Paranoia is a thought process that causes someone to have an irrational suspicion or mistrust of others. It may be an understatement for any right thinking person to say that Governor Hope Uzodinma is paranoid with Mbaise nation. A cursory look at his antecedents and relationship with Mbaise people will show clearly to, even the blind, that Uzodinma may have an axe to grind with Mbaise people. Although it may be very difficult for anyone to ascertain the cause of this age long paranoia, yet facts on ground still show the impact of the effect.
During the 2011 general elections, Uzodinma ran for the position of senator representing Imo West senatorial district on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party. While for the gubernatorial election, Uzodinma’s party man, Ikedi Ohakim was slugging it out with Rochas Okorocha who contested on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). It was a shocker to many when Uzodinma won the senatorial elections, but Ohakim who contested on the same political platform with him couldn’t win Okorocha in Imo West.
Although politics is not arithmetics, yet political pundits believe that it is inexplicable for a party to win a major senatorial district and yet fail to clinch power at the center. Some were of the opinion that Uzodinma sold out to his kinsman Okorocha in order to prevent not just Ohakim, but his Mbaise running mate, Prof. Viola Onwuliri from winning the governorship election.
Similar scenerio played out during the 2015 general elections. It was reported that Uzodinma while a serving senator, betrayed his party man and another Mbaise son, Emeka Ihedioha and sold the votes for Imo West senatorial district to Okorocha a second time. Infact keen political observers also believe that Uzodinma wrote the results for the zone for Okorocha, in his famed characteristic manner.
Again, Ihedioha was declared winner of the 2019 Imo State governorship election in what was widely described as the most free and fair guber election in the State. The people welcomed the development with jubilation and thanksgiving. Ihedioha swung in to action to rebuild the State, only for the Supreme Court to declare Uzodinma winner from a distant fourth position. Many legal pundits refered to the judgment as the worst judicial robbery of all time. The nation and indeed the world quaked at the gross injustice netted out to the people of Imo State. Yet Uzodinma and his supporters refered to it as the hand of God. But the people refused to buy the idea as the judgment appeared and still remains illogical.
Just recently, an erudite Mbaise scholar, Prof. I.N.S Dozie, was vying for the post of Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). A position he is eminently qualified to occupy. Feelers from the government house had it that Uzodinma swore that an Mbaise man would never occupy the position of Vice-Chancellor of FUTO under his watch. It was reported that he colluded with the Minister of State for Education, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba to ensure his favoured candidate wins. Although they succeeded in scuttling the Mbaise man’s ambition, yet their plans to install the candidate of their choice failed.
To cap it all, there is no single government project going on in the whole of Mbaise presently. This again indicates that Mbaise nation may be victimized for no just cause other than the fact that they gave Imo the best governor the ever had. And I ask, why is Uzodinma paranoid with Mbaise nation? The only answer I could get for this rhetoric question is the sayings of the American inspirational author, Shannon L. Adder and I quote:
“People that have trust issues only need to look in the mirror. There they will meet the one person that will betray them the most”.
Ekene Bob-Ekechukwu Esq.
Public Affairs Analyst
