– Orlu for Orlu project may resurrect
By Martin Opara
There are speculations that Governor Rochas Okorocha has struck a deal with some national assembly members from the state, urging them, to drop their guber ambitions and support him in producing a successor. He, in turn promised to support them financially and also ensure their re-election as senators and members of the House of Representatives.
From all indications, the national assembly members in question, seem to have accepted the option, hence some of them who were known to have gubernatorial ambitions have started declaring for re-election, abandoning their former intentions.
This unfolding scenario, is synonymous with what happened in 2015, when it was alleged that the present governor, clandestinely, worked hand in gloves with candidates of opposition political parties, most of whom were members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ensure their emergence in the national assembly. This, was said to have given birth to the Orlu for Orlu project, which also contributed to governor Okorocha’s emergence.
When asked whom the national assembly members are, our source refused to disclose their identities, but said he was privy to a meeting held in Abuja, to that effect, before the PDP national convention. The governor was also said to have got in touch with a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC) national working committee (name withheld), promising also to assist him actualize his long time ambition of becoming a senator, hence, he Okorocha has decided not to contest.
With all these contacts and arrangements in place, political pundits are worried that, if care is not taken, it will be a smooth ride for governor Okorocha to produce and install a successor, come 2019, because with the support and assistance of the national assembly members, it will be more like issuing him a blank cheque.
One of the national assembly members who was confronted with these facts, said he cannot strike a deal with the governor because he hardly keeps to agreements. He however confirmed that most of the national assembly members are secretly working with him. This, he said is why they have kept mute, and are unable to question most of his unbridled excesses unlike in Kogi State where Senator Dino Melaye has been on the governor’s neck, insisting he does the right thing.
“For instance, when Senator Melaye was on the floor of the senate some time ago to solicit for support on behalf of his people, our own national assembly members, donated bags of rice and other items, which he gave to his people. One therefore, wonders, why our representatives in the national assembly, have neither questioned the several unwholesome and anti human conducts and actions of governor Okorocha, let alone drawing attention to them in any way. It is now obvious that most of them have compromised and now working for the governor, against the overall interest of Imo people”.
