Gov Hope Uzodimma: His Team Of Poor Image Makers And Dangerous Advisers, The Need To Have Elevated Perspective To Governance

NJOKU MACDONALD OBINNA 

From the boardroom to the battlefield, there has never been a victory without a successful strategy behind it. In Imo State, regrettably, much of the conventional pieces of advice and actions initiated by the handlers and advisers of the Shared Prosperity Administration under Governor Hope Uzodimma, is for the record time, counter-productive, draconian with brute force, poorly timed and ill-executed as the conservatives and political pundits had long ago predicted signs of a most anti-people and insensitive government that may not serve beyond 2023.  

Remarkably, recent events and developments in the last one week or so, in Imo State, under the 3R Government, had shown an Administration whose rancorous emotions in addressing state affairs is faulty, as her resolutions fluctuate on the wind of changeful billows of human opinions. And just like the reed, the government’s actions are tossed to and fro by every little wind of political opposition and inconsistent like the wave of the sea as it continues to battle very tenaciously for public acceptance having secured its legitimacy and mandate through a controversial Supreme Court verdict rather than the ballot box.  

With the already tense security situation in Imo State in particular, and across the South East, any responsive, proactive and reasonable government will do anything within her legitimate powers to avoid heating the polity and being brought under undue public opprobrium. But not in a state like Imo, where our Chief Security Officer and his legion of dangerous advisers are busy playing politics with almost everything  to the detriment of the much desired but  elusive peace in the state since the advent of the ‘Unknown gunmen’.  

Two recent events in Imo State, and the  poor management by the handlers of the government and its numerous political hangers-on, have sold this Administration out as one obviously  insensitive to the plights of the suffering Imo people. It has also sold it out as one, which cannot decipher and gauge the mood and minds of Ndi Imo other than the deceptive and misleading cheering reports the appointees, government  contractors, close allies of the governor, party men and chartered politicians feed the governor with. Of course, for personal aggrandizement and stomach sake. When you look very closely, you will see a lot of them around His Excellency!  

Conversely, it is in the animal part of human nature to be most impressed by what you can see and hear in the present – the latest news reports and commendations, the opinions and pretentious actions of the people around you, whatever seems the most dramatic and applauding. This is what makes you fall for alluring schemes that promise quick results.  

By their responses and verbal attack on  individuals with contrary opinions online, you shall know them. They are not doing  the governor any good, but are unwittingly destroying his government while creating more enemies for the man, who is on a mission to reconstruct, rehabilitate, and recover looted Imo assets and treasuries for posterity.  

I will candidly advise His Excellency to remain focused, and not to be carried away by the eye or lips service of a number of his supporters, close political allies and appointees. Those who hail you even when morality and good conscience are against your actions should be watched!  

Kindly learn to measure people by the narrowness or breadth of their vision; avoid entangling yourself with those who cannot see the consequences of their ill-advice and actions, whose suggestions always  put you in a continual reactive mood because they do not have the required leadership training to be good advisers.

 With the above crop of people around the governor, needless to say, regrettably too, that there is no passing week in Imo State that one does not watch scaring horrible videos online, hear one form of disturbing news or embarrassing incident that puts the collective image of the state and corporate governance in a very bad light: burning of houses in Izombe, alleged killing of unarmed innocent citizens by security operatives in a bid to crackdown criminal elements, who take refuge in these communities but unknown to the dwellers, restive youths from oil rich communities engaging uniform men in a gun duel to vent their anger on the operations of multinational companies who shortchange them, clandestine kidnapping and killing of traditional rulers, among other social injustices against Imo people, in a state that was formerly known for peace, tranquility, relaxation hub, and for good time- hang out!  

Unfortunately, the governor with his legion of advisers and handlers have not fared so well in managing the social disturbances in our political space  as ndi Imo continue to have a repeat of same or similar cases on daily basis.  

Last week Thursday, 23rd December, 2021, to the chagrin and bewilderment of Imo people, the new Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kennedy Ibeh, hit his legislative nay political sledge hammer on one of Chief Emeka Ihedioha’s die-hard loyalists,  Hon. Tochi Okereke, representing Ngor -Okpala Constituency, by declaring his seat vacant on the basis of habitual  absenteeism, ineffective representation and lack of access to members of his Constituency, relying on Section 109 (2) of the 1999 Constitution for his actions, just to instill discipline in the House under his leadership.  

