Rochas Okorocha and the New Dawn

Rochas Okorocha and Solomon Egbuho at The World Igbo Congress Convention in Los Angeles, 2005

I wish to draw everybody's attention to what has been going around as the new democratic fabric seems to be in what the pundits now call 'the progressives' and how it has helped effect change as the Fourth Republic enters its 4th Term, and by the time the 4th term will be over or should be over, we'll be talking about sixteen years of a fledgling democracy. I have always emphasized on situations like this when I say 'it's not yet uhuru' and there's no need to be bumping fists in a political environment that is still full of uncertainties.

In the past, I have predicted with near certainty in elections of this nature, with regards to the Igbo-related states, and particularly my home state of Imo, from around which a better election was held, this time around, and that the people of Imo State spoke overwhelmingly on the ground destiny was in their own hands. This may be because not that Ohakim was that evil as we all may have thought; it's because we have been learning how other states in the federation have been gradually doing well as time went by and as they kept learning from the nation's neo-democratic dispensation of the Fourth Republic; by correcting its ills as it came along.

As it has now happened, and applying other better performing states as model, we hope, we will not be seeing again Imo Diaspora endorsing a 4th Republic first 'elected' Imo governor in Achike Udenwa who nobody questioned his code of conduct through a second term without investigating a ridiculously managed regime in Imo. So, too, hopefully, we will not be seeing Imo Diaspora endorsing and applauding a fraudulently 'elected' Ikedi Ohakim's proposed visit to the shores of the United States by a confused Los Angeles area organizing committees.

And hopefully, we will not be seeing where backlog of teachers salaries are left unpaid as in Udenwa's regime. And, again, hopefully, we will not be seeing a Diaspora that will abandon its responsibilities, sit and do nothing about the affairs of state, by way of proffering thoughtful ideas based on its Diaspora grounds to help its home state grow through series of development programs typical of all organized societies. And too, for sure, we will not be seeing where Igbo-related states, especially Imo, in which that part of Ala-Igbo was deliberately turned into a state of empire and anarchy while kidnapping became the order of the day and we all sat idly watch it unfold.

We have arrived to the 'New Dawn,' and evidently Rochas Okorocha cleared the hurdle giving Nd'Imo a sigh of relief, and that, never again would people like Ohakim be given the opportunity to destroy the state in its entirety; and that, never again would such be accepted in any civil society if we really want democracy to prevail.

Okorocha, I would assume saw how Imo deteriorated by way of social programs and basic infrastructures he quickly dabbled himself to opposition to fight and have Ohakim removed. Okorocha did not all of a sudden pop up to an out of nowhere politician. During the World Igbo Congress held September 2-4, 2005 (Labor Day Weekend), at the Los Angeles Airport Hotel, while I reported for BNW News, I met and spoke with Okorocha when he told me he had intentions to run for president of Federal Republic of Nigeria. The keynote speakers included Senator Ken Nnamani, President of Ohan'Eze Nd'Igbo Prof. Joe Irukwu, Orji Uzor Kalu, Okorocha, among others. Despite the fact that, Nnamani, not impressed with the convention on a variety of reasons World Igbo Congress had not accomplished in its twelve years of gathering asking where Nd'Igbo were heading to as a result of a Los Angeles bad organizing committee that invited him to be a keynote speaker, Okorocha did not waist time in announcing his bid for the presidency noting Nd'Igbo must engage Nigeria and get what they want; and put the marginalization theory behind them.

But now, the question here is: How Would Imo Diaspora influence decisions in a changing Imo State as Okorocha declares free education in the state on the day of inauguration? Is free education what Imo State desperately need right now or is it by creating jobs which would gradually alleviate crime? Would free education do any good without equipping the schools? Would free education without equipping the schools by any standard bring about better scholars?

Free education for all, no question, is a good way to start. But let's not start celebrating. It's not yet Uhuru!