By Chidi Nkwopara

A few days after, activities marking the 49th Independence Day celebration began. which  coincided with the inauguration of Owerri Peoples Assembly (OPA), while government officials decided to go to the Anglican Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Lord (CATOL), the leadership of OPA opted for Maria Assumpta Catholic Cathedral for a Concelebrated Pontifical Sung Mass by Archbishop Anthony Obinna.

As expected, both clerics condemned the prevalent evils in society in their sermons and went ahead to tell government functionaries where they erred. While the soft_spoken and very homely Deputy Governor, Dr. Ada Okwuonu, took Bishop Cyril Okorocha’s admonitions in good faith, the governor’s representative at OPA’s function was angered.

The crowd endlessly booed the governor’s adviser until he was forced to keep quiet, took his seat and sulked. Journalists were present at the time.

•Ohakim

A number of us filed our stories, including New Nigerian Newspaper, Niger Delta Standard, Vanguard and The Source magazine. Of all these publications, the governor’s  adviser only marked out the correspondents of Vanguard and The Source magazine for vitriolic attack.

The governor’s  aide caused to be published full page advertorials in some local tabloids in Owerri. Throughout the length of the adverts, he never denied that he was booed. He did not equally explain why he was booed by the angry Owerri people in Imo Concorde Hotel venue of the OPA function.

The governor’s  aide should please tell the governor what he said that necessitated the angry reaction from the people. Why was the microphone taken away from him midway into his speech? Can the aide tell us where Governor Ohakim was ever booed while making his speech? Did he realize that he was representing the governor at that event?

Why did he fail to carry himself in a manner reminiscent of a person representing the governor of a state?

Did The governor’s  aide realize that he was vilifying the Archbishop before his relations, friends and ardent Catholics? It is sad that Ohakim’s Special Adviser opted to threaten Vanguard on two consecutive occasions through the telephone for reporting his act, instead of bemoaning whatever led him into the sad act.

I must put it on record that soon after the telephone threat, I relayed it to the State Chairman, Imo State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. Amanze Obi and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Henry Ekpe, as well as other colleagues of mine.

I pleaded with them to inform the governor’s  adviser that I will not tolerate further insults and threats from him.

As if that was not enough injury, the governor’s  aide told the leadership of the Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ that Vanguard and The Source Magazine correspondents were working in concert with Maximus Uba to destabilize Imo State government!

He also threatened to report the matter to the State Security Services (SSS), who will in turn force the two Correspondents to provide the tape recording of what he said at the event. Again, he goofed.

The  aide forgot that security operatives could not have been absent in that hall. They can affirm that he was booed and forced to take his seat. However, the governor’s  aide does not know that I do not have Maximus Uba’s telephone number(s) in any of my mobile phones.

I have equally not set my eyes on or had any telephone conversation with Maximus in the past three or more years! I do not even know where I can locate him as I write this piece. So, how could I have come to terms with Maximus to destabilize Imo State government?

One thing I can assure the aide is that he cannot sway Ohakim’s rating of me. My other fear is that some of Ohakim’s aides have not purchased and read any of the three books he recently presented in Lagos.

In his 308-page book, “The Courage To Challenge”, Ohakim made serious lamentations. Hear him: “Why do many people turn evil once they taste power and savour the lucre from pubic office? Why are we losing the moral fabric that defines us as a people of conscience, a God-fearing people?”

Sometime in May this year, the governor approved the placement of an advert in Vanguard, to congratulate his brother Governor, Liyel Imoke, when Imo State University, Owerri, conferred honourary doctorate degree on him.

There was also the condolence message to the immediate family of late Chief Christian Onoh. These bills amounting to N740,000, are yet to be paid several months after they were published!

Again, it must be said that the governor never asked anybody to withhold payment. As it is with Vanguard, so it is with some other national media outfits.

What the governor probably does not know is that the Correspondents, through whom the adverts were placed, have been passing through untold hardship occasioned by one or more of his aides. Our superiors even think we have collected the money and converted them to personal use!

In chapter seven of his book, “Challenging New Frontiers”, Ohakim talked of teamwork and accountability. On particularly pages 42 and 43, he stated: “This government shall not tolerate any corrupt officer or anyone who uses subterfuge to sabotage the programmes of this administration….

To the Executive Assistants and the Chief Press Secretary, my admonition is that you are easily the visible face of the government. Your actions and conducts will reflect on the image of this government. You must champion the policies of this administration with unflagging passion”.

Politics is a game of numbers. It is no doubt the duty of Ohakim’s aides to constantly fish for men and women for their boss. It should not be in their place to cause political turmoil in their communities or create enemies for Ohakim.

Imo State does not need sycophants as members of the state’s expanded executive council. What we need is the can-do-spirit that will give everybody a sense of belonging. What you have just read, in the thinking of the governor’s  aide and his acolytes, is the “sin” of the Correspondents of Vanguard and The Source magazine.

It should therefore be clear to all that if anything happens to any of the two, the direction from it came is already known!