Ironically, three active and ranking  members of the House; Rt. Hon. Barr. Innocent Arthur Egwim representing Ideato North State Constituency, Rt. Hon. Barr. Obinna Okwara representing Nkwerre State Constituency and Rt. Hon. Mrs. Ngozi S. M. Obiefule representing Isu State Constituency, were flagrantly suspended for not attending plenary during the 2022 Appropriation Bill (2022 Budget Proposal) presentation by His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodimma. Is the above reason justifiable enough to have embarrassingly suspended your colleagues as if the Speaker had not been absent in sittings? Couldn’t they have been suspended for unparliamentary conduct and political sabotage than just being absent in an all important plenary session? At times, close observers of this government are forced to believe that either the governor doesn’t have sound political advisers or doesn’t take advice from anybody. It also shows that he dishes out command by proxy through political surrogacy  without weighing the implications of his decisions.  

Funny enough, despite the good intentions of the Speaker and the collective decision by majority of the members, of course, APC caucus members, Imo people and distant observers have accepted the narrative of one of the suspended lawmakers that the political vendetta against them was because they attended the burial ceremony of Ugwumba Uche Nwosu’s mother ‘s burial in Eziama Obirie,  Nkwerre LGA. 

Unfortunately, the present government in Imo State is not sensitive enough to read the minds and mood of the people before taking certain actions. Why take such measures at a time when the opposition elements are united for a common purpose? Chief Emeka Ihedioha, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Uche Nwosu, Uche Onyeagucha, etc, all put aside their political differences to show solidarity to the Rescue Mission political family during the funeral of late Ezinne Jemimah Nwosu, mother of Senator  Rochas Okorocha’s son in-law, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, the AA governorship candidate in the 2019 elections.  

No doubt, the rich attendance, show of love, avowed solidarity and predictable political alliance between Imo PDP under Chief Emeka Ihedioha and APC faction in Imo under Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha during Ugwumba Uche Nwosu’s mother’s burial, sent some shivers on the spines of the 3R Government as her paid media hirelings, hack writers and ‘notice me hallelujah boys’ went haywire to disturb the social space with their confrontation and serial  attack on frontline Imo politicians who attended the burial ceremony.  

In Imo State, ‘crush your enemy totally’  seems to be the new approach to governance. Recall that the Rebuild Imo Administration under Chief Emeka Ihedioha came after the Rescue Mission Government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha, to the extent that Chief Uche Onyeagucha, Secretary to the Government of Imo State, SSG, mobilized the youths, PDP supporters and alleged political thugs to go after their predecessor for assets recovery. 

 Today, it is the turn of the Shared Prosperity Administration under Governor Hope Uzodimma to chase after Chief Emeka Ihedioha and Owelle Rochas Okorocha; his predecessors. What a political melodrama in our beloved Imo State? 

 Yesterday, Sunday, 26th December, 2021, the world was awoken to yet another embarrassing political jingoism in Imo State. This time, it wasn’t about the ‘unknown gunmen’ but ‘known uniform men’ who forcefully whisked Ugwumba Uche Nwosu away in the middle of an outing burial mass at the St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Eziama Obirie, Nkwerre LGA, in honour of his late mum, Ezinne Jemimah Nwosu, who was interred on Wednesday, 22nd December, 2021.  

However, as a news reporter, opinion molder and independent publisher, I have taken my time to dispassionately read a number of reactions against and in defence of the actions of the security operatives acting by the alleged order of the  Inspector General of Police, IGP,  to effect the rest of Ugwumba Uche Nwosu wherever he is spotted since he is under criminal investigations. I have also read the press release by the Imo State Police Command admitting knowledge of the said arrest since the accused is now cooling off his gray hair in Police custody, Owerri.  

