Ngor Okpala stakeholders meeting with Uzodimma and matters arising

June 24, 2021

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By Nnanna Okere

In continuation of his consultations with stakeholders in all the local government areas of Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodimma on Tuesday June 22, 2021 had an interactive session with Ngor Okpala local government stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and others at the Government House Owerri.

The Ngor Okpala Local Government Stakeholders who met with our amiable governor include; Ndaa Sir. Eustace Eke; (Head of the delegation), Barr George Eke; (former governorship aspirant). Chief Dr. TOE Ekechi (Federal Commissioner NEDC);; AttrnMathew Nwaoguala,; Prof Boniface Nworgu (Commissioner for Science and Technology); Barr Enyinna Onuegbu (former Commissioner for Lands); Chief Dr Ethelbert Okere (DG ImoOrientation Agency); Chief Barr Soronnadi Njoku (former Attorney General), Chief BlydenAmajirionwu (former Special Adviser on Market &Allied Matters); Hon Mayor Nweke (IMC Chairman); Hon Nkem Nwankwo (former Special Adviser on Tourism); Hon Cliff Ogbede; Chief C C Nwigwe; Hon Obinna Egu (former IMHA member); Hon Chimezie Nweke (former SSA on Project Monitoring); Hon Mrs Chika Ibekwe (former SSA Community Relations); Chief Val Okere (Amadioha Ngor-Okpala); Hon Gozie Nwachukwu (former IMHA member); Hon Emeka Nwofor (former IMHA member); Barr Patrice Akwara; Chief Sam Anukam; Hon Chidi Ekenweke; Hon Jude Ukaegbu (APC chairman Ngor/Okpala); Sir Richard Obi Chioma; (former DG Imo State Water Board); Lady Adinchi Onwukwe; Mrs Tina Okere;, Hon Ugochukwu Okere Blakkie. (former IMC Ngor Okpala); Hon. Vitalis Opara, Hon RemiOkere Leader IMC Ngor Okpala and many others.

We believe that the visit must have offered our leaders the opportunity to pledge their unalloyed loyalty and support to the shared prosperity government of Governor Hope Uzodimma and the 3R mantra, and also to let the governor know what their people expectfrom the government as far as dividends of democracy are concerned.

We hope that our leaders used the auspicious occasion to table before His Excellency some of the issues bedevilling Ngor Okpala, not the least of which is the apparent neglect of the area by successive administrations. Over the years Ngor Okpala has been marginalized in terms of key political positions, be it appointive or elective in the state and there is urgent need for paradigm shift. A few examples would suffice.

Of all the nine local government areas in Owerri senatorial zone it is only Ngor Okpala that has not produced a senator, minister, and other sundry positions, despite being blessed with surplus of highly educated and ultra-high skilled manpower in various professional fields and in all areas of human endeavour. All the other eight local government areas in the zone have produced at one time or the other positions such as governor; deputy governor; senator; and minister among others. Ngor Okpala is the only local government area that has not produced a governor, deputy governor, minister, senator or even a high court judge and the list is endless. Ngor Okpala is choking under the grip of marginalization and Governor Hope Uzodimma has to free Ngor Okpala and ensure justice and equity in the Owerri zone.

We also hope that our delegation did not forgot to draw the attention of our governor to the deplorable state of roads in Ngor Okpala and sought his immediate intervention to address this problem that is a hindrance to socio-economic activities in the area.

The gathering of the APC chieftains was also an opportunity to look inward and address the leadership conundrum in the local government. Presently, the APC in Ngor Okpala is faced with leadership tussle over who is the apex leader of the party in the local government. Most of the leaders see themselves as strange bed follows and by extension belong to various APC political camps.

Interestingly, most of these APC chieftains in the local governments are close friends of the governor. For the fact that Barr. George Eke, a former governorship aspirant is a very close friend of the governor and most of the state executive council members are his friends, does it make him the apex leader in Ngor Okpala? The fact that Dr. Ethelbert Okere, DG of Imo State Orientation Agency (ISOA) is a very close friend of the governor for over two decades, does it make him the apex leader? The fact that Chief (Dr) TOE Ekechi, is the FederalCommissioner in the North East Development Commission and the highest APC political office holder in Ngor Okpala does it make him the apex leader?

The fact that Chief Bar. Enyinna Onuegbu and Prof Boniface Nworgu are serving commissioners does it does it make them apex leaders? The fact that Okenze Sylvester Obinna is one of the kingmakers in Ngor Okpala politics does it qualifies him as apex leader? The fact that Sir George Eche was one of the aspirants that abandoned their ambition to pave way for the emergence of Governor Uzodimma as governor does it makes him the apex leader? The fact that, Chief Hon. Obinna Mayor Nwaeke IMC chairman, is one of the ‘boys’ of the governor for many years does it make him the apex leader? This ugly scenario ofleadership tussle has created disunity amongst APC members in Ngor Okpala and it should not be so.

The apex leadership of APC in Ngor Okpala has remained an issue among APC chieftains and needs to be addressed once and for all if the party must move forward. We expect that after seeing the governor our delegation would decide to put this matter to rest.

I recall a friend of mine who is an Imo State House of Assembly hopeful in 2023, who confided in me that he is planning to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest. I queried why the move and he told me that what is happening in APC in the local government is not something to write home about adding that inspite of the fact that APC is in power in the state, Ngor Okpala remains a PDP area. I advised him not to defect to PDP that things will be sorted out very soon and APC in Ngor Okpala will emerge stronger as a party to beat in the area.

However, with all this disunity and bad belle in APC Ngor Okpala, if election is conducted in the state tomorrow can those jostling for apex leadership position deliver Ngor Okpala to APC? Your guess is as good as mine. Given the aforementioned challenges facing NgorOkpala what shall we do to redeem the situation? We should be thinking about how to makeNgor Okpala’s huge landmass and teeming population to become a federal constituency and have two members of the State House of Assembly elected from the area. And also demand to be allowed to produce the next senator from Owerri senatorial district in 2023 or minister among other positions and not dissipate energy over who becomes the apex leader in the local government.

We should use the Immerienwe declaration as our bargaining power because it was that declaration that stopped former Governor Rochas Okorocha from installing his son-in-law as governor which subsequently changed the equation that made it possible for the present government to come into office.

There have been agitations that what Ngor Okpala needs now is an executive power or position such as president, vice president, governor, deputy governor and ministerial appointment or a senator. All these are beautiful agitations. All these expectations are inorder, however what should be paramount is how to produce the next Imo East Senator. The other ones can only happen in 2023 by miracle therefore we should concentrate energy and resources in producing the next senator come 2023.

Ngor Okpala should support the government of Hope Uzodimma and use it as the vehicle to achieve the objective of producing the next senator in Owerri zone and political emancipation of the area. And this narrative that Ngor Okpala is PDP must stop because it is not true and is also self defeatist to dwell on it. For crying out loud, APC is in charge both at the federal, state and local levels, therefore it remains the party to beat. I believe in the concept that “When things change, you change and move with the tide.” The political relevance of NgorOkpala is in our hands and APC is the vehicle to actualize it.