May 29th, 2017
H.E Owelle Rochas Okorocha
Government House
Owerri, Imo State
Your Excellency,
ROTATION/ZONING OF IMO STATE GOVERNORSHIP – AN ADVISORY
I bring you very warm compliments of this democracy day. It is my prayer that the good Lord continues to guide and protect you as you serve our dear state to the best of your abilities.
The object of this communication is my candid advisory on the 2019 Imo governorship election and issue of zoning or rotation of that exalted seat amongst the three senatorial zones in the state. This issue has generated so much controversy in the past few weeks that I find it absolutely necessary to place my views on record for the sake of posterity.
And I do so for several reasons:
1) As a citizen of Imo State I believe it is well within my right to so do;
2) As a professional and significant stakeholder in the affairs of our dear state, I believe the resolution of the issues at stake would benefit greatly from my modest contributions;
3) Having served our dear state under your administration as Chief Economic Adviser and Honourable Commissioner across three ministries at various times between 2011 and 2014, I believe this advisory would, hopefully, enrich your perspective on the issues at stake and ensure that the legacy which you earnestly yearn to bequeath is protected and not destroyed unwittingly;
4) Finally, as a major supporter of your 2011 governorship bid and significant fund raiser (if you still remember),I can rightfully claim to have projected your interest at that time and thereafter even as I served at your pleasure in your administration. Therefore, whatever I may say in this missive cannot be said to be coming from an adversary or borne out of the quest for destructive criticism.
As I proceed to the object of this communication, let me also state clearly that regardless of my well-meaning intention, I am not oblivious of the consequences of the step I have decided to take. There are individuals around you who would see this advisory as a declaration of war not minding the value of its content and any iota of constructive criticism that may be embedded in it. True to their tendencies, they would rise in arms, struggling to impress you with the vitriolics and tirades they would unleash against me. To all such characters, I am not in the least bothered about their reactions and I stand ready and prepared to defend my position. As Your Excellency would acknowledge, I am a firm believer in constructive criticism, believing that by so doing, we enrich the outcomes of our numerous endeavours through an informed engagement on issues.
THE ISSUE AT STAKE.
The raging controversy in the state at this time has to do with the clamour for the rotation of the governorship seat in 2019 with various interests and groups laying claim to that exalted office. This clamour has been most trenchant amongst the people of Owerri zone who, going by the tenures served by previous office holders, would appear to have the most outstanding and compelling case in their favour. The following statistics would help in elucidating their position:
OKIGWE ZONE:
Since the creation of Imo State in 1976, Okigwe Zone has produced occupants for this office for a period of eight years and three months as follows:
A) Barrister Sam Mbakwe, Oct 1979 to December 31st, 1983 (4yrs/3mnths);
B) Chief Ikedi Ohakim, May 29,2007 to May 28,2011(4yrs).
ORLU ZONE:
By the end of the current dispensation in 2019, Orlu Zone would have produced governors for a total of sixteen years as follows:
A) Chief Achike Udenwa, May 29,1999 to May 28, 2007 (8yrs);
B) Owelle Rochas Okorocha, May 29, 2011 to May 2019 (8yrs).
OWERRI ZONE:
This zone has had the previledge of producing a governor for a period of 19 months by the mandate given to the late Barrister Evan Enwerem.
Just like the military that have governed the state for sixteen years since its creation 41years ago, by 2019 Orlu zone would have occupied the governorship seat for sixteen years- a period far more than the combined period that Okigwe and Owerri zones would have served the state in that capacity. When the people of Owerri zone clamour for the governorship seat, come 2019, they do so with these facts in mind. It is an aspiration that is grounded on unassailable facts and supported by the overriding tenets of justice, Fairplay and even morality.
In the past few weeks, I have heard some of our brothers from Orlu making the case for Orlu governorship yet again in 2019! Giving the foregoing facts, that aspiration, with all due respect to those our Orlu brethren, cannot pass the test of fairness and justice. I am aware that those from Orlu zone who clamour for this position are in the minority and do not represent the opinion of the majority. Your Excellency, the minority that are in the vanguard of this project would appear to be doing so because of your pronouncements on the issue of rotation.
Your Excellency, it is on account of this realisation that quite a number of Owerri citizens have sued for utmost moderation and an abiding spirit of accommodation as we pursue this aspiration. We realize that we need the support of other zones to achieve this collective aspiration and it is our fervent prayer that, in the final analysis, justice and fairness shall be the overriding consideration in dealing with this issue.
Regrettably, Your Excellency, those who refuse to see the value of morality in politics have jettisoned the role and place of justice and fairplay in the scheme of things. They now claim, to the discomfiture of the rest of us, that Orlu people are the Fulani’s of Imo Politics who must rule the rest of the state in perpetuity. That attitude is not only inappropriate and unfair, but strikes tragically at the very cord of cohesion and unity that has kept Imo people together.
