By Sam Onwuemeodo
I make hay to write this.
Prior to the 2011 governorship election in lmo, it was not His Excellency, Dr lkedi Ohakim, who chose to answer “ikiri”. ” lkiri akampa”. l don’t know the English name. No one takes or removes easily, whatever that is in the hand of ikiri. That was the name given to Ohakim by the ” Star players” or the Goliaths he had recruited before the election . Ohakim, a very good man, with good heart. A jolly fellow.
The STAR PLAYERS the okohia lsiala Mbano born politician enlisted for the diligent prosecution of the 2011 guber poll for his re-election, gave him the name, ikiri . He wanted second term.
The Star Players (Goliaths) Ohakim had enrolled, after looking around or after looking at the prevailing scenario and saw their large number, concluded that it was all over in favour of the man. At that time, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Among these Stars Players, for instance, were Prince Marcon Nlemigbo and Prince Lemmy Akakem. The duo, at different fora, vowed to go on exile if Ohakim didn’t win that election. They had taken the vow based on the quantum of Star Players Ohakim had engaged or recruited. At the end of the day, Ohakim lost that election. The Star Players or the Goliaths could not secure Victory for the man. The PDP Candidate. Ikiri didn’t win.
But neither Nlemigbo, nor Akakem went on exile as they had vowed. They stayed put in Owerri. They could not go out of sight even for day. They behaved as if nothing happened. They failed to live upto their vow. They failed to redeem their vow.
They were among the first set, to befriend the Rescue Mission Government of Rochas Okorocha that succeeded Ohakim. And that’s the way of political Star players. They do not endure. They do not like being ” on the bench”. Political Star Players. Always on transit. Always waiting for the next available fligh or Club. Who say men no dey?
l am not insinuating anything here. Most of the times, two similar situations could produce different results. Circumstances vary. There is also the possibility of two similar situations producing same results. Why the world is “imirimious”. But the lessons here are germane. l am only saying something. Something thought-provoking. Something for those who have ears to hear what the SPIRIT is telling the Church of Christ.
Gov. Uzodinma has chosen a female deputy Governorship candidate for the 2023 November guber election. He had chosen Mrs Chinyere Ekomaru. The wife of one of the prides of lmo. A renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Hon. Chukwuma Ekomaru. Who has paid his dues in this state and very patriotic in all ramifications. By all standard, he is qualified to govern the state and even to be the President of the Country. The wife too, a very beautiful, intelligent and humane woman, is also qualified to be the governor of the State. She has not been in Politics. They are very good Anglicans. Committed Communicants.
The story has been that, one of the major Star Players recommended the quintessential woman for governor Uzodinma. And l have the privilege to say that, there’s nothing basically wrong with that. What you get when Star Players or able bodied men and women or Political Goliaths are around. Or, involved. You must massage them.
But there is a question or concern here . ln other words, all the women who have been following Uzodinma since he ventured into politics or since 2003 when he first ran for the office of Governor upto date, none was qualified or was found worthy to be his deputy gubernatorial Candidate?. None of them was found to be a good Anglican?. Or, good material for that position?. He could not find any of them good enough to be his deputy. CONGRATULATIONS, Mrs Ekomaru. The coming of the Star players. Able bodied men and women. The GOLIATHS.
I tell you the features of Goliath before talking about the PDP guys.
Goliath, ” from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. Had a bronze helmet on his head and was clothed with scale armour which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze Javelin slung between his shoulders. And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam. And the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron. His shield-carrier also walked before him” (1 Samuel 17:4-7).
His reputation precceeded him as he was known as a champion, a winner. The kind of person who is always chosen first in any physical contest . Incredibly tall, Which made him, by any standard, a behemoth. You know what happened at the end of the day. It’s a familiar story. l won’t go the whole hog. I feel good in my SPIRIT.
Then, the seven lmo PDP officers. They had resigned as both members and officers of the party. Twenty four hours after, they joined the APC. The Governor received them at the Government House. With that, the number of Star Players or able bodied men and women or Goliaths recruited or enlisted by the governor increased. Snowballed. The size of the governor’s political “army” became enlarged.
The Governor described them as defectors. The Charles Ugwu led SWC described them as “escapees”. Reason being that, they had left PDP to escape or evade indictment over 1.4 billion naira they had allegedly mismanaged or “wacked”.
