ORLU 2019 SENATE POLL:WHY HON ONYERERI MAY CLINCH VICTORY,
2019 ORLU SENATE ELECTION: IT’S BETWEEN GOV OKOROCHA AND HON ONYERERI, BUT……
--------WHY SEN IZUNASO may have impediments;
---------WHY HON JERRY ALAGBOSO MAY GO FOR 3RD TENURE IN HoR
The election in regard to who represents Orlu zone in the Senate in the 2019-2023 Senate kicks off on Saturday, February 16th.The race is a two-horse race between the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and incumbent Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Jones Onyereri, who is also presently representing the largest Federal Constituency in Imo State: Nkwerre/Njaba/Isu/Nwangele Federal Constituency. Both combatants were elected into their present positions in the 2011 election. In this part 1 of the analysis, the klieg light will focus on reasons that the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA), Senator Osita Izunaso may not be a strong contender in the race , in spite of the fact that he had served one tenure as Senator representing Orlu zone in the 2007-2011 political era.
The reasons include:
(1) I belong in the School of Thought which frowns at a situation where a politician who has held a certain elective position and loses it still insists on getting back to that position, in spite of having been voted out earlier. This approach should be jettisoned in the politics of Imo State. This is because ,unlike many other States where there is massive deficit in terms of human resources and qualified personnel, Imo State has a surfeit of experts, technocrats and specialists in any profession. So, once you are privileged to be voted into an office as head of the Executive arm or member of the Legislature, you should strive to hold onto it for as long as it lasts. If you are voted Governor, I will expect you to try as much as possible to secure a second and final tenure. If for any reasons you are voted out , please, just move on to other levels and don’t create problems or gridlock in the political highway by insisting on going back to the office of governor. These things create problems in the politics of Imo State.
If you are a legislator in the National Assembly or in the State Legislature, there is nothing wrong if you insist on securing repeated mandates since the constitution has not prescribed a maximum tenure for legislators. Incidentally, I am in support of allowing a legislator to stay in the legislative chamber for as long as possible. I am not in support of a legislator serving just one or two tenures and being forced out on the grounds of zoning or the so-called internal democracy. Legislation is like wine; it gets better with age. A legislator who has spent many years in the legislative chamber will be more useful to his constituents than the one who stays just one or two terms and is forced out for another green horn to replace him. This is why I endorse the 3rd term tenure of Jerry Alagboso in the Federal House of Assembly for Orlu/Oru East/Orsu Federal Constituency. Aside the fact that a third term will position him as one of the principal members of HoR, my research shows that he has really performed well in the area of Constituency projects , even though most of his activities in the area of constituency projects are not being given adequate publicity.
Again, if you are voted out as a governor, please don’t go back there for the so-called ”Just One Tenure.” Please, move on to higher grounds and allow others to have a bite at the cake. Great politicians in this country had set a precedent which others should emulate, but it’s sad that the sacrifices they made in setting these precedents are not being emulated by present-day politicians. Greed is the reason for insisting on “EWERE NKEA, EWERE KWA OZO.” Thanks to Engineer Ezekiel Izuogu who first used that maxim in 2007. Hear Ezekiel Izuogu:”EWERE NKEA EWEREKWA OZO IS THE BUSINESS FACE OF POLITICS.” People should not the campaign ground rhyme of “Mmalu Akara Di Uto, Onyerara Ibe Ya Araratu.” Note that once you occupy a elective position, I don’t mind if you stay there ad infinitum. But once you lose it, move on. Dee Sam Mbakwe, PH.d remains the best governor that ever ruled Imo State. His tenure was cut in mid-projectile as a result of the military coup of Muhammadu Buhari on December 31st, 1983. When democracy was partially returned via diarchy in 1992 and full democracy in 1999, neither Dee Sam Mbakwe, PH.D nor Chief Evan Enwerem asked for second tenure. This is a great precedent set by these statesmen and present politicians should emulate their example. In the case of Chief Evan Enwerem, he was governor for just 18 months after which he moved to the Senate. If Dee Sam Mbakwe had asked for second term, it would have been given to him on a voice vote i.e. by acclamation. So, having tasted the Senate for four years, Senator Izunaso should please move on or bow out.
