– Describes purported “Historic Orlu Zonal Unity and Development Summit”, A Ruse
The Director General of Senator Athan Achonou Campaign Organization, Engr Chief Chime Nzeribe, has described the emergence of Senator Hope Uzodinma as governor of Imo State as a plague rather than a blessing to the people of Orlu zone, who had never had it so bad.
Chief Nzeribe who stated this while reacting to the communiqué issued at the end of the “Historic Orlu zonal Unity and Development Summit held at Owerri Nkworji in Nkwerre Local Government Area o Saturday, August, 26, 2023, said, “The attention of the Senator Athan Achonu Campaign Organisation has been drawn to a communique issued at the end of an ‘arrangee’ “Historic Orlu Zonal Unity and Development Summit Held on 26 August, 2023 in Owerri Nkworji and signed by HRH Eze C.I Ilomuanya and Engr. Greg Madu in which the summit “acknowledged that the emergence of His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma CON as the Governor of Imo State in January 2020, is a divine gift to Orlu Zone, and therefore the best thing to happen to Orlu Zone.”
The question is what is divine about the emergence of Senator Hope Uzodimma as governor of Imo State through circumstances that remain shocking from that day till today in the anals of our nation’s history. Never in Nigeria’s history has there been a governor forced on the people by the Supreme Court based on suspicious and questionable reasons.
Secondly, what was the state of Orlu zone before the ‘divine’ emergence of Senator Hope Uzodimma? How “forlorn and despondent” was Orlu zone before now compared to its current ‘forloness and despondence’?
He described as unfortunate and disgusting, a situation where elders whose primary and important role in the society is to say the truth, shape policies, provide brilliant strategic guidance on matters confronting society, now deviate to deceive and hoodwink the very people they are supposed to protect and preserve.
This is most unfortunate and immediately calls to question the credibility and integrity of those endorsing Gov Uzodimma based on his purported ‘divine’ anointing.
Has God now become an author of confusion? What exactly is the basis to justify Governor Uzodimma’s divine choice? First class infrastructure?, quality of life of the people, standard primary or secondary school education? safety of lives and property, mass employment creation?, or freedom, equity and justice? These questions are for the supposed Orlu elders who are well known lackeys of the governor to answer.
How come Senator Uzodimma, the redeemer of Orlu zone is ‘divine’ yet, Orlu (his home) has the worst infrastructure, lowest academic records, high unemployment rate and unbelievable number of youths without employable skills, hence the zone has become a thriving hub for recruiting jobless youths for thuggery, electoral violence and as agents of death. How did Orlu zone become notorious as the hotbed of insecurity? What industry/Project (old or new) has the so called redeemer built or resuscitated in Orlu for the purpose of providing meaningful jobs to youths in the area?
Yet since 1999, the zone has successfully held power in Douglas House for 20 years, with some of these very same elders strolling up and down the corridors of the seat of power. If for 20 years they could not use their privileged positions to help facilitate actions and policies that could reduce unemployment, multi dimensional poverty and increase quality of life of the masses of the zone, is it in the next four years that they will do that?
Could it be that the divine assignment they are actually talking about is the ongoing decimation and destruction of Orlu? As, by every yardstick, that is what is happening in the zone under the present government.
The truth is that, these committee of elders led by Eze Ilomuanya are being stingy with the truth. Maybe they are afraid for their safety, that’s why they gathered in Owerre Nkworji after relocating the military barracks at Obinze there temporarily, to lie to the governor, as Ahitophel did to Absalom who rebelled against his father David. It is clear that these ‘Ahitophelians’ elders have decided to rebel against the good people of Orlu in particular and Imo State at large, by choosing to sustain the biblical bubonic plague brought upon the people of Orlu by the emergence of Senator Hope Uzodimma.
In scriptures, because the Philistines stole the Ark of Covenant (the seat of God’s power) they “were struck with painful tumors. This disease was likened to a variety of the bubonic plague, which causes painful boils and is carried by rats. Eventually the Philistine understood that it was God who was afflicting them.”
The very day Senator Uzodimma emerged as governor through Supreme Court design was the day the bubonic like plague came upon Orlu and indeed, Imo State. Peace, prosperity, love, joy and trust flew out of the window, and were replaced by pain, penury, deaths, rape, insecurity and all manner of mindless actrocities. Orlu is now a complete shadow of itself. And this why the signatories to the purported endorsement communique have long deserted their palatial homes and ran to the cities for safety.
By this selfish endorsement of Governor Hope Uzodimma for another four years, these Orlu elders are making the same mistake the Egyptian and Philistine leaders made when they (Egyptians) stubbornly refused to let Israelites, leave their domain, and in the case of the Philistines when they held on to the ark of covenant. Both suffered afflictions never known in their lands.
Bluntly put, Uzodimma’s governorship remain an ill wind that blows no good. Not to Ndi Orlu and not to Imo generally. Immediately he took over the skies in Orlu turned black, signalling impending disaster and today Orlu is witnessing a pogrom reminiscent of Nigeria/ Biafra War pogrom.
To all intents and purposes, this latest failed gimmick of the so called Orlu elders is a great disservice to the good people of Orlu. It is akin to endorsing the continued slavery, killing and dehumanization of the long suffering people, especially in Orsu area where it is an offence now for able bodied youths to walk the streets. How can one claim to be seeking for unity and peace in the zone without acknowledging the fact of the gruesome murder of traditional rulers and other sons and daughters of Orlu zone in the period under review? Or, condemn the notorious Ebube Agu for the many alleged murders linked to them?
Just like David prayed after he learnt of Ahitophel’s treacherous counsel to Absalom,- “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness” (2 Samuel 15:31). It’s our fervent prayer that the good Lord turn the counsel of these ‘Ahitophelian’ elders council from Orlu zone into nothingness and may their endorsement come to nought.
Finally, everything about the elders’ communique is repugnant and smacks of selfishness. These elders were motivated by nothing but either of two things – hunger or fear. It is either that or they are afraid for their lives in a state where known opponents had been dispatched to the great beyond under questionable circumstances.
It is pathetic that Governor Uzodinma has unconscionably turned Orlu into a land inhabited by elders, who watch children eat vultures instead of chicken. Hence the good people of Orlu Zone must rise up and wash their hands off the blood of Imolites, including Orlu people, flowing as a result of the actions, inactions, policies and misgovernance by the current administration, which, sadly the self-proclaimed elders encourage or ignore”.
