By Agunwa Emeka Nzeribe
To make raw gold purer, you need extraordinary heat. As tedious as extraction of gold is, out of it comes a precious ornament. We are aware that the more difficult the winning, the greater the happiness in winning. We are ready to have our principal profiled using the required yardstick. When genuinely profiled, we are confident Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima will be given a clean bill of reelection by the opposition. Pride to mention, critical overview of several writings by the opposition show they are in agreement with us that Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima is competent and capable to seek reelection as he is not encumbered by any known law of the land. The only word the opposition continually use against him is ‘equity’, which they apply wrongly even to their own detriment. In dealing with the word ‘equity’ we will put records straight as it affects the oil rich region of Imo State.
Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima’s emergence as Member, Federal House of Representatives was through popular vote by his constituents and not through equity. There are qualities his constituents saw in him which led to massive support and election victory. He never asked anyone to vote for him based on equity, and no aspirant or candidate stepped down for him on grounds of equity. World over, equity is not a yardstick used in election of candidates into legislative positions, rather capacity and competence. No wonder a pragmatic legislator can seek reelection not minding how many terms in office as long as his/her legislative impact is positively felt by constituents. Law making is a herculean task. In most cases, newcomers in legislative chambers are swallowed by older ones as it takes not less than two years to understudy a national legislative process. The gains associated to having a ranking member in the hallowed chambers cannot be overemphasised. Such gains are seen in the person’s of Rt. Honourables Femi Gbajabiamila, Emeka Ihedioha, Aminu Tambuwal to mention but a few. The few people desperately fighting against reelection of Hon. Uju are those who detest having a first among equals in our region.
As opposing camp dwell more on equity, let us look at their hands to see if they are clean. It might interest the reading public to note that Oguta LGA have had three elected representatives in the Federal House of Representatives. Out of the three, Hon. Barr. Eze Ama Nwauwa and Hon. Chuka Ama Nwauwa are from Izombe clan. If APC truly believe in equity, why the choice of another Izombe man as candidate?
Available records from national secretariat of APC show that Ms. Ngozi RBK Okafor and Prince Henry Okafor were the only aspirants from Oguta LGA who purchased expression of interest and nomination forms for this particular position within the stipulated time for 2023 election. It is disheartening to note that present APC candidate for Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Oru West Federal Constituency seat was one of the first people Ms. Ngozi RBK Okafor consulted in Oguta LGA upon return from United States of America before her public declaration to represent the oil region in Green Chambers. Worse still, Ms. Ngozi RBK Okafor when constituting her election campaign council gave the same person who incidentally emerged as candidate of APC the offer to nominate Oguta LGA Coordinator and member of Ms. Ngozi RBK Okafor Campaign Council; this offer, he gave to his kinsman from Izombe. What a height of betrayal of trust? If APC and her leadership truly believe in equity, why didn’t they nominate either Prince Henry Okafor from Osemoto/Enigbo Ward or Ms. Ngozi RBK Okafor from Oru Ward both in Oguta LGA as candidate? It is unfortunate that none of the Okafor’s were considered as candidate of the party after spending huge sum of money and other human resources in touring the 33 INEC Wards of the federal constituency, engaging leaders and statutory delegates. Why the choice of another Izombe man after having two elected representatives from the same clan? A filthy hand cannot clamour for equity.
The oil rich region of Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta LGA was originally one local government before delineation of local government areas few years ago. Present Ohaji/Egbema LGA has been living peacefully as one entity. No incident of crisis arising from boundary adjustment has been recorded in any part of the LGA. With mutual understanding, these two distinct clans have amicably shared what truly belong to them. Trying to pitch two clans in the same LGA against each other through political position which belong to three sister LGA’s is not acceptable. It is unfortunate that our brothers in APC are not considering the good people of Oru West in their sharing formula of ‘equity’. If not, why would our brother, Mr. Damian Opara, conceive such erroneous opinion that the shortest possible way an Ohaji man could get elected into the Green Chambers is through the election of a candidate from Izombe, Oguta LGA in 2023 who, according to him is presumed to hand over to an Ohaji man after one term in office. Is this position meant, and to be shared between Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta LGA’s? When will it be the turn of our brothers and sisters from Oru West? Where is the equity in their permutations?
Ohaji in Ohaji/Egbema LGA is the largest clan in our federal constituency. There are many respected personalities in Ohaji clan who are qualified to represent us in national assembly and beyond. Electorates in our federal constituency will not hesitate to unanimously vote for an Ohaji person who secures ticket of a major political party in subsequent election. Ohaji is too big to play a second fiddle through ‘turn by turn’ as our brother in APC opined. Ohaji people are first class citizens in our constituency and should be given their rightful position. It is on record that Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima Ohaji gave adequate recognition to sons and daughters of Ohaji clan as a political appointee. Noting the political strength of Ohaji people, Hon. Uju as a political appointee ensured the elevation of notable sons and daughters from Ohaji clan into strategic positions in immediate past government of the state. There is no gain saying that wishful thoughts of trying to pitch the person and aspiration of Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima against the good people of Ohaji clan will be resisted. Hon. Uju is close to Ohaji people. He treats all the clans in the federal constituency with equal respect and recognition. He respects and treats constituents from Oru West LGA the same way he respects and treats constituents from his home town; no preferencial treatment. He is ever ready to support any candidate from Oru West LGA, Ohaji clan or any part of the constituency who shows to be more pragmatic, with better vision and mission to represent our constituency.
While they try to misinform the reading public through lip-service-equity, we make bold to properly inform readers that capacity and competence drives political elections. The good people of oil rich region of Imo State have realised their age long mistake. They are not ready to make same mistake overtime in electing new representatives every election year. The constituency is not ready to continue dwelling in ugly past in the guise of partisan sentiment driven by none existing equity mantra. The good people of oil rich region of Imo State have risen up to the occasion. They have decided to take what rightfully belong to them in national political space through an effective representative.
As a people, we must first, understand our differences to enable us solve such differences. The only difference we have is our political divide. The oil rich region of Imo State is one indivisible entity with common interest. We should not allow outsiders to divide and rule us, directly or indirectly.
We call on leaders and good people of oil rich region of Imo State to embrace this paradigm shift. Let us break this ugly jinx with the reelection of Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima. Not everyone is destined to occupy political position, if not, the likes of Dangote’s, Otedola’s, Dantata’s, etc would have taken over political space of Nigeria.
We wish to use this premise to implore our brothers in the opposing camp not to over heat the polity. We are brothers and will forever remain one, politics aside. If you must criticise Hon. Uju, please let it be constructive and healthy for the betterment of our people. We would like our brothers and sisters in the opposing camp and the general public to juxtapose the achievement of Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima with that of his predecessors from our constituency. In all that we do, we should do with the fear of God. Let brotherhood be our watchword and, let us note that it is not enough to be human beings without been human doings. Together, we shall uplift our oil rich region from sheer neglect, political, economic, infrastructural, social and moral decadence.
Agunwa Emeka Nzeribe is SA, Public Affairs and Communication to Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima, Member, Representing Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Oru West Federal Constituency, Federal House of Representatives, Abuja.
