Imo And The Second Coming Of Omenkeahuruanya

BY PAUL OBI

Paul Obi looks at the Rebuild Imo Project and the Omenkeahuruanya Movement spearheaded by Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha to herald his anticipated second coming

Imo occupies a central place in the Igbo-oriental cultural milieu, and mostly tagged along as the state of timber and caliber – like the late sage, Chief Sam Mbakwe. In Imo, Nigeria is bestowed with the rigour of Igbo culture and vibes of human capital development comparable anywhere in the world.

Yet since 2007, when the Achike Udenwa administration handed over the baton, it has been political harakiri on a free fall. From flogging of the men in cassock to Akpòlagi, and then ushered in constitutional vandals, the state of Sam Mbakee has become a mockery in democratic governance. Still, the episodes of January, 14, 2020 where jurists in Nigeria’s capital, far removed from the polling booth arenas in Imo thump printed for a contestant who came fourth in the real polls, Imo has regrettably lost the democratic appeal that makes her great. The sixty-four (64) thousand dollar question on the lips of many now is, is Imo politics stupid?

Imo is a great state with potentials; but as experiences have shown, it must first fix its wobble politics before economic growth would take stead. Thus, the problem of Imo is yielding so much of its political and democratic space to ‘yahoo yahoo governors,’ as Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu would say. Imo and her people, must therefore learn to keep their gubernatorial poll clean; keeping at bay political undertakers from participation. Imo might not be the only Nigerian state, confronting a democratic nadir. The plaque of mis-governance cuts across; particularly with the present collegiate club of state chief executives is alarming and runs deep. In Imo, the orgy of digression and distraction have been excruciating and outrageous. The stool and crown inside Douglas House is odious; and even smacks of perfidy – an amalgam of a stolen mandate.

Among the gubernatorial club and progressives, the heir of Douglas is not recognized nor accorded gubernatorial dues, and the emergence through the Supreme Court is seen as a heist. Among Imolites and the larger Nigerian population, the distrust is huge and damning. To many Nigerians, a forceful occupier does not have a place in a democracy, and as such lacks the constitutional mandate of Imo voters. In Imo, the wait to shift away that innocuous mandate chauffeured by the Supreme Court has been appealing and gladdening, just as kids wait for candy.

It is in that wait that the construct of the second coming of Omenkeahuruanya beckons. The definitive puzzle embedded in the name, Omenkeahuruanya is strong, potent and reliable. It symbolizes a performer, doer, a pragmatic character that delivers and perform that which is evident, and seen with beaming eyes. Not propaganda, nor a court of jesters, naysayers and poet-sychophants.

Omenkeahuruanya, is not just a pet name or an axiom for Rt Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. Within the six months of his stay in Douglas, Ihedioha lived to the billing of the name, and Imo had a semblance of what good governance should look like. It was evidently clear and seen that Imo was being railroaded back to the jubilant and ebullient years of Mbakwe, where infrastructural development and human capital development were at the forefront. Then, Ihedioha had multi-sectoral think-tanks to harness economic potentials that bestrode the Imo landscape for common good. Before occupying Douglas, Ihedioha had a good name – not perfect. Imperfection makes us human; perfection is reserved only for the divine creator. Rather, his dexterity and political sagacity remain tall and vast.

Conversely, some accused him of detachment and distance. Ironically, some insiders opined that Ihedioha takes care of outsiders and strangers far more than his inner circle and foot soldiers. Where and how then do we balance the equation? Still, very few Nigerian politicians can keep political group intact after or without power, the way and manner Ihedioha had sustained the Rebuild Imo Project group. Only Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, James Ibori (Ogidigbodigbo of Africa) and Liyel Imoke and few others share that feat. It takes expertise, political savvy, calmness and understanding of the political culture to thrive. Hate him or like him, no one can say Ihedioha is not a good politician. At least, he cares; not loud nor bombastic. He is well measured, collected and urbane with eyes fixated on rescuing Imo people from torrents of undemocratic rein, and decay of social life. In all, the Supreme Court somersault was a bitter pill and lesson to the ideals of Omenkeahuruanya.

Further, Omenkeahuruanya has learned his lessons. Next time, more attention will be paid to whoever occupies the Office of the Attorney General of the State (OAGS) even Chief of Staff (CoS). Before their eyes then, they allowed constitutional vandals to abruptly upturn the people’s mandate that was given at the ballot box, sweeping away the Rebuild Imo Project. Therefore, no such intellectual laziness should be allowed near the Omenkeahuruanya Movement and the Rebuild Imo Project. Rather, there is an urgency to open more; to be more receptive and embracing. There should be no need for commonpence, vendetta or payback. Instead, it should be governance, governance and governance, with Imo people front and centre.

In doing so, lessons must be learned. And if there is anything Omenkeahuruanya has to learn is from the current 2023 presidential run. Looking at the pool of presidential hopefuls, it is dominated by former governors. But only those who governed their states well in time past like Peter Obi; Bukola Saraki and Aminu Tambuwal are being taken seriously. The rest who pillaged, ravaged and manacled their states, running casino economies and atrocious governance in their infectious and incestuous wonderland have been declared non-starters by Nigerians. Thus, when politicians work and govern well to elevate and better the lives of citizens, people are aware, and are always on the verge to honour such politicians with a more higher and lofty elevation. What would the second coming of Omenkeahuruanya portend for Imo people?

Politically, the Rebuild Imo Project is presently facing an in-house tussle in Ihedioha’s main enclave over who takes over the Owerri Senatorial District in a zero-sum battle between the incumbent Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi and Hon. Uche Onyeagocha. What would Ihedioha do now? Some are of the view that Sen. Onyewuchi has garnered so much experience that he should be allowed to go for a second term; others feel Onyeagocha connects well and he is likewise capable. From feelers on the field, attempts by Ihedioha to pacify the situation has not yielded positive outcomes. Onyeagocha is pressing on and he is being lend a space by supporters discontent with the status quo to wrestle Onyewuchi. How does Ihedioha intends to navigate this murky political waters?

Beyond the political uncertainty, from Ideato, Ikeduru, Mbaitoli, Ehime-Mbano, Orlu, Orsu, Isu, Nwangele, Owerri down to Mbutu; women, youths, business class and political class, the main political sing-song is for Ihedioha to return to Douglas House. It is a wait to restore real democracy and displace garrison politics of voting and electoral mandate stealing, arson and insecurity that has slowly come to define Imo. Ahead of 2023 gubernatorial poll, many Imo voters look forward to Ihedioha to hand him the tools to deliver Imo, just as Anambra citizens have done with Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo. Already, in a recent rally in Owerri last month to celebrate the new National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Sam Anyanwu (Sam Dede), Rivers State Governor, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike forewarned Imo electorates that the “greatest mistake” they would make is to allow a comeback of hijackers of democracy in 2023. A clear path to veer away from that dangerous situation is a unified house built around Omenkeahuruanya as 2023 draws near.

Coincidentally, tomorrow is Ihedioha’s 57th birthday anniversary; therefore, the move to rebuild and restore Imo begins in earnest. Will Ihedioha shine? Will Imo relish his rein and stay in Douglas? What does Ihedioha’s second coming portend for Imo citizens? Can we flip the page of Willam Butler Yeats in his poem, The Second Coming to say that with Ihedioha, the Imo falcons can and will hear the falconer? The answers to the above puzzles yawn for a passionate appeal in support of Ihedioha; in Omenkeahuruanya, the symbolism is to do good that can be seen – practice what you preach. In Ihedioha, Imo awaits with nostalgia!

SOURCE: THIS DAY

Rochas Okorocha Is Not My Leader, Not My President

BY KENNETH UWADI

Rochas Okorocha

Vultures are evil birds that are always available, and are at their best, nodding their ugly heads in sadistic happiness, only when the news is about death, decay and the resultant availability of flesh. Former Governor of Imo State and the Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, Rochas Okorocha on Monday 31st January 2022 formally declared his intention to run for president in the 2023 general election. Okorocha announced his ambition at an event held at the ICC in Abuja. He said he remains the best leader to unite and bring Nigeria together. He said he was the most qualified of all the aspirants jostling for the exalted office of Presidency, going by his antecedents in social empowerment investment across all the six geo-political zones of the country. For me the gathering at the ICC Abuja by Rochas Okorocha and his cohorts is the gathering of the vultures.

