CHIEF IKEDI: HOW MANY STUMBLES MAKE ONE FALL? WHEN CHIEF IKEDI OHAKIM WAS USHERED INTO THE DOUGLAS HOUSE IN 2007 IT DID NOT TAKE LONG BEFORE HE BEGAN TO SYSTEMATICALLY, METHODICALLY AND IN FACT, DOGGEDLY SHOOTING HIMSELF ON THE POLITICAL FOOT. STEP AFTER STEP IKEDI PUT THE WRONG LEG OUT. HE BOASTED OF THE OGUTA WONDER LAKE, IT WAS A HOAX. THE TALE OF NWORIE RIVER, UNREAL. IT WAS ALL A TALE OF AMPLIFIED BILLBOARD PICTORIAL AND IMAGINARY THEORIES OF INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT. IT WAS ABOUT BOGUS INTERNET DISPLAYS AND UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIMS OF TRANSFORMATION AGENDA. IKEDI KEPT CLIMBING FROM ONE PEDESTAL OF SELF RIDICULE AND SELF-INFLICTED WOUND TO ANOTHER OF EVEN A GREATER HEIGHT. AND HE OPENED HIS EMPTY RATTLEBOX—HIS MOUTH AND BEGAN MAKING A JEST OF THE ENTIRE PEOPLE OF IMO STATE AS A PEOPLE WHO WALK “BUGABUGALLY” AND WHO “SHOUT” RATHER THAN “TALK” IMO PEOPLE WERE OFFENDED. THEY HELD HIM IN PUBLIC CONTEMPT SWEARING NOT TO PUT HIM BACK TO THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE UNLESS HE PURGED HIMSELF. PURGE HIMSELF HE DIDN’T . RATHER, HE EMBARKED ON AN UNGUIDED TRIP AT EGO MASSAGE AND NICKNAMED HIMSELF “IKIRI” WHOSE GRIPS NO ONE COULD LOOSEN. FORTIFIED WITH THIS CLAIM OHAKIM’S MEN WENT ON RAMPAGE. THEY FLOGGED, THEY LASHED, THEY SPANKED AND SPANKED UNTIL THEY SPANKED EUSTACE OKORIE, A REVEREND GENTLEMAN. AT THIS, OHAKIM’S FATE WAS SEALED. OHAKIM FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL TO REGAIN THE DOUGLAS HOUSE. IMO PEOPLE DISAGREED. THEY CHASED HIM OUT OF THE WINDOW, REPLACING HIM WITH OWELLE ROCHAS ANAYO OKOROCHA (OON) THE SENIOR ADVOCATE OF THE MASSES AND GRAND COMMANDER OF FREE EDUCATION IN THE AFRICAN CONTINENT. THEY WELCOMED HIS RESCUE OPERATION AND HEAVED A SIGH OF RELIEF. ONLY LATELY, IKEDI MADE A DRAMATIC RE-ENTRY INTO THE ARENA OF THE SLIPPERY SLOPE OF IMO POLITICS. TRUE TO TYPE IKEDI HAS ONCE MORE BEEN EXHIBITING ALL THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF “KIM- KIM” FIRST HE WENT INTO AN UNHOLY ROMANCE WITH FR. MBAKA AND SEDUCED HIM INTO A TRAGIC GAFFE. MBAKA, OH MBAKA! SEE WHAT OHAKIM DID TO THIS STRONG MAN OF THE ALTER PULPIT. SEE HOW OHAKIM CAUSED MBAKA TO FALL INTO THE MISDEMEANOR OF LYING. A THING NEARLY AS BAD AS THE PHYSICAL ABUSE OF THE OTHER ANOINTED ONE. TO CONCRETIZE THEIR NEWFOUND FRIENDSHIP THE OHAKIM AND MBAKA PAIR MADE ROCHAS OKOROCHA THE LCM OF THEIR WEIRD POLITICAL EQUATION. THE IKEDI/ MBAKA TIRADE CAME AS A BOLT FROM THE BLUES TO OKOROCHA WHO WAS BUSY WITH HIS TIRELESS AND EVER ACTIVE DEPUTY, PRINCE EZE MADUMERE INSPECTING CONSTRUCTION SITES, TRANSFORMING THE STATE THAT IKEDI RUINED, REVAMPING THE ECONOMY HE SHATTERED AND VISITING THE POOR HE FORSAKE. OKOROCHA AND MADUMERE WERE BUSY GIVING HOPE, DRAWING OUTLINES FOR THE NEXT LINE OF DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AND CLOSING THE HOLE OHAKIM DUG WITH HIS PDP COLLEAGUES FOR OVER FIFTEEN YEARS. ONLY RECENTLY, PRECISELY, AUGUST 19, 2014 OHAKIM TOOK OUT