When they make such unfortunate claims, Your Excellency, backed by such infantile logic and thinking, they forget that forging an enduring and cohesive union in Imo State is a far more beneficial goal than trying to act as a lord and master over other people and tearing us apart in the process.
Your Excellency, it has been reported that you are against zoning. One of the reasons often advanced by the apostles of this position is that the governorship position has always been contested by politicians from all zones. Whilst this may be true, the proponents have failed to take into account the Imo Charter of Equity by which provisions it was agreed that the governorship position be rotated among the three senatorial zones. That Charter of Equity was a pragmatic intervention by key stakeholders to deal with the inherent inequities in the electoral laws that made the number of local governments more crucial in determining the outcome of the governorship election than the number of votes cast.
Your Excellency, as you are no doubt aware, Owerri Zone has the highest population as well as voters compared to other zones. For instance, going by the 2015 INEC figures, Owerri zone had a total of 796,550 votes as against 744,549 and 314,217 votes for Orlu and Okigwe respectively. Curiously and unfortunately, it has only nine local governments as against twelve and six local governments respectively in Orlu and Okigwe zones. As a matter of fact, Mbaitoli local government in Owerri zone had 122,555 voters – less by under 12000 votes when compared to the combined votes for Nwangele (41,795), Nkwere (46,162) and Isu (46,584).Not to mention some local governments in Owerri zone such as Aboh Mbaise, Owerri West, Owerri North and Ikeduru whose individual voting strength is higher than the combined votes of two local governments in other zones. It was precisely to address these inequities that the Imo Charter of Equity was given the force of convention.
Your Excellency when you claim that you do not support or believe in rotational governorship, you unwittingly and invariably support an imperfection in our Constitution which has devalued the role of majority votes in determining the outcome of the governorship election thus sacrificing a fundamental democratic principle in favour of geographical spread.
Whilst Owerri people see the need and, infact, the imperative of having a governor that is representative of the broad spectrum of the state and its geography, we feel pained and shortchanged by a system that has failed to acknowledge the power of our votes in determining who governs us. We believe, Your Excellency, that the Imo Charter of Equity was meant to deal with this imperfection and give all and sundry a sense of belonging in this union.
Regrettably, the feeling is becoming increasingly pervasive amongst Owerri people that your disposition to the matter of rotational governorship is not supportive of their quest for fairness and equity within the Imo union. Indeed, they feel you are determined to foist another Orlu son on the people of Imo State, come 2019.
Owerri people’s apprehension appears to have been exacerbated by the rather unfortunate encounters some sections of the zone have had with your administration since 2011. They point to the experience of the Owerri Nchise indigenes who have been progressively dispossessed of their lands through an official land acquisition policy that has seen them not even spared some land for cemeteries to bury the dead! Add to that an urban renewal program that sought to disposes them of their ancestral market without extensive consultations. On this matter, Your Excellency may recall my humble contributions towards resolving this issue which was sadly ignored. That is a matter for another day.
They also point to the huge contributions made by Owerri sons to your emergence as governor in 2011 and cite your seeming aversion to their governorship aspiration as, perhaps, not recognising their contributions to the fulfillment of your ambition to govern Imo state.
Your Excellency, when you ran for the governorship in 2011, over 90% of the key personalities around you were from Owerri. God forbid, if there was any calamity in the course of the campaign, a majority of the casualties would have been Owerri indigenes! Aside from providing you the platform, they rallied round you even when your kith and kin from Orlu failed to see any ray of hope or possibility in your ambition. If one may ask, who remembers Chief Martin Agbaso, Chief P. C. Onuoha, Dr. S. O. Amaeshi, Chief Henry Megwa, Senator Chris Anyanwu and motley of other contributors including Chief Cy Amakor, Dr Obi Njoku, among several other Owerri indigenes who made sacrifices in order that your dream of becoming Imo governor in 2011 was realised.
Sir, for the sake of posterity and the legacy of a united and prosperous Imo state which I am sure you would like to bequeath, I would advise that you review your current position on the issue of rotational governorship in our dear state and provide the leadership that is so badly needed to resolve this contentious issue in a fair and equitable manner as against the current debilitating and utterly divisive politics which your posture and perceived interest seem to be encouraging.
THE ISSUE OF ROTATION IN OTHER CLIMES.
Your Excellency, please permit me to advert your mind to how the issue of rotation vis-a-vis the governorship position has been handled in other states of the federation. The handling of this issue in some of these places should encourage you to reflect deeply on this matter and act differently in a manner that would unify Imo people. As a prologue to these instances, I would remind you, sir, of the Federal Character Principle that has been adopted in Nigeria as a means of ensuring that all parts of the country have a sense of belonging to the union. Despite its imperfections, its primary purpose is to assuage the feeling of marginalization among several constituent groups in the country. Your Excellency, sir, having yourself served on the Federal Character Commission (representing Imo State), I am certain that you fully appreciate the raison d’etre behind the establishment of the commission and quite knowledgeable in the extant laws.It is for this reason of marginalization and a recognition of the federal character principle that the Igbos are clamouring for the opportunity to produce a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction. If we refuse to accept the propriety of rotating the Imo governorship for clearly self-serving ends, then we undermine the case for a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction. The contradiction arising from such political behaviour would pose a moral challenge to the collective ambition of Ndigbo to produce a President for the country – a position to which you have continued to aspire.