The essence of any leadership position is to use one’s experience to work for the good of the overall majority, to create enabling environment for the survival and development of a just and balance society, a society devoid of rancour and unwholesome practices, a society that is free of corruption and bigotries, a society that is built on trust and sincerity of purpose and indeed, a society where ethnic and religious differences does not matter. A leader of any type ought to be honest, truthful, reliable and steadfast. And if we need a good leader for Nigeria in 2023, then Rochas Okorocha is not my Leader and not my President.

It is sad to observe that this former governor of Imo that caused severe havoc to the State’s socio-economic and political advancement and made the State to be walking on crutches, that amputated the state by his corruption, mismanagement and inefficiency is the one staging a press conference in Abuja and declaring his desire to extend his evil, havoc and heavy devastation to the entire Nigeria. May God save Nigeria from vultures in positions of leadership planted by the descendants of Serpents in alliance with some negative internal forces feeding fat on the flesh of the people. Some so-called leaders are worse than vultures; they feed only on living human flesh. They mercilessly corner the resources meant for the development of the entire society for themselves, their families and friends, while the helpless poor masses are left to waste away, dying needlessly of hunger, avoidable diseases and extreme suffering.

These shameless and empty leaders are ruled by extreme greed, short sightedness, deep folly, Corruption and other base considerations like tribe and religion. They lack the knowledge, foresight, patriotism, tact and diplomacy needed to build a modern, organized society. They have become totally besotted by extreme luxury and other paraphernalia of office. They enjoy using the best industrial products of the developed world and like moving about in their fine/well planned cities, but would never think of replicating the good things they use, see or observe in these places in their own societies. Yet, Nigeria is well, if not better, endowed with all the relevant natural resources than some so-called developed world. Okorocha is not my Leader, not my President, I abhor corruption! It deprives the world of resources needed for common good or greater good for all Nigerians. Because Nigeria is dear to my heart and because Nigeria is where my heart is, the mention of Nigeria and corruption in the same sentence riles and agitates me inordinately.

My President in 2023 must possess the ability to think on his or her feet, in addition to possessing local knowledge of Nigeria’s many ethnic regions and their peculiar problems. He must be a good team player, communicator and strategic planner, capable of influencing international opinion through a well orchestrated programme of economic diplomacy. He must have a sound knowledge of the workings of the oil sector, and must be committed to a programme of opening up and creating other revenue streams for the country, especially from the agricultural, steel and other neglected sectors. My President must have on top of his or her agenda the provision of basic social amenities for Nigerians, the rebuilding of dilapidated infrastructure, reduction of poverty as well as the improvement of the quality of life of Nigerians. He must make it possible for Nigerians to experience the true dividends of democracy.My president must have a university degree. He should be able to carry all Nigerians along in the formulation and implementation of government policies. My President must not have previous cases or allegations of corruption against him. He should be willing to demonstrate a track record of selfless service, either from years of working in the private or public sectors. He must not have a background in profligacy and dalliance. He must be a morally and ethically upright personality who should also function as a role model to Nigerians.

Mama Roz’s Chronicles: Kidnap, A Widow’s Tale

BY ROZ AMECHI

Emenike Ihekwaba. Image: Twitter

Kidnapping has become an all too familiar evil in our society today and was at some point a way of life in the Eastern part of Nigeria. Many victims made it home safely but sadly some didn’t. Chy’s story takes us through the tragic pain and trauma this experience causes to the family and friends of the victims.

Chy’s Story

When Chy and Emenike met in June 1987, it was love at first sight. In fact, he proposed to her on that first day and she, mesmerised with this tall, handsome and debonair fellow, quickly accepted. They got married a year later on the 29th of October 1988. Like most marriages, the early days were pure bliss but as the years passed, things began to go sour. Her husband kept late nights, drinking with his friends much to her annoyance and irritation. Chy responded by joining the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) who taught her how to pray for her husband and marriage. It worked. He gave his life to Christ and joined the FGBMFI rising swiftly to the position of Chapter President. Chy was ecstatic. Her marriage “became new” again, they spoke the same language and their children were happy. Their home had turned into an enviable Christian home and they prayed that they would eventually age and enjoy their grandchildren together. Unfortunately, that was not meant to be.

In the first week of August 2012, the couple sent their children on holiday to the US. Emenike, having risen to the position of Permanent Secretary of the Imo state government, had formed the habit of holidaying abroad with his wife and children. They visited the United Kingdom and the United States as frequently as they could. This year was no different and they had sent the children ahead with the plan that Emenike would join them two weeks later. A week to his travel date, his boss, the Deputy Governor of the state, asked him to postpone his trip as he wanted to travel and the two of them could not be out at the same time so he shifted his dates two more weeks ahead.

On Sunday 26th of August, they had been invited to two events. One was in Mbano for the thanksgiving service of a priest whose ordination they had been unable to attend and the second was a child dedication service in their home church, St Paul’s in Nkwerre. They decided to attend both. Leaving home at 8am, they attended the Mbano service and left at 12 noon for Nkwerre. As they usually did, they stopped briefly at Amaraku market to buy goat meat for Emenike’s favourite pepper soup.

Chy waited in the car whilst Emenike went into the market to buy the meat. It wasn’t long before he returned, with the meat seller who was carrying the meat, to the car. He opened the front door, put the meat in and then went to the back to open the door, when an SUV stopped dramatically in front of their car, blocking their exit route. It all happened so fast. Three hefty young lads in black wearing bullet proof vests with the words “Police” on the front, alighted from the car. Chy was puzzled. She could not imagine what they could have done wrong to justify this aggressive approach and she asked them “what did we do?’. No one answered her. One came towards her door whilst the other two went directly to her husband.

Emenike figured immediately that these were not real policemen and he shouted “Chy run!”. She didn’t need to hear anything else. As if transported by an unseen force, she ducked under the arm of the man by her door and started running. She hadn’t taken two steps before they started shooting. She thought they were shooting at her but she didn’t stop. She just kept running as her husband had told her to. Everyone in the market started running too. There were some women conducting their August meeting nearby, they ran too. It was complete pandemonium. As she ran, her headtie, outer wrapper, bag and slippers all fell but Chy kept running. She saw an open door and went inside. There were people there. She was trembling and her heart was pounding. She didn’t know where Emenike was and she was terrified. After about 15 minutes the shooting stopped and people went back outside again. She asked where the man she was with was, and they told her he had been taken in the boot of the robbers’ car. Hearing that, her heart sank, she fell to the ground and started weeping. Her nightmare had just begun.

A little boy came and gave her back her bag. She looked into their car. Her husband’s phones and wallet were still there. These were clearly not armed robbers so she wondered what their mission really was. Why did they come for Emenike? It also turned out that they didn’t actually shoot at anyone. They just shot at the tyres of all the cars on the street to make sure that no one came after them. A couple of real policemen appeared from nowhere and started interrogating her until one of the bystanders stopped them. “Can’t you see the state she is in? please leave her” he said. They let her go and she returned to Owerri without her husband.

Chy called her brother-in-law who was attending the event in Nkwerre. He went to the scene of the incident. The driver who had also run, had now reappeared and was taken to the police station but a call came from Government House asking the police to release him and the vehicle. So now, all they could do was sit and wait for the kidnappers to make contact. Chy went to the bank and withdrew all her savings. Then she called friends, relatives and colleagues asking them to donate what they could. She wanted to have enough money ready for the kidnappers. She was quite hopeful.

As she sat and waited, she remembered a similar experience she had with her eldest son four years before. It was in September 2009 and armed robbers had come to their house. They took her 14-year-old son and kept him in the bush for 8 days. During that time, she did not eat or sleep a wink. She just sat and prayed; but after they paid one million Naira, she got her son back. She was convinced that the same would happen with Emenike. They would ask for money; she would pay and then he would come home. She never expected things to turn out the way they did.

The kidnappers did not call till the fifth day and when they did, they asked for N50m. Negotiations started at that point. No one had that kind of money and even though he was a government official, the government offered no assistance. It took two weeks, back and forth, and then finally they were given 48 hours to produce N10m. Chy had managed to collect N6m so they had to find the balance. The kidnappers also wanted 3 bottles of Hennessey. They sent instructions about where the money should be dropped off. Chy stared at the GMG bag of money when they finally managed to collect it all. She had never seen so much cash in her life. N10m in cash! She hadn’t even seen N1m. They had strict instructions not to involve the police and they obeyed. The money was taken to them at the drop off spot. Two men on a motor bike appeared and collected the money and her brother-in-law was told to go to Obinze barracks to pick up her husband.

