I Was Ill and You Cared for Me. Matthew 25: 30. These words are inscribed upon the wall of the medical school at Loyola University Chicago and are among the first things a newly matriculated student sees upon entering a career in medicine. To those who are part of the Christian tradition, it is a call, a charge to continue Jesus’ ministry to care for the human person. For those of other faiths, it is a no less powerful reminder that you are trained as physicians with the foremost task of caring for those made vulnerable by illness. It is also a reminder that, from its earliest inception, the Christian faith has participated in the care of the sick.
I have not been writing articles because i have been sick. I was so down, and I was crying for help. Help came and I got medical attention. I am recuperating. By the grace of God, I will not die. I will say special thanks to those who came to my aid in my next article. I write what I write as service to humanity. My concern is the well-being of the people. I think, speak, write and act as the unknown servant. My intentions are pure. I will not write to promote evil. I act for the general interest. There is no need wishing me dead because of my articles. For me,no politics is worth the death of anyone.
I am not happy with the current low ebb in consciousness of Ndi-Imo .This is making the government of Governor Hope Uzodinma to be having its way, especially on the anti-poor policies the governor is implementing since his administration came to power. One of the anti-poor policies of the 3R government in the state is the use of SOLAD in our local government.
If the Imo state House of Assembly had been political and agitating with their enormous strength through radical and ideological leadership, the governor wouldn’t be having his way.
I cannot say I am proud of the current members of the Imo State House of Assembly. For me they are Papa Ajasco House of Assembly. Imo has been unlucky to have these Papa Ajascos as legislatures . With the past and current Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Governor Uzodinma wrapped the entire Imo up, confidently put it away in one of the folds of his wrapper and retired to his bed for a long, refreshing sleep. Is it not deceitful for a governor to rule a state for five years now without elected council officials? Since he came into power, the councils in Imo have been run by unelected appointees of the governor yet our House members have done nothing but are ‘looking yansh, killing goat’’ .
The powers of the legislature are not judiciously exercised to guarantee Imolites the dividends for electing their representatives.By not conducting council elections for five years Governor Uzodinma has done the same things that we criticized Rochas Okorocha of. Infact, as things stand, Rochas Okorocha’s government is better than that of Governor Hope Uzodinma.
Hope has acted unconstitutionally and violated the democratic rights of Imo people. Section 7 of the 1999 constitution says “the system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is guaranteed under this constitution ” Under Uzodinma many communities in Imo have ceased to have pipe-borne water. Other things like markets, schools, government buildings, that were in good condition before he found himself in the apex political seat of the state are neglected. Certainly, Imo LGA’s are worse under him. So many roads in our rural areas are impassable; thus making him one of the most hated political office holders at this time. Other LGA’s in the state except Owerri are out of the circle; groping in the dark, isolated and treated as leprous victims.
That we haven’t elected local government officials in Imo for five years shows the collaboration of the Imo State House of Assembly with the Executive in the looting of the state. Imo House of Assembly members are part of the too many impunities of this government. The House is involved in the pro-rich, pro-imperialist cum capitalist policies that Governor Uzodinma has been operating. Uzodinma’s government, acting under the dictates and or in concert with imperialism has completely jettisoned the idea of government using local government funds and resources to better the lots of the local councils . Instead; it has adopted a whole scale capitalist, neo-liberal strategy of looting of these funds. Today, over 80% of Imolites at the grassroot areas are suffering.
The Chike Olemgbe led Imo State House of Assembly are nothing but capitalist thief-thief. They are conniving with Hope Uzodinma, aiding and abetting gross financial impropriety in the state. They deserve to be in one of our dilapidated and uninhabitable prison houses enduring the just recompense of their grave sin against Imo. They are doling out sadism to Imolites while fittingly lining their dirty pockets with dirty money with their tag team partner. Do we allow them to continue to make our mothers and grandparents suffer helplessly in the villages? Do we continue to allow them to deprive local governments of the funds needed to build schools, roads, motor parks, markets etc.? Do we continue to call them “dike na mba” when they are all “agadi na agwo ofe’, when they have made us beggars and impoverished us in perpetual state of squalor? We say no more to SOLADs. Give us democratically elected Council men and women. Stop the never ending lies of ‘ I will conduct council elections in 60 days” 60 days, e no dey finish?
In the same vein, some persons in the state have been parading fictions as statistics, displaying figures that tend to suggest that the 3R government is doing well. You cannot claim to be doing well when you have no council government and with your self-serving agenda of enriching yourselves as quickly as possible at the expense of Imo masses and with your totally uninterest in policies and strategy that can make Imo’s natural and human resources to be properly mobilised to benefit the vast majority of Ndi-Imo. To these capitalist thieving elements and their lackeys, the brutal lessons of the ruthless and largely barren years under colonialism counted for little or nothing. Save Us Oh God .
-Kenneth Uwadi lives in Mmahu-Egbema, Ohaji/Egbema LGA , Imo State, Nigeria and can be reached via 08037982714
