There is a need to amplify the fact that if Owerri zone is really serious to produce governor, then, the governorship candidates from Owerri zone must, as a matter of necessity, be considering the need to merge under one candidate.They should desist from dissipating energy on unnecessary power show and avoidable braggadocio and recrimination. The only way GovernorAnayo Okorocha can be defeated in the forthcoming election is through a process of merger of all the governorship candidates in Owerri zone. The elders of the zone should hammer out a modus operandi/modus vivendi to actualize this template. If this approach is not accepted, I am afraid Governor Okorocha may win the next governorship election convincingly. Should that happen, it will be too late for Owerri zone to point fingers at NDI Orlu as people who are greedy, wily, and avaricious. If I were to suggest, I would suggest that NDI Owerri zone should know that there are only two political groups in the forthcoming governorship election in Imo State.The two groups include the Orlu group which is the All Progressives Congress(APC) whose governorship candidate is from Orlu (Imo West senatorial zone) while the other Group includes those parties whose governorship candidates hail from Owerri zone.So, it is my candid advice that if NDI Owerri zone are genuinely interested to produce the next governor, they must present one governorship candidate. While I do not have to dictate to them which way to handle this issue, present realities demand that the other governorship candidates should collapse under the PDP so that Hon Emeka Ihedioha can fly the PDP/Owerri zone flag. Once this major decision is taking, they should proceed to rejig other political slots in a manner that will guarantee equity and egalitarianism among the three senatorial zones. Those who are adversely affected in this arrangement could be compensated when the consensus governor emerges. There is enough to go round if they synergize for governorship/presidential victory.This my master plan for victory is the only way Governor Okorocha can be defeated with ease. In considering Hon Emeka Ihedioha as the flag bearer, I am of the opinion that the PDP is the BIG BROTHER in Owerri zone and even in the State.I feel that such marginal political parties like the United Peoples Party( UPP), Labour Party(LP),Accord Party(AP) are mere distractions which will only serve as a short route of giving victory to the APC.Even the APGA is not on a stable ground because it is embroiled in interminable intra-party squabbles and recriminations.It is naïve for anybody to think that all is well with APGA, more so,after Governor Okorocha, Chief Martin Agbaso (Ochoudo), and former Anambra State Governor, MR. Peter Obi, left the party.
A short while ago, the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA),Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, caused a stir when he asked the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party,(PDP), Hon. Emeka Ihedioha to step down for him on the grounds that he does not have the requisite experience to govern Imo State. This comment by Captain Iheanacho is as lamentable as it is deplorable. Most of us who hold Captain in esteem are disorientated at this outburst against Hon Ihedioha who actually is the front runner in he governorship election. I only believed the story when the media aide to Captain Iheanacho confirmed to me that his principal, Captain Iheanacho, made the comment. When this news broke out ,I sent a text message to Barrister Emperor ,the media aide to Captain Iheanacho, in order to confirm if actually Captain Iheanacho made such an outburst against HON.Emeka Ihedioha. Hear Barrister Emperor Iwuala: ”I have just received your text message seeking clarification on the genuineness of what Captain Iheanacho said about Hon Ihedioha. Yes, Captain made the statement and it’s a statement of fact. Hon Ihedioha has been in the legislature for about twelve years and that does not equip him with the requisite experience to be effective as governor. On the other hand, Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho has run big organizations for many years and that gives him the desired experience. So, what Captain Iheanacho said is, in fact, a statement of fact….”.I made it clear to him that I was disappointed that a person of the status of Captain Iheanacho actually held such a pathetic opinion to the point of placing it in the public domain. It’s a betrayal of the high trust and reputation which we have often ascribed to Captain Iheanacho.
As a result of this development, I wish to do a very tiny segment of the profile of HON Emeka Ihedioha so that the reader will decide whether it was fair for Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho to describe him as lacking the requisite experience to be governor of Imo State.Hon Emeka Ihedioha is indeed one of the few Nigerians who have served three consecutive tenures in the National Assembly on the grounds of their effectiveness in their constituencies. He hails from Mbutu, AbohMbaise Local Government Area of Imo State. He began his primary education at Town School, Mbutu in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State and 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 prestigious 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.Prior to his becoming a legislator in the HoR, he had served as Press Officer to the then President of the Senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu. This appointment was in recognition of his capacity as a publicist of immense abilities and a media person of high effectiveness. Within three months of this appointment, he was elevated to the position of Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Albert Legogie (late).