Finally, it was all over. Success at last. They all rejoiced when her brother-in-law called and said he had been given a location. They arranged a clinic for him to go for a check-up. Chy cooked his favourite fish pepper soup with agidi. He was to be picked at 12 noon so by that time, everything was ready and they waited.

At 6pm her brother-in law called to say that he was still waiting and Emenike had not come. Chy was crushed and confused. She couldn’t process that information. Looking back, she remembers that day as the worst day of her life. She had waited for her husband to return from the kidnapper’s den but he never did. Eventually they asked her brother-in-law to come home. It was really all over but it had ended so horribly. They all started wailing. This was not the end they had expected. This could not possibly be the end. But Emenike never came home and Chy never saw her beloved Emy again.

Years passed but her agony did not diminish. She kept wishing and longing to see Emenike; his smiling face and his comforting arms. Every day even now, she looks out for him thinking that by some miracle, he will walk through the door. If he had died, she would have buried him and moved on but this situation offers no closure. The pain, trauma and agony are unimaginable but she has learnt to live with them.

Chy did all she could. She wrote petitions to the First Lady, Dame Patience and her Senator, Chris Anyanwu who contacted the Commissioner of Police but nothing came of it. She paid for policemen to come to Imo state with trackers from Port Harcourt but the required government support was not forthcoming and eventually they left, taking with them all the hope she had.

She suffered from high blood pressure, low blood pressure and heart palpitations but her mother ever by her side, was her rock. She stood by her all those years. She made her strong and taught her how to carry on in spite of all the odds. She herself had also lost her husband when she was only 44 and had buried her son who was to become a reverend father but she overcame those challenges and now encouraged her daughter to do the same.

At the time of the incident none of Chy’s children had graduated but she had to counsel them and tell them they must succeed so that when their father comes home, he would be proud of them. After 7 years she was advised to perform a burial ceremony in his honour. She did that in 2020 and erected a tomb.

Her four children have all graduated now. Her two daughters are married and she has five grandchildren whom Emenike has never seen. Her mother passed away in September 2021 and has since been buried.

In 2014, Emenike turned 60 and was due for retirement. Chy was asked to apply for his benefits and she did, but nothing was paid. She is still pleading with the Imo state government to consider her case and pay the benefits to give her and her children some much needed respite. She is hoping that someone will read this and be moved to reach out to the Imo state government on her behalf.

Owerri (Owere), Where Three Is A Crowd

BY FRANK MEKE 

OWERRI (SUN NEWS ONLINE) There’s something magical about Owerri, capital city of landlocked Imo State. This magical expression is about the people, so simplistic, accommodating and loving.

Ofe owere, the most expensive culinary identity and hospitality offering of the people, is the most popular soup in Igboland. Yes, there are other Igbo soups, ofe owere, a soup named after the gregarious indigenous people of owere, ranks number one within the town and outside.

In this town, which could be likened to Las Vegas, hotels and hospitality outfits abound. It is indeed an economy and industry.

Sadly, regulation and enabling environment for its sustainability are hugely lacking, coupled with poor penetration to the rural areas, where culture of the people hold sway.

From ngba (traditional wrestling), football competitions, traditional marriage, women, youths and men meeting (umunna, ndi Ada, ndi nne na nna), it is usually a coalition of colours and tongues, celebrating the return of sons and daughters who left home to greener pastures, and came back home to rejoice with expectant relations.

Over the years, that is how we roll across the East. Most us born outside this clime, take time to mingle. The love of relations, aunties and uncles were worth looking forward to.

I love the pounded yam of my mother’s people, with the oha soup delicacy. The village to village masquerade dance, the football games and the entertaining umu ada dances and xtmas choir.

Oh dear, Owerri, the soul of Igbo nation appears buried. The politicians have destroyed the heritage and culture of the people. The good old days of holidaying and visiting Owerri is gone and is like a dream.

We watch the known and unknown gun men steal our peace. An average owere man or woman, hates violence. It is taboo, to speak or generate violence in Owerri land.

It is a sacrilege to fight on days of celebration, it offensive not to love your neighbors and relations. To disturb the peace of palm wine and ogba mingled with stock fish, loving Owerri man, is to offend the gods. To frustrate the sharing and expression of hospitality to visitors, is to get the owerri man, to report you to Amadioha.

There no peace in owerri land today. It is not the making of the people. We went to bed and allowed the enemies to invade our once peaceful land.

We are like conquered people. Harassed daily by strange faces, both known and unknown. It’s even more painful that supposed known gun men, the security agents are now at behest of making the poor and innocent uncomfortable.

The fearless and outspoken but hospitable owerri person cannot move around the city without daily encounter with strange men in and out of uniform. Check points turned to points of untimely death now stir the people in the face.

Heavily hooded security agents now replace our masquerades. Police stations now turned village squares where the innocent and simplistic are put on judgement seat.

It is an offense to ride with friends and family around owerri. Three is a dangerous number and a crowd. No mercy for the tradition and culture loving owerri man.

There are now boundaries everywhere, some local areas, are profiled and if you dare, reveal your affinity, it is God that can save you.

Daily, strange and disturbing news of harassment of indigenes and their visitors abound. As much as one acknowledges that this is not best of time security wise across the country, it is benumbing to hear of tales of strange blanket condemnation of the innocent.

I recall an encounter of Borno state governor, Professor zulum with security agencies who he upbraided for subjecting innocent travellers on Maiduguri road to hardship

No doubt the lives of our security persons Matter and their sacrifices appreciated, it’s however unacceptable to chase innocent out of their homestead or to generate unbridled bitterness, inimical to return of peace to a land and its hospitable people, traumatized by senseless unknown gun men.

Can two people do anything meaningful except they agree? Do you secure a place without the people? In other places where there security challenges, it is apt and desirable to woo the people, unfortunately the reverse is the case in Nigeria.

To most of our security operatives, the road blocks are opportunities to drive the people away, label the innocent and punish those who ordinarily if well treated as fellow citizens deserving of dignity, would have assisted with information and tips to nab the nefarious in our midst.

The situation across the once peaceful eastern states not just Owerri alone, is sad. The fearful militarization, portend return to anarchy.

The people are not safe not because there are no presence of security persons but because between the unknown and known gun men, there exists a huge deep blue sea divide.

Significantly, the government of Hope uzodinma, seems unmoved by the overzealousness on the part of the security agencies. And for a government that depends more on diaspora investment, to allow imolites to go through this molestation, won’t help the hunt for the unknown gun men.

I should think that the Igbo nation has enough traditional engagement processes and platforms that can arrest the violence and help the speedy restoration of peace in Imo state.

Like many other Owerri persons, the village is no longer attractive as a destination for physical and spiritual reinvigoration. From covid 19 pandemic, now to a security lockdown, Owerri is a hard sell for holidays and recreation.

And for the love of Ofe Owere, it is wise to save your life, family and friends and watch your movements if you must visit owerri during the festive season and after.

Let me advice, if you must visit. Don’t argue with any man with a gun, respect security agents if accosted, no shouting, no finger pointing. If you are drunk, stay home. Hold seriously to your temper, bear the humiliation and walk away if allowed to go.

Don’t go grandstanding with your” mint car” and naira notes. The security agents are human and not all are free from the temptation of the flesh.

Don’t turn the check points to lecture room on English language, speak Igbo if the officer understands, and if he is not Igbo speaking, dialogue in low voice in pidgin English. Avoid night movements and parties. Sleep wherever the night meets you.

Don’t push your luck for a dead man is a dead man. If you allow yourself to be killed, there are still thousands of unresolved accidental killings across the country.

If you ask me, please stay away. There are many xtmas celebrations ahead. Is someone out there, reading this? It is no dream, at least you can wake up safely from a dream but you cannot wake up if you are shot dead simply because you cannot read or interpret the signs of the season.

INTERVIEW: ‘Nweze’s Dissenting Judgment Will Haunt Us As Nation For A Long Time’

John Baiyeshea


Alex Enumah interviews Mr. John Baiyeshea, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on the recent Supreme Court on the Imo State governorship election

Would you say that the Imo governorship final verdict by the Supreme Court was a convenient escape route by the court to redeem its image?

The Court just decided to insist on its ‘finality’ posture at the expense of Justice.
I truly and sincerely believe that the Court knew that a mistake was made in the judgment that removed Ihedioaha. But I think they had great difficulty reversing themselves so soon, probably thinking of the image of the Court in the international community. It seems to me that Justice was sacrificed on the alter of some mundane and hidden considerations.

