government House in deference to his status as State Governor. Yet, Governor Okorocha accused her of plotting to assassinate him when the convoy incident occurred. Senator Anyanwu is a ranking senator who is known for her cool and calm disposition. In fact, most people see her as a recluse and an introvert. There is nothing in her person that suggests she can hurt a fly, more so , she is a female politician and Mass Communications guru .In fact, Senator (MRS) Anyanwu is as peaceful as ribbon.
On another occasion, April 19th,2013, Governor Okorocha had another convoy clash with one Chief Osita Nnawuihe whose car allegedly rammed into the governor’s car on the Owerri Orlu Express way. Mr Osita Nnawuihe was cruising a Mercedez Benz saloon car when the incident happened. Reports said that Governor Okorocha sustained a head injury for which he was swiftly flown abroad for medical attention. He spent several weeks in America or London(almost one month) before he returned to Imo State. Immediately he returned, he organized a ceremony and ordered the immediate release of Chief Nnawuihe and even rewarded him with a cash gift of N200000 for his upkeep and repair of his car.According to reports from impeccable sources, he was even appointed to the position of the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Accident. What a funny portfolio! But one curious fact about this episode is that I do not know anybody who has seen the Mercedez Benz car which was alleged to have rammed into Okorocha’s personal car in the governor’s convoy. I have not been able to see the wreckage of this Mercedes car and I doubt if any newspaper has ever placed its photo in the press. Even now, the office of the SSA Accident which was given to Chief Nnawuihe appears to have become moribund .
Further more, there are other flashpoints in regard to Governor Okorocha’s relationship with other political bigwigs in the country .Some of them include a face – off between the protocol aides of Governor Okorocha and those of former Anambra State Governor ,MR Peter Obi, on a dispute about who should sit on a reserved sofa in a public function in Enugu. The organizers of the event said that they did not know that Governor Okorocha would be in the event, hence no seat was reserved for him ahead of his arrival. Before the problem was resolved, the aides of both politicians had raised eyebrows and even thrown some punches in order to secure the controversial sofa for their principals.
Again, there was another power show between Okorocha and Governor T.A. Orji of Abia State when Imo State Government suddenly shut down the motor part of Abia State Transport Service on Wetheral Road, Owerri, even though the facility of Peace Mass Transit Transport Company on the same location was allowed to operate. In the same vein, there was any conflict with the Abia State Government when a group labelled “Rescue Missionaries “ organized a reception to honour Governor Okorocha at the Abia State Polytechnic in Aba even though Governor T.A. Orji was not given the benefit of knowing that such an event was to take place in his State.This triggered off another uproar between the two states.Governor T.A. Orji cancelled the event at the last minute in order to avert a breakdown of law and order, more so, since adequate security arrangement was not in place and the authorities of Abia State Polytechnic said they did not grant any authorization for the use of the Polytechnic to organize an event for any State governor. Again, Governor Okorocha caused a stir when in a chat with the press ,he said that Governor Peter Obi and Ndi Anambra are the people causing all the political crises in Igbo land. Such an inflammatory comment is not supposed to emanate from a State Governor. There is a consensus in Igbo Land that Governor Peter Obi was a highly performing governor who quietly transformed Anambra State, even without stepping on anybody’s rights and sensibilities. Most Igbo people place MR Peter Obi on the same pedestal with the like of DR. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Michael Okpara and Akanu Ibiam. Again, most people do not know what Ndi Anambra did to cause the political crises in Igbo land.
Finally in the case of the Oguta episode, it is pertinent to state that Governor Okorocha has a penchant of using various public fora to launch inflammatory and toxic attacks on innocent politicians especially the like of President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, HON. Emeka Ihedioha, Senator Ararume, , Chief Ohakim, Chief Achike Udenwa, MR. Peter Obi, Governor T.A. Orji ,Sir Victor Umeh, Chief Martin Agbaso and several others. I am sure that Charlie Boy would not want his father’s final rites of passage to be hijacked by Governor Okorocha to launch attacks on his real or perceived political opponents including the President and Commander -in –Chief, DR. Godluck Ebele Jonathan who was ably represented on that event. This is in tandem with the exalted status of his father who was a revered Jurist, an incorruptible judge who did not identify with any political party throughout his illustrious existence on Planet Earth. Rather than blaming Charlie Boy on the so-called humiliation of Governor Okorocha, we should be interested to know why Governor Okorocha’s security personnel abandoned the Governor at a time he was confronted by the pugnacious looking Charlie Boy Oputa. A more incisive analysis of the Oguta episode will be published on this website soon. But even before then, kindly Goggle and read my viewpoint entitled “Imo Governors not United-Okorocha: How feasible is Igbo Presidency in 2015”? which was published on this website a short while ago. Till then.
JOHN MGBE
johnmgbe@yahoo.com
