Ikedi Ohakim The Visionary Governor: Even the church too!

Ikedi Ohakim The Visionary Governor: Even the church too!: "The beauty of democracy is a strong and solid opposition. Apart from standing as a check on some of the excesses of government, they ensure ..."

Even the church too!

The beauty of democracy is a strong and solid opposition. Apart from standing as a check on some of the excesses of government, they ensure that laws, policies and projects are made and executed with the best interest of the people in mind. Where proper opposition works, they are in some cases stronger than government because they can bring a government down if it runs beyond what is acceptable in the polity.

Closer home, Nigeria has never really had the beauty of a strong united opposition. It has always been every man for himself and every ideology with as diverse opinions as there are opposition groups. These oppositions always crumble at the slightest whiff of disagreement making the center stronger and more susceptible to excesses. In Imo State however, there has been a pooling of resources of the opposition that has given them the strength and numbers to really agitate for what is good for the masses. This is a beautiful thing and if well managed, will ensure that the dividends of democracy reach every Imolite.

However, just like government, the opposition is also susceptible to excesses; excesses occasioned by an unusual quest for power and control; Excesses which shortchanges the masses with half-truths and propaganda so as to control the demographics. Since politics is a game of numbers, he who is able to convince (or confuse) more people, controls the center. Now that alone should strike fear into the hearts of every well-meaning citizen of the state. This is because the government, to a large extent, represents the choice of at least 2/3^rd of the local government areas in the state as in the case of Nigeria. Now if the wishes of such a large number of people are sidelined because of half-truths, then the ability of government to deliver on its campaign promises will be drastically reduced. Criticisms therefore must be factual and constructive.

Now about the man Chief Ikedi Ohakim, The Governor of Imo State: While I don’t want to sound like an apologist, and thus will skip certain issues he has had to face as a governor, has not enjoyed the luxury of a good opposition. Attacks have always trailed every policy his government has made even the ones that are made in favour of the opposition. Every action of government has been attacked furiously without consideration for its merits or regards for what is true and what is fact. I will attempt to look at three of such policies.

The ban on Okada riders within the state metropolis was greeted with so much bitterness that it almost tore the government into tatters. Today, nobody remembers okada in Imo State. People are commuting very effectively as they did before this ban, however with some difficulties at first. Everyone now see the wisdom in this move and hail Ohakim for it.

When government decided to demolish illegal structures in Imo State, there was this hue and cry that the means of livelihood of some people will be cut and that there will be an upsurge in violence in the state. Surprisingly today, with the illegal shanties gone business still goes on as usual in the state. People have not resorted to crime but have found a way to make things work. Same goes for the relocation of certain market, like the timber and raw materials markets. The opposition saw it as a good point to attack the government and score cheap political points which are based on half-truths and misguided propaganda.

The question I find had to answer is, what do these people aim to achieve? And if Ohakim is distracted from holding office, does it guarantee they can take over? If not, then I advise ever Imolite to be very wary of such stories. Now let’s try some facts, by the last census, Imo State Has about 400,000 building structures and more than half of this number is concentrated in Owerri. In international best practice, no nation develops by clustering so the devolution has given Owerri a breath of fresh air. I will however leave this matter to my next write-up.

The most recent gimmick of the propagandist and misguided opposition is the use of the clergy. This is most sickening and worrisome. Period! Recently a report was carried by most soft-sell newspapers and some of the major newspapers on how Ohakim defrocked a priest. Well, if Ohakim went to a parish or stood in a podium to molest a priest or any human being at that, physically or verbally, then trust me, my voice will be louder than those who are asking for his head on a pike. However, he did no such thing. The story rightly agrees that the convoy of His Excellency, The Governor was blocked by a man of God. If this is true, then the whole attack on him is baseless. Here are my reasons:

The chief executive of any state or government in the world enjoys a few privileges which include right of way at all times. This is not a law created by Ohakim nor is it draconian. For security reasons, his person and all in attendance to him must be allowed to move for the interest of the state. The story that a priest obstructed this right of way and consequently detained is not out of place. I am very conversant with the Owerri – Okigwe Road in particular and that it is narrow. I am also aware that this is the road that leads to The Governor’s country home. This means that he would have plied the same road, with his security details over a hundred times at least since he became governor. This road didn’t just get narrow overnight and vehicular traffic has never been prohibited because the governor uses the road, if this is the case then we should have expected 100 similar humiliations and stripping of men and women naked. If this on the other hand is untrue, then the priest in question must have gone a wee bit in excess of decorum and in such a case, it is not out of place to take him into custody for further questioning.