He was appointed Special Assistant to the Presidential Adviser on Utilities (July 1999); Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President of Senate (November 1999); and eventually Special Assistant on Political Matters to the Vice President (September 2001). It was from this last assignment in the Office of Vice President Atiku Abubakar that he contested election and won a seat into the House of Representatives as Member representing AbohMbaise/NgorOkpala Federal Constituency of Imo State in 2003 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He was Chairman of the ranking House Committee on Marine Transport between 2003 and 2007. After emerging victorious in the 2007 general elections, Hon Ihedioha served first as Chairman, House Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa before he was later elected Chief Whip of the House. In his capacity as Chief Whip, Ihedioha served as Chairman of various Ad-Hoc Committees of the House, including Chairman, Ad-hoc Committee on Constituency Projects (2007-2008); Chairman, Ad-Hoc Committee on the Celebration of Ten Years of Unhindered Legislative Practice in Nigeria (1999-2009); Chairman, Ad-hoc Committee on Process and Procedure for Obtaining Local and Foreign Loans through which he was able with his members to standardize the operational procedure for obtaining future foreign and local loans by the Nigerian Government; and Chairman, Sub-Committee on the Review of Police Act.
Emergence as Deputy Speaker: On the 6th day of June, 2011, Rt. Hon. Ihedioha was elected unopposed as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives by his colleagues.Rt.Hon. Ihedioha’s popular emergence as the Deputy Speaker has continued to provide inspirational and dynamic leadership in the Green Chamber, displaying tact, dexterity and maturity in the conduct of official business. As Deputy Speaker of the HoR, Hon Ihedioha has acquitted himself creditably in the areas of lawmaking, constituency projects and oversight functions.
Aside the above listed offices, Hon. Ihedioha has held other important positions which include:
- Chairman, House Ad-Hoc Committee on Legislative Agenda;
- Chairman, House Ad-Hoc Committee on Constitution Review:
- Chairman, Committee of the Whole:
As the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, Ihedioha presides over the consideration of Committee reports. This makes him the House of Representatives Chairman of Chairmen. He is always a delight to watch when he is presiding, as he brings uncommon brilliance and political sagacity to bear on this important legislative process.
Alternate Chairman, Governing Council of NILS:
By virtue of his position as Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Ihedioha serves as alternate Chairman, Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS), an intellectual think-tank and capacity-building arm of the National Assembly.
International Engagements:
As Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ihedioha is the Leader of Nigeria`s parliamentary delegation to the Third Legislative Session of the ECOWAS Parliament (2011 – date). He also doubles as the Deputy Leader of the Nigerian delegation to the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) since 2011.
In the 6th National Assembly, Ihedioha was at the head of several delegations of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) to many Commonwealth nations in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific, in his capacity as the President of the Nigeria chapter of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). He was the Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the 6th General Assembly of the International Parliamentary Association for Information Technology, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2008; Member, Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Africa Region; and Leader, Nigerian Delegation to the 41st Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Mpumulangha, South Africa.
Conferment of Honours:
Hon.Ihedioha holds the National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Shipping and also received the Distinguished Service Award of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations. He was voted One of Nigeria’s 50 Most Outstanding Legislators (1999-2009) and has also been conferred with the Fellowships of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology and Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC). The above profile is only a tip of the iceberg of Hon Ihedioha’s achievements.
It rankles that in spite of the above intimidating profile of Hon Ihedioha, some politician still describes him as inexperienced to govern Imo State. Pray, what else does anybody expect from an ideal governor that cannot be found in the above profile. Perhaps, there is a need to amplify the fact that of all the governorship aspirants in the PDP, Hon Ihedioha and Senator Chris Anyanwu are the only ones that are now politically active in the political soccer field. One of the governorship aspirants was a state governor who lost his job in 2011; he has since shown maturity and class by joining Hon. Emeka Ihedioha’s team; another was a senator who has been out of active politics in the past eight years. One of them is an accomplished academic and former Vice Chancellor of a Federal University and there are also Senior Advocates of Nigeria in the group.Others are very fine gentlemen who have not held top political briefs.Captain Iheanacho of the APGA was a Federal Minister who had a tempestuous tenure-having been sacked and recalled. So, if politics were a football game, only Hon Emeka Ihedioha is in top form to wear the national jersey in order to mesmerize his opponents and score great goals for the nation. Save Senator Chris Anyanwu who is still active, albeit a lady, the others would have been benched because they are match-rusty.So, why all the hue and cry on an issue that is well settled?
