It has
been observed lately that the Okorocha Adminstration has been at loggerheads
with the good people of Owere Nchi Ise. For purposes of clarity, it is
imperative to say that Owere Nchi Ise is
the native name for Owerri municipality made up of five villages namely
Umuororonjo, Amawom, Umuoyima, Umuonyeche and Umuodu communities.
However my observation stems from recent
outburt by stakeholders in the area who have vowed to boycott the forthcoming Community
Government Council Election scheduled to hold on December 15, 2012 across the
State. They tell anyone that
cares to listen that Okorocha reneged on his promise to allocate each of the
five villages/ communities in Owerri a
CGC component.
They
further contend that Owerri municipality is the only local Government in Imo
State the communities therein were not accorded a CGC status. They are also
unhappy over the recent action of the State Government on the basis that it
failed to take cognisance of the fact that Owerri is the only municiplaity
in Southern Nigeria and the second in
the entire federation after Kano municipality.
Kano and Owerri, according to their historical analysis, also enjoy
metropolitan status and are capitals of their
respective States.
Both
cities share similar features as well. While Kano Municiplaity is the
commercial nerve centre of the North, Owerri prides itself as the capital city
of Eastern heartland.
According
to the President General of Owerri Community Assembly (OCA), Oweya
Christian Anukam, that Owerri
municipality has one CGC component is not only an insult on the sensibilities
of the people but a delibrate policy to witchunt them. He wondered why the
area will be singled out of the benefits of the CGC, whereas most communities,
if not all in the State, were accorded a CGC status in the 26 local
Governments. As a keen obsever of events
in Owere Nch Ise, I will admit that this present development has stirred the
hornest nest in the five communities in Owerri. They say that the Rescue
Mission of Governor Okorocha has not in anyway benefited the good people of Owere Nchi
Ise.
Going
down memory lane, one can say that they
have cause to have such suspicions. Owerri people have not had it rosy with
Governor Okorocha’s Adminstration. And some leaders in the area attribute it to
the fact that Owelle may not have forgiven the people for the actions of some
PDP stakeholders of Owere Nchi Ise stock who stopped him (Owelle) from using
the Township school ground, located along Wethedral Road, Owerri for his campign
before that April 26, 2011 nail biting Governorship election in Imo State. I
was informed that some political henchmen loyal to then Governor Ikedi Ohakim,
in apparent display of political overzealouness for Ohakim, organised some
youths of Owere Nchi Ise to disupt Owelle’s campaign at the School ground.
There was another gist that Eze Emmanuel Njemanze, Ozuruigbo v of Owere delibrately
avoided receiving the then APGA candidate when he visited his palace. These I was told are believed to be Owelle’s grieviances against Owere people.
If this
is the case, then is it not strange that Okorocha, that was allegedly villified
by some misguided Owere people before the elections secured a large number of
votes in Owerri municipality after his Ideato North Local Government Area.
APGA-
Okorocha’s his political party- also
dethroned the might and size of the PDP by winning the House of Assembly seat
in Owerri municipality which was in the
kitty of the PDP for several decades.
The area also massively voted for APGA in the senatorial and House of Reps
elections providing bloc votes that aided to take Senator Chris Anyanwu to the
Senate and Hon Ezenwa Onyewuchi to the Federal House of Representatives in
Abuja.
This is why it baffles yours sincerely that
the present Adminstration is perceived to have adopted an anti- Owerri stance .
This has manifested in several
dimensions. And it is disheartening to
the people that after providing sufficent votes that significantly aided the victory of the
present Adminstration, coupled with promises made to them that each of the villages will get a CGC
component, the reverse is now the case.
I was
reliably informed told that Nick Oparandundu, the Governor’s Special Adviser on
Economic Matters had assured a mammoth crowd of Owere people at Ugwu Ekwema
Civic Centre, that each village in Owere Nchi Ise will get a CGC component. We
were also told that Okorocha assured
Owerri people who visited him at New Government House, that each of the
communities in the seat of government
will get a CGC component each.