Having established several past precedents, why do you think the Supreme Court refused to reverse itself?

The answer to this second question is same as the answer to the first question. Supreme Court found itself in a ‘culdesac’ or a ‘dead end’ of some sort. It just decided to stand by its earlier judgment (even if it was wrong). That is why Justice Nweze in dissenting judgment said the judgment will haunt us as Nation for a long time. It is as if our long established jurisprudence on election matters has been turned ‘upside’ down. We, in the legal profession ,know that we have serious legal issues to contend with now and in future election cases. Nothing is sacrosanct anymore. The Bayelsa judgment too has the same ripple effect.

How do you think the Ihedioha case will affect future litigants in similar circumstance?

I adopt my answer above for this question.

The Supreme Court recently imposed unprecedented heavy fines on counsels. What other measures should the Court take to forestall abuse of court processes, particularly by politicians?

Well, the issue of imposition of heavy fines on the senior lawyers for approaching the Supreme Court to review its judgment is unprecedented and frightening. Actually, no Lawyer should be happy about that because it could have been anybody. The question whether or not the application for review was an abuse of Court process is judgmental. That is what the Justices said. I personally believe that whether they were right or wrong to come to that conclusion, time will tell. But one thing I am sure of is that there is no unanimity of opinion on that issue in the legal profession. So, the debate will go on for a long time.

God who is ultimate Judge, and he is the Almighty one that will eventually have the final/conclusive say in the matter.

Are you concerned that elections, in many instances, now appear to be decided by the courts and not the electorates?

The trend of the decision of the Supreme Court in the cases of Zamfara, Rivers, Imo and Bayelsa, cannot add value to our democratic and electoral processes in this Country. Any judgment that changes the will of the people expressed in voting at elections, through such judgments is what I refer to as ‘judicial shortchange’. It is doing more harm than good.

What is your take on the dissenting judgment by Justice Centus Nweze?

The dissenting judgment of Justice Centus Nweze was bold, courageous, factual and truthful.
I foresee a situation in which that minority judgment will one day (very soon), be not just the ‘majority’ judgment, but it will be the only (celebrated) judgment.

Should the right of a litigant be sacrificed because the Supreme Court is final?

It is not just that the right of a litigant is being sacrificed by the finality of the Court. Justice is being sacrificed. If people are not convinced that Justice has been done, then the Supreme Court itself cannot be happy and must be concerned that it is not serving the people well. After all,the Court’s ultimate relevance is that it is looking after the welfare and wellbeing of the Nation. There is too much criticism of the Court’s showing in recent times. So,the Court must do a critical appraisal with a view to making necessary adjustments.

With signal from the Supreme Court can we conveniently say that the Judiciary is the last hope of the common man.

SOURCE: THIS DAY LIVE

ACADEMIC: FUTO Develops Indigenous Recycling Technology

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI (VANGUARD)--The Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO, says it has developed indigenous technology for recycling wastes into marketable and useful products. 

The institution’s Vice-Chancellor, VC, Professor Francis Eze, who disclosed this weekend, while addressing parents guardians and the 4,841 matriculating students of FUTO, also announced that the project has already received a boost.

“This initiative of turning waste to wealth, received a major boost last week, when the University signed a memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, on reclamation and recycling of plastic wastes”, Eze said. 

He was optimistic that the collaboration would deepen the University’s waste recycling programme, especially in their current effort to generate electricity from heterogeneous waste. 

His words: “As we pat ourselves on the back for the appreciable progress of our University, a lot still needs to be done in the area of provision of facilities and infrastructural development.

“On our part as the University Management, we have ensured the provision of facilities within the limit of available resources needed for teaching and the overall wellbeing of our students.” 

The VC lamented that “insufficient funds have adversely affected our ability to upgrade facilities and implement some of our novel ideas.” 

Professor Eze said that extortion of students, sexual harassment and sale of grades, is highly prohibited, as any staff found culpable, would be sanctioned, in line with our regulations, adding that “to demonstrate FUTO’s commitment to the fight against sexual harassment, the Governing Council has approved the University Sexual Harassment Policy, which is aimed at discouraging any form of unhealthy sexual relationship between staff and students.” 

He also warned that the University does not condone any act or unethical behaviour that could breach the peace of the University or bring the esteemed image of the University to disrepute. 

The VC warned the fresh students that the University often wields the big stick to sanction students convicted of examination malpractices, robbery and cult activities, either through outright expulsion or rustication for one or two academic sessions. 

“Currently, some students, who were found culpable of various offences, have been expelled from the University, while others are serving punishment of rustication. I plead with you, to avoid acts and behaviour that could terminate this golden opportunity you have, as a student of this University”, the VC cautioned the new students.

Full Statement By Emeka Ihedioha After Supreme Court Decision

Emeka Ihedioha

Dear Ndi Imo and fellow Nigerians,

On Tuesday 3rd March 2020, the Supreme Court of Nigeria gave a ruling rejecting our application to set aside its earlier judgement of 14th January 2020 on the Imo State governorship election. This is certainly not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for and I know how disappointed you must feel. While it is disheartening to note that your desire to introduce good governance has been halted, at least for now, it is also gratifying that our modest efforts have not gone unnoticed. I, therefore, feel a sense of pride and gratitude for the wonderful energy and commitment that we deployed together to secure the mandate that has now been brazenly stolen from us.

Permit me to use this opportunity to thank all those who played one role or another in this historic quest for justice and truth. I must thank members of the diplomatic community for voicing their concerns for the stability of our country. I commend the Chairman and Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for their vanguard role and leadership during this period. 

In particular, my special thanks go to all Imo citizens for their uncommon support, solidarity, and collective outrage. Never have people been so united and committed to a cause. You prayed, fasted, marched, protested and even cried. You sacrificed your time, resources, and endeavour for this just cause. On this matter, the people of Imo State collectively rose to demand for justice and fairness. Imo people rose up in defence of their right to elect leaders of their choice. Our people resoundingly rejected oppression and power grab, defied imposition, injustice and tyranny. I salute Imo people for this display of courage in the face of oppressive state power.

I will forever be in the debt of Nigerians of all walks of life, across ethnic, religious and political divides, senior citizens, journalists, civil societies, ordinary men and women of good conscience, who added their voice to condemn the injustice done in our case. These are people unknown to me personally but who could not bear the illogic of turning number four to number one on the basis of a fraudulently procured result, and appealed to the Supreme Court to save itself and our judiciary. 

Whatever may be the personal injury I suffer as a result of the miscarriage of justice, my main concern in this whole tragic episode is not about me. It has always been about the implications this judgement could have for the future of our democracy and the right of the electorate to have their votes count. If institutions that are critical to the entrenchment of the rule of law could thwart the wishes of the people in a cynical manner, where lies the future of our democracy? That was why I sought a review of the Supreme Court judgement. Even though justice was not served at the end, the well-articulated dissenting judgement delivered by His Lordship, Justice Centus Nweze, has vindicated our stand. I am sure that history and posterity will be kind to him.

To those who are rejoicing about their successful political fraud at the expense of Imo people, as well as their collaborators, let me leave them with the immortal words of the late journalist, Dele Giwa: “No evil deed will go unpunished; any evil done by man to man will be redressed; if not now then certainly later; if not by man, then by God for the victory of evil over good is temporary’. We believe that God will render the ultimate judgment. He has been with us through this peaceful struggle. And our future is in His hands.

In conclusion, I wish to express my appreciation to members of our legal team who pushed the frontiers of electoral jurisprudence to advance our constitutional democracy. I wish also to thank my team of committed colleagues who served in various capacities during our administration. It has been a great privilege to serve the people of Imo State as Governor. I am proud to have been the recipient of their genuine mandate. I will forever cherish the support, solidarity and cooperation given to me during my tenure. My belief in the ultimate triumph and supremacy of the will of the people remains intact. I pray God to bless and reward all those who stood firm on the path of justice and fair play.

On a personal note, I accept trials and difficulties as part of life as they enable one to become wiser and more sympathetic to the plights of others in similar circumstances. But I am firmly resolved NEVER to give up on the struggle for a better Imo State. And for a better governed Nigeria. May God bless Imo State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

Thank you and God bless.

