Icheoku says any observer of the Nigerian political landscape, particularly as it appertains to Abia State, would have noticed the cut-throat rivalry or rather intolerance of one another that is existing between the current state governor Orji Kalu and his erstwhile mentor and former governor of the same state Orji Uzor Kalu. This fact of consequence has so perturbed Icheoku that Icheoku wonders what in the hell is wrong with Igbo people that they cannot easily get along together with themselves? Their penchant for always wanting to be in the lead and never to be led; as well as their never submitting under the authority of one of them, especially one that knows better, is an issue of grave concern and a militating factor against their political progress in Nigeria. Icheoku asks Igbo people and their republicanism, to please tell Icheoku how far this their attitude has led them and how many leaders can a people have at the same time?
Icheoku is writing this opinion piece because ever since the present governor was smuggled or "elected", straight from where he was locked up in jail to the government house in Umuahia, there is no love lost between him and the very man that supervised that feat. Well meaning Nigerians, including none biased Igbo people as well as Icheoku ask in bewildered amazement, what is this beef between the apparent mentor and his mentored, that cannot be settled? Whatever it is, does the present governor not ever advert his mind that without the former governor's help, that he would not have become the governor of Abia state? Further, that irrespective of how personally popular he might have been during that election, that being physically in prison, drastically and automatically constrained his chances of being elected governor? Yet he won and someone made it possible; but suddenly that facilitator is now the governor's worst enemy? This baffles many conscientious and objective observers of the politics of Abia State and they want an answer as well as a resolution of whatever it is that tore this people apart.
Why, Icheoku asks, cannot this governor let bygones be bygones and let all Abian PDP politicians move forward as a one united partisans? Plateau State Governor Jang just showed an example of how to carry all the people along by reconciling with all hitherto disenfranchised Plateau State PDP politicians, including former governor Dariye. Icheoku emphasizes that at least, Governor Orji Kalu should show some respect to his former mentor, Uzor Orji Kalu, and allow him some political space to operate in his Abia State. As his predecessor and the man who once held fort therein, it is a good political gesture and laudable magnanimity and by necessary implication, precedent setting. Governor Orji Kalu himself will soon become an ex-governor and Icheoku asks would he accept what he is presently dishing out to the man he succeeded from his successor? Icheoku says their latest dirty fight over the refusal of the governor to let the former governor go to the senate is otherwise avoidable, were the governor a thinking politician who craves a place in history. The smack down which has forced the former governor to demand refund of his deposit and incidental fees for declaration of interest, shows that their family feud has no end in sight and has only become more asinine. Icheoku condemns this unforgiven spirit of the governor and maintains that Orji Uzor Kalu has suffered enough political isolation in the hands of the man he helped become governor of Abia State from where he was in prison and deserves some reprieve.
The only good lesson derivable from this Abia State impasse is the utility or otherwise of sponsoring or endorsing anyone to any political office in Nigeria. As has been shown with the current governor of Abia State who later turned around to become his sponsor's worst nightmare, such is an effort in futility. A nemesis of some sort, who would readily brand such sponsor his worst enemy number one that must be politically crushed or caged, isolated, banished and emasculated completely. Icheoku strongly believes that on hindsight, Orju Uzor Kalu must be regretting his action, ever sponsoring a man who is in prison custody to the governorship of Abia State. That the same man was an Alusi Okija deity worshipper did not matter to Orji Uzor Kalu then, nor deterred his action to "elect" him as