Time Bomb Called Ikuku (part 3)
Don Norman Obinna – Agu Ibeku –
In a disgusting exhibition of phariseeism, the despotic House of Assembly Speaker, Engineer Chinedum Orji, christened himself THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS in one of his campaign posters that littered Umuahia.
As sickening as it appears, it led credence to the saying that when hypocrisy is a character trait, it exterminates all the evolutions of ratiocination.
How on earth does the moniker, befits Ikuku, whose name alone sends shivers down the spine of residents?
The emotions exhumed at the #Endsars Panel would be measly if residents relive their ordeals in the hands of the immediate past government that had Ikuku as the de facto governor.
Where was he when Ochendo’s government bulldozers invaded the timber market in Afara Ibeku and destroyed shops and goods worth billions of naira?
The matter was still before a High Court when the government perpetrated the heinous deed, but the voice of the voiceless maintained a pococurante façade.
Where was this voice of the voiceless when Ochendo’s government swooped on the Mgbuka spare parts market and reduced to rubbles every building and shop in sight amid shrieks from distraught traders?
As the dust settled, people’s residential buildings with CofOs were destroyed without compensation, rendering families homeless.
One of the owners of the buildings, known as Rejoice, suffered immeasurable bad health that reduced him to a vegetable.
Several other victims of the cruelty died of heart attacks. To date, their widows resorted to the “mama put” business to survive.
We waited for our emergency voice of the voiceless, to speak, but he remained quiet until this day.
Where was the self-proclaimed voice of the voiceless when Ochendo’s government attacked traders and residents ruthlessly and threatened their existence considerably with unfriendly policies?
He probably had a boil on his mouth when the government heisted our sources of revenue under the guise of market relocation.
All these tear-inducing infamies happened in Abia State, Umuahia precisely. Shamefully, we serenade the mastermind today.
The voice of the voiceless for destroying the sources of our livelihood and subtly impoverishing us further with the gifts of Keke and refurbished 1993 Passat cars and buses? Mtchweee! It’s a pity how we allowed them to exploit our short memories.
In case we do not know, the phrase, ‘voice of the voiceless,’ originated from the Bible in Proverb 31: 8-9.
It reads, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (NIV).
This endeavour entails justice, fairness and equity. The Ikwuano/Umuahia elders and PDP stakeholders recognised these and designed a political template that ensures equitable representation among the clans that make up the Federal Constituency.
This sublime arrangement produced PDP’s Hon. Acho Obioma from Umu Okpara from 1999 – 2003.
2003 to 2007 was the turn of the Ikwuano people, Hon. Emeka Atuma represented the constituency effectively.
Hon. Stanley Ohajiruka from the Ibeku clan served from 2007 to 2011 and relinquished the seat for Hon. Udo Ibeji from Old Umuahia. He represented the constituency from 2011 to 2015.
In 2015, when it was the turn of the Ohuhu clan, Ochendo, amid remonstration, selected Hon. Sam Onuigbo, another Ikwuano man and forcefully imposed him on the constituents. He also ensured he got another tenure against the one-term treaty.
After the needless 24 years of ostracism, 2023 is unarguably the turn of the Ohuhu clan. But the same man who called himself the voice of the voiceless vehemently opposed and usurped the PDP ticket from them.
Instead of speaking for them, our emergency voice of the voiceless and his gang of double-dealers vilified Governor Ikpeazu, even labelled him an ingrate for suggesting it’s the turn of the Ohuhu clan.
Let’s be wary of the naked man who offers us clothes. There is a sinister motive behind the offer.
One of America’s greatest philosophers, Suzy Kassem, shares this sentiment when she opines that to know the good from the bad, study a man or woman’s history of actions, not their records of intentions.
Simply put, actions speak louder than words. Ikuku is a time bomb we should not allow to explode.
Watch out for part 4 on Friday.