Perhaps, for the umpteenth time, I wish to emphasize that all the governorshipcandidates of Owerri extraction must coalesce into one flag bearer. This is the silver bullet which can deflate Governor Okorocha’s balloon. Anything short of this is inimical and incompatible with the agenda of an Imo governor of Owerri zone extraction in 2015.Ndi Owerri zone should learn a lesson from Okigwe zone where the protracted fratricidal conflict between Chief Ohakim and Senator Ararume culminated in Ohakim’s inability to secure a second tenure in 2011.He was a highly distracted governor. Again, in 2011 governorship election, the two brothers from the same Local Government(Mbano LGA) fluffed Okigwe’s chance of securing a second tenure. In that poll, the votes cast for Ohakim and Ararume far exceeded the votes cast for Anayo Okorocha in the 2011 governorship poll.But Okigwe lost out because of the intransigence of her two sons.In that 2011 governorship election, Anayo Okorocha polled 336,809 votes to beat the two Okigwe candidates, Chief IkediOhakim and Chief Ararume, who polled 290,496 and 110,171 votes respectively. In the PDP governorship primary election which held on 8th December, 2014, the votes cast for the two Okigwe combatants(Ararume and Ohakim) far exceeded the votes cast for Hon EmekaIhedioha but Hon. Emeka Ihedioha still emerged victorious.
If it were youthful Hon EmekaIhedioha who made insulting and toxic comments on Captain Iheanacho, we would swiftly describe it as the ranting of an impetuous youth or a case of youthful exuberance/juvenile delinquency but now that the elder Captain Iheanacho is the person making unguarded outbursts against youthful Emeka Ihedioha, is it now a case of adult delinquency/adult exuberance or what? After all, what does Captain Iheanacho really want? Can he say in conscience that he will remain in APGA after the elections? Whether Captain Iheanacho wins or loses, he will still defect to the PDP in the long run.If so, why not join forces with Hon Emeka Ihedioha now in order to actualize the agenda of an Imo governor of Owerri zone extraction? So, Ndi Owerri zone should strategize and put their house in order or the much – trumpeted agenda of producing an Imo Governor of Owerri extraction will be a sham, a classic case of chasing after the wind. In spite of everything, we still hold Captain Iheanacho in esteem in the belief that his unguarded outburst against his kinsman, HON, Emeka Ihedioha, was a mistake of the head and not of the mind.As both PDP and APGA expect their days in the court, the relationship among the governorship candidates in Owerri zone should be a symbiotic one. The Owerri governorship candidates must pool resources, more so, since we can’t predict the judgment of court in the PDP and APGA governorship saga and the concomitant political Arithmetic thereafter, more so, since the probability of another supplementary election in the forthcoming Imo Governorship poll is very high.
Personally, my reason for supporting Owerri zone for the next governor is anchored on the fact that Governor Okorocha actually pledged to serve one tenure and hand over to Owerri zone.Again, it was Owerri zone who played a great role in the emergence of an Orlu governor in 2011 so soon after Chief Achike Udenwa from Orlu zone served as governor from 1999-2007.Without the support of Owerri zone in the supplementary polls in Ikeduru, Orji and Ngor-Okpala(all in Owerri zone), Okorocha who hails from my Orlu zone would not have won the 2011 election. Again, Governor Okorocha vowed to serve just one tenure and hand over to Owerri zone. This promise was made before a global audience at Rosy Arts Theatre, Ikenegbu Owerri on the day OwelleOkorocha reconciled with Chief Martin Agbaso.
Furthermore, when Dee Sam Mbakwe’s governorship tenure was truncated by the Gen.Muhammadu Buhari(retd)-led coup of December 31st, 1983,Dee Sam Mbakwe (PHD), the most celebrated and effective Governor we ever had, did not ask to complete his second tenure when democracy returned in 1999.Similarly, when the governorship tenure of the Late Senator Evan Enwerem was scuttled in mid-projectile after just about 18 months, Senator Enwerem did not ask to be allowed to complete his tenure when democracy returned in 1999.These great men set a precedent which must guide our future actions /inactions on issues that border on governorship incumbency and the like. So, by extrapolation, Okigwe zone whose son, Ikedi Ohakim, could not complete a second tenure should emulate the precedent laid down by DEE Sam Mbakwe(PHD) and Senator Evan Enwerem.
For the umpteenth time, may I emphasize that the only silver bullet to defeat Governor Okorocha in the forthcoming election is for the Owerri candidates and their political elders from all the political parties to be locked up in one big hall for a day to enable them take a decision on a common flag bearer for Owerri zone in the 2015 Governorship election.
JOHN MGBE
johnmgbe@yahoo.com