(2) Senator Izunaso hails from the Oguta/Ohaji/Egbema/Oru West Federal Constituency in IMO WEST Senatorial zone(a.k.a.Orlu Zone).This Federal Constituency has produced senators for Orlu zone for a cumulative total of about 15 years. I think that tantamount to a way of monopolizing the office of senator in that zone. It is not the apparent monopoly that bothers me but the fact that in all these years of representing the IMO WEST Senatorial zone in the Senate, I am unable to point at one super structure which bears testimony to their wonderful representation. Frantic efforts made during the research for this analysis to confirm their performance in terms of law making and constituency projects ended in futility as nobody was able to brandish an array of their constituency projects in Imo West Senatorial zone (aka Orlu zone). In fact, in the case of Senator Izunaso, I was unable to see cogent and verifiable constituency projects or left behind by him. I was also unable to get the list of the bills he sponsored up to the level of an Act. Perhaps, he may wish to shed more light on this through radio programmes. Above all, Senator Izunaso belongs in the group of Imo politicians who will never pick calls or respond to sms from unregistered numbers. As I stated above, I am not bothered by the fact that his federal constituency has taken about15 years representing Orlu Senate; the inescapable fact is that their representation is not fruitful.
It will be recalled that Senator Francis Arthur Nzeribe is the first senator from that federal constituency to represent Orlu zone in the Senate. He started representing Orlu zone as senator from October 1st, 1983.That stint was aborted on December 31st, 1983 as a result of the coup. He again served as senator for the zone from from May 29, 1999-May 29, 2007. He was defeated in the 2007 election by senator Izunaso who also hails from the same federal constituency. Senator Izunaso served from 2007- 2011.It is pertinent to recall that senator Arthur Nzeribe and and another senator NANI Maduagwu, both from the same federal constituency with Senator Izunaso also served as senators in the military junta of General Babangida and Sani Abacha. In fact, Senator Maduagwu who was even a Muslim emerged senator for Orlu zone during that period. This is like a Christian emerging senator in a Muslim State. So, that federal constituency has produced senators for IMO WEST for about 15 years-back to back, yet there is nothing to bear testimony to their effectiveness.I am unable to state in their about 15 years as senators for Imo West, I am unable to track down their constituency projects/ array of Bills emanating from them.
Meanwhile, the largest federal Constituency in Orlu zone, Nkwere/Njaba/Nwangele and Isu, has not produced any senator since democracy returned in 1999.It appears they produced their only senator in 1079 when the Late DR. Emezie was senator. In the same vein, another federal Constituency, Ideato federal constituency, has not produced senator for IMO EAST(i.e. ORLU ZONE) at all since the creation of the world. On the strength of the reasons adumbrated above, it’s fair and just for senator Izunaso who hails from the Oguta+ Federal Constituency to step aside on the grounds that their representation has not being fruitful, even when they have been overindulged So, in summary, the Senatorial election for Orlu zone Senate appears to be a two horse race between Governor Okorocha and the candidate of the PDP, Hon Jones Onyereri.
(1) The respondents who were polled in the cause of this work hold the opinion that the great Greek Philosopher, Thucydides, once posited that “One cannot step into the same flowing river twice.” This is because a flowing river is in a state of flux. Consequent upon this Thucydides maxim coupled with the political rhyme of.”NMANU AKARA DI UTO”, SenatorOsita Izunaso should move ahead to other elective positions instead of insisting on repeating a class in the Red Chamber. They say that in Imo State, once you fail, you fail out because there is a massive demand for elective positions. The political precedence set by the like of DEE SAM MBAKWE, Evan Enwerem, Ogbonnaya Onu, Jim Nwobodo, and several others should be sustained in the interest of political tranquility and harmony. Those were governors who did not complete their maximum but they moved on.
2 Some sections of the electorate are not comfortable with the manner he emerged as candidate for Senate. They say that he belongs to the APC/APGA instead of APGA NKEANYI which they describe as APGA/APGA.
3.They accuse him of betraying their principal who had planned to be in the Senate in 2007. They allege that, in 2007 electioneering season, Senator Osita Izunaso withdrew from the actualization of a pact which was a fait accompli before the campaigns kicked off thus frustrating and truncating the senate agenda of a iop politician(name withheld) in Orlu Zone.
