By Stanford Arinze Nwokedi
The social media handles of prominent Opposition writers, some Print Media and few hatchet Electronic Media houses yesterday went to the market with an overblown tale of Gov Hope Uzodimma’s apologies to Sen Rochas Okorocha. In what could be seen as a pedestrian cadre in devil’s advocacy, it turned out to become a laughable propaganda stunt that feigned ignorance of the high maturity and exemplary conciliatory disposition exhibited by the Governor. It is also instructive that these agents of the opposition could only filter out a non- committal and conciliatory maneuver by the Governor to engage the consciences of the purveyors of mayhem in Imo State, just to give peace a chance.
What apologies, if I may ask? Apologies to Okorocha as the purveyor of the crises and for peace to reign in Imo State? Apology to Okorocha for the contrived INSECURITY in Imo State to abate? So, finally, we now know who was offended and who has, therefore, been inflicting Imo State with bloody mayhems? Finally?
Always desperate to score impossible Political goals from even an innocuous conciliatory gesture meant for the common good of all, how these spin doctors could manage to demonize a “Saint” for his fair disposition for peace is a story best told in the defunct Tales by Moonlight.
Pressed by the Channel TV Moderator, Seun Okinbaloye and to prove there is nothing personal between the duo of Gov Hope Uzodimma and Sen Rochas Okorocha, the Governor truly showed off his christian tenets by urging that IF there are any thing or things that he – the Governor – may have done that did not go done well with the Senator, that the Senator forgives and forgets and join hands with him to deliver desired and most important governance to Imo people. This, to even the politically unaware, is just to advance the course of governance that remains the Governor’s focus and responsibility. It is not in doubt that the Governor desires peace to fully roll out his programs for the benefits of Imo people. Pressed further by Seun Okinbaloye if he could as a Governor reverse the implementation of the White Paper on illegal land and sundry property issues believed to have infuriated the Senator, the Governor vehemently suggested the use of the open option of the legal system in the State, for redress, if need be. That particularly proved there were no interpersonal beefs existing between the Governor and his younger brother and successor in the Senate, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
At a time like this when, out of the Governor’s sheer political maturity and longstanding experience, there appears to be calm in the land, it is unconscionable of anybody, either being propelled by Political interests or acting on his or her own accord, to still, via covert or overt means, be fanning the embers of crises and desperately but futilely incriminating or demonizing a Governor irrevocably committed to changing the ugly narratives of infrastractural decay to upgraded ones, reigniting public confidence in Government and addressing the numerous welfare, social and political problems confronting our State.
As always admonished, the enormous energies dissipated in solving problems deliberately created by such mischief makers can be channelled meaningfully towards better abundant initiatives to add to the already unprecedented achievements of this Government.
Any citizen who sees the positive impacts of the incumbent Government as peculiar competitive challenges needs to re-examine his or her state of patriotism.
But if apologies are what the purveyors of the fading crises need, a quantum of that was presumably given by the Governor. So, peace be still in Imo State.
● Stanford Arinze Nwokedi. Senior Special Assistant to Gov on Public Enlightenment