A CRITIC'S ILLUSION OF GRANDEUR
nerPostTitle">A CRITIC'S ILLUSION OF GRANDEUR Written by Prince General http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/blog/?author=1 http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/blog/?cat=356 Mar 1, 2010
A critic's illusion of grandeur
By CHIDI OPARA
Monday, March 01 , 2010
Gov. Ohakim
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/freekick/index.htm
I have followed the story of one Samuelson Ikenna Iwuoha and his alleged manhandling by the governor of Imo State Chief Ikedi Ohakim and I am inclined at seeing a hustler at work. Now he has managed to whip up the victims sentiment from the unsuspecting members of the public.
In his last installment in the internet titled: How Ohakim brutalized Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha, he even described himself as 'the Lion'.
So straightaway, here is the case of a man on the street who managed to aggregate popular market place rumours about a state governor and the law enforcement agencies instead of ignoring him, picked him up in Gestapo fashion thereby lionizing him.
From my reading of the incident as a discerning Imo indigene, I tend to believe the story from government House Owerri that the fellow was never brought to the Government House, how much more, the Governor's office. It has also been reported that the Governor was out of town on the day in question.
But more implausible is the fact that Samuelson was able to remember to the minutest details, all that transpired on that day and recollected all conversations (with the governor, the CP and SDS) word for word as he quoted them copiously. This is what struck me first as I read Iwuoha's internet posting. The second point I noticed is Iwuoha's indecorum towards the governor of a state. Nowhere in the world does any sane man disparage a man in a position of authority as Iwuoha has done towards Governor Ohakim and posted on the internet for all to read.
There are two things here, either Iwuoha had a very poor quality upbringing or that his mind has a slight dent as some write-ups I read have suggested. There is even a third postulation that Iwuoha may have been hijacked by the governor's many opponents who are seeking to topple him in next year's election. Here is a sampler: Iwuoha had told his five-year-old son, 'Let me go and see that foolish man', then he asked his impressionable little boy, 'Who is that foolish man', where upon the poor lad answered, 'Dr Ikedi Ohakim'.
If this scene truly happened, one can only feel deep pity for Mr. Iwuoha. What a father? And what manner of son is he bringing up? And that tot whom Iwuoha deliriously call 'Ogbuefi', I want to suggest should be taken from him and handed to foster parents as a man who teaches a five-year-old to call adults 'foolish' is not fit to be a father.
As a keen follower of Imo politics and media, there is a certain licentiousness in Iwuoha's attitude reminiscent of a certain Maximus Uba who himself took wanton pleasure in tormenting the Imo governor for the first two years of his tenure with ingeniously crafted lies, garnished half-truths and sumptuous rumours. Is Maximus in cahoots with Iwuoha?
No government anywhere is free from media terrorists who derive pleasure in showing the world that they can bring a government to its knees. Some make a cheap living in this manner. Unfortunately, Iwuoha has created a situation of your word against mine between him and the governor which in itself, is rather infradig. But the lesson is that government everywhere must learn to ignore loose canons like Iwuoha and at best, critically put the lie to their numerous petitions by ceaselessly publishing the facts.
Finally, the internet despite its rich advantages to the affairs of the modern man, is also an open latrine where everyone equally goes to poo; therefore, people must read with a lot of discernment, in order to sift facts from fiction and truth from damaging falsehood.
•Opara is an Owerri-based journalist