The beauty of life is that none gets out of it alive. I know I am very much indebted to nature on its call and it shall come one day where destinies meet and part; but permit me to say the truth and do not annihilate me because I am exhuming the politically buried truth of Okorocha’s led administration. Threat cannot stop me but only truth, justice and equity can.

Any leader who is not big enough to stand criticism is very small to be praised. Yes, what lies in our power to do also lie in our power not to do and like Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”For Shakespeare, “Sparing injustice feed iniquity.” Injustice anywhere in Imo State, has posed a serious threat everywhere. It is on this note that the question of conscience is asked to Imo state governor due to his ignoble activities, Okorocha, is it good?

Today in our society, a thief is sorry that he is caught but not that he is a thief. What is happening in Imo State now justifies the Chinese saying that, “Sit a beggar at your table and he will soon put his feet on it.” This is exactly what Gov. Okorocha is doing and I make bold to ask, is it good? In the words of Martin Luther, “It is both hazardous and dishonorable for a man to act contrary to the dictates of conscience” while his son Martin Luther King Jr. infers, “Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politics? Vanity asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him that it is right…”

The time has come for the real and concerned Imo citizens to take the bull by the horn without minding whether it is safe, expedient, popular, politic and vanity or not, but we must take the bull by the horn to ask Gov. Okorocha the question of value and morals-Is it good? Because it appears that he has buried his conscience on the altar of selfish ambition and lies occasioned by apostasy and bigotry. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place”. Every human being becomes free when he/she accepts the fact that his/her life should be ruled by conscience. Gov. Okorocha, with all these lies you have told, do you have the peace of mind? Oh, is it good? Those who disobey their conscience know without being told that they formulate new evil premises for their daily life. This is where you find yourself now. Is it good?

According to Schiller, “A brave man risks his life, but not his conscience” but today Chief Okorocha is risking his conscience and not his life with a bogus claim of being a brave leader-Okorocha is it good? When you were manipulated in as the governor of Imo State you promised Imo people of not borrowing any money to run the affairs of the State, you sworn by all you considered sacred and holy that you will not loan money, today you did not only loan money but have mortgaged the future of Imo people with various loans- Okorocha is it good? You recently told Imo people and Nigeria as a whole that you never borrowed any money even though you have informed us of having a four year rolling budget. How is it possible? Oh Owelle, is it good?

Is it good that the money EFCC has acknowledged that you borrowed and attested to by some of your cabinet members is now being denied by you our able governor? Is it good? The people that signed the loan are still alive; I mean the N40 billion in zenith bank. Why are you still lying Okorocha? Is it good?

It is on record that Ohakim’s administration handed over the sum of N13.3 billion naira to this present administration led by Okorocha. Evidence abound that the N13.3 billion naira has been spent without resource to the projects attached to the Bond money collected by Ohakim’s government. Okorocha is it good that after spending that huge money your government petitioned the Security and Exchange Commission {SEC} for variance? Is it good? Is it good for your administration to spend the money before requesting from Security Exchange Commission to redirect the N13.3 billion naira to other projects? Question of the conscience re-echoes, your Excellency. Is it right?

When you openly informed Imo people that Ohakims government house spent N150 million naira in a day, some people believed you but when common sense was used to analyze your claim, we discovered that N150 million naira per day for one month came to N4.5 billion naira and the Imo state monthly allocation within that period was between N2.2 billion naira a month. Is it that you did not do simple Mathematics in school or you just wanted to discredit Ohakim by hoodwinking Imo people? Tell us Owelle is it good?

During that madness called massive road construction in Imo State which you claimed to have spent N13.9 billion naira on roads in some local government areas yet your administration cannot boast of seven or eight km of tarred roads. Gov. Okorocha, is it a lie? Is it good? In Onuimo local government where you claimed to have spent N255.6 million on roads not even one meter of road was tarred. Gov. Okorocha is it good? Recent record shows that you awarded contracts to non-registered and existing companies and went further to effect payment. Okorocha is it good? Lufransa engineering services Co. and Ellison Gen. Supplies Co. were not registered by the time you awarded them contracts. Gov. Okorocha, you went ahead to pay N36 million naira on April 24^th, 2012 to a company that was registered only on Dec.13, 2012. Is it good? To which account was the money paid into? We all know that any company that is not registered in Nigeria cannot open any account in any bank. So our noble governor, tell us how you did the magic, is it good?

