2027 : Rectifying 2011 injustice against Okigwe zone, top priority  –  Okenze Nkwoji

■There can’t be equity without fairness, natural justice

A political leader in Owerri geopolitical zone, Okenze George Nkwoji has opined that it will be unfair for political leaders in the zone to feign ignorance of the injustice meted out to Okigwe zone in 2011 just because of their desperate pursuit for the 2027 Imo State governorship seat. He averred that while it is not debatable that some Owerri zone leaders participated in denying Okigwe zone through former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, its second tenure in 2011,equity,however, demands that such subsisting injustice be considered a top priority that should be rectified in 2027  –  by ceding the Imo governorship to Okigwe zone.

Nkwoji equally berated political leaders in Owerri geopolitical zone for angling for the governorship seat even  when the zone has no defined leadership structure to drive and actualize such a project. He pointed out that at the moment, Owerri zone’s political leadership arrangement is nothing to rely on, positing that the zone has a catalogue of leaders, but no leadership.

Okenze Nkwoji made these assertions at his Country Home at Ulakwo in Owerri North Local Government Area when he hosted newsmen.

Nkwoji also advocated for the invocation of the doctrine of necessity if agitations over the 2027 governorship seat do not abate. According to Nkwoji, Governor Uzodinma “should end the noise” over which zone is rightfully positioned to succeed him  in 2028 after the off-circle governorship election in 2027 by “adopting an Executive fiat which empowers him to invoke the Doctrine of Necessity.” He argued that “a little autocracy  considering the circumstances surrounding the Imo State governorship aspiration for 2027 will help stabilize our democracy.”

“I studied politics and government. I strongly believe that when democracy graduates to a chaotic situation, applying a measure of autocracy must be infused to regulate the chaos for the sake of our democracy. Applying the doctrine of necessity has become both inevitable and desirable in the context of Imo governorship agitations  –  it will call Imolites to order. It is instructive to aver that correcting the injustice of 2011 against Okigwe zone is where to begin. If we circumvent that procedure by 2027,there will be more chaos in our State. Okigwe zone was cheated in 2011 and still remains cheated to date. His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodinma is in a position to apply such Executive fiat and stabilize agitations  –  I bet you, everyone will be happy, and there will be sanity within the political space,” he asserted.

He recalled that in 2011,Owerri zone was in the league of those who truncated Okigwe zone’s second tenure,which invariably disrupted the equity flow in Imo State.”Let me tell you people, I don’t want to dwell on the fact that Owerri zone led the campaign that truncated Okigwe zone’s second tenure in 2011. Everybody knows what happened then. The issue now is the entrenchment of equity and  natural justice  –  meaning enye ndiebe,enye ndiebe(give these people and also give these people). Okigwe zone through His Excellency, Dr Ikedi Ohakim should be allowed to complete their remaining tenure  –  that is equity, good conscience, and natural justice,” he stated.

Asked why he is advocating for Ohakim’s return instead of another Okigwe zone person, Okenze Nkwoji explained that “Ohakim was the person directly injured by the 2011 wicked conspiracy which Owerri zone participated in.”  He further said that of all those angling for 2027,Ohakim is the most experienced and best situated for the position, has the capacity to sustain the incumbent governor’s legacies and has equity, fairness and justice on his side.” He opined that bringing another Okigwe zone person will infringe into Owerri zone’s turn by 2031. “Another person from Okigwe zone will like to go for two terms, and that won’t augur well for us in Owerri zone. Constitutionally, Ohakim can never even stay beyond one more tenure no matter what happens  –  and I tell you people, Ohakim is the shortest route to Owerri zone’s governorship.”

Explaining why he asserted that Owerri zone only has a  catalogue of leaders, but no structured leadership, Okenze Nkwoji argued that such a situation is one of the major problems Owerri zone inflicted on itself. He identified greed,quest to outshine and dominate one another by the multiple sociopolitical groups in the zone as some of the issues bedevilling Owerri zone. In his words, “There are catalogues of educated leaders heading selfish sociopolitical groups but without any defined leadership structure who could be a general rallying point for the zone. Everyone is his own captain, and two captains can not control one ship. Such is not the case with Orlu and Okigwe zones. In our zone, everybody wants to be in charge,yet nobody is in charge. Is that not a recipe for confusion and anti-progress? There is also greed, unnecessary quest for domination amongst us, and that is why we have multiplicity of sociopolitical groups  –  all prosecuting and pursuing self interests.Is that not pedestrian? There is also a lack of respect for one another in Owerri zone.  In the midst of all these foibles, and every group wanting to produce the governor, Owerri zone ends up not only losing out  but also making a caricature of itself,” he stated.

As a way out of all these problems, Nkwoji advised political leaders in Owerri zone to collapse all the different sociopolitical groups into one group,align with Okigwe zone for 2027 and reorganize themselves ahead of 2031. “We in Owerri zone need to be politically prudent and sagacious by supporting Ohakim and Okigwe zone for 2027  –  for just one term only. We need to embrace Okigwe zone, disband all these multiple groups,and then prepare for 2031 with just one group. We can wait. It is just four years and, may be,that would give us time for self reappraisal. But, if it is for 2027,we should forget it because we are not ready,” he reiterated.

He cautioned that if political leaders in Owerri zone fail to be politically prudent, restrategize and learn to speak with one voice, or refuse to align with Okigwe zone for 2027,they would have played into the hands of Orlu zone again.”Waiting for just four years is far better than waiting for eight or more years. Besides, the injustice  done to Okigwe zone and its attendant demand for redress will continue unabated. Anything short of correcting the prevalent  injustice against Okigwe zone is  not equity  – but rather an advocation that might is right, and in that case, Orlu might take it again.