Okorocha’s Phobia For Prof Protus Uzorma

Source: Prince Stanley U. Okoroji
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Gerald Durrell's narrator of My Family and Other Stories narrated an experience he had with the magenpines he caught to keep as a pet. By the time the birds grew to full fledged size, Larry their keeper had become so used to seeing them around that he had forgotten their alleged criminal habits. All the while the birds were growing they looked very innocent, and all went well until they learnt to fly. At the first moments of their flight, they looked so lovely and the entire family came out to admire them flying.

Aware of their audience, the magenpies that of few minutes ago debuted flight flew faster and faster, chasing each other, diving within inches of the wall before banking to one side, and doing acrobats on the branches of the magnolia tree forgetting that they have not had sufficient knowledge in life. Eventually one of them, made over-confident by dint of the applause the admiring family was giving them, and misjudged his distance, crashed into the grape-vine and fell on the veranda and fainted, weakened near death that save for the quick intervention of their keeper, it would have died'


Governor Okorocha is like the Magenpies in Durrell's stroy. Imolites as a family three years ago, nay, few minutes ago brought him in like their pet to keep as their leader. Inexperienced with innocence and the zeal to make a difference, he grew to maturity and began to take flight, cruising in the Imo political airways. Subliminal the debutant flight was such that the entire family came out to admire him. He increased his flying speed, chasing every other politician; diving within inches of walls that can destroy him within a blink of the eye, doing acrobats on the branches of the microphone, podia and media, oblivious of the fact that he is but one debutant resident politician in the State that has not gathered sufficient knowledge in Imology.

The audience-Imolites have been applauding his debutant gyrations, which made him over-confident and have led him to misjudge their love and grace for personal popularity and merit. Now he is about to crash into the grape-vine and faint to death; out of fear, he has devised several means of validating his fading popularity. Over-confidence has culminated to fear, as William Shakespeare said, 'A coward dies a thousand times before his death.' He flew away from the gubernatorial position to the presidential, and found himself a political-larva; he returns to the State and still like a political pupa became afraid of every popular Statesman.


Oscar Wilde, the Eminent Dublin Philosopher of Arts, remarked that 'people are afraid of themselves, nowadays. They have forgotten the highest of all duties, the duty that one owes to one's self.' This duty is to tell oneself the truth- Existential frankness to situations. It is this moral imperative that made the Great Athenian moralist, Socrates, to urge man to 'know thyself.' Self-knowledge is never a result of low self-esteem but existence proper. This is what is lacking today in all the good works Okorocha is doing in Imo State for the applauding audience.


The Lord, Prof Protus Nathan Uzorma had since 2010 hated Governor Okorocha with passion. About ten months ago, a Commissioner's position-carrot was offered to him during the piece-plot that was planted between the two state-giants in the house of a prominent executive closest to Okorocha in the State leadership. It was obvious that Prof Protus embarrassed Governor Okorocha before his 'juniors' there. He later extended some folded palms through a TC Chairman, which Protus gibbered at.

The war went out of cold war to open battle field. Yet, that Lord, Protus, perhaps extended arms of possible relent to the Governor on the November 23, 2013 Book Launch on 'Crime in Nigeria and the Role of the Police, Muhammad Katsina as Role Model,' Governor Okorocha honoured the invitation and sent Eminent Prof Anwuka who made a pledge of 1 million Naira as the Governor detailed him, which rubbished the book launch. Till today, the faithful-to-his words-and-vows Governor has not redeemed the pledge, not even when every Dick and Harry have redeemed theirs. He insisted that the Lord comes to apologise for embarrassing him during the plotted peace-brokering. Neither has he paid it to Protus nor to the co-author of the work.


It becomes disparaging that this same Okorocha who still regurgitates and carries the bag of the reconciliation-scenario in his mind, and who despite every threat has remained a circuit of thorns in the flesh of His Excellency, should stoop so low to receive semi-political office position of Mayor of Orlu from him. It was on Saturday March 22, 2014 that thousands of Orlu Zone Youths in the Ihioma Youths Civic Centre unanimously made Protus Nathan Uzorma, the Lord and Prof, the Mayor of Orlu Zone.

This event took place the same day the Okorocha was in Orlu for his LGA tour, and concomitantly the moment's of the two events were but at different venues. Prof Uzorma was installed the Mayor of Orlu by the Orlu Zonal Chairman of the Niger Delta Youth Movement (NDYM) Imo State Chapter, Comrade Ahize Michael, the LGA Cordinators and Orluzurumee Youth Assembly led by the National President, Comrade Precious Nwadike and his Executive Committee members.

While Okorocha was busy with the microphone, podia and media elsewhere with the former and Governor Okorocha's political-officer-and Mayor of Orlu, Chief Ichie Best Mbanaso. The event at the Ihioma Civic Centre made traders and other businessmen and women seen during the so-called Governor Okorocha's visit, totally unperturbed as they went about their business leading to a scanty reception for Owelle.


Like the magenpy, Okorocha returned the next day to announce to Imolites that he has made Prof Protus Nathan Uzorma the Mayor of Orlu, a newest political appointment in his cabinet. HRH Igwe Prof Chukwuemeka Ike once wrote that 'enemies meet on the road and do not live under the roof.' The microphone and podia 'dependente' (to use the Italian word that shows undue attachment) went on air and in the print media that Okorocha has appointed Protus the Mayor of Orlu.

Oh well, my Governor, my Governor, this too is one of your hidden truths to Imolites that when criticized the watchdogs call one names. Was that declaration not targeted to tarnish the image of Prof Protus Uzorma who has garnered greater love and popularity in Imo State than Okorocha had in his green-days before 2011? Was it not an intentional propaganda and assault to let Protus' admirers and followers see his as a man of two ways and faces?

Was it not meant to put problems between Protus and the Imo PDP who sees him as the best amongst the entire deputy-gubernatorial candidates and being a proper fit-to survival, who alone will wrench away the entire Orlu Zone from Okorocha's grip come 2015, and worse still with the might of the very person that wins the party flag and ticket? Why is Okorocho timorous of Protus; with such a phobia that has led him to lie? Perhaps, Comrade Michael Ahize and Comrade Precious Nwadike have become Governor Okorocha's alta persona. Why is Okorocha afraid of Prof Protus' popularity and fortune?

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