Memoir On Imo Triple Imo Bitter-sweet Celebrations
The road was narrow, blocked and all choked up. There was no passable means. Weathral road in Owerri, on the faithful day had on sight stationed tippers, jubilant NURTW members, women and youths, all constraining efforts of motorists to wriggle pass a rather suffocating traffic jam. Coming all the way from Okigwe zone, the “friends of Madumere” had a date with destiny to catch! It was the 4th day in the month of July, the day Prince Ezeakonobi was born into the Madumere Royal family. What was not known to us was that, on the same day was a rally by Imolites to appreciate the great works of the Executive Governor of the state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha of which Prince Eze Madumere is his dependable Deputy. It was an aura of celebration. Imo was just in the mood to celebrate greatness. A solidarity rally and birthday celebration for the Governor and his ebullient Lieutenant respectively!
Just on our way to the Chapel of Praise of Anglican Communion at the, Lake Malinda, Achi-Mbieri, Mbaitoli local government of Imo State, the country home of the Prince to meet up with the first phase of this great birthday celebration, his dedication to God. And here we are, stuck in an excruciating traffic, right in front of the Dan Anyiam stadium Owerri on Weathral road Owerri. Biafran agitators seemingly hijacking the rally at that point, people were at a loss as to how they infiltrated a perceivably peaceful all-accommodating rally to drive home their agitations.
Why we passed through weathral road, was a question no one could answer. However, we alighted from the vehicle, after hours of no movement. The journey to Mbieri was becoming tedious. Like the old saying goes: “If you can’t beat them, you join them”; after all, it was a solidarity rally for our amiable Governor. No choice! We joined the rally! Gradually the direction of the rally changed, everyone was now headed to the Government House for the Governor’s address, trekking of course, though the coast had become a bit clear to drive off. It was to the Government House Chapel open space. Guess the aggressive approach of the Biafrian agitators may have triggered the decision. Nevertheless we still followed the train to hear Owelle speak. Already, we had spent hours. The fact was that, we weren’t going to meet up with the church session at Lake Malinda; opting for the second phase of this great celebration of Madumere at 53, at the Prisons and Red Cross.
Owelle’s speech as expected was articulately sublime as the crowd cheered! But only in a snap, natural instincts began to probe! We quickly realized something was conspicuously missing around Owelle. Though Owelle had some notable high profile leaders around him but it still appeared like something (someone) extremely significant was missing! Not quite long some people around had already started murmuring, “biko ele be Madumere no”? (Please where is Madumere?). Then it dawned on me that most people, including the people with me were oblivious of Madumere’s absence before then. They must have wondered a birthday celebration in the absence of the celebrant….
The Imo State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, was on an official assignment outside the country to represent his boss, the Governor. Even though the trip fell into his birthday, the call to duty was paramount to Madumere, gladly sacrificing his joy for state affairs. Though the feeling at the rally ground for some was not in concordance with Madumere’s simple disposition to life, but there were gushes of divergence in people’s perspective. The gist from some of them was that his trip was premeditatedly concocted to keep him out of the rally so that the Chief of Staff to the Government, Uche Nwosu, would be projected, as part of a designed agenda to prepare him for 2019 Guber! (Sounded queer to me though!), while some insinuated otherwise, saying that Madumere had fallen out with Rochas (still awkward, I thought!).
Uche Nwosu’s highly identifiable presence behind Rochas at the rally still wasn’t enough to cover the emptiness perceivable around the Governor on that day. People muttered it! They talked, and I just listened. Equally, one could feel the emotion of Madumere’s absence sprawling. It was strange that people could feel these much for a man even in his absence. I thought I, alone, felt this much for Madumere’s leadership until I heard these people verbally express themselves in plausible tones that really touched the heart.
Like him or hate him, he has become phenomenal, not just in today’s Government but to the sub-consciousness of both friends and foes. Successfully maintaining the toga as Owelle’s most loyal, reliable and result oriented man, even to the point of death, like most people could attest!
The momentum at the rally was still rocking its highest point. Boisterously, the ovation becoming louder! Owelle remaining in a great mood as he continued to render his speech; everything was fine except, to some people at the rally, the unclear absence of the Imo state Deputy Governor. Then it suddenly dawned on us that time wasn’t on our side (“FRIENDS OF MADUMERE”), we had exhausted most of it at the rally. When it became clear we had missed both the Red Cross Orphanage and Prisons birthday events, at which point Owelle dropped it! In a closing remark, after shouts of Owelle show us the man! He said: “I assure you all, I will not disappoint you. After me, I will leave behind the Holy Ghost”! For me he only left behind a more bemused crowd! (The debate goes on).
They needed a name, but the art of political tactility played out. Owelle once again kept it to his chest. However on my mind was not who Owelle’s successor would be, but who would be better than Madumere for that position. At this point information got to us that the birthday events at both the Red Cross and Prisons respectively had been concluded. Already since we were in Owerri, it required us to wait for the last phase of the birthday celebration, which was a party at Imo Concorde hotels, meanwhile the rally had ended, and everyone had dispersed.
Hanging out somewhere in Owerri, while we waited for the party to begin, the information came, indicating the party had been shifted to the next day, chai! We were technically distraught. When we sought to know why? We were told that, when Prince Madumere got hint of Governor’s event held in a different location on the same day and hearing about a get together in his honour, he called from international duty, and demanded it be shifted. He could not afford having his event clashing with that of his boss, na wa o! May seem a hyperbole, but it clearly describes the strength of character, culture,triple-filtered-acumencum simplicity inherent in the personality being discussed! Humility and loyalty indefinable, it can only come from Prince Eze Madumere!
The birthday party came and went, with every strata of the society, high and low fully in attendance; still Madumere was absent, but his spirit was cogently present. He was present in the hearts of Imolites that celebrated him. Funny as it sounds; the Deputy Governor was oblivious, until the last minute, of the plan to mark his birthday. As such he had no hand in it, and did not put a dime into this most elaborate birthday celebration. It was the Imo people who sacrificed their token to celebrate a diligent man whose many sacrifices has gotten us this far. God bless Rochas, God bless Madumere, and God bless Imo state!
Chigozie Osuagwu is an Owerri based Public Affairs Analyst from Okigwe Zone