IMO CHARTER OF EQUITY: IKEDI OHAKIM IS THE GUARANTEED BRIDGE, SAYS
SIR TEMPLE OGUERI ONYEUKWU
While the clamour for the Imo Charter of equity continues to reverberate ahead of the 2027 governorship election, a political pundit, Sir Temple Ogueri Onyeukwu has described Chief Ikedi Ohakim as the surest person to balance the sharing equation in favour of Okigwe Zone.
In a media broadcast made available to this newspaper, Ogueri made the following assertions;
“The implementation of the Imo charter of equity must be unconditionally intentional and deliberate. The political class must resolve that no matter whose fundamental human rights and priviledges are breached in the process of honestly implementing the charter of equity, that stability of Imo State supersedes some individual rights and priviledges. Imo first before individuals.
“In the process of the implementation, the question of which senatorial zone takes the next shot after governor Hope Uzodinma of Orlu zone. Suffice it to say that Orlu zone has had 24 years of the total of 28 years as governor of the State since 1999 viz His Excellency, Achike Udenwa, Rochas Ananyo Okorocha and Hope Uzodinma, each had 8 years tenures. His Excellency, Ikedi Ohakim had four years and lost the election that would have culminated into his second term. That loss came as a result of a dangerous mischievous propaganda by the opposition parties involving the entire Christian community. Whereby it was alledged that as a sitting governor he beat up a catholic Reverend Father. At that time, given the momentum of political desperation by the opposition, the Christian community was saturated that the governor that beat a catholic Reverend Father will never govern us. This position would have been justified if he actually beat a reverend father. But facts after the election has since revealed that it was a potent political propaganda. It has become a norm at both the National and State levels that every political office holder desires to do a second term. With the determination of the governor of Imo State to transparently implement the Imo Charter of equity, it becomes inevitably imperative to allow Okigwe senatorial zone to complete its full term of 8 years through His Excellency, Ikedi Ohakim completing the next 4 years after distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma. At the end of Okigwe tenure of balance of 4 years, the mantle will now fall on Owerri zone for eight years, before it now goes back to Orlu where the charter started”.
He continued, “Sir Temple Ogueri Onyeukwu school of thought has always advocated a single tenure of 6 years for all the elected Executive – Local Government Chairman, State Governors and their Deputies, the President and his Vice and for the harmonization of all governorship elections. The tenure of all governors in the country must also end on the same day irrespective of when the governor assumed office. The irresponsibility and brigandage called off-circle elections for governors must stop. Otherwise, very soon, we shall have an off-circle election for Presidency.
“Streamline all elections, the tenure of all governors to end on the same day as the President, irrespective of when he assumed office. Cut cost and logistics, cut brigandage, cut vote buying, cut corruption. Let the constitution stipulate that the governorship should rotate among the senatorial zones of each State. The National Assembly should be a maximum of two terms of six years each for the Senate, the House of Representatives and the State House of Assembly.
“The next political problem brewing is the conversion of the Senate to the place of retirement for former governors. All former governors should by law be compelled to be ex officio members of their State Houses of Assembly, acting in advisory capacity to the members of the Assembly to achieve good governance in the State. All former governors must be disqualified from contesting elections to the national assembly.
“The only equitable weapon to streamline, stabilize and consolidate the charter of equity is to ensure Ikedi Ohakim succeeds distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma in 2027. Every other permutation will lead to a chaotic political conflagration capable of truncating the success of the charter of equity thereby returning the State to the state of inequity. Ikedi Ohakim is the guaranteed bridge.
“Finally, 4 years for Okigwe zone through the person of His Excellency, Dr. Sir Ikedi Ohakim is the guarantee for a seamless, effective, realistic sustainable lasting implementation of the revived charter of equity. I am aware distinguished senator Hope Uzodimma, the Executive governor of Imo state knows who will not succeed him. it has become inevitable to beam his search light for possible successors on His Excellency, Dr. Sir Ikedi Ohakim of Okigwe senatorial zone”.
