Ndi Imo, it’s time to face some hard truths. Year after year, we decry the state of governance in Imo, lament the corruption and incompetence of our leaders, and complain about our lack of true representation. But let’s be honest—how many of us are truly innocent of the part we’ve played in creating this mess?
Every election cycle, despite every appeal to our conscience, we line up to accept crumbs: 2,000 here, 5,000 there, as though our vote, a precious tool for change, was worth so little. We’ve allowed ourselves to be bought off, giving our blessing to candidates who do nothing but exploit us. And even when advised to take the money and still vote for the right candidate, many ignored it, choosing instead to trade their vote for a short-lived benefit. I personally advocated for this strategy, hoping it might guide us toward a better future. Yet, we’ve repeated the same mistakes, leaving ourselves vulnerable to this cycle of poverty and neglect.
The sad reality is that, while we have the constitutional right to demand good governance, we have effectively stripped ourselves of that moral ground by selling our votes. We gave up our right to demand better when we allowed money to dictate our choices. Do we not see the plan behind our pervasive poverty? It is no accident. The impoverishment of Imo is a calculated strategy, designed to keep us beholden to those in power, loyal and sycophantic rather than demanding and free. In a state rich with some of the most intelligent, creative, and industrious people in the country, how is it that we find ourselves represented by the worst of us?
And it’s not just the everyday voter who’s complicit. Our elites, who should be the torchbearers of progress, often turn a blind eye. They sit back, doing nothing while incompetent candidates line up for office, or worse, they support these individuals financially, aligning with inept governments to advance their own interests. They play along because it suits them, leaving the rest of us to suffer the consequences. In many cases, they’re content to collaborate, so long as they get a piece of the pie, while the state is left to stagnate.
It’s easy to blame our government and representatives for the dysfunction in Imo. But if we’re being honest, at least 70% of the blame falls on us for allowing this to continue unchecked. We’ve watched as mediocrity took root, doing little to stop it and excusing it under the guise of “stomach infrastructure.” This isn’t about survival anymore—it’s about dignity and the future of Imo State. Ndi Imo, it’s time to get serious about what we want and how we want to be led.
The year 2027 presents us with another chance—a chance to break free from this vicious cycle. We must resolve, once and for all, to reject this system of vote-buying and demand more from ourselves and those who seek to lead us. We only need to look at America, which recently stood up to propaganda and misinformation to vote for a future they believe in, for inspiration.
If we do not change course now, we will only have ourselves to blame. We cannot continue to trade our future for a bowl of porridge, and we cannot keep passing the responsibility onto others. We must all rise up, rich, poor, young, and old, and demand a government that truly represents us.
By Duruebube Hon. Chimazuru Nnadi-Oforgu
Ndukaku III of Ihiagwa
OBLONG MEDIA UNLIMITED 
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