By Prof. Nathan Protus Uzorma
Since 1999, Imo State’s political leadership has experienced constant political party-shifts from PDP to PPA, PPA to PDP, PDP to APGA, APGA to APC, APC to the certainly known 2015. The dialectics of these transitional party-toppling and defections are consequences of power hunts and desperations to hold it secured (notwithstanding the degradation of the personality of the Governor on the seat and the sheaths into which the abandoned party are torn into), which has evidently barred the State-Community from progressive growth in terms of the execution of Party manifestoes, and their contents of perspective planning natures, as well as perfect benefits from the PDP-led Federal Government.
The present Imo State Governor has in this same trait personally made several political shifts from one party to another, in search of self-fulfilment and greener pastures. Rochas Okorocha throughout the Federation is known as one of the youngest founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It was even rumoured then that he pump-primed the party; that the first bulk of money given to S.D. Lar, the founding Chairman of the PDP (in 1998/99) came from him to kick off the party. He also did same in the Imo State chapter of the party, as rumours had it. But despite his affluence and pump-priming, he failed to scale through in the Party’s hurdles for gubernatorial aspirations. He thus failed in grabbing the advantaged position for the gubernatorial race even when it was zoned to his senatorial zone (Orlu) in 1999; instead, the little known Achike Udenwa was picked.
Having lost the gubernatorial race and still determined not to loose out in all fronts as a result of desperation than determination, the Ogboko High Chief with the aid of his benefactors and some PDP sympathisers, was able to pick the Orlu Senatorial Zone PDP ticket, same 1999. This created another hurdle for Rochas as he had to struggle with Chief Arthur Nzeribe then of the APP for the position. But before the Oguta-Amaeshi-born political juggernaut could arrive at the Oru-West’s Oguta junction (Mgbidi) with his forces, the gutless Plateau State based business man has zoomed off back to Plateau State.
Again, at the eve-year of 1999-2003 political dispensation, Rochas returned to Imo State only to discover that both Chief Udenwa and Chief Nzeribe were on their second tenure bids. He zoomed off like a mindless jet to the Presidency under the platform of APP, while Nzeribe defected to the PDP. This move surprised many. But Rochas picked the presidential ticket and did not go beyond the margin, although he was later compensated by President Obasanjo with the S.A on Inter Party Activities.
As normal, the Ogboko High Chief left the Presidential Advisory post in 2004 to form the Action Alliance (AA) in order to project his presidential ambition in 2007, where he later turned his campaign office to the strong room where money meant for delegates for the late Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua’s presidential race (Southeast zone) delegates were kept and distributed. With his constant intrigue and desperation, he shamefully mock-presented himself for the elections and came up as second in the presidential primaries. At the end of the elections, Rochas dumped the Action Alliance he formed and rolled back to the PDP in 2007, he remained therein silent only to be heard at his 48th Birthday celebration in Owerri towards the last months of 2010, a forerunner celebration toward his declaration for Imo gubernatorial race in 2011.
The Ogboko High Chief again quitted the PDP and pleaded with Dame Bianca Ojukwu for absorption into the All Progressive Grand Allaince (APGA), even to accepting footing the bills and pump-priming the late Ikemba of Nnewi’s 2010 Birthday celebration. He immediately became APGA gubernatorial candidate in Imo State after the unholy alliance and romance with the Agbasos, which has in the recent-past months been laid bare with his reneges.
Little did the Igbo-welfares-minded Rochas stay in the “Igbo-man” formed national political party and he had eyes again in another political party- The All Progressive Congress (APC), certainly in search of greener pasture that he has never been satisfied with his findings and achievements. Still in APC, Rochas stayed but fewer than three months, he planned to revitalise and roll back to the Action Alliance (AA) he jettisoned. When he was vehemently criticised, he shrank like a snail and stayed in the APC where he declared himself the Imo Messiah- A complete Anathema. Little did he realise his self, family and circled in-laws rescue programme as the Governor of the State and he committed the funniest desperate act no politician in the history of the Nigeria has ever done- Paddling two canoes at a time, standing with one leg in each, paddling intermittently with one palm and baling the other with the other palm. Habbah Alhaji Rochas! This act is typical of desperate Northern politicians of olden days, which many Imolities never knew that he was of such gene.
It is only a naughty desperado who will engage in such adventure in the Nigerian political ocean and succeed safe, undrowned. Over ambitiousness! The recent in-doors plan of handing over the Imo APC to his in-law, Uche Nwosu, to hold brief for him while he rushes to the presidency to try his luck, shows his obvious naughtiness and desperation to rule Imo State. How can he justifiably tell Imolites that he sincerely meant to rescue them while he abandoned them at crossroads? Would he still have returned to pick up the thicket from Uche Nwosu if he won in the APC presidential primaries? When I tell Imolites that Rochas is not what he portrays to them, many pillory me but have come today to see how naughty a desperado the Peoples Governor has turned to be. He runs Imo State as if it is a family affair.
His in-law also is a piccolo adulto (little adult) if not, he would not have given it back to him. If Uche Nwosu is not like his in-law- Rochas (birds of the same feather), he would not have given it to him. Is Uche Nwosu greater than Prof Anwuka or Prince Eze Madumere? He would have given it to any of them and see if they will give it back to him. It also shows that he does not trust his deputy who is from Owerri zone (the zone that must produce the 2015 Governor in the State but just uses him to be dumped soonest). If this is not true, assuming that Rochas won in the APC presidential primaries, would he have urged Prince Madumere to deputise the former commissioner Uche Nwosu? Is it not a humiliation? Was this attempt not same as he did to the Agbasos? We have to think well about Rochas and his acclaimed love for Imolites, especially the Owerri zone. Once bitten by the snake, if you see any closing reptile, you have to be very apprehensive and defend yourself.
Rochas is excessively greedy and it is in his nature to use this innate greediness to deceive any political party he finds himself, to deceive even his own cliques and structures, to deceive the entire Imolites, claiming to have their utmost welfare in mind. If Rochas had succeeded in the APC presidential primaries and then fail in the February general elections as General Buhari will certainly fail, would he have rescued or continue to rescue Imo State? Has he rescued Imo as he envisioned months back or is his governorship a mere working experience needed to vie and vouch for presidency? If this, then he has deceived us and has returned to deceive the remnants of the State that he could not then deceive if we vote him again come 2015. Thanks to God that many great powers and forces that made him Imo Governor in 2011 are now regretting and cursing their encounters with him.
The Catholic Sage, Anthony de Mello once said that whoever wants liberation must “find out who has bound him”, and that “salvation is neither obtained from action nor from meditation, it comes from seeing”. But seeing what?- Seeing the extent of redemption or damnation Rochas has done to APGA, to APC, to Imo State and has continued to destroy it with his unpunished deceits. Rochas rolls from pillar to post and to pole, and as he has started failing again, he will fail flat come 2015, I assure him. A rolling stone gathers nothing and a desperate greedy man returns empty handed with shame!