I have been accused of writing in favor of Ohakim but the fact still remains that Ohakim is a friend and Okorocha is my brother but in between my assessment of the two comes the saying that “A good friend is better than a bad brother.” The evidence of this abounds in this article. In the words of Aristophanes, “Wise men learn much from their enemies.” Augustine of Hippo enthuses, “He who is good is free, even if he is a slave, and he who is evil is a slave, even if he is a king.” It is better for one who professes that his government is anchored on the truth of the gospel to live by example. Our king today is a slave to corruption, Imo people is it good?

When Ohakim succeeded Udenwa, though they had their political differences which did not degenerate to the type of Hiroshima bomb we are seeing today. Ohakim did not for one day touch any of “Udenwa boys” Dr. Vin Udokwu can attests to this. Even doctor Alex Obi, his wife remained a special adviser to Ohakim till Ohakim left office. When Udenwa left, Ohakim paid all the severance allowances to Udenwa’s commissioners, the then governor {Ohakim} allowed them to go home with their vehicles. Ohakim’s political differences with Udenwa did not prevent him from executing his statuary duties to Imo people in spite of the fact that they were appointed by Udenwa. In the case of Okorocha, the moment he was declared the winner of the supplementary election and after the swearing in exercise, he ordered all appointees who worked with Ohakim to return their official vehicles within 24 hours. Gov. Okorocha I am aware that some of them had their homes invaded by thugs in search of the vehicles as if there was a serious war in Imo State. Their two months salaries and severance allowances which Ohakim as indicated above paid Udenwa’s appointees were all seized by Gov. Okorocha. I make bold to ask, is it good? You did not pay the appointees, not to talk of paying Chief Ohakim any dime as gratuity after leaving office. Gov. Okorocha is it good?

Instead of paying Ohakim his gratuity which his colleagues have all received in their respective states, you are seriously asking for his probe and went on to institute a probe panel, giving them a mandate to recover N62 billion naira which you claimed he stole while in office. Is it good? Is it good to first of all accuse Ohakim of stealing N62 billion naira in the face of the entire nation before setting up a panel to probe him or set up a panel before accusing him? Gov. Okorocha is it good?

Is it good for you as the executive governor of Imo State to award scholarship to Imo State students only for IMSU school fees to be increased to N120 thousand per section instead of N53 thousand it used to be? Gov. Okorocha is it good? Is it good for your government to ignore the cry of IMSU students? Following the same manipulation you removed Prof. B.E.B Nwoke as IMSU VC unannounced and without due process simply because he refused to do the wrong thing you asked him to do, Gov. Okorocha is it good?

Now you instituted a judicial commission of inquiry to probe traditional rulers though we know you are targeting at the 106 autonomous communities which Ohakim administration approved. What wrong have they done? Why do you want to destroy every legacy Ohakim left in Imo State? Gov. Okorocha is it good? Now you have acquired two Private Jets for your personal use. Where did you get the money from if not from the state treasury? Owelle is it good? Ndi Imo our present state is like that of a stag that was chased by the hounds, and took refuge in a cave, where he hoped to be safe from his pursuers. Unfortunately, the cave contained a lion, to whom he fell an easy prey. “Unhappy that I am,” he cried, I am saved from the power of dogs only to fall into the clutches of a lion. Imo people is it not our experience today? Is it good?

