Imo State is a special state in the heart of south east politics for many reasons, one of which is the fact that it remains the only South Eastern state in Nigeria under the tight grip of the All Progressive Congress (APC). Rochas Okorocha’s sagacity and the non-regional politics he plays gave him the upper hand over his opponents. Even-though his region are not the biggest supporter of APC in the 2015 general elections, he fought against all odds to cling on to power for a second term.
Let’s not forget that Rochas Okorocha is a former presidential aspirant in the 2015 general elections in contention for his party’s nomination against heavy weights in the likes of Atiku Abubakar and of-course the president himself, Muhammadu Buhari. How he was able to secure his state ticket after loosing out the APC presidential primary by quietly ensuring that Uche Nwosu hands over his ticket goes to show his tenacity in holding on to power.
His position in the politics of south east is never without controversy as his loyalty to the national politics is undivided. However, recent controversy surrounding the refuse dump at Douglas road in owerri, no matter how insignificant it’s impact on his approval ratings, speaks volume considering the way his political opponents capitalized, scoring a huge political point.
When the Douglas road refuse dump controversy first appeared in the news, the thinking was that the Imo state government will immediately swing into action and clear off the refuse dump which poses a potential health hazard to the people who gave him the mandate, but rather a shocking explanation was given which suggested it was a deliberate act to punish the people of Imo State.
According to Governor Rochas Okorocha’s Chief Press Secretary, Samuel Onwuemeodo, the smelly dump is being used to punish people in the area who challenged the governor.
“Government deliberately abandoned the refuse along Douglas Road, Owerri, to get back at Owerri people who have been battling the state government, over the relocation of the market,” Onwuemeodo said.
“Owerri people must be made to understand that they cannot eat their cake and have it. There is a court order restraining government from tampering with the market and this also explains why we left the refuse,” he added.
The response obviously created a huge opportunity for Hon Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi, the Honourable Member Representing Owerri Federal Constituency as he led the PDP to the flag-off of the “Operation Clean Douglas Road Campaign”.
Operation Clean Douglas Road Campaign was a smooth and successful public relations stunt pulled by PDP in the state. What the people of Imo will have at the back of their minds in the record books is that Rochas Okorocha exposed them to health harzard, but PDP came to their rescue. You can believe it that the ground work for 2019 in the state has been laid, it’s only a matter of time until another impact is made by the opposition in the state.
This post was last modified on February 25, 2020 10:06 AM