AN ADVERTORIAL ON PAGE 51 OF THE SUN IN WHICH HE UNRESTRICTEDLY MADE OUTLANDISH AND UNWARRANTED TIRADES TRIGGERING THIS WRITE UP. FIRST, KIM-KIM CLAIMED THAT DOUGLAS HOUSE HAS VIRTUALLY FALLEN TO PDP AND ALLUDING THAT IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR A PDP GOVERNOR WOULD MOVE IN. WELL, THE QUESTIONS IKIRI FAILED TO ANSWER ARE HOW? IS IT BY CARRYING THE BALLOT BOX WITH THE GUN DANGLING? CARRYING SAME AWAY WITH STRONG AND POWERFUL THUGS? INFLUENCING ELECTORAL OFFICIALS? OR BY MERIT? IF BY MERIT QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS NAG FOR ANSWERS. ONE, WHAT WILL BE OHAKIM’S CAMPAIGN ISSUES? FREE EDUCATION? ROAD CONSTRUCTION? REBUILDING IMO STATE? BREAKING THE CHAIN OF POVERTY, DESPAIR, EMASCULATION AND FEAR. IS IT REVOLUTIONIZING INFRASTRUCTURE? REFORM AGRICULTURE? REJUVENATE THE INDUSTRIES? REVAMP THE ECONOMY? OR WHAT? METHINKS, THE PRESENT GOVERNOR HAS TACKLED ALL THESE AND EVEN MORE. OWELLE SAYS HE IS NOT YET WHERE HE WANTS TO BE BUT HIS RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENTS ALREADY APPEARS INSURMOUNTABLE. IF HOWEVER, BY TAKING OVER THE DOUGLAS HOUSE IKEDI MEANT USING FRAUD OR FORCE THEN I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR HIM. THOSE PRACTICES THAT NAILED NIGERIA TO THE CROSS IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN REJECTED BY NIGERIANS. THEY HAVE BECOME OBSOLETE, NO LONGER FASHIONABLE. MOREOVER, IMOLITES WILL BE WILLING TO PULL OUT THE ENTRAILS OF ANY PERSON ATTEMPTING TO RIG THE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION OF 2015. OWELLE HAS A LEASE WITH IMO PEOPLE-- THE LANDLORDS OF THE DOUGLAS HOUSE, AND THAT LEASE WILL EXPIRE ON MAY 29, 2019. HE HAS BEEN A GOOD, DEDICATED AND HONEST TENANT AND SO WHY IS OHAKIM TALKING ABOUT ABORTING THE TENANCY? HIS EXCELLENCY, CHIEF IKEDI OHAKIM CLAIMED IN HIS ADVERTORIAL THAT NO ASPIRANT CAME OUT IN APC TO RUN FOR PRIMARIES AND THAT MEANS A NEGATIVE NOTE. I AM CONFUSED HERE. ARE WE SAYING THAT IT IS A BAD SIGN OR GOOD? I THOUGHT PARTY MEMBERS DO NOT COME OUT TO CONTEST PRIMARIES AGAINST THEIR OWN IN OFFICE ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT INCUMBENT IS PERFORMING CREDITABLY. IN RECENT YEARS IN AMERICA WHEN OBAMA RAN AGAINST ROMNEY HE DID NOT HAVE TO FACE PRIMARIES. WHEN GEORGE BUSH JR. RAN AGAINST JOHN KERRY HE FACED NO PRIMARY BECAUSE THEIR PARTY MEMBERS KNEW THEY WERE DOING A GREAT JOB FOR AMERICAN AND BOTH OF THEM RETAINED THE WHITE HOUSE. BUT IF ONE MAY ASK, IF IKEDI WERE AN APC MEMBER IN IMO STATE WOULD HE LIKE TO THROW AWAY HIS RESOURCES RUNNING AGAINST ROCHAS WITH ALL THE COUNTLESS EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE OF SUPERLATIVE PERFORMANCE IN HIS BACKGROUND? CHIEF IKEDI WOULD YOU? IN ANOTHER PHONY CONTENTION IKEDI CLAIMS THAT PDP WILL WIN ALL THE ELECTIONS IN IMO COME 2015 BECAUSE ALL THE BIG SHOTS OF IMO POLITICS ARE IN PDP. IKEDI MY FRIEND PLEASE TAKE A GLANCE AT HISTORY, RECENT HISTORY AND 2011 PRECISELY. YOUR EXCELLENCY, HAVE YOU SO QUICKLY FORGOTTEN THAT