Okorocha it is better to weep with the wise than laugh with the fool. Better to hide your knowledge than show your ignorance. The first winner may be the last loser. The taste of morality is what you do when you have power. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Imo people may shut out realities but not memories. Only the truth really hurts. Your attitude of giving publicly and stealing privately has dented your reputation. Talk sense to a fool and he will call you foolish. If you say what you like, you will hear what you don’t like. Fools are wise as long as they remain silent, for we may regret our speaking but not our silence. Time does not go. Time stays-we go. Finally do not forget that when a tyrant dies, his rule is over- when a martyr dies, his rule begins. War is a coward’s way of escaping the problems of peace.

THINK!

By Prof. Protus Nathan Uzorma (JP). Email Profnathanuzomah@Yahoo.Com

For the Igbo in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, travelling to the east, their ancestral home for Christmas is an annual ritual for which they have to work hard to save enough money in advance for the trip. Apart from Christmas holidays some Igbo in Lagos may never bother to visit the east except for occasional visit for funerals of their relatives or loved ones or marriages of close relatives. Christmas holidays is a period when they close down all economic activities or are rather forced to do so and travel for holiday. Christmas for the Igbo is a period of mass return when they meet close relatives and friends who also come home for holidays. Whether this period offers rest for holidays is a discussion for another day because during Christmas holidays all sorts of meeting ranging from family, kindred, age grade, village and town union are normally scheduled. Besides these meeting, Christmas festivities include numerous weddings, traditional marriages, house warming, harvest and bazaar and lunching of development funds are held. All these ceremonies are held because as I said earlier, it’s only during Christmas holidays that many members of Igbo community are at home together than other times of the year. Prospecting bachelors and spinsters also travel down to the east to use the period of mass return to look for spouses.

Christmas holidays starts for many from the 17^th of December when most primary and tertiary schools close till the next 10 days of January. Once schools close, movement down to the east starts. Most individuals prefer to send members of their families (wives, children and wards) home first as an advanced team. Back home the advanced team is supposed to tidy up their ancestral home which for many, may have been unoccupied for months and get the house ready for the holidays. The advance team also travels early to avoid high cost of transportation which is peculiar to the period of Christmas and also to avoid being trapped in road congestion and traffic jams which is a hallmark of travelling to the east for Christmas.

Transport companies see the period of Christmas which is characterized by high number of travelers as a period of boom for which they will squeeze out as much money from travelers who have little or no option than to patronize them. Often, transport cost increases as the Christmas day approaches and continues till the early days of January when travelling to the east subsides. The increase in transport cost often takes ridiculous dimensions some days when the cost changes within hours. It’s not impossible to pay a certain fee early in the morning only for an increase of up to N1000 hours later especially when there is an increase turnout of travelers. Since there is no rail link to the east and the numbers of people travelling by air are very few, travelling to the east by the Igbo is predominantly by road. For this purpose Luxury buses, mini buses, hummer buses, private vehicles, rickety Lagos mass transit buses (moloue) are all used.

From Jibowu, Ojota, Iddo, Alafia, Volks, Maza-Maza and Ojuelegba etc, the predominant bus terminals, the story is the same for travelers to the east. It’s usually a period of bedlam at such points during Christmas travel. Women would come to the parks with their children some strapped at the back with bags of all sizes. The more the bags the more you will have to pay the transport companies who would charge exorbitant fares. In the past, bags of foreign rice were also part of the load that accompanied travelers to the east. These bags of foreign rice would often be given out to relatives, friends  and in-laws as gifts. The foreign rice is also seen as luxury items and signs of good accomplishment. Some also travel with items of furniture and beddings. Inside the bags many travel with special food items to take care of their culinary needs and refined appetite for the period the holiday lasts.

