The Nigerian media has been bubbling with news from Imo State ranging from the statues the Governor of the State, Rochas Okorocha sponsored, to honour outgoing leaders of Africa, to his appointment of the Commissioner of Happiness and Purpose Fulfilment, among others.
It seems Okorocha has become the media’s new found love and as such many are obsessed with anything coming from the Imo State Government.
Last week, News went viral that Imo State Assembly endorsed the Governor’s son-in-law Chief Uche Nwosu, who is currently the Chief of Staff, as a Governorship Aspirant in 2019.
This news, however, did not last as the Imo State Assembly denied the purported endorsement describing the claims as mind-boggling.
The statement, which was credited to the House Committee Chairman on Petroleum, Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, and Niger Delta Development Commission, Henry Ezediaro, was rebuffed by Imo lawmakers.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the House, Marcel Ekwezuo, the job of lawmakers is to make laws and take resolutions which will impact positively on the people and endorsement of candidates for different positions is not part of it.
“It needs to be cleared that at no time did the House of Assembly meet and endorse Nwosu as its governorship candidate, or any person for that matter.
“Imolites are, therefore, advised to discountenance the publication as a figment of the writer’s imagination which has no bearing with the House of Assembly”.
Ezediaro insisted that the House’ leadership denial of the endorsement does not exclude the fact that majority of the lawmakers met and endorsed Nwosu as the next Governor.
He added that “We are standing on our decision and very soon, I will name the lawmakers who gave the endorsement”.
The recent news about the Nigerian Media’s boo is that he was reported to have said 89% of Nigerians are not happy and only 4% could really be happy to some extents, while 7% might claim to be happy.
Stating that the vital aspect of human existence which is happiness must be addressed, Okorocha in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said agitation comes up when people are not happy.
“For this reason, I will advise the Air Force to, just as I have done recently, which most people didn’t understand, create a department for Happiness and Purpose Fulfilment”.
He said this when officers of the Nigeria Air Force led by the Air Officer Commanding Ground Training Command, AVM Sampson Akpasa visited him, at Government House in Owerri.
“Let me commend the Nigeria Air Force for the good job they are doing in this country, especially their fight against insurgency and, currently, what is happening in Numan and all the efforts they are making to restore peace in that area. I’m particularly proud of you.
Northern Affiliation
Governor Okorocha has severally been called derogatory names by critics who see him as more supportive of the North than the South East because they feel he is helping Northerners with his foundation (Rochas Foundation).
The Rochas Foundation is a charity organization dedicated to the educational development of the less-privileged. Since its inception, thousands of less privileged children and Internally Displaced Persons have benefited from the organization.
The foundation has schools in the different States of Nigerian including Sokoto, Zaria, Jos, Kano, Enugu, Owerri, Yola, Ibadan and Ogboko among others. In an intolerant environment, many do not understand why an Igbo man would have so many efforts concentrated in the North. This is despite the fact that the North is worse hit by poverty.
Also, Okorocha, being the only Governor from the ruling party, is seen, by some in the South East, as a supporter of a rarely defined “Northern Agenda”. This is understood from the fact that the President is from the North and is widely disliked by the Igbo people of the South East due to a population of the latter’s clamour for an independent State of Biafra.
Okorocha is an Igbo Governor who was raised in Jos. He schooled there from Secondary school till University education and speaks Hausa fluently and says so himself.
Hard Truth or Attacks
Okorocha was largely criticized in the South East when, in 2015, he faulted the political calculations of the Igbo people saying the region should try and support the right candidate. This was seen as an attack on his people largely because of how his statement was taken out of context.
Okorocha’s fight, as he says in an address of Igbo leaders in Owerri, is that Igbos become more politically relevant at the National level by associating with others. In 2014 he lamented the low interest, among Igbos, in running for President. Just September this year he lamented the same issues, saying Igbos play the worse politics in Nigeria.
“Igbo have to change their strategy, in order to reclaim their relevance in Nigeria’s power equation. Quote me anywhere, Igbo play the worst politics in Nigeria. Today, Hausa have realized they can win an election without Igbo. Hitherto, Hausa used to think they could not win elections without Igbo.Now, they believe with the combined massive populations of Lagos and Kano, they no longer need Igbo to win, hence, the latest alliance between Hausa and Yoruba. So, where is Igbo today in Nigerian politics?”
Okorocha is also known to express the strongest of anti-succession views among the South Eastern Governors. In September he said
“No reasonable Igbo man is asking for secession. No reasonable Igbo man will support the division of this country. I want to remind all Nigerians that Igbos are the people that fought the last war and if there was anyone so badly affected by that war is the Igbo.”
Media of Sensation
The perception of Okorocha as a friend of the North and an attacker of his people is one the Nigerian media was not going to miss exploiting. Media reports about Okorocha have since been either one that brings out “Igbo people are bad politicians” from a lengthy speech where he praised Igbo people, or one which seeks to show the Governor and his every action as ridiculous, inciting “you see him?” from those who hate him.