While we must honestly support security agencies to carry out their legitimate and constitutional assignments for the overall interest of the public, the timing and location of Ugwumba Uche Nwosu’s arrest was rather wrong. Arresting him during an outing Church service  orchestrated by sporadic shooting in the air to scare away the faithful; clergy and laity, again, sold the government out as insensitive, notorious, draconian and against the body of Christ.  

With the above, one could decipher and might be right to say that the mission was to publicly embarrass the former governor’s son in-law, Uche Nwosu, as the security agents and Imo State Government have succeeded in canonizing the Eziama Obirie Nkwerre born politician as their actions are completely condemned by reasonable  Christians across denominations, and also condemned  in the court of public opinion.  

To sane and discerning minds, there shouldn’t be no justifiable reasons whatever to have warranted the arrest of Chief Uche Nwosu in the church, during the outing thanksgiving mass of his late mother, Ezinne Jemimah Nwosu, even as his wife, Mrs. Uloma Nwosu knelt down to plead with the security operatives not to hurt her husband. What an emotional sight!  

Where is our sense of sympathy and empathy?Where is the humanity in us ?Must life begin and end up with bitter politics ? Is Uche Nwosu a  stranger in the Imo State political landscape and leadership discourse? If he is found wanting or culpable of any thoroughly investigated crime against his person, the law should be blind in measurably dealing with him, but certainly not in that roughish manner.  

Why couldn’t the Security Officers go to his country home in Eziama Obirie, Nkwerre LGA, to pick him up with their arrest warrant? Must you fight dirty to score a cheap political goal?  

What happened yesterday was an inexcusable desecration of the altar of God, and a total jest of our faith and religion as Christians as I doubt if such could happen in a mosque no matter the gravity of the alleged crime committed.  

Nevertheless, I have also read the defenders of the actions of the Shared Prosperity Administration, who maintained that Ugwumba Uche Nwosu deserved the ill treatment meted against him as they cited the Law of Karma as he was reported to have embarrassed His Grace Most Rev. Dr. AJV Obinna, the fiery Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese, during his days as the most powerful Chief of Staff and son in-law to then Governor, Rochas Okorocha.  

To the advisers, handlers, managers and  image makers of the present Shared Prosperity Administration under Senator Hope Uzodimma, life and politics are endless political battles. To these individuals and groups, they separate morality from politics for a much different purpose – not to maintain  social order but to extract an advantage in a crisis ridden situation, such as war, politics or business. They are the chartered occupying the high ground and translating it into some kind of power or advantage.  

To them, when your enemies try to present themselves as more justified than you are, and therefore, more moral, you must see this move for what it most often is: not a reflection of morality, of right or wrong, but a clever strategy to appear innocent.  

Like in any form of warfare, moral conflict has both offensive and defensive possibilities. When you are on the offense, you are actively working to destroy the enemy’s reputation in the same way you would in a shooting war.  Funny enough, rather than being on defensive to protect the image of the government, its policies and laudable projects, the handlers and image makers of a supposed ruling 3R Government seem to be on offensive as they keep attacking previous administrations instead of propagating the good policies, programmes and activities of the government they serve.  

Conclusively, let me end this discussion with a piece of advice to His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodimma:

 I sincerely commend your Administration’s onerous efforts in the area of urban renewal, road repairs and construction. While I urge you to adopt a different but holistic approach in handling the security impasse in the state, which is a national challenge though, pay little attention to your presumed political enemies and concentrate on delivering dividend of good governance under which oath of office you promised to serve ndi Imo. Also improve on your poor reward system as those who work with you may not have the guts to pour out their complaints and reservations.  

For now, allow Owelle Rochas Okorocha and his family members some peace of mind in the spirit of brotherly love and sportsmanship. They have gone through alot under your watch. They are just  humans. Don’t forget power is transient as the same measure you used against your predecessors, shall also be used against you after you have left office. 

 Your eyes must be on the larger trends that govern events and not by reactive mood as a result of dangerous advice by the people around you. Never lose sight of your long- term goals, which is the development of Imo State.  

With an elevated perspective, you will have the patience and clarity to accomplish your administration’s policy statements while winning Imo people to your side.      

 – Njoku MacDonald Obinna, 

PR Expert and Publisher, 4th Estate Reporters.