To say
that his promise increased the expectations of the people who have yearned for
an automous status for a long period is an understatement. That promise tempoarily
quenched the thirst for the
‘democratization’ of the five communities in the area which has been the
agitation of authentic leaders of Owere
people.
For over
a decade , majority of Owere people had
earnestly yearned for an autonomous status. It has been craved for a long time
as a basis to rapidly spread dividends of democracy to the people to the five
villages. With the denial of an autonomous
status by past Adminstrations, many had expected that the CGC will
signify the beginning of the ‘democratization’ process of the communities as a
preparatory measure to ensure the liberalization of traditional structure in Owere Nchi Ise.
I am
also aware that majority of Owerri people, except a tiny few, had in the
past strongly craved for a Development
Centre for the purpose of adminstrative convinience which was graciously
approved by the Imo State House of Assembly in 2006. Suprisingly the House
approval was rejected by then Governor
Achike Udenwa for inexplicable reasons.
From the
foregoing, Owelle can now understand why the people of Owere Nchi ise supported
his proposal that each of the five communities to have a CGC slot. That he has reneged on that promise has only
suceeded to instil a negative perception by the people about his adminstration
. That he made a U-turn on the issue is
seen as a mirror that reflects firmly held belief harboured by the people that
Owere Nchi Ise is being schemed out from the benefits of his Rescue mission.
Therefore,what
transpired between the State Government and Amawom community over Governor Okorocha’s resolve to build an
Ecumenical Centre and a Five Star hotel at Area k, World Bank Housing Estate is
a casestudy. The land owners (Amawom people) objected to the use of the land on
the basis that consultations were not made.
It is not disputeable that Government has the right to take any land for
developmental purpose. it is not objectionale,
rather what is objectionable is that there were no compensation for the land
owners. Aside this, there was also an
attempt to take the land by ‘force’ an
act which is against the grain the commonsense for a Government whose slogan is
my
people, my people.
Having
suffered from the pains of urbanization that has subjected Owerri people to
live in slums and having contributed significantly to the infrastructural development of Owerri capital city, the
resistance put up by Amawom community towards the State Government on the Area
K issue was justified.
And if
that is the basis for the latest non favourable antics adopted by the State Government towards Owere Nchi Ise people by denying them one of
the fruits(CGC) of the Rescue Mission, then it is absurd.
However,the proposed plan to relocate the Eke
Ukwu Owere market to somewhere along Government Technical College
(GTC), egbu road Owerri as announced by Governor Okorocha in his 2013 Budget
Speech to members of the Imo State House
of Assembly is seen as another extension
of his perceived manifestation of his grouse with Owere people. It is a
sign that shows he has an axe to grind with the people.
While
the gains inherent from the removal of the market sound pleasant to the ears of the originators of the plan,
they fail to forget that in Igbo land,
it is difficult for owners of ancestral herlics to let it go. A historical account shows that Eke Ukwu
Owere market is the collective ancestral heritage of the five villages of Owere
Nchi Ise. Based on this, one can deduce what the market means to Owere people.
Despite the fact that change remains
permament, the preservation of a historical or cultural identifty is not lost
on Igbos. Therefore the Eke Ukwu Owere market is one of the cherised
ancestral and historical identity of Owerri people.This is why they get so
infuriated whenever there is any plan to relocate it.
I
remember how attempts made by previous Adminstrations to relocate the market
failed in the past. The Amadi Ikwechegh
military Adminstration tried it, he crumbled. The feud between Owere people and
Ikwechegh over Eke Ukwu Owere market
rose to a point of no retreat no surrender. At a point, a delegation of Owere people led
by Chief Nath Onyeukwu, Ikemba Owere to then Chief of
General Staff, Rear Admiral Augustus
Aikhomu (of blessed memory) , in addition to Eze Alexious Anumaku Njemanze’s
famous ‘ Ikwechegh, na kwa echeki’ warning were cumulative factors
which forced Ikwechegh to hands from plans to relocate the ancient market. Being
a resilient people, they resisted
the might, size and power of the military government to relocate the market.
And this left in its trail a bitter rivarly between the people and that
Government.
Published By Imo Trumpeta Newspaper
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