POLITICS: The Immediate Challenge Of Imo APC

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma. Image: Facebook

BY EMEKA ASINUGO

The tussle between the main Opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State took a 360-degree turn when the Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Election Tribunal and the Appeal Court and confirmed Senator Hope Uzodinma of the APC as the legitimately elected governor of Imo State on 3 March 2020. In an attempt to get an earlier verdict repealed, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha and his team of lawyers from the PDP camp had requested the apex court to review the case in the light of new evidences of mass discrepancies during the elections. But among its 7-man panel of jurists, six members stood their grounds while one insisted that the Supreme Court erred and should reverse its earlier decision.

Many observers had hoped that the Supreme Court was at least going to call for a re-run of the elections. But the eminent jurists stuck to their guns and insisted that Senator Uzodinma remained the governor because they could not possibly afford to lose face by swallowing the saliva they had earlier spat out. They probably relied on the often quoted dictum of the erudite Supreme Court jurist, Chuwudifu Oputa, who said the Supreme Court is not supreme because it was infallible, but it was infallible because it is Supreme.

The Imo gubernatorial case immediately raised very important political questions which the judiciary in Nigeria must be careful to consider in future electoral judgments. Was it constitutionally lawful for the court to impose a leader on the voting masses by virtue of legal technicalities? In the case of Uzodinma versus Ihedioha, for example, none of the two candidates secured the mandatory spread of votes across two-thirds of the local government areas of the state. Therefore, for any of them to be declared the winner, based on legal technicalities, clearly ran against the provisions of the constitution.

The unwillingness of the apex court to consider the fact that the number of votes accredited to the incumbent governor was far in excess of the total accredited number of voters was another glaring case of complacency. There were other arguments for and against the justification of the verdict. But at the end of the day, the Supreme Court had its way and declared Senator Uzodinma as winner.

It is important, at this juncture, to appreciate the fact that both Senator Hope Uzodinma and Hon. Emeka Ihedioha are sons of Imo land. So, since Uzodinma has been recognized by the highest court in the land over and above Ihedioha as the incumbent governor of the state, any further agitations against his continuation as governor would not only be a distraction of his focus on fulfilling his electoral promises, it would be a draw-back on the development of the very state everyone claims to love. So, the best bet would be for the people of Imo State to stop every form of agitation, rally round Uzodinma and his APC government, and help them deliver on their electoral promises.

When Senator Uzodinma unveiled his campaign manifesto to the good people of Imo State on 14 January 2019, he promised to focus on infrastructural development and to turn around the public image of the people of Imo State if elected into office. The event, still very clear in the memory of many Imo people and their well wishers had attracted dignitaries from across the state, which included traditional rulers, civil servants, market men and women, and the clergy. Party faithful and supporters were there also to chant accolades to the APC governorship candidate.

He had promised then, that his 5-point blueprint for the economic revival of the state would be consummated in a purpose-driven government, anchored on a tripod vision of economic recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation. In a nutshell, Senator Uzodinma promised to overhaul the structure of the civil service and cognate institutions to ensure a merit-based system. He promised to pay salaries promptly, especially those of civil servants and pensioners, to ensure greater productivity.

This is very important considering the fact that when civil servants are not paid as at and when due, there is a tendency for them to resort to corrupt practices to be able to provide food for their families and to pay their house rents and other bills like electricity bills. In the process, they unwittingly create the opportunity for their superior officers to cart away huge sums of public funds into private bank accounts because everyone is practically corrupt, leaving no one to blow the whistle when the big shots mismanage public funds.

Senator Uzodinma spoke on his desire to enhance education in the state. He would turn Imo State into a knowledge-driven economy and accelerate manpower development through a highly functional and qualitative educational system that would focus on science and technology. He would also establish or more like improve on the scope and spread of skills acquisition and vocational centres in the state. More importantly, he would establish job centres to enhance job search and placements for the myriads of school leavers in the state, desperately in need of jobs. This would also be important in warding off Imo youths from the temptation of involving in criminal activities.

But, somehow, Senator Uzodinma did not mention anything about child poverty in the state, which is also a worrying recurrent decimal indexing the real development of the state. In many communities in the state today, in villages and towns and even in the cities of Okigwe, Orlu and Owerri, so many young Imo children, some as young as eight years, can be seen hawking commodities like akara, banana, oranges, pure water and similar commodities on the roads and streets, even during school hours when they should be in school. In such a way, they are shamelessly exposed to hazards that include motor accidents, rape and even kidnapping. Imo children deserve a lot better treatment from their government. And Imo people hope that their children’s hope in Governor Hope Uzodinma to turn their fortunes around for the better would not remain an empty dream through the tenure of the governor.

The governor had also spoken of his vision of recovering the state economy and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of core infrastructure and micro, small and medium enterprises. This is indeed a bright idea. But the governor must appreciate that the place to start from with this beautiful idea is the revamping of strategies for the supply of electricity in the state which has remained most epileptic. No small or medium size business can succeed without constant electricity. In fact, many Imo sons and daughters in the Diaspora would rush home to help in the development of the state the moment it is known that the state can boast of electricity supply 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also, important trading routes between villages and urban areas need to be tarred to ensure that agricultural products are safely and quickly moved from the rural producing to the urban consuming areas. All these call for proper feasibility studies which can be easily carried out if the governor has a dependable team to work with.

In assuring the good people of Imo State that his government would be accountable to them, the governor had promised to conduct fair and credible local government elections in the state within the first 12 months of his tenure and to reconstitute the local government joint accounts allocation committee to manage and superintend local government funds. This is also a step in the right direction. For some years now, state governors have depended on the use of administrators appointed by them to run the affairs of local governments across the state. Many people had come to associate the process with the desire of the governors to also manage local government allocations from Abuja. And with their hands economically tied by the state governors, these administrators are unable to run the councils efficiently. So, now that Governor Uzodinma has promised to put the money for the running of local councils where it rightfully belongs, the people of Imo State would have to hold local government chairmen and their councillors who underperform responsible for the under-development of their rural communities if it becomes necessary.

All in all, Imo people have learnt through their experiences that when politicians come to seek their mandate, they say all kinds of things and make all kinds of promises to win their hearts and their votes. But as soon as they get the mandate, very little is done. The politicians strategize to remain in office for as long as they possibly can and thereafter they find a way to install their puppets in governance. There is no likelihood that the style would change during Uzodinma’s tenure but it would also be wrong to take him for granted. There have been instances where the stone that was rejected by builders became the cornerstone pillar of the house. No one knows yet what goodies Governor Hope Uzodinma will bring to Imo State.

Before he became a known politician during the 2000s, Uzodinma was the youth leader of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in Imo State of the Second Republic. He became prominent in Imo politics as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party. In 2003, he contested for the governorship of the state under the auspices of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) party and failed. In 2006, he came back to the PDP and sought to contest the governorship election again but lost at the primaries to Senator Ifeanyi Ararume. He was then appointed into the PDP Board of Trustees, from where he was elected into the Senate in 2011, and re-elected in 2015.

Uzodinma is a known businessman who has been involved in the oil and gas sector through his SMIEC Chemical Engineering & Construction Company Limited with which he executed many projects for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

He obtained his West African School Certificate from Mgbidi Secondary School, Orlu West in 1982 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and a Diploma in Transport Studies. He also has an honorary doctorate degree from Imo State University.

From the look of things, there is little doubt if any, that Governor Uzodinma is an astute politician who was able to manipulate virtually all members of the Imo State House of Assembly to defect to the APC on assumption of office after Ihedioha’s nullification. He obviously knew that it would be difficult and very expensive for him to succeed as a governor who had no party member in the state House of Assembly. Members of the House would simply have arm-twisted him to get whatever they wanted for themselves and their constituencies. But by massively defecting to the ruling APC, they would now literarily take direct instructions from the governor as members of the same party. How that is going to affect development in Imo State remains to be seen.

Be that as it may, it is now time for Imo people to embrace their fortune with pride and move on with the APC government to further develop their state. It will be necessary for all Imo to key behind the governor to build trust among people from the various local government areas of the state, and by extension, the Igbo Community world-wide because the Igbo abroad cannot claim to be united when those in the country are not. And the governor cannot unite the different factions, some supporting him, some supporting Ihedioha, some supporting Uche Nwosu, some supporting Ifeanyi Ararume and so on, unless Imo people are willing to come together now for the love of their state.

