By Prof. Nathan Uzorma Protus
Sometimes it is good to permit the human intellect have absolute control over human actions. At other times, it is better to allow the human will overrule human efforts. Most times, it is best to give way to the human actions especially when what was inside of a man is replete with complex opposites, so as to know his thoughts and will. When Christ declared that it is what comes out of a man that kills him and not what he swallows, he prefigured too, diverse situations in life. Another accent in our common parlance says that action speaks louder than words, which is summarised by the saying that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Speaking too, is action; just as the abundance of the heart subsumes human thoughts and will, which may be good but with bad actions.
These are common realities of life, which every human being must have either a balance status of the three or a slope slide that tilts downwards while the upper one being lighter, goes up. It is common too that for reasons of what the Danish Philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard called “crowd mentality,” we dance and celebrate at the vision of the elevated, abandoning the sloped side until it tilts badly and makes a 90o elevation that crushes all our bases and throws us all that are hooked on the elevated edge overboard, all falling and crashing helplessly. The problem is not the mechanism that tilts but we that prefer only to look up and grab the glory of the elevated without looking down to know the secrets behind the tilt, its dangers and how to prevent disasters emanating from it.
Imo State since 2011 has enjoyed the glory of the elevated side of Governor Rochas Okorocha, dancing in adulation to glittering portraits that tilt high, seeing their sight as evidence of redemption and without caring to find out what is the other edge of the scale that causes the elevated side we glorify. The slope being now weak and overloaded, and its fragile glittering raps being peeled off, has crashed today, destroying all worshippers of the art work.
Since 2010, I have foresighted the evils hatching under Governor Okorocha’s elevator, warning and decrying, but only very few thought it wise to verify the spirit and discern the good and bad thereunto. The truth is that Governor Okorocha has reached the Zenith of glorious shines and pretences to Imolites, the stage he has stepped into now is the action time when the glorious dancer either dances with his clothes on or off in order to show the spectators his internal makeup and accumulated thoughts and intentions for the State. Truly, Rochas supposed to be the best Governor that Imo never had, but because we wanted change at all cost, like the irate and spiritually blind Jews who preferred crucifying the revolutionist Christ to the notorious armed robber. That robber is another untold story in the Holy Writ, as it did not account the decree of destruction he made in Jerusalem and beyond, which regrets further gave Christ’s disciples credence, popularity and fellowship. So it is with the Imo of today.
Twice, Imolites rejected Christ sent to them and preferred a man with opulence mentality. Possibly, in 2019 the same story will happen as history is cyclic and thus repeats. When a man has voluminous strength in his speech and actions, but thin stature of thoughts and wills, he ends like the Roman Emperor Nero, who put the ancient city of Rome ablaze in order to build a new Rome on a fine architectural plan, forgetting where the populace will live while it takes decades to finish and also the hardship it brings to them. In fact, it is good that these demolitions go round Owerri capital city for the making and answering of the name that Imolites prepared for Okorocha. Certainly, Governors and Ministers of the FCT Abuja have done such and heavens did not fall. But the truth that remained visible was in knowing “what was the intention of the demolitionists.”
Surely, to bite the finger that fed the previous famished power-seeker who have now turned power drunk (as Prof Wole Soyinka would say, “ Power corrupts, precarious power corrupts precariously”) to ensure actualisation of vendetta mission, to let you know that “man pass man” is not by saying but by doing the implied, etc. If not these and many others, tell me what else. El Rufai demolished structures then in Abuja because they were said not to be in the Master Plan of the FCT that started with General Ramat Muritala Mohammed.
The demolitions at Orlu road in the Owerri capital city, are they for same reasons? Are those structures in or not in the Master Plan that the Imo Nero has read severally? Why destroying peoples structures- To dualise the already dual carriage lanes making it four lanes or to build novo paradiso in terra (new paradise on earth) as a good shell for a rotten egg? Are those structures the causes of holdups in the capital city? If they are, when motorists reach the junction, will they fly and pass Assumpta, Douglas and Bank roads? What happened to the inner ring road plotted to decongest traffic in Owerri by Govenor Ohakim, which passed from Egbeada round Owerri and came out to Port Harcourt road and then to Yar’Adua drive and thus Onitsha-Owerri road? What of the initial cut off road Okorocha began near Alvana to cut off traffic jam by Orlu Road? The ones he started at the Port Harcourt road have they been concluded? Will he ever conclude or build his numerous crush and leave road projects, and finally leave them unfinished too like Ohakim? The vision on several gates at Owerri, nda a? The miles of local roads in every autonomous community in the State, nda a?
The pillars mounted at the Otamiri by the waterfall effigy, have been pulled off as the money spent on it gets destroyed by the action than thought Governor, who always has “good intentions” but bad actions. The warehouse belonging to the Imo Cooperative Societies that has existed before the birth of any Imo Nero, nda a? The elimination and demolition of the Life Line Assembly Inc., did it solve Okorocha’s problems or end the problem of the traffic jams in the capital city.
It’s been so in Benin City for ages until the pass-by auto-route was created cutting off commuters from the East. Go round Imo capital city the roads are too bad with many potholes that were hurriedly parched last month with the Governor’s Chinese quick parch and have barley three weeks spoiled again. The image at the Control Post, how many times will he think out the best image and action for it? The structures destroyed and billions paid off before the Owerri Post Office nda a?, What has been done there since, but a heap of ruins swinging ironical and deriding graphics: ROCHAS IS WORKING demolitions and abandonments.
Dear Imolites, weep not child. We sowed whatever we are reaping. This is not the first time the Orlu road is being destroyed and never Governor Okorocha’s first and last demolition in Owerri. But whether he thinks about the hardship he puts innumerable Imolites into, whether he has feelings for them and wills them good in his indiscrete demolition actions, I’m sure that his intentions are yet to be known in reality. We are watching! Ndi Imo nda a?