A second fact in this matter is, we all know what dangerous times we live in. Many have been robbed, maimed or even killed by people impersonating such revered professions as the priesthood and law enforcement. Robbers have been known to dress as priests and policemen (a case in point will be the robbery of Zenith and Intercontinental Banks in Owerri in broad daylight by men dressed as policemen and soldiers). Thus the mere verbal claim that one is a priest is NOT enough to confer such a profession on him in view of the time and clime we live in.

I believe Jesus Christ enjoined his followers to submit to the authorities and he even demonstrated same y paying taxes to Caesar. This gesture shows that Christians should abide by whatever the laws of the lands dictates, except however, when such laws are in conflict with the tenets of Christianity. This I believe is a divine mandate. If the priest was arrested and according to reports, not physically abused then, I totally support the security aides of Chief Ohakim. Moreover, he was detained at government house till such a time he was properly identified: this does NOT however mean that he did not breach the peace!

I am also aware that His Excellency, in realization that the actions of his aides may have gone too far, took his executive council, the highest decision making organ of the state to visit the His Grace, Most Reverend AJV Obinna, The Archbishop and Metropolitan of Owerri Archdiocese to seek audience, explain the incidence as he best understood and to ask for his forgiveness. I am aware that the governor actually asked for this forgiveness. Now, I find it hard to understand the continued bashing of the governor on how he treated a priest. If the Archbishop, with all due respect, has a fatherly heart, then he would have sued for peace and forgiven Chief Ohakim. This is because am sure that The Archbishop enjoys a great deal of power and respect in the church and such pronouncements of forgiveness would have stayed further disagreements.

We also heard that a new round of stories started which held that the priest as at the time of his arrest had a woman in his car, and that this sparked off further demonstrations. Without even dignifying such stories with any explanation, I would want to ask…why then did His Excellency ask for forgiveness? Did he do so, so that the next round of hostilities should commence? Oh come on…is it obvious that the maligned opposition is trying to cash in on a delicate position? Would it not have made sense that His Grace, seeks the audience of Chief Ohakim to clarify on such issues since of course, he has set the ball rolling by showing total humility and respect to the clergy. Reciprocating this will not be out of order.

On the contrary, there have been missiles from pulpits all over, demonstration by men and women of the church and so on. And I ask: Where is the forgiveness our lord Jesus Christ preached so much about? Where is the beauty of truth which the opposition owes the masses? Why has it only been Ohakim who has been this devil? How come these members of opposition who are so saintly not changed the state if they were so much better? This in a way smacks of the church reneging from its neutrality in politics.

I am dismayed that the opposition (I refuse to call them detractors or go with the bandwagon names that political jobbers use) has gone too far. They have moved from being the opposition to being oppressors of the truth. I am baffled and yet awed that Chief Ohakim’s camp has always treaded in silence. I prefer they speak up. Sensitize the public that they may also know the truth. Ohakim to the best of my understanding has done nothing to warrant the quantum of negative publicity he has been receiving. He has within the meager resources available to him, repositioned Imo State for greatness. I plead with the Archbishop to call the church to calm. Chief Ohakim may have erred (and he is only human) but for the sake of peace and unity in the state, He can forgive and cause his men to stay further action. I know that posterity will remember him to be a good man who tempered justice with mercy. Before we all forget, the man who shot Pope John Paul II, critically wounding him, Mehmet Agca was forgiven and pardon by the pope despite such a huge slap on Christendom. This campaign against Ohakim should stop too. We are all brothers…even before the coming of politics and opposition, for heaven’s sake let us stay as brothers!