Imo PDP’s Continuous Midnight Wailing

Hardly would a national issue be discussed without our Governor’s input, to the point that you would have to watch Governor Uzodimma’s position on issues to know where the President stands or where the pendulum swings. He has become the compass, sort of. We never had it so good. But the PDP does not like it. This was why we posited on June 26 that Imo PDP has been consumed by penis envy and Oedipus complex. They would rather see the Governor kneel and grovel before powers that be, or another Governor poke his finger into his eye; same way Governor Wike poked his finger into Ihedioha’s eye.

It is rather ironic that the PDP celebrated Ihedioha’s handshake and trip to Germany with the President in 2019 but are angry that Governor Uzodimma, an Igbo man from Imo State, has become the President’s Man-Friday, the same President they said does not like Ndigbo. The PDP said Governor Hope Uzodimma has “visited Aso Rock fifty-nine times in less than three years”. While we note that the PDP is notorious for manufacturing baseless data, as far as we are concerned, we want to roll out the drums for the Governor’s unfettered access to the President.

For once, Imo has a Governor who does not operate from the periphery. The great Sam Mbakwe of blessed memory was an opposition Governor who was known for weeping before the President to drive home his demands. Achike Udenwa, a PDP Governor, operated from the periphery even though PDP was in government. It was so bad he wanted to please the Vice President at all cost, to the point he did not know when someone forged the VP’s signature for House of Representatives ticket. Ikedi Ohakim was an insider during the Yar’Adua administration, then Jonathan came with his problems. For Okorocha, he was an outsider for 8 years while Ihedioha was nowhere to he found. But with Governor Uzodimma, the story is different. He is the go-to guy.

On Thursday, same day Imo PDP rolled out their lies about Governor Uzodimma’s Abuja trips, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State complained on national television that he has lost access to Aso Rock. Such irony. What Benue State craves is what Imo State takes for granted, yet Imo PDP say it’s evil. We recall that during his interregnum, Ihedioha spent a total of four months outside the country. He was at the Government House for seven and half months, yet he spent more than half of the time abroad, doing nothing. There are stories that he spent much of the time abroad in spar parlours.

The PDP’s claim on insecurity in Imo betrays their interest in the unfortunate development. Imo used to be peaceful but since the party was booted out of the Government House on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, Imo has known no peace. The PDP mince no words saying that the cause of the insecurity in Imo is because the Supreme Court in its landmark judgement sacked them from power. They condemn legitimate State action against bandits but justify actions of marauding rebels against the State.

What kind of political party is that, that is pleased to set the house ablaze because it was asked to leave? This is why we liken the PDP to a bad mother. According to the story told in 1 Kings 3:16-28, King Solomon was faced with a difficult situation of determining which of the two contending mothers owned a child, when each of them claimed to be the real mother. The two mothers had recently given birth, but one child had died. To determine the real mother, King Solomon declared that the child should be cut in two, so that each mother should have half. The real mother, unable to bear her son killed, immediately offered it to the other woman, to save the child’s life; whereas the other mother accepted the proposal of killing the child and cutting him into two. The false mother was thus exposed, and Solomon returned the living child to its real mother. Like the pretentious mother, Imo PDP prefers Imo State burnt if they can at least have the ashes.

Some politicians are not happy that the fire they set to the house is being quenched. They thought that the inferno would consume everyone in the house. That is why they quarrel that the Governor is not in the burning house but quenching it from outside. The reason is that the Governor reads the room better to know that it is standard practice to quench fire from outside the house. No one whose house is on fire stays inside the house and quenches the fire from inside. The person comes outside, seeks help and gets the fire quenched.

For months in 2021 it appeared like Imo State was being overrun by bandits. Businesses, schools and churches closed down. But the Governor rolled up his sleeves. Today, Owerri is safe and businesses have bounced back. Political and social activities have picked up and nightlife has returned to Owerri. The morale of the security officers is high again and they are getting impressive results.

The PDP does not see all this because it does not suit their narrative. They want Imo destroyed and are rather embarrassed each time the State takes action against bandits to restore peace, law and order. The party thinks that actions against bandits are as well taken against them. They do not know that security issues are not discussed in public. “No one services a gun in public (A naghi emezi onu egbe na mbara)”, says Igbo adage.

From series of stakeholders meetings to onslaught against bandits and the current amnesty provision for criminal elements terrorizing the State, the Governor is addressing the insecurity courageously. The PDP shows a blind eye and has not even urged the bandits to accept the amnesty programme but turns around to say that the Governor has done nothing to address insecurity in the State. If this is not irresponsible opposition, we wonder what else is.