1.4 billion naira isn’t 1.4 kobo. One therefore wonders why Ugwu and co, waited until they left before making it an issue. So, l have my doubts until otherwise proved. And you look at the seven people involved they do not appear like those who had seen N1.4billion. They rather appear like people in dire need of relief materials. For me, the 1.4 billion naira tale isn’t believable. Cock and bull story.
Yet, if the PDP- seven were there when Uzodinma invaded and took away the governorship from Rt. Hon. Emeka lhedioha in 2020 and they could not help and they were also there when Samuel Anyanwu emerged the National Secretary of the PDP and equally the governornorship candidate of the Party and they could not help the situation too, one would therefore be forced to ask, what they are capable or what they would be capable of doing to help Uzodinma when the time comes?. We are talking about the increasing number of governor Uzodinma’s Star Players or able bodied political men and women.
Uzodinma himself, like l had said earlier, ran for the governorship of the state in 2003 on the ticket of Aliance For Democracy, AD. He was in the Senate for two terms. 2011 and 2015. He had also run for the PDP guber ticket for 2007 and came second. He became governor in 2020. ln all these, none of these Star Players he has been recruiting for some time now was there. He achieved all these, without the assemblage of all these Star Players.
And for his re-election in 2023, he has continued to recruit political Goliaths or Star Players who didn’t know where he started. Who didn’t know his politics. And with all these, he has ended up making those who have been with him all these years looking small before these Goliaths. Looking diminished or dwarfed by the large number of these Goliaths. How they feel could better be imagined than known . Their leadership roles in their various domains have been taken over by the governor’s newly recruited Star Players or able bodied men and women. Now, 3R Goliaths.
If Uzodinma had gone to the Senate and became governor without these Goliaths, the interpretation is that either those who were with him these occasions or periods had the needed grace or aura of success. They had what we normally term as Goodluck. Which one million able bodied men and women may not have in the long run. Grace or goodluck which the PDP dscampees or escapees and others may or may not have. And you could imagine what would happen.
Read my lips correctly. One genuine supporter with grace or good heart is more valuable or more productive or more results-oriented than five hundred thousand able bodied men and women without genuine support or GRACE. l am chewing my tongue here. Talking in low tone.
Still on course. For the November 2023 gubernatorial election in lmo, if the LORD does not help Onwa,Uzodinma and if the main or the real 3R apostles who were there when they never knew that he was going to be governor, can’t help him or do not help him, then, the ” foreign observers” or the ” beentos” or the able bodied men and women or the Political Goliaths or Star Players can not help him . Are you still there?
The miracle that made him or saw him becoming governor in 2020 from the 4th position in the INEC declared results, without the presence of these political Goliaths he has recruited, could also work for the candidate of AAC or ADC or NNPP or PDP or AA or APGA or ADP . l deliberately skipped Labour Party, LP, for obvious reasons. Reasons best known to me. And perhaps, known to others too. This World is a mystery, but GOD is all knowing. Do you understand now?. God of miracle is still on the THRONE. “Political miracle”. l believe in miracles. Strongly.
Let me also observe that, since the governor unveiled his deputy governorship candidate, the much noise of support for him has reduced drastically. The rate of endorsements has equally reduced by ninety nine percent. Which means, most of the leaders behind these endorsements were not sincere to themselves. They had their motives. Which means also that, if governor Uzodinma had unfolded his deputy early enough, most of these endorsements would have been nipped in the bud. Would not have come up. Would have remained in limbo or gone “akimbo”. The way of able bodied men and women. Political Star Players.
Uzodinma should avoid losing sight or focus of his early apostles, for the sake of his newly recruited Goliaths. He would do so at his own big risk. He should look for where they have scattered to and begin to assure and reassure them. That, no cause for alarm. l am not writing this in sympathy for him for any reason. l have no sympathy for him. Aside being lmo Governor and with that, my governor , l have no inheritance in him or in his governorship. So, whether he wins the November election or fails, would not mean anything to me.
The crux of the matter is that abandoning his early “disciples” and concentrating on the recruitment of both known and unknown mighty men and women isn’t befitting. lt doesn’t augur well. Most of his appointees do not see him. But he has time to roll out red carpets for the recruited Star Players. It’s nauseating. l am not writing for him to believe me. But for the sake of posterity.
And we shall continue to clap for Jesus.
NIGERIA NEWSPOINT
