The name of Owelle Rochas Okorocha is fast becoming synonymous with confusion and disruption of conviviality at private and traditional ceremonies or functions.
What happened at Mbaise, Friday 16th August 2014 at the “Iri-ji Mbaise” is not only uncalled for, but undignifying. In that mud slinging and contumely between the Owelle and Chief Emeka Ihediola, both parties exceeded themselves in histrionic virulence and effusive political vitriol characterized by invidious sardonic political ambivalence.
The ensuring violence and physical harm done to many innocent citizens caught in the cross fire of bottle and stone throwing, is as regrettable, as it is, a foreboding presage of what may be expected at the forthcoming elections in Imo State, if political parties and the INEC do not enact restraining statutes against the use of philippic facetious expressions at campaign rallies. This incident could be a serious paranoiac warning!
Having said this, Governor Rochas Okorocha and his SSG, Prof. Anwuka with the State usual team of security network men, must now understand, and always be conscious of the fact that a State Governor is not only the No. 1 Citizen of the State, but also, more importantly, the Chief Security Officer of the State. He is not expected to use every platform for election campaign at which to reels off his performance in the state. He specifically ought to have realized that there are members of opposing political parties present and restrained himself on political utterances. Again, he ought not to have descended so low; condescending, as it were, to the level of the peevish pyromaniac psychosis of Chief Emeka Ihedioha. The exchanges, to say the least, exceeded the usual (perhaps tolerable) political rhetorics and plummeted into truculent obtrusive postulates. Thus degrading the state governor more than Chief Emeka Ihedioha, who is a deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.
The State official’s buck passing pleading mere response to Ihedioha’s first salvo, is at the best despicable and at the worst a sophism. The visceral feelings caused those present at the ceremony, not the less members of the opposing parties by the invidious speeches of both the governor and Chief Ihedioha completed the circle of syllogistic judgment, on both of them, as being deficient in self respect, wisdom, self control and tolerance which together make up the bulwark qualification for being entrusted with political power, not less governorship.
Again take the incident at the funeral service for the late Supreme Court Justice, Hon. Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, another case in point, in which our dear governor ran foul of protocol and was exposed to humiliation. This was a sort of replay of an incident at Anambra when a security official of another state governor confronted the Owelle in a squabble for seat. What a show of shame!
Again, some time last year, Governor Okorocha was reported to have looked on while his security details engaged the entourage of a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in a brawl and fist fight on the high way. What a bestiality!.
Now, on Saturday, 2nd August 2014, at Owerri “Ugwu Ekwema” The venue of the Owere Nchi Ise Oru festival, Governor Okorocha resorted to veiled but obvious reference invectives to the Senator representing Owerri Zone, Chris Anyanwu and to the former Imo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; Bar. Ken Njemanze (SAN). Both 2015 election governorship aspirants.
The two political dignitaries comfortably seated in the arena, watched and listened to the self embattled governor peeve the sensibilities of Owere Nchi Ise people and their guests to the annual festival.
As expected, the governor’s invectives against Njemanze and Anyanwu attracted the explosive reaction of both Owere Nchie Ise indigenes and their guests to the ceremony alike. In fact, Governor Okorochas should count himself lucky that the youths of Owere Nchi Ise did not mob him for attempting to beard the lion in the lion’s very den. Owere youths exhibited a commendable sense of discipline and respect in conformity with an Owere adage which says that a man does not kill nor avenge wrongs in his own house.
A word for Owere Nchi age-grade administrators has become necessary. They should not admit “foreigners” into the age grade system just because they hold high offices or parade wealth. The norms and traditions of Owere Nchi Ise as regards Oru is quite distinct and should not be allowed to degenerate into election campaign fusillade. To say the least, what Owelle did on that fateful Saturday at the Oru festival arena is sacrilegious. The peace which is the bulwark of Oru was breached; thereby desecrating Ekwema Arugo’s institutional dictate. The Age Grade that admitted him into their fold must make reparations for this.
The Owelle was booed out of the arena. What a shame for an executive governor of a state: He must by now realize that the position of a sate governor does not confer license to behave any how or say whatever the holder pleases. The governor may face no legal reprisal, but the humiliation of his person and position speak volumes more strident than the bursts of machine guns!
The people of Imo State a peace loving people will not want a repeat in any form anywhere of the above chronicled sordid incidents involving the governor, No I citizen of their state. In one remonstrance “Rochas must that self respect enforces the dignity of a governor”.
