This week, Harvest set out a conversation or drama between two concerned Imolites who have different perception and divergent views about on- goings in Imo State.
Amos: Mmadu atagbula onwe ya n’ ahuhu n’ obodo a (One has suffered so much in this State).
Ikechukwu: My friend, will u shut up your mouth before I shut it for you. What do you mean there is suffering in the land. Is Imo South Sudan where hunger is ravaging the people?
Amos: I never I expected you to reason with me. How can you see when you are one of those who have been blinded with this my people, my people theory? How can you see clearly when you have been brainwashed to believe all this cosmetic style of governance in the State? Name them, Fourth Tier Government, Traditional Rulers Parliament, dis and dat…. Are they Constitutional?
Ikechukwu: You belong to the old era, that era where our monies are siphoned into private pockets. That era where only the few enjoy and the rest suffer. In this dispensation, we are seeing new things, new ways and new ideas that will bring government closer to the people. The Fourth Tier of Government is unique; everything about this government is anchored for the benefit of the people. Free education, new roads, etc.
Amos: Which roads. You mean the roads that were recoated with tar which the rains have washed away. Is it the hospitals that have been sold to a Muslim Northerner for 15 years? Look at how dirty and filthy Owerri is. The free education thing is not working. Workers salaries are being deducted to finance the initiative.
Ikechukwu: Who told you our hospitals have been sold. Stop this propaganda. I can see you have never seen anything good about this administration. Can’t you make sacrifices and allow some good initiatives to work out. If workers salaries are deducted to fund the free education, what is wrong with that? Should you not see it as a sacrifice for our children to go to school and acquire quality education?
Amos: Was it part of the campaign promises. Were we told that for free education to work out perfectly, some deductions from salaries of Imo workers will be made? Were we told that our hospitals will be sold? Were we told that ministries will be commercialized? Government is not a one man business. People have the right to know what is going on in their State.
Ikechukwu: That is your wahala. All this measures are aimed at ensuring the development of the State. It is a new way of doing things. Remember our governor is not the conventional type, so things might be done in different ways to achieve results.
Amos: Which results? Can’t you see there is murmuring in the land? Almost everyone is complaining the way the State is being governed…..
Ikechukwu: Who is complaining? It is only those that are not part of the system that are complaining. The political elites, those shown the exit door of government, they are the people complaining. Are the market women, the keke riders, the students complaining? It is only the PDP people that are complaining because the style of governance is different now. Things are done differently now. The State is undergoing a rescue mission and sometimes, when you want to rescue someone, he or she might not know what good you are doing for him until he is rescued.
Amos: What is good? What is good about the present Administration? Every step taken by this Government is faulty. And who told you that the local populace are not murmuring. Have you been to the markets and see what people are saying. A gradual disconnect between the government and the governed is fast evolving. Anyway, have you seen how our elected Chairmen and Councillors were treated like political lepers? They were unjustly sacked and…
Ikechukwu: shhhh, the matter is in Court. Do you want to pre-empt the Court? Are you not learned enough to know that matters in Court are left for the learned justices to adjudicate. Are you so ignorant? And besides, who told you the people are murmuring. Anyway, if they are really complaining it is because they are averse to change. And remember change is the only permanent thing in life.
Amos: But remember when such changes are not in the interest of the people, they will never see the need for such change. Besides, I am so uncomfortable with the ongoing demolitions here and there in the State. That was the genesis of the problems of the last Administration. Remember people began to develop some sort of hatred for them when they started this demolition thing. When you demolish buildings, no matter the reasons, it breeds discontent among the populace
Ikechukwu: We are not demolishing the abode of the poor. We are only demolishing those structures the tend to distort the master plan of the city and what is wrong with that.
Amos: Everything is wrong with it. And let me ask you why must you people import chalks, dusters and school uniforms for primary and secondary school students when we have those that can manufacture them here. What can’t these things be produced locally. We have the experts with the expertise to produce these items here. Why waste our scare resources importing…
Ikechukwu: Have you not heard that Imo is a rich State and besides what is wrong if our children look smart going to school…. And who told you chalks and dusters are being imported.
Amos: Imo ACN raised an alarm. They told us chalks and dusters are being imported into the State. No responsible government should be seen wasting our commonwealth on frivolities like importing chalks, school uniforms and besides, is not shameful that we have to bring in foreigners to come here and build these model schools.
Ikechukwu: What is wrong if our children study in cosy classrooms? Do you not know that a good environment aids the educational development of a child?
Amos: Did you study in such environment for you to attain the status you have attained today.
Ikechukwu: No, but times change. And…..
Amos: let me tell you, for a child to excel in school or in his studies, he or she must be willing to attain success. Even if you put him inCambridge or Harvard, if his mindset is not reformed to be receptive to the knowledge impacted on him or her, he will certainly not excel.
Ikechukwu: My friend, stop being pessimistic. Soon,ImoState will be littered with five or six standard universities and that will do us a lot of good.
Amos: Which university are you talking about?
Ikechukwu: Are you a stranger in this State. Have you not heard of plans to establish theLoyolaJesuitUniversity at Ngor Okpala, IMSU will be retained in Owerri Zone andImoEuropeanUniversity will soon take off at Ogboko.
Amos: Why all this razzmatazz. Which one isImo-EuropeanUniversity? I thought they said that it will be the new IMSU and was built with state funds.
Ikechukwu: There was a change of plan. Is there anything wrong if Government makes changes in its plans?
Amos: look my brother, the whole thing is confusing and capable of breeding trouble, especially in Owerri zone. I see trouble in the zone over this University issue. I am aware that Ngor Okpala people are insisting that IMSU should be brought to the permanent site at Ohekelem. They do not wantLoyolaJesuitUniversity and besides….
Ikechukwu: If they do not want it, they should forget it. We will take it to Ikeduru. They….
Amos: Forget what. Why can’t things be done properly here. There is a permanent site for IMSU at Ohekelem, Ngor Okpala. Why not take it there. And bring this Loyola Jesuit to Owerri. Let me tell you Ngor Okpala people do not trust your man. How can they accept what they have not seen and you expect them….
Ikechukwu: That is their palaver. What is important is that soon, we will have many universities in the State. It does not matter where it is sighted. I was at the House of Assembly yesterday and….
Amos: Which House?
Ikechukwu: Imo House of Assembly.
Amos: You mean Government House extension?
Ikechukwu: What do you mean?
Amos: You heard me.
Ikechukwu: I did not get you
Amos: Then, forget it….. Labour in the State wants to go on strike
Ikechukwu: it is no news. Their threat is nothing new. It is unfortunate they are not keying into the rescue mission. Look at how they want to frustrate the take off of the Community Government Council.
Amos: What else do you want from them? Their blood! They have been cajoled to wear uniforms, they complied. Their salaries are being deducted and now you want them to go to the hinterlands where there is no adequate arrangement for their accommodation…..
Ikechukwu: Must they get all they ask for. Why can’t they make some sacrifices to ensure the take off of the CGC. You just an incurable pessimist. I m out of here .