A typical day journey to the east for Christmas starts from as early as 4.30am for the transport companies. For those travelling with their private vehicles, some depart Lagos from 4 am to enable them beat traffic and reach home early enough. For those using luxury buses, the day’s journey starts once their vehicle is filled with passengers and those on attachment with prayers being offered by Prayer warriors who would beckon on the travelers to hand over the safety of the journey to the heavenly forces. These prayer warriors who often parade transport companies daily would start with praise songs and clapping which normally last for many minutes into the journey. This would be followed with supplications for protection from accidents, armed robbers, witches and wizards and all forms of demonic and diabolic attacks for enemies ( who presumably reside in the ancestral villages), ancestral curse and more recently, kidnappers. Usually the tyres, brakes, engine of the vehicle would be invoked to be covered by the blood of Jesus to ensure safety throughout the duration of the journey and stay in the village. To engage the attention of all travelers, the prayer session is often participatory whereby travelers would be commanded to touch their neighbours or shake them and recite certain phrases. The prayer session normally comes to a close with the sharing of envelopes by the prayer warriors to the travelers to support the ministry. The prayer warriors often disembark at Shagamu or Ijebu Ode to commence their journey back to Lagos.

Soon after the prayer session, hawkers of petty items, orthodox and herbal remedies would take over. To soften the ground for their trade, they would employ comedy and jokes to attract enough attention of travelers. These mobile comedians sell all manners of items at exorbitant prices for toothpaste, insecticide, soaps, teas, Jerusalem stone, mustard seed, anointing oil, herbal remedies which are advertised as possessing the potency that could cure all manner of diseases. Most often they feed on the gullibility and fear of passengers by selling concoctions in liquid forms which are supposed to ward off all forms of extraterrestrial attacks.

By the time this is over, the transport company will put on home movies, usually African Magic to entertain travelers.

Ijebu Ode, Ore and Benin are transit towns where buses stop for travelers to stretch themselves and ease themselves. While a good number of fast food companies exist in some of the towns, most buses stop just along the road. Because the road to the east is an open toilet you would find many travelers urinating or defecating in open space. While the male folk is comfortable at any spot, their female counterpart would, for decency step inside the bushes a little further but not  too far to  avoid insect or snake bites. All along the road to the east you would see human wastes at different levels of decomposition deposited by travelers. A loud horn from the driver beckons everybody to re-join the vehicle for the journey to continue. Ijebu Ode, Ore and Benin are also where travelers buy snacks, pure water, bottled water, banana, bush meat, snail and if time permits, eat too.

Last year’s journey to the east was a good one for those who travelled with their private vehicle as there were no police check points all along the road. Shagamu-Benin stretch was notorious in the past for police to stop commuters to demand for vehicle particulars, clearing documents, tinted glass permit, proof of ownership certificate, change of ownership and all sorts of jargons manufactured to extort money from car owners. The Ogun state stretch of Shagamu-Benin was notorious for having check points almost every three kilometres in the past. A lot of thanks to the present Inspector General for banishing road blocks. Last year, we only encountered a few highway patrol teams who would give you a Christmas salute and ask for “any thing for the boys”

Hours into the journey, you would reach Benin. Most vehicles would ply Benin bye-pass. Along this 23km stretch, travelers would be on the alert and looking sideways afraid of bandits and armed robbers who normally storm the highways from the bush to rob. Between five and six hours of departure from Lagos, you would arrive Asaba, capital of Delta state. That’s where the nightmare of travelers to the east starts. This stretch of road is less than five kilometres but has in recent time been notorious for long and unnecessary hold-up and terrible traffic congestion. It takes a minimum of two hours and sometime four hours to cross Asaba and enter Onitsha. The build-up starts in the morning as early as 10am and lasts till the 9pm. Despite the heavy presence of traffic wardens, police men, military patrol team, men of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to instill discipline and control traffic, you would stay for hours. The funny thing is that by the time you get to the end of the traffic, you would not point out to the actual cause of the heavy build up. Last year’s Christmas was terrible. For most travelers going to Abia, Ebonyi, Cross River and Enugu states, the second leg of the journey starts after crossing Asaba into Onitsha. The question on every body’s lips is; when would the Second Niger Bridge be constructed to ease traffic into the east. This proposed bridge has always been used to woo voters and hoodwink Ndigbo for votes since the Alhaji Shehu Shagari Second Republic era till now.

For now this is the question on the lips of Ndigbo; When would work start on the proposed Second Niger Bridge?

Anazodo wrote from Lagos