Recently, there has been some positions and propositions on the Imo Charter of Equity as enuciated by Imo Elders Council. The position taken by some people on it to sane minds seems ridiculous and unexpected especially as it affects Owerri Zone. From their positions, some of us are made to understand that to be humble and peace loving is being weak and coward. This is why the present day society has gone heywire. Such a position is very dangerous.I want to say without equivocation that some people in Imo State are taking the love and humility of Owerri zone for peace and progress of the State as weakness. Most of them who may not have known what people suffered.What the forefathers went through to ensure the creation of the State and have Owerri as its Capital. One of the people said Owerri should surrender the State Capital before she can produce a State Governor.Another recently said that there is no equity without pacifying Okigwe. One of them from them though from Owerri zone said Owerri should surrender to Okigwe and wait till 2031. One other says the State Capital should be moved to Mbano before Owerri zone should have a Governor. He was joined in this puerile postulation by someone I believe has been in some of the struggles to ensure forward movement of the State. I really got disappointed with the person. Just a few days ago, one of the beneficiaries of inequity from Orlu zone politics echoed that Owerri zone should support and facilitate the creation of Orlu/Anim State as part of the bargain to have a State Governor.To be honest, all these people know fully well that they are dishonest in their thinking and reasoning.
In 1999, Chief Humphrey Anumudu from Owerri zone won the Primaries of PDP Governorship. It was taken away from him and Owerri zone and given to an Orlu man and Orlu zone. Till his death, neither Humphrey Anumudu nor Owerri zone was pacified. Orlu held power till 2007. All these people spewing whatever they like never joined Owerri zone leaders who continued to shout and fought that power should shift to Okigwe zone. Some of them as 'ratu,ratu persons betrayed Okigwe zone during that period.It took political diplomacy championed by Owerri zone for Okigwe to take over the seat of power at Douglas House, Owerri in 2007 with the manuovering tactics of Professor Maurice Iwu and tacit support of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Every one in the State knew how and Why Okigwe zone lost the Seat of power which an Orlu man again from nowhere took over from them. The Leaders of Owerri zone fought fiercely to ensure that Okigwe zone retained power but their efforts were scuttled. I wonder why the now 'untruthful messiahs' never spoke out that time and condemn the injustice. They merely went to bed and slept off for eight more solid years till the Orlu man left office. An Owerri zone man in 2019 clearly won election. Only seven months,he was unseated also by an Orlu man . In an effort to address the issues and bring sanity in the polity, the Imo Elders Council in their wisdom came up with what is called IMO CHARTER OF EQUITY and submitted it to the Governor who called a meeting of Imo Leaders to discuss the document. At the meeting at the Government House, all these people who today are opposing the agreement never raised a dissenting voice. They are all Members of the Imo Elders Council. Their recent position should tell the Governor that these people are saboteurs to his government. If not, Why come they are now working to truncate what sane minds see as one of the Governor's major legacies. The Opposition includes some of his Cabinet members who say that Charter of Equity is not binding. This is more worrisome when such is being purveyed by his Information Commissioner. To those of us in the Public Relations, Publicity and Communication Industry, such statements are deemed to be the position of the Principal especially when till date nobody refuted it.
The Imo Charter of Equity should be supported by all. Through it,let's see whether Imo State can move forward like other States in the federation.
On the position of the person saying that Owerri zone should support and facilitate the creation of Orlu/Anim State, I see it as the comment of an uninformed person. The writer of this piece has been in the forefront for the Creation of additional State from Imo State. What stalled it in 2005 and 2007 in the past was greed. The Late Senator Arthur Nzeribe, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Late Eze Okiro, Chief Christian Ogbuehi, Sir Levi Oguike were among the front pushers for the creation of the State. Some of them received unprintable insults from some people who denied their ancestry during the period. They are still alive and they know themselves. I learnt that the purveyor of Owerri should support and facilitate the creation of Orlu/Anim State was in the House of Representatives then. I wonder what was his contributions then and now.
For the person proposing the shifting of the State Capital to Mbano or Okigwe, I still maintain that the person may not have been born by the time Imo State was created. If he was, he must have been sucking his mother's breast. I wouldn't like to comment on the person who recently tagged himself as the Supreme Commander of his group. The reason is that his comments deserved no attention because in Imo State,we know who is who .The creation of Imo State and its Capital in Owerri was a very big battle. More over, Owerri has been the Seat of government right from the colonial era. It was the seat of Owerri Province that included the present Rivers State and part of Enugu State. From there came Mbaise Division and later Orlu Division.Owerri was also considered as the MOST CENTRAL during the period of Imo State creation. The argument that Calabar, Lagos were once the Capital of Nigeria does not hold water. The two areas were easily prone to external aggression and had landmass problem.
In all, if any zone is to be pacified for EQUITY, it's Owerri Zone. If any Zone is being CHEATED in the law of EQUITY, it's Owerri Zone. If any Zone is to be APPEALED to for its SACRIFICES to move the State forward, it's Owerri Zone. If any Zone is to commence the implementation of the IMO CHARTER OF EQUITY' come 2027/28, it's Owerri Zone. ENOUGH OF THE RANTINGS. ARGUMENTS SHOULD BE BASED ON EMPIRICAL FACTS AND NOT ON PRIMORDIAL GANG UP AND SENTIMENTS. (This is ONLY an Intro)
Report by BEN OSUAGWU.
Former STATE CHAIRMAN, IMO NUJ.
