By Prof Nathan Protus Uzorma
According to Aesop the Philosopher, “There was once a dog who used to snap at people and bite them without any provocation, and who was a great nuisance to everyone that came to his master’s house. So his master fastened a bell around his neck to warn people of his presence. The dog was very proud of the bell and strutted about tinkling it with immense satisfaction. But an old dog came up to him and said, the fewer airs you give yourself the better, my friend. You don’t think, do you think that your bell was given you as a reward of merit? On the contrary, it is a badge of disgrace”.
What the above fable teaches is that notoriety is often mistaken for fame. Someone may become famous for being bad and can be celebrated two. This as is reflected in the above fable has a lot to teach us concerning the executive governor of Imo state Chief Rochas A. Okorocha.
In the words of Plato, “Human affairs are not worthy of much seriousness, and yet one must take them serious.” For Aristotle, “There are three tenses to a person’s life; what he is, what he has become, and what he is becoming”. Following these two assertions, one is tempted to infer that human affairs ought not to be taken seriously but if one considers the implication of not taking it so serious, one will have no option than taking it very seriously. When one takes it very seriously as provided by nature one will consider the consciousness of the initiator that is, what he is (a governor), what he has become (a liar) and what he is becoming (a political failure). These aspects of human affairs should be taken very serious.
If Gov. Rochas Okorocha stops telling lies to Imo people, I shall stop telling the truth about him. His lies have destroyed Imo state and have brought untold suffering to Imo people. I am troubled when a man that is supposed to show the true way to proper life begins to lie just because he wants to gather the whole money on earth. One thing about this ignoble manipulation of a lying governor is that when a lie is told, it needs another type of lies to cover it up.
The question then is, how long would this type of lies be allowed to continue in Imo state? How could a sitting governor think that everybody in Imo state is a fool? Are there more lies that time and event will uncover in okorocha’s administration? Let me at this point highlight the major lie that has made Imo people realize that Gov. Okorocha’s Rescue Mission Programme is deceptive. The present condition of Imo Palm Plantation also known as ADAPALM is pitiable.
The workers of ADAPALM recently protested against the government of Chief Rochas Okorocha for over 21 months unpaid salary by Roche Company which is the mother company managing palm oil company at Ohaji. The reader could recall that I have severally questioned Gov. Rochas on the ownership of ROCHE Company and the relationship between Gov Roche sorry I mean Gov. Rochas and the Roche Company. None of my questions was answered till date.
It is on record that at the inception of Gov. Okorocha’s administration, he went into privatization of state owned sectors like the case of the multimillion naira Adapalm oil settlement which was sold to an Irish company named Roche for #3billion. Gov. Rochas Okorocha later informed Imo people that the #3Billion was used for the construction of Roche-type of classroom blocks in each of the 306 INEC wards in Imo state. Our Governor did inform us that the concession of Adapalm to Roche has yielded enormous dividends to Imo people which was used to build the 306 Roche-type of classroom block which are sited on roads for everybody to see.
When these lies were told, many Imo people applauded Chief Rochas Okorocha for this good effort of his aimed at consolidating his “free education” without knowing that he was telling a bigger lie to cover a big one. But nature has a way of helping people out; today nature has helped Gov. Rochas out as the superiority of falsehood over truth is for a moment.
We all know that Rochas undertook the building of the classy city schools on Wetheral Road. No doubt that, like other Okorocha’s projects, other school projects started across the state are today unfinished. Though Roche did not continue and other local contractors took over. The change of guard handling the school projects sent alarming signal on the reality of Gov. Rochas and his Rescue Mission programme.
Some Imo people became doubtful as to whether our governor used the #3Billion from the sale of Adapalm to truly build the schools as he claimed. Not quite long Universal Basic Education (UBE) inscription appeared on the wall of all the pre-cast building scattered across the state.
The appearance of the UBE trademark on the walls of the schools simply authenticated the fact that those school buildings were the product of the Federal Government of Nigeria, and were not built from the money realized from allowing Roche cater for Adapalm as Gov. Rochas did inform us. Now that we all know that Gov. Rochas told us lies and has continued to manipulate us, what do we do? If our governor could tell us that a project of this magnitude was his making while the Federal Government education body was responsible, he deserved to be impeached. Oh notoriety is here mistaken for fame!
Gov. Rochas should tell us what he has done with the #3Billion realized from the sale of Adapalm. There is no way Gov. Rochas will do a project and the Federal Government will claim ownership of it the same thing applies to Federal Government projects. Though we have seen several situation where Gov. Rochas claimed being responsible for some Federal roads done in Imo state. We know such things but we never bothered ourselves but this particular UBE project in Imo state has greatly opened our eyes.
What has Gov. Rochas done with #3Billion being money gotten from the sale of Adapalm? Has he used it to acquire more lands? His son in-law Hon Uche Nwaosu should tell us. I pity Gov. Rochas so much because as a Christian that he is, he has forgotten his next abode after here as a liar. Let me remind my governor what the Bible says in Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful and unbelieving, and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone…”
If the condition of a liar after here shall be in hell fire, it then means that Gov. Rochas Okorocha and anyone who lies like him, if they fail to repent, shall have their lot in the lake of fire. I am aware that many more lies shall be uncovered very soon because the bell on his neck like the Aesop fable is going about tinkling and he thinks it was given to him as a reward of merit, on the contrary it is a badge of disgrace. Our governor should always learn how to be truthful even when it is against him. Leadership is a thing that requires humility, sincerity fear of God, service with love and much more. When this is done, the leader would have escaped from the danger ahead.