Governor Uzodinma should take his time to gather a good team. That is what makes government work in the interest of the people. He should also try and tolerate dissent. That is what makes democracy work. That is what makes a government become a listening ear. That is what points the governor to the knowledge of the desires and aspirations of those he is governing. The growth of democracy in Imo State is very crucial and very critical to the political history of Nigeria. So, the PDP must remain relevant in the governance of Imo State by maintaining its position as a responsible Shadow Government which the APC in the state cannot ignore or take for granted.

Whatever the APC government can achieve in these three remaining years will definitely define their position in 2023, barring electoral malpractices. One pressing demand is to ensure that APC legislators have properly located and identifiable constituency offices in their areas of jurisdiction and that they take the concerns of their constituents seriously. Imo people must move on and realize that no government can solve all the problems of the people. They should help themselves. They should make good use of the opportunity Governor Uzodinma will be willing to offer them. Our people have a saying that the taste of the pudding is in the eating. The APC government must now settle down to get Imo people to work together with Governor Hope Uzodinma, with the hope that it shall be well at the end of a long night. This is the immediate challenge of Imo APC.

Imo: A State In Need Of Functional Health Facility

Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu.

BY STEVE UZOECHI

The immediate past administration boasted about building one General Hospital in each of the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State. The projects could not be completed for the eight years duration of the Rochas Okorocha’s administration. Today, save for the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, Imo is in the dark, healthcare wise. STEVE UZOECHI reports from Owerri

The night was thick with trepidation and the feeling of helplessness, asphyxiating. From anxiety, it was utter gloom as loved ones waited with bated breath. Eventually, the long wait had come to an end with the shattering pronouncement by the doctors that Ndubuisi Emenike was dead.

Then, the wailing began; tears flowed freely as even men cried.

Men consoled men as women let down their hairs and wept inconsolably. It was a sight no one would wish to re-live in a long time.

It was a Sunday, January 26, 2020 and would for a long time be remembered by the political class in Okigwe senatorial zone and indeed the people of Imo State.

Between 6pm and 7.30pm of that night, the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri was literally ‘flooded’ by politicians of all shades, businessmen, high-equity individuals from different walks of life, stakeholders from Imo North and of course, the ‘everyday’ Nigerians resident in Owerri, the Imo State capital; all of who had dashed to the FMC, Owerri, in the hope that there may be some help they could render to save the life of Chief Ndubuisi Emenike, the renowned philanthropist and a senatorial candidate of the Action Alliance political party for the Imo North(Okigwe Zone) senatorial election.

In an alleged case of ‘accidental discharge’ or perhaps celebratory gunshots (friendly fire), Emenike had been shot by an officer of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and was rushed to the hospital, but did not make it out alive.

It was such a heart-rending way to die, for a man who had saved many lives, paid hospital bills for many, built houses, awarded scholarships and had in more ways than can be remembered, given value to humanity.

As sad as it is, not a few persons believe it was an avoidable death given the fact that it was not a head-shot or heart-shot that killed Emenike but a shot fired around the abdominal region.

They averred that what eventually may have killed the chieftain after all, may be the absence of a functional health facility around the area where the shooting took place, which is Isiala Mbano council area.

A senior medical practitioner, Dr. Hyacinth Emele, maintained that distance to the nearest medical facility may have been the undoing of the late Chieftain.

He said: “Most times, when people are shot, bleeding is what kills them. If a major vessel is hit by the bullet and it triggers torrential haemorrhage, the victim needs to be rushed to a hospital as soon as possible, not farther than five or 10 minutes from the place of incident. What needs to be done is to stop the bleeding fast. Usually when they are brought in as emergency, you see the medical personnel going straight to where the person was shot to put something there to stop the bleeding and that is how most of them are saved.

“But for a longer journey, perhaps with a major vessels affected, bleeding does a lot of damage. Usually, when they are brought in, most vital signs like the heart rate and pulse rate may not be obvious anymore and that may be indicative of internal bleeding. Such patients are wheeled straight into the theatre and opened up so that the bleeding can be stopped immediately depending on how much can be salvaged owing to the distance travelled.

“It is apparent that the distance travelled by the late Chieftain did not do him any good; the distance could actually be a major cause of his death because by the time they would have travelled to Owerri from Isiala Mbano council area, he would have bled into shock.”

As for abdominal shots, Emele said that victims of abdominal shots are often saved if intervention is timely.

“It is possible to survive abdominal shots. If it affects a major organ or vessel, then speed and timely intervention become expedient. For shots that affect the Femural vessel for instance; without swift and expert intervention, the patient will bleed to death”, Emele said.

When Ndubuisi Emenike was shot at Isiala Mbano, there was evidently no hospital within the vicinity or neighbouring community competent to offer basic medical intervention and stabilize him before onward journey to FMC Owerri for comprehensive treatment.

After the incident, Emenike was first rushed to the St. Mary’s Hospital Umunachi in Isiala Mbano but there was literally nothing the hospital could do for him and accordingly, they referred him to FMC, Owerri.

He was then ferried to the state capital, traversing at least two Local Government Areas before arriving the FMC, Owerri.

The question on the lips of every resident of Imo State is what became of the 27 new general hospitals for which budgetary provisions were made for several years.

The 27 new general hospitals were supposedly spread out across the 27 council areas of Imo State. What happened to the new general hospital supposedly built in Isiala Mbano and Ehime Mbano?

Ironically, for the eight years Senator Rochas Okorocha was in office as governor of Imo State, he did not complete the said general hospitals while perpetually listing them as one of his achievements in office.

The general hospitals became issues of political campaign described as an ambitious futuristic project by Okorocha’s loyalists while many other residents of Imo State, who were aware of the real status of the new general hospitals have dismissed same as a white elephant projects.

Okorocha inherited 11 general hospitals; the Imo State University Teaching Hospital and hundreds of health centres, yet for eight years, none of these were enhanced or improved upon to render the deserved healthcare services to the people.

From the records, Imo has a total of 1338 health facilities across the 27 LGAs; 805 of these are primary health facilities with 416 of the primary health facilities being publicly owned while 389 are privately owned.

The state also has about 531 Secondary health facilities with 19 being publicly owned while 512 are privately owned.

There was no evident effort from the Okorocha administration to improve on what he met on ground so that Imo people could access qualitative healthcare. Instead, he embarked on a fresh project of building 27 new general hospitals without, at least, standardizing one existing hospital to serve the Imo populace while his dream hospitals were underway.

Not even the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu, got the deserved attention. Instead, according to Governor Hope Uzodinma, the MRI machines procured by previous administrations for the Teaching Hospital were removed and taken to the Ochiedike Diagnostic Centre, Owerri, which at the time, was allegedly being run by Okorocha like a private enterprise.

Without completing and delivering any of the said new general hospitals, Okorocha still claimed he had spent a whopping N27billion in all the 27 uncompleted hospital projects.

While on the 27 new general hospital adventure, Okorocha had leased the 11 general hospitals he met to a private firm, Messrs Lantech Solutions Ltd and shortly after, the general hospitals were virtually grounded and abandoned with workers owed as much as eight months salaries.

The former governor apparently saw more of profits in health care service delivery than the humane and compassionate service it is.

To further deepen the woes of the health sector in Imo State, Okorocha aborted a $32million ultra-modern hospital project, revoked the land for the project and reallocated same to a petroleum dealer for a Petroleum Filling Station.

A Neurosurgeon, Prof. Philip Njemanze said: “Many Nigerian medical doctors overseas, at home and other investors had come together to establish a state-of-the-art hospital in Imo which would be the first of eight hospitals proposed by the group, but former Governor Okorocha stood against the project while many states would have been willing to offer us land for free.

“By now, the hospital, a $32million investment would have been functional. It was designed a paperless hospital with capacities for complex surgeries including heart and brain surgeries. The hospital was also designed to have a helipad for an emergency response helicopter. We had procured the land, done all the survey and feasibility studies. In fact, we had spent money in the neighbourhood of $18million before Okorocha illegally revoked the land, and destroyed the structures already put in place. He went ahead to reallocate the land for a petrol filling station. Nevertheless, we have won the case in court and hopefully there will be the enforcement of the judgment.”

Commenting on the death of Ndubuisi Emenike, Njemanze said it was the lack of emergency response system in the state that led to the death of the Chieftain.

He said: “How could you drive an emergency case of that nature through our dilapidated road networks for that long and not end up doing more damage than good. What the young man needed at the time was swift response and timely medical intervention, and not a long journey. A helicopter would have brought him to safety in no time as his treatment would have started right inside the chopper. You cannot run a country or state without an emergency response system. It is not the fault of the FMC, Owerri that he died but the leaders that failed to do what is right and needful for its citizens.”

