Hon. Chike Okafor,
member representing Okigwe South Federal Constituency (Imo State) in the House
of Representatives, is one of those newbreed politicians whose
emergence
confounded observers of the Imo political climate. Save for a stint as
commissioner in the administration of Governor Rochas Okorocha, little was
known of him and, even after serving as commissioner, members of his
constituency hardly looked in his direction as a likely representative of a
people that boast of more experienced and exposed politicians. To cut the story
short, Okafor is one of the few
beneficiaries of Governor Okorocha’s political patronage.
A widely known story
in the state has it that Okafor got the job of Commissioner (for Finance) in
consideration of his long-standing relationship with Okorocha during which he
served as financial advisor to the would-be governor. He seems to be obsessed
with the governor’s penchant to see himself as the only cock that crows and
makes a fetish of him. As a political appointee, people in Okigwe North Federal
Constituency could understand why Okafor would deify his boss; but, certainly,
not after he had taken up the mandate to represent them. Unfortunately, it
seems that the only way he understands his assignment is as a megaphone for his
friend, Okorocha, much to the chagrin of his people.
Indeed, this
irritation has gone beyond his immediate constituency to traverse the entire of
Imo North, what is more commonly known as Okigwe zone. The people’s indignation
of Okafor’s show of immaturity heightened recently after he was quoted in an
interview with Daily Sun newspaper (Tuesday, November 29, 2016) that the people
of Imo North voted for the incumbent senator, Benjamin Uwajumogu, at the last
re-run election because Okorocha asked them to do so. Let’s quote him word for
word: “In a nutshell, the reason the people of Imo North voted for Uwajumogu
was because Okorocha asked us to do so.” That was in answer to the question:
“How do you feel now that the South-East has an APC senator in the person of
Sen. Benjamin Uwajumogu?” And this was how Okafor began his answer. “I feel
elated and I’m happy because Imo people, especially Okigwe zone, have once
again proven to the world that they are with Okorocha.”
To say the least,
Okafor’s position is not only ridiculous but also a talkdown on the people of
Okigwe zone. His response is a disheartening admission that, even as a federal
lawmaker, he cannot reason beyond a certain fixation on Okorocha. It is the
height of naivety to say that the people of Imo North voted for Uwajumogu
because Okorcha asked them to do so. That is both factually and politically incorrect.
To reduce the people of Okigwe zone to a mere collective of Okorocha apologists
is crass irresponsibility and a big disservice to a people known for their
sophistication and tactfulness.
Definitely, the
claim that the people of Imo North voted for Uwajumogu because of Okorocha is
aimed at pleasing the latter but it de-markets their party, the All
Progressives Congress (APC). What Okafor was saying was that the people voted,
not because they believed in the APC, but in the whims of Okorocha. Read differently,
it means that as far as Okafor is concerned, they did not even believe in the
candidacy of Uwajumogu, a notion that is reprehensible and a distortion of
facts. Okafor has, through his fanatic proclivities, painted his own people in
the image of those who do not believe in their own leaders at the zonal level,
those who have been galvanizing the people and providing them with credible
political leadership long before Okorocha came on the scene.
Uwajumogu on his own
commands enough respect and following to win that election. He was been the
Speaker of the House of Assembly and he performed creditably well. Outside his
native Okigwe zone, Uwajumogu, as Speaker, broke partisan barriers to embrace
all Imolites, irrespective of zone. The current Speaker, Rt. Hon. Acho Ihim,
comes from the same Imo North and it cannot be true that the Imo North
electorate did not listen to him. It is also a well known fact in the state
that many non-APC members from the zone, especially those with political clout
and influence, worked for Uwajumogu.
This is to say
nothing of a fellow like Senator Ifeanyi Araraume whom the people had given
their mandate twice to represent them. I happened to have taken more than a
casual interest in the re-run election in question. A day after Uwajumogu was
declared winner, I was at his home in Ihitte Uboma to join others in
congratulating him. The informal gathering of friends and well-wishers, from
within and outside the zone, went into frenzy the moment the name of Araraume
was mentioned by Uwajumogu as one of those who contributed to his victory. The
place got electrified with shouts of “Ugwumba! Ugwumba!!” even though the
senator was not present.
What I advise
against is to create the impression that in Imo State, APC is Okorocha and Okorocha
is APC. That is simply not correct and the governor himself knows that it is
not to the interest of both him as a person and the party. To further
illustrate Okafor’s fixated on Okorocha, let us take another claim he made:
“Only Owerri people are not happy with Okorocha but for Orlu, Okorocha is a
messiah.” I ask, is that the image to paint of a friend who is the governor of
an entire state? Is it a good thing that the people of Owerri zone are not
happy with Okorocha, and, for whatever reason, is it a plus for the governor?
Clearly, Okafor was
on a public relations mission but that effort suffered its first setback right
from the caption of the interview which went thus: “Why Okorocha is not popular
among Imo elite”. Agreed, he didn’t give that caption himself but what was
contained in the body of the interview justified that caption
Assuming, even, that
the governor, either by design of default, is unable to engage the elite, was
it for nothing that he empowered people like Okafor who should fill in the gap
where the governor failed? But, alas,
Okafor, and, perhaps, others like him, seems to be quite comfortable
with that. They might have found themselves in such a mental void innocently
but it gives impetus to critics of the governor who say he prefers to surround
himself with a few people whom he can always mesmerise and cause to speak in
hyperboles concerning him and his administration, the way Okafor did in the
interview in question.
This brings us to
another issue raised by Okafor. One of the reasons he gave as to why Okorocha
is not popular with the Imo political elite is that “there is no more (sic)
godfathers in politics.” If he was referring to Imo State, then it is a false
claim especially coming from a fellow like Hon. Chike Okafor. Agreed, Okorocha
might have spoken against ‘godfatherism’ when he came to office newly but he
has since discovered that it is not possible to decree it (godfatherism) out of
the system, he himself has found it irresistible and has remained a
practitioner of godfatherism, so to speak.
A leader does not
necessarily have to be popular in the sense many people talk about. If it is
popularity in the sense Okafor spoke, then I believe the governor has enough
going for him to be popular. What I think is wrong is the breakdown of elite
consensus, which is why it would appear that the people are not appreciative of
his achievements. Whether we like it or not, where we are now as a people makes
it inevitable that our politics is elite-driven. For reasons that are quite
obvious, the so-called messes still look up to the elite. Although republican
in nature, the Igbo believe in local leadership. In Igboland, you don’t come
from outside to take over the leadership of a people without inputs of their
local elite. This is why I think that in our context, at least, it is wrong to
glorify a situation where there is a disconnect between a leader and the local
elite.
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