THE BIG FISH SYNDROME IN IMO POLITICS HAS BEEN SWEPT ASIDE BY THE INSURMOUNTABLE AND IMPREGNABLE WILL OF THE MASSES TO WHOM ULTIMATE POWER RESIDES. REMEMBER? OR ARE YOU RE-ENACTING THE PROVERBIAL OLD LADY WHO IN HER RECKLESSNESS STUMBLED AND FELL TWICE TO EXPOSE THE CONTENTS OF HER BASKET TO THE GLARE OF ALL? FINALLY, IKEDI CALLED THE PEOPLE’S GOVERNOR OF IMO STATE A COMIC IN OFFICE. THE GENERALITY OF IMO ELECTORATE IS HIGHLY OFFENDED BY THIS REMARK FOR TWO MAJOR REASONS. ONE, AS A FORMER GOVERNOR SUCH A DEROGATORY REMARK AGAINST A SITTING GOVERNOR LEAVES A SOUR TASTE IN THE MOUTH OF INDEPENDENT OBSERVERS. IF IKEDI COULD MAKE A STATEMENT LIKE THAT, ONE THEN WONDERS WHAT IS LEFT FOR HIS ATTACK DOGS TO SAY. TWO, IKEDI OHAKAM WAS GIVEN A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO GOVERN IMO STATE IN 2007. HISTORY IS REPLETE WITH OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE THAT RATHER THAN GOVERN AND LEAD, HE WASTED THE FOUR YEARS OF HIS TENURE AS A TAUNTING JESTER AND A THEATRICAL CLOWN. AT A CERTAIN POINT DURING HIS REIGN IMO PEOPLE CEASED TO TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY. YET IT IS THIS SAME MAN THAT DESCRIBED THE PERFORMING AND HIGHLY RATED GOVERNOR OF IMO STATE AS A COMIC IN OFFICE. IRONY! AS FOR OHAKIM’S ACCOUNT OF HIS STEWARDSHIP IN THE SUBJECT ADVERTORIAL I WILL LEAVE THE RESPONSE FOR ANOTHER DAY FOR WANT OF SPACE. SUFFICES IT TO SAY AT THIS JUNCTURE, THAT THE ACCOUNT IS PITIFUL, SHABBY AND LAUGHABLE. SIMPLY PUT, IT AMOUNTS TO MERE SHADOW BOXING. FOR SOME REASON THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF IKEDI OHAKIM IS ONE REGULARLY PUNCTUATED WITH STUMBLES. HE STUMBLED DURING HIS FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO GOVERN. THAT COST HIM A SECOND TERM BID. NOW, HE IS HUNTING FOR THE SECOND OPPORTUNITY BUT RATHER THAN COME ACROSS AS A REPENTANT, HUMBLED AND TUTORED COMEBACK KID HE CHOOSES TO RELENTLESSLY BUT UNREASONABLY ATTACK THE PEOPLE’S GOVERNOR AND HEAD OF THE RESCUE MISSION. BY SO DOING OHAKAM HAS STUMBLED AGAIN. IT APPEARS OHAKIM BELIEVES HE HAS AN ENTIRE LIFE TIME TO STUMBLE OR HOW MANY STUMBLES DOES HE THINK HE HAS THE LUXURY OF BEFORE HE FALLS FULL LENGTH AND BE CARRIED OUT OF THE POLITICAL RING. IS IT INFINITY? AS FOR THE ELECTION OF 2015 IT IS LIKELY THAT MEMBERS OF APC IN IMO STATE ARE PRAYING FOR OHAKIM TO EMERGE AS THE FLAG BEARER OF PDP SO THEY CAN HAVE A FIELD DAY AND FIND THE ROAD TO VICTORY MUCH EASIER. CHIEF IKEDI SIR, PLEASE WIN THE PDP PRIMARY, I BEG-O-O-O. IF FOR ANY REASON YOU FAIL TO WIN MAY IHEDIOHA WIN. BUT FOR THE DICTATE OF STATUTE I WOULD HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT ALL THE 18 OR MORE PDP ASPIRANTS SHOULD RUN ON ONE TICKET AGAINST THE OWELLE NDIGBO—THE ORACLE, THE MAN WITH THE MAGIC WAND TO TRANSFORM AND BUILD AND IN A RECORD TIME TOO. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN INTERESTING RACE TO BEHOLD. BY DR IFEANYI OKWUCHI OWERRI, IMO STATE
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 14:28:49 +0000