He added: “I drafted a bill on emergency response for the state and I remember I took the proposal to former Governor Okorocha who told me to meet with him in his country home, Ogboko and he just trashed the proposal. He simply told me it was not what he wanted to do, that he had bought 15 ambulances for emergency and that was all. I couldn’t believe my ears.”

Without further gilding the lilies, Imo still bleeds from a total lack of functional health system.

The sad reality is that the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, which is a tertiary health institution is the only competitively functional health facility in Imo State.

Consequently, the FMC is overtly burdened as it solely dispenses healthcare services for primary, secondary and tertiary health needs which was not the original intendment of its founders.

The reality is that the primary and secondary health care systems in Imo State have totally collapsed and rather than hasten to its intervention, the former governor spent eight years executing building contracts only to leave behind 27 uncompleted buildings as 27 general hospitals.

Since, after Okorocha’s eight years in office, Imo is yet to have a governor who has settled-in to design a new health masterplan for the state. This is largely due to the political controversy that has dogged the seat of power in Imo State. And this was the situation when Ndubuisi Emenike died.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines a hospital as “An institution that is built, staffed, and equipped for diagnosis of disease; for the treatment, both medical and surgical, of the sick and the injured; and for their housing during this process. The modern hospital also often serves as a centre for investigation and for teaching.”

Suffice it to say that if there were 27 new general hospitals built and functional in Imo State, Emenike would not have died.

The newly 27 general hospitals could not save Ndubuisi Emenike because they were non-existent.

SOURCE: NEW TELEGRAPH

INTERVIEW: ‘Uzodinma Can’t Run Away From Engaging Different Groups In Imo’

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma

Nseobong Okon-Ekong dialogues with Chief Longers Anyanwu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress on expectations from Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State

EXCERPT:

As an insider of the APC decision-making clique are you aware of pressure on Governor Hope Uzodinma to extract certain compromise from him?

The so called pressure to extract special considerations by some power cliques from Governor Uzodinma is a common knowledge to all and sundry in the state. It has become a common knowledge to the people. I guess that’s why the new governor is being careful in who and whom to associate with in order not to allow them infest him with the virus of public opprobrium.
But I can truely confirm to you that there are some powerful clique here and there determined to arm twist the governor to bow to their whims and caprices without consideration to the wishes and aspirations of the overall Ìmo people. The governor should not fall for such heinous trap.

How would you advise the Imo State Governor to engage the contending interests like the former Action Alliance (AA) candidate, Uche Nwosu and Godwin Araraume of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) who could have played the spoiler but allowed him a relatively smooth sail?

In a complex state like Ìmo, there’s no way the governor will run away from engaging with different with groups no matter their colour and shape. But he has to be at his best having the fear of God and in respect to the overriding sensibilities of Ìmo people. All the political parties and leaders you mentioned are all members of APC who left in pursuit of their individual ambitions as a result of the ‘macabre’ dance that ensued as a result of the implosion in APC before the gubernatorial primaries and elections. He has to accommodate all particularly those who genuinely want reconciliation.

Managing the different blocs within the APC in Imo State may be a major headache for the Governor, would it better for him to face governance squarely and allow the party chieftains to manage the intrigues within the party?

I totally agree with you. Politics and party intrigue is over. People should allow him concentrate on good governance delivery.

Imo State will now have an off-season governorship election, is that some kind of comforting news to the APC? Can this be exploited to an advantage?

No matter what season you fix elections it’s only God that’s the final arbiter. It doesn’t matter really the only thing is that it removes some pressure from the governor. However, it has its own attraction of eliciting national attention. I think the only panecea is to give people good governance. Simple.

What does the APC need to do to retain its winning edge?

APC under Governor Hope Uzodinma is sure-footed in Ìmo state now with his emergence. Senator Uzodinma, the governor is a consummate politician. You ignore him to your own peril. He is a party man per excellence. The greatest advantage APC will enjoy under his leadership is a generic growth of APC in the entire South-east. Watch out Igbo politicians will now join APC under his leadership because Uzodinma is a leader who knows how to work with everyone.

As you can see in the State House of Assembly, upon the emergence of Sen Uzodinma as governor all the members defected to APC. The PDP state chairman resigned.

SOURCE: THIS DAY LIVE

IMO STATE: What Wrong Have We Done?

BY PROF. NATHAN UZOMA PROTUS

According to Aesop the Philosopher, “There was once a dog who used to snap at people and bite them without any provocation, and who was a great nuisance to everyone that came to his master’s house. So his master fastened a bell around his neck to warn people of his presence. The dog was very proud of the bell and strutted about tinkling it with immense satisfaction. But an old dog came up to him and said, the fewer airs you give yourself the better, my friend. You don’t think, do you think that your bell was given you as a reward of merit? On the contrary, it is a badge of disgrace”.

What the above fable teaches is that notoriety or unsavoury reputation is often mistaken for fame. Someone may become famous for being insalubrious and can be celebrated in a morally depraved society like ours. The fable as reflected above has a lot to teach us concerning the present situation of Imo state.

In the words of Plato, “Human affairs are not worthy of much seriousness, and yet one must take them serious.” For Aristotle, “There are three tenses to a person’s life; what he is, what he has become, and what he is becoming”. Following these two assertions, one is tempted to infer that human affairs ought not to be taken seriously considering the fragile cum brittle propensity of humanity; however, if one considers the implication of not taking it so serious, one will have no option than taking it very seriously.

It is in taking it serious that some people kill for something that does not worth it. When one takes the case of Imo politics serious and relates it to our present situation, the philosophical analysis of Aristotle comes into play. The soul of Imo is seriously been battled for. Who will govern Imo? Is Chief Ihedioha wrong to have gone for the review of his case? Is Ihedioha now in the bad book of the Supreme Court judges for asking for the review of the case he claimed that justice was miscarried? Again, should Emeka Ihedioha ignore Senator Hope and allow him settle down to rule Imo without fighting for what he considers as his right? These are questions begging for answers. On the other hand should Gov. Hope fold his arms and watch Chief Ihedioha snatch away the victory he has laboured for all through his life time? I am getting worried because it is the soul of Imo that is under intense attack. Imo has always been a playing ground for political grasshoppers. Oh what wrong have we done?

In all these political battles, who are the beneficiaries and who are the losers? Imolites are suffering; we need stability in our polity. Both of them are not struggling to govern Imo because they love Imo more than Imolites; we all know what they want but the most desperate one is the most fearful.

Aesop was a slave and a philosopher of note, he embodies an epigram not uncommon in human history; his fame is all the more deserved in view of his logical cum allegorical way of presenting issues. In fact, his fame I must say is well deserved in our state now due to the correlating factor of his fables in our present day democracy in Imo state.

In his book, “Aesop’s Fables” a serious fable is highlighted on the old woman and the doctor. The fable goes thus, “An old woman became almost totally blind from a disease of the eyes, and consulting a doctor, made an agreement with him in the presence of witness that she should pay him a high fee if he cured her, while if he failed he was to receive nothing. The doctor accordingly prescribed a course of treatment, and every time he paid her a visit he took away with him some articles out of the home, until at last, when he visited her for the last time, and the cure was complete, there was nothing left. When the old woman saw that the house was empty she refused to pay him his fee, and, after repeated refusals on her part, he sued her before the magistrate for payment of her debt. On being brought into court she was ready with her defence. ‘The claimant’ said she ‘has stated the facts about our agreement correctly. I undertook to pay him a fee if he cured me, and he, on his part promised to charge nothing if he failed. Now, he says I am cured; but I say that I am blinder than ever, and I can prove what I say. When my eyes were bad I could at any rate see well enough to be aware that my house contained a certain amount of furniture and other things; but now, when according to him I am cured, I am entirely unable to see anything there at all.”

Like the fable of Aesop, when Archimedes the philosopher was expressing his intentions and capacity of moving the world by his dictum and allusion expressed thus, “Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth” Socrates had already responded, “Let him that would move the world first move himself”.

Do we need a Governor who like the doctor Aesop told us about who offered to cure a woman of her blindness, who in the same vein and in accordance with his usual propensity took away a piece of article from her house anytime he paid a visit. During his last visit, he left nothing with the woman. The woman saw him going with her properties one after another until the house was emptied and she refused to pay him his medical fee. The greedy doctor had the mind to sue her in the magistrate court for not paying him his fee as agreed.

