By A.I.C. Akwarandu
The word Ihedioha can be defined by the dictionary of the mind as anything that has the capacity of being successful even in the midst of difficulties. The dictionary further explains it as an act of being successful or achieving something where some others think it may be difficult. This goes to say that one can make a sentence using the word Ihedioha. For example, “In this coming election, I and my team shall emergeihediohanally (Successfully),” and “this event was indeed ihediohanised (successful)”, etc. The word Phobia on the other hand, was novel to me until my senior secondary class when I had an encounter with my wonderful English teacher, Mrs. Adiukwu. She told us then that “Phobia” means being afraid of something. In her examples, she used things like “Mathematics Phobia, Physics Phobia, Chemistry Phobia and all that.”
However, I thank Mrs. Adiukwu for exposing me to the word ‘phobia’ and to a large extent thank Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha for fighting hard and strong to add his name to the dictionary of the mind. It is important to note that while some persons’ definition about you in their own dictionary of the mind may not be in accordance with your worldview, you shouldn’t be perturbed by it. The truth remains that the voice of the people must prevail.
Now let me proceed to the crux of this piece. What a lot of the opposition groups in Imo State today are suffering is termed “IhediohaPhobia”. IhediohaPhobia in this context can therefore be defined as being afraid of success. And in a broader political sense, it means being an enemy of the people and the good tidings that should come to them. IhediohaPhobia has eaten deep into the fabrics of some people that they don’t even wish to hear the name Ihedioha which symbolises success. IhediohaPhobia can be diagnosed through what they write, through what they say and through the actions they display on hearing the name Ihedioha. Some of them have gone to the extent of photographing the deputy speaker of the federation just to make the false claim that he was seated while the National Anthem was being rendered at a recent function in Owerri.
One wonders where else this kind of blackmail could have emanated from if not from those who suffer from this political epidemic called IhediohaPhobia. A law maker per excellence, who has changed the status quo in law making cannot be found wanting in obeying the laws of the land. A flag flying officer of the Republic in the person of Rt. Hon. Chukwuemeka Ihedioha,CON,KSC, cannot be seating even in his dream when the Nigerian anthem is ongoing. Having been privileged to be on his entourage to some places, I can say authoritatively that Rt. Hon. Ihedioha is one Nigerian who over time has refused to take his seat and be welcomed to an event until the Nigerian song of glory and honour is heard. Little wonder that the barefaced lies sufferers of Ihediohaphobia tried to peddle in some social media space died almost without notice. Shame on them!
It is also worthy of note that since after the recent Iriji Mbaise festival, Governor Rochas Okorocha and his band of apologists have not recovered from the shock reality of Hon. Ihedioha’s increasing popularity across Imo State. The fact that Okorocha was booed while Ihedioha was hailed and glorified at the festival is a rude reality check for the governor. One wonders why a group of people have been misinforming the public about how the governor enjoyed the Iri jifestival and have been issuing and re-issuing press statements since then just in a desperate bid to hoodwink the public. They have gone to the extent of hiring some Mbaise young men whom the governor failed to empower, to organise what they called an ‘apology rally’ for him. The question therefore is, how many times will Governor Okorocha be apologised to by communities across Imo State? He was ‘apologised’ to by the people of Uguta, the people of Owerri ‘apologised’ to him, the people of Mbaitolu who revolted against their own son Prince Eze Madumere, also ‘apologised’ to the “unapologetic government” of rescue mission. And now, Mbaise people are ‘apologising’. This festival of apologies reminds me of the saying that “Ihe agba na aka, ana eji oku ele ya”. This means that a ring on your hand does not need light to be seen. If at all Governor Okorocha has been doing well, I do not think that there will be need for the serial embarrassments he suffers across the state talkless of apology. The governor should do serious introspection and find out where he has failed the people of Imo state and possibly make amends by apologising to them. But I fear that even such a step is now too late as Imolites want him out.
I feel Gov. Okorocha should go and look for the root of his misfortunes and leave a man blessed by God to continue rendering service to humanity. Rt. Hon. Ihedioha is not the only aspirant in Imo state. He is not the only PDP man in Imo. He is not the only Mbaise man. The governor should therefore consult the Minister of Health and other medical experts to look into the epidemic ofIhediohaPhobia and proceed to quarantine before 2015 election before hurricane Ihedioha and his self-inflictedIhediohaphobia destroys him. Rt. Hon. Ihedioha has made his mark in his journey as a legislator. I am not here to emphasis on the much talked about Owerri/Elele road of which he facilitated the ongoing dualisation, neither am I here to talk about the Onitcha Uboma road which links to Okigwe, under construction through the instrumentality of the Deputy speaker. The issue under discussion is not the massive Mbaise ring road which has encouraged economic activities for the good people of Mbaise or the fully completed Jetty at Imo river, Ngor Okpala, both federal projects he facilitated. This write up is not to talk about Ihedioha’s various empowerment programmes and even the latest distribution of scientific equipments to secondary schools in Imo state.
If that happens to be the reason, I would have taken much time to talk about the various water projects, health centres, solar electric lights situated both in Ngor Okpala and Aboh Mbaise and Indeed other parts of the state. I would have taken time to lay emphasis on the waste recycling plant located in Ilile Ohaji Egbema which the deputy speaker facilitated to Imo state. I would have needed no body to remind me that the deputy speaker facilitated the rehabilitation of Owerri/Umuahia road and Owerri/Okigwe road. Even the road linking from Mbutu, Chokoneze, Logora and Umuohiagu are all projects linked to the tireless efforts of the deputy speaker which I don’t wish to talk about.
But, the reason for this write-up is to advise Governor Okorocha’s aides to focus on mending the image of their boss which has gone into oblivion. For a man who had good will before becoming governor, to at this point be hiring youths to chant his praise shows that he has lost it. His aides should therefore concentrate on explaining to Imolites the reason why the roads shown on AIT are without potholes, while in Imo, potholes are inseparable from Gov. Okorocha’s road projects. They should explain to Imolites why there is no job creation and why local government elections are still not conducted since he got to office till today. They should explain the financial status of Imo state and tell us why a huge debt of over 130 billion naira hangs over the state. They should tell us why the once cleanest city of Owerri is nowhere to be found in the convocation of beautiful cities in Nigeria. Let them inform us where pensioners are only paid on AIT and even NYSC members posted to Imo state only receive their salary from the state on AIT. Let them not forget to tell us why the purported ‘Youth Must Work’ members were given “engagement letters” instead of appointment letters. They can go further to tell us why a man who parades an empty talk on rule of law has been disobeying rule of law since inception into office.
Finally, it is necessary to state that Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is like a golden fish which has no hiding place. He is a man whose time has come and no human being can pull him down. He is a man with a large heart; a man full of wisdom and administrative decorum. He is a man loved by the youths, the old, women and even children. Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha cannot be stopped no matter the amount of pull him down strategies which the rescue mission government adopts. Ihedioha thinks; Ihedioha listens; and above all, Ihedioha delivers without telling stories. Imo Ga Adi Mma Ozo.
Akwarandu writes from Owerri