4.In terms of constituency projects, empowerment and legislation, they say there is a massive performance deficit on his part while in the National Assembly(NASS). They are not satisfied with his antecedents both in the House of Representatives where he served a term, 2003-2007 and the Senate where he served a tenure,2007-2011.
5.They say they have noted his passion for the special citizens who he feeds once a year in a highbrow hotel in the State Capital. They wonder why such annual show of hospitality should be organized outside Orlu zone where he presides as Senator. They wonder if there are no hotels in any of the 12 local government areas of Imo West (ORLU ZONE) that has the capacity to host such an annual feeding fiesta/ ceremony. A cross section of the special citizens complained that they were finding it inconvenient to participate in the eating and drinking binge because the venue, CONCORD HOTEL OWERRIe, was far-flung for their convenience. Some politicians were not happy that the hotels in Orlu zone which would have benefitted from such hospitality were shut out of the cash flow in regard to such ceremonies.
6.Some people frowned that in spite of his hyped passion for the special citizens or Physically Challenged Persons, there is no record of any constituency project in the area of setting up schools or institutions for the blind such as libraries with full complement of Braille machines, motherless/orphanages, school for the blind and related structures to add capacity to the standards of living of the special citizens in Orlu senatorial zone.Such projects would have given him a return ticket to the NASS.A once a year free food fiesta and drinking binge in a 5-star hotel is not enough to give any politician an automatic return ticket to an elective position. Then, they ask:”After eating and drinking like epicureans and hedonists for just one day, what happens next?”
7. They concluded that in the absence of cogent and verifiable records of constituency projects/Bills etc, there are no critical reasons or exigencies which call for his service in the NASS now. Let those who have not been there before be given access while Senator Osita Izunaso moves on to other platforms. They described him as a very humble, resourceful young man who is an asset to Orlu zone but on this issue, others should be given opportunity to serve.
(8)They allege that while the primaries were ongoing, Senator Izunaso was in the APC where he was in court battling to reclaim his mandate as National Organizing Secretary of the APC. They claim that he emerged as APGA SENATORIAL candidate by using a surrogate to represent him during the primaries. They allege that in 2007, HON Izunaso was used as a surrogate to enable a prominent politician in Orlu to represent Orlu zone in the Senate but Izunaso frustrated the move when he refused to relinquish the victory which he won as a surrogate. They conclude that in view of this development, the doctrine of quid pro quo is untenable on this issue.
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ORLU SENATE REPRESENTATION (1999 TO NOW).
ORLU ZONE ZONE has four federal constituencies:
(1)Orlu/Orsu/OruEast;which has served 8years in the Senate since 1999(2011-2019)
(2)Oguta/Oru West/Ohaji/Egbema Federal constituency which has served 12years in the Senate since 1999 plus other senate positions during the military rule.
(3)Nkwerre/Isu/Nwangele/Njaba has not produced any senator since 1999.The last time they produced a senator was in 1979 when Senator DR.Emezie was senator. This is why HON JONES ONYERIRI who hails from that federal coinstituency has a strong case for Orlu Senate now.
(4)Ideato North and South Federal Constituency: They have never produced senator for Orlu since creation. That is why Governor Okorocha also has a strong case, but for the fact that there are several militating factors against his emergence as Senator for Orlu zone now.. Some of these militating factors may be discussed elsewhere.
In conclusion, the Senate election in IMO WEST is essentially between Governor Okorocha and Jones Onyereri. It is pertinent to state that efforts made to reach senator Izunaso on phone to provide his response to issues raised here failed because he belongs in the group of politicians who don’t pick calls from unregistered numbers.
CONCLUSION:
The Orlu senate election of 2019 appears to be a direct fight between HON Jones Onyereri and Gov Okorocha.While Governor Okorocha is already well known and needs no further introduction, HON JONES Onyereri is also a serving member of the House of Representatives (HoR) since 2011 to date. Although, I have not met him one on one, the responses I had during my research for this work place him at par with the State Governor. Ordinarily, as an incumbent governor and also an Ideato Federal Constituency person, he would have won the election to the senate on a voice vote but for the fact that a cross section of Orlu electorate have an axe to grind with him. The grouse of the ORLU ZONE electorate on Governor Okorocha will be discussed after the poll.
JOHN MGBE
johnmgbe@yahoo.com.
FEB, 14th, 2019
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