Okigwe Senate Re-Run: Why Senator Athan Achonu Must Win
I am going to arrange Okigwe zone in its present political map and diagram in the eyes of a novice. In the political configuration of Okigwe zone presently, it is made up of three blocs. They are the old Okigwe with Onuimo L.G.A as one bloc.
The second bloc is the old Etiti bloc comprising Ihitte/Uboma and Obowo at the southern end, and finally the Mbano bloc comprising Isiala and Ehime Mbano at the middle, with the longest number in population. Okigwe Zone is also divided into two Federal Constituencies. They are the Okigwe North comprising of old Okigwe bloc and IsialaMbano, and the Okigwe South comprising of old Etiti bloc and Ehime Mbano.
Political positions are shared between old Okigwe bloc and IsialaMbano, while in the Southern political positions are shared between old Etiti bloc and Ehime. That is why For the Okigwe North Federal House Seat, Engr.ObinnaOnuwubuariri of IsialaMbano is holding it, and old Okigwe bloc is with the speakership of IMHA position in the person of Rt. Hon. AchoIhim.
In the South, old Etiti is with the Federal House of Representatives seat in the person of Deacon ChikeOkafor. Ehime Mbano is with the Senate in the person of Senator AthanAchonu, which has been nullified by the court and tribunal, due to INEC’s mistake of exclusion of the Logo of AccordParty in 2015 election. It is important to note that before 2015 election, the Etitibloc just finished eight years of Senate position under Senator S.N Anyanwu and Senator MathewNwagwu.
Now let me say something about Okigwe zone leadership position by quoting General Norman who said ‘’leadership is all about Strategy and Character, and if one is to jettison one, it has to be Strategy. Before 1999 Okigwe zone recognized two types of leadership namely (1) Educated and (2) Influential Rich men. And from 1999, there was crash in the leadership hierarchy of Okigwe zone when the masses carefully observed that their so called leaders did not measure up with character as recommended by General Norman. They practice what is called the politics of Immorality and corruption, which means that in the course of politicking, whatever you lose could be forfeited, and whatever you gain belongs to you alone, and any other person can go to hell. That was when the Okigwe zone leadership structure changed from the hand of political traders to the hands of the masses who have carefully watched the political dividends of Local Government Council Areas, State Assembly, Federal House of Representatives and Senate become gratuity and pension to one man and his house hold.
Chief AthanAchonu was attracted to the masses when he started preaching the Gospel of Masses Participation in the dividends of democracy and liberalization of political positions to the people at the grassroots level apart from being favoured from the masses demanded for fair sharing among all the blocs in Okigwe Zone.
This single act knocked out the theories of political traders and the political elevations from leaders to Apex leaders which died naturally. But the wise among the leaders like Chief IkediOhakim, having noticed the change conciliate by joining the populat demand of the masses when he saw in IsialaMbano that the masses want lady Joy Mbawuike for her hard work and a promising young Engr. ObinnaOnwubuariri, he joined in the support and that gained him leadership position. Now Chief IkediOhakim is seeing the wave of massive support of the masses for Chief AthanAchonu and has joined in the crusade. This has given him a plus in the Okigwe zone Leadership level. The difference is clear among the opinion poll of the 26th December 2015, 16th January 2016 and 22nd January 2016.
Leadership in Okigwe Zone is ascended by character. It is reached by the number of people you have made to be responsible and not by claiming to know or hear from the President or the First Lady, when you have not and cannot produce a Federal appointee. Another discredited Grassroot Political leader who has lost grip of the masses support and may not have voters card was said to be insisting that for any candidate in theOkigwe Zone Senate re-run to win he must give them money or he will not win. Such leaders have failed because if they refuse to align with the masses, they can never deliver anybody in any election.
Now there is a high level of political awareness from the educated to non-educated. It is therefore difficult for the self- opinionated who trade in politics with the intention to depose the dividends of democracy to assume leadership position in Okigwe zone, because of their gridlock. It is not all about Party APC or Party PDP. It is also not about Governor or president. The paradigm shown in Bayelsaelection and in the case of Hon. Kingsley Dimaku is very clear. In Bayelsa State, some Newspapers reported that supporters offormer President Goodluck Jonathan deserted him, yet the masses voted massively for Governor Dickson.
In Ehime Mbano, even whenthe PDP CONTROLS the LGA , yet Hon. Dimaku could not return to the Imo State House of Assembly. When hisAgbaja Community has through Hon. IfeanyiAgwuaandDimaku completed eight years in the State Assembly, it became impossible for somebody like Chief Tony Chukwu to impose his wish on the people of Ehime Mbano.The issue here is not about big names but about fair sharing as demanded by the masses w ho holds the Leadership of Okigwe zone. Conversely the people of Ehime Mbano are watching those people who are against their own political share in Okigwe zone. It is therefore obvious that if you do not align with the masses decision, you will lose out.
Now, the peculiarity of Okigwe zone situation is; before you answer a Leader, the base assessment is that you must support the masses demand for fair sharing and rendering your stewardship of the number of people who have genuinely survived through your selflesssupport without any one being indebted to you, and which is not embedded on trade by barter.
It will be a disaster and a journey in futility if anyone refuses to heed to the popular decision of fair sharing and masses support for the candidature of Chief AthanAchonu of Ehime Mabno and contest in the re-runelection knowing full well that Mbano bloc is a determinant factor of Okigwe zone Senate position. The Okigwe political position in Imo State must not be traded on the selfish desires of some so called leaders who are known political traders and contractors.
For me, it is not too late to advice Benjamin Uwajumogu and perhaps Clement Owunna. This is because no political Algebra can add ten votes to any of them to win Chief AthanAchonu. My advice therefore is for Benjamin Uwajumogu and others to align themselves with the grassroots decision by supporting Senator AthanAchonu, and withdraw from the race. Ben Uwajumogu knew why he could not go back to the Imo State House of Assembly. This is because of Ihitte and Uboma fair sharing formula for political offices. Conversely, if he could not change a local government sharing parameter, he will never change Okigwe zone sharing parameter for fairness and justice.
The propaganda and blackmail of intimidation of Benjamin Uwajumogu that he would be made Deputy Senate President is a mere cock and bull 419 deceit to steal votes in Okigwe Zone Senate re-run election. Ben Uwajumogu’s campaign of what he would get at the senate is a selfish desire that will never materialize. And I say AMEN to that.If you look at Hon. Deacon ChikeOkafor who is the only APC member at the House of Representative from Okigwe Zone, you will discover that he is not even occupying a principal position at the National Assembly. If there is magic or miraculous expectationagainstthe people’s candidate like Senator AthanAchonu, then somebody like Senator Chris Ngige (a ranking Senator) would have gone back for a re-run inAnambra State, with a possibility of emerging Deputy Senate President, through such a miracle or that APC controls the Federal Government, the security agencies and INEC.
Benjamin Uwajumogu should know that the Senate is not a place one can deposit an Associate Bachelors degree in International Relations from Schiller International University Paris, France and BSC in Political Science and Economics from University of New Jersey, Jersey City USA, without anybody bordering to verify them. It is important to note that any attempt to present a forged certificate will land the person in prison especially now that political awareness is very high. Benjamin Uwajumogu should rather concentrate his energies in explaining to security agencies like EFCC, ICPC, FCID (Force Headquarters), etc, on why many of his aides were murdered. At least, his former aide, Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha has openly maintained that Ex-speaker Uwajumogu is a murderer and a fraudster.Uwajumogu is yet to deny the allega tions, and he is presently facing investigation by relevant security and anti-corruption agencies.He should explain to the people why he abandoned Law making at the Imo State House of Assembly and embraced road contract scams with his Chief of Staff (KODICHI ANAMEKWE) and others. He should explain why he reportedly duped many road contractors in the state. What of his relationship with his wonderful wife, Madam AILEEN?This is a story for another day.
If you look at Senator AthanAchonu, you will discover he has not and did not showcase any forged certificate before the people began to love him. He had already become Vice-Chairman of a Powerful Committee at the Senate, also a member of several other committees.
Today in Okigwe Zone, desperate political contractors and traders are displaying forged degrees to either deceive or convince the electorates that they are over-qualified with the hope that their names are stainless.
Today they can see that it is not what gave Chief AthanAchonu popularity and support base. His support came from the masses, freely.
Signed
Mr. Donald Anyanwu
Accredited Columnist
OKIGWE UNITY FORUM
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