Your Excellency, it would also be germaine at this point to draw your attention to how other governors have managed to deal with the issue of rotational governorship by giving due consideration to their constituent parts since 1999.
ENUGU STATE:
For a very long time, the people of Nsukka could not occupy the governorship seat in Enugu State. It took the historic decision of former Governor Sullivan Chime to support an Nsukka son, Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for this injustice to be redressed. This was despite the fact that the odds were against the Nsukka people and Governor Chime could have used his power of incumbency to support a candidate from another zone. By so doing, history would remain kind to Governor Sullivan Chime for this contribution towards evolving an all-inclusive and accommodating Enugu State.
DELTA STATE:
Since the creation of Delta State, producing a governor from the Igbo speaking part of Delta was almost a mirage. It took the leadership of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and the very significant and influential contributions of politicians aligned to Former Governor James Ibori to complete the triumvirate of rotational governorship amongst the Urhobo, Itsekiri and the delta Igbo parts of the state.
If population and the power of incumbency were to be the criteria, the Urhobo have the wherewithal to continue to govern Delta state till eternity. And yet they yielded to the dictates of inclusive politics in allowing Governor Ifeanyi Okowa emerge as the governor in 2015.
ABIA STATE:
In Abia state, the people’s commitment to a fair and just order was the elixir for the all inclusive and unifying brand of politics that saw the emergence of Governor Okezie ikpeazu as the first Ngwa man to be elected governor.
If former Governor Theodore Orji were differently inclined and didn’t appreciate the benefits of inclusive politics, he probably would not have worked for the emergence of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as governor.
ANAMBRA STATE:
Before the ascension of Chief Willie Obiano to the governorship of Anambra State, no indigene of Anambra North has had the privilege of occupying that position. It took political sagacity driven by an abiding sense of justice and fairplay for former Governor Peter Obi to change the status quo leading to the emergence of Chief Willie Obiano from Anambra North as the state governor in 2015.
EBONYI STATE:
Since 1999, Ebonyi state has successfully rotated the governorship seat amongst the three senatorial zones beginning with Dr. Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North) between1999-2007, Chief Martin Elechi (Ebonyi Central) between 2007 -2015 and Engr. Sam Umahi (Ebonyi South) who is the current governor.
CROSS RIVER STATE:
A recognition of the people’s diversity and the need to engender a spirit of unity and understanding has led to an unwritten code of understanding that has seen the governorship seat in Cross River State rotate among key blocs since 1999. Beginning with Mr Donald Duke (Cross River South) between 1999-2007, to Senator Liyel Imoke(Cross River Central) from 2007-2015, and currently Prof Ben Ayade (Cross River North), the people have rotated the governorship seat in a rather seamless manner and, in the process, enhanced the spirit of unity and understanding amongst the people.
LAGOS STATE:
As cosmopolitan as Lagos state is, the imperative for rotation of the governorship position has seen its movement from Lagos Central zone which held it twice under former Governors Bola Tinubu and Raji Fashola to Lagos East (Epe axis) where the current governor, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, hails from. Even at that, there appears to be a silent clamour and emerging understanding that the governorship slot should go to the Lagos West Senatorial zone (Badagry axis) after Governor Ambode.
Your Excellency, without belabouring the issue, I have taken time to cite these instances so that you may appreciate the fact that there is nothing unusual in the clamour by Owerri people (or even Okigwe zone) for the governorship of Imo State, come 2019. All across the country and in practically every state within the Nigerian union, the stakeholders have come to appreciate the need for balancing various tendencies and interests in the contest for the governorship seat. And that is what we ask for in Imo State. Significantly, sir, the Owerri case is overwhelmingly supported by facts as well as the ends of justice and fairplay. It is also made in furtherance of our collective desire as Imo citizens to work towards an inclusive, cohesive and united Imo.
In this quest, Your Excellency, you have an historic duty to provide the very crucial leadership expected of a statesman. I implore you to rise above petty and clannish considerations in dealing with this matter. However you look at it, it presents you a historic opportunity to bequeath a legacy of a united, peaceful and prosperous Imo state built on a foundation of justice, equity and fairplay which a rotation of the governorship seat would achieve.
To do otherwise, Your Excellency, and yield to divisive forces that appear to have encircled you would be a great disservice to Imo people and Igbos in general who continually yearn for justice and fairplay within the Nigerian union. You have done your bit for our state during your governorship but it does no good to your legacy if you leave behind a deeply divided and polarized Imo state. As they say, the ball is squarely in your court. May God grant you the wisdom to do what is right.
Nick Opara-Ndudu, F.C.A
former Chief Economic Adviser to IMSG and Honourable Commissioner 2011-2014
Ezeogba Emekuku, Owerri
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