The woman on her part was ready with her defence. She did not argue with the doctor at all rather she presented her own part of the story. In her words, “…I undertook to pay him a fee if he cured me, and he, on his part, promised to charge nothing if he failed. Now, he says I am cured, but I say that I am blinder than ever, and I can prove what I say. When my eyes were bad I could at any rate see well enough to be aware that my house contained a certain amount of furniture and other things; but now, when according to him I am cured, I am entirely unable to see anything there at all”.

We don’t need a governor that is like the medical doctor who came to cure our blindness but gradually he is taking away our heritage. We need peace in Imo no one is greater than ndi Imo.

IMO GUBER: PDP's Journey From The Streets to Supreme Court

BY ONYEKACHI EZE

OWERRI (NEW TELEGRAPH)--After series of street protests and visits to embassies, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) finally approached the Supreme Court, seeking a reversal of the judgement that sacked Emeka Ihedioha as Imo State governor, ONYEKACHI EZE reports...

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, was careful in his choice of words, when he addressed party members and supporters during a rally in Abuja on January 20, following the Supreme Court judgement that sacked Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo State.

The PDP national chairman had earlier disclosed the party’s intention to seek a review of the judgement. And he was careful not to offend the jurists when the party eventually files its petition for a review. That was why he told party supporters during the rally that PDP was only against the error observed in the judgement, but not the justices.

His words: “We’re not against you (Supreme Court justices), we’re against the error and by the special grace of God, I know you will revisit the error. All we are saying is that for you to review this error because the figures are not adding up.

“We, therefore, call on the leadership of the judiciary to please revisit and reverse the Imo State judgement because we believe that the figures are not adding up. That’s why we’re here, so that the world will hear us. We are a democratic nation, and therefore, all democratic nations of the world are hearing us – United States, United Kingdom, even the United Nations, the African Union and ECOWAS.

“We believe that people at the highest court of the land will hear our cry and revisit, review, and if possible, reverse, the judgement. This is time to show courage.”

The error in the judgement, according to the party was that the apex court inadvertently increased the number of votes in the March 9, 2019 governorship election, by 127,209 votes.

The number of accredited voters was 823,743, out of which, 739,485 was votes cast while 25,130 was cancelled votes, leaving 714,355 as valid votes. But with the addition of 127,209 to Uzodinma’s 96,458 votes (whom the Independent National Electoral Commission, said came fourth in the election), the total number of votes in the election increased to 950,952.

PDP said it “is highly irrational, unfounded, a provocative product of executive manipulation and a recipe for crisis, which should not be allowed to stand.”

The party added: “With the verdict, the Supreme Court executed a coup against the PDP and the people of Imo State as well as other Nigerians, and such must not be allowed to have a place in our democracy.”

On the heels of the judgement, PDP supporters had embarked on street protests. From Owerri, the Imo State capital, to Taraba, Anambra, Sokoto and others, the party mobilised its members and sympathisers to march against the judgement.

The party’s leadership, apart from staging the Abuja rally, also went to the embassies of the United States and France as well as the British High Commission, to submit a petition. It was equally at the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) headquarters in Nigeria for the same purpose.

But on February 5, the party and its candidate (Ihedioha) formally filed an appeal at the Supreme Court, asking it to review the January 14 judgement.

Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), Nigeria’s former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, who filed the appeal on their behalf, prayed the court to declare as “nullity the judgement delivered by this Honourable Court on the 14th of January 2020, in Appeal No. SC.1462/2019 and Cross Appeal No. SC.1470/2019.”

Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, is the first appellant/respondent, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) and INEC are the second and third appeallants/respondents, respectively. Ihedioha and PDP are respondents/applicants.

Governor Uzodinma has as well, filed a cross appeal, asking the court to dismiss the PDP petition on the ground that it is status barred. He argued that the window allowed by law for election petition has elapsed.

PDP and Ihedioha, in their motion on notice, argued that the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction to declare Uzodinma as elected in “an election petition which was based on two inconsistent and mutually exclusive grounds, to wit, (i) that the 1st Applicant was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election, the implication of which is that the majority of votes cast at the election were valid; and, (ii) that the election was invalid for noncompliance with the Electoral Act, the implication of which is that the election be annulled.”

They further argued that the apex court “did not have the jurisdiction to declare the 1st Appellant/Respondent as elected in the absence of any proof that the votes ascribed to him met the mandatory geographical spread stipulated in section 179 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).”

Further, the applicants contended that the Supreme Court “did not have the jurisdiction to declare that the 1st Appellant/Respondent met the constitutional geographical spread without providing in its judgement the reason(s) for that conclusion.

“The fraudulent nature of the additional votes was demonstrated by the fact that total votes cast as shown in the first appellant/respondent’s computation was more than the total number of voters accredited for the election and in some polling units more than the total number of registered voters.

“The fraud was also demonstrated by the fact that the result computed by the first appellant/respondent showed only the votes of the first applicant and the first appellant/respondent without specifying the votes scored by the other 68 candidates who participated in the election.”

To this effect, the applicants urged the court to hold that the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which dismissed Uzodinma’s petition as incompetent, continues to subsist as the appeal against that decision was not considered by the apex court.

The appeal was slated for hearing on February 18, but was later shifted to March 2, to allow both the respondents and applicants file their responses and replies.

The applicants are contesting the results from 388 polling units, which the Supreme Court relied on to declare Uzodinma winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship election. This amounted to 213,495 votes, which APC and Uzodinma believed, were unlawfully excluded from their votes during the election.

But PDP argued that exhibits 63RD1 to 63RD19 (which is INEC Forms EC40G) showed that there were no valid elections in the 388 polling units. INEC had told the court that the result from the 388 polling units did not originate from it.

The party’s argument on spread was that even if Uzodinma’s votes were allowed to stand, he did not get the spread in the required number of local government areas in Imo State.

To be declared governor of a state, section 179 (2) of the constitution stipulates that in addition to winning the highest number of valid votes cast in an election, the candidate must also secure 25 per cent of votes in two-third of the local government areas in the state.

Imo State has 27 local government areas. Two-third therefore is 18. PDP’s argument is that Uzodinma has spread in only two local governments, and could not be declared winner because he lacks the required spread.

But some advocacy groups argued that the court should rather order a rerun between the two political parties that have the highest number of votes (PDP and APC) since neither Uzodinma nor Ihedioha met the required spread. While Uzodinma has spread in only two, Ihedioha met the spread in 14 local government areas.

This is not the first time the Supreme Court is being asked to review its judgement. As a matter of fact, the apex court was approached on a number of occasions, asking it to review its earlier judgements. One of the most celebrated is the Johnson v Lawanson of 1970s. This was a case involving Kobina Johnson vs Irene Lawanson and others.

The Supreme Court, upon a request for review, regretted its earlier position that for a deed to be relied on by section 129 of the Evidence Act, it must be 20 years old at the date of proceedings. This was reversed to be 20 years old at the date of the contract.

Justice Coker who delivered the judgement, held that “when the court is faced with the alternative of perpetuating what it is satisfied is an erroneous decision which was reached per incuriam and will, if followed, inflict hardship and injustice upon the generations in the future or of causing temporary disturbances of rights acquired under such decision, I do not think we shall hesitate to declare the law as we find it.”

Consequently, the Supreme Court ordered that the appeal be re-heard by another panel of the justices of the Supreme Court.

PDP’s lawyer, in his final submission, reminded the jurists that “never in the history of this court have your lordships delivered a judgement which evoked the protest of the public. This one has. Therefore, we urge you, we appeal to you to take a second look at it.

“There is no doubting the fact that your lordships, being human, will from time to time fall into error. Prove to the world that when that happens, you will not lack the courage to correct yourselves. That is the unique opportunity that this case offers you.”

He further cited the case of Adegoke Motors v. Adesanya, where the Supreme Court stated that “it is far better to admit an error than to preserve an error.”

PDP is asking the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mohammed Tanko and six other justices, who delivered the January 14 judgement, to recuse themselves from the panel that would review the judgement.

The party said its demand was based on Section 36(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees fair hearing to every citizen or entity in the determination of his rights or obligations.

“Furthermore, the time honoured and tested principles of natural justice, particularly that no man shall be a judge in his own cause is particularly relevant to this solemn request.

“Allegation of bias or likelihood of bias goes to the root of fair hearing. Denial of right to fair hearing is a logical consequence of bias in any proceeding before a court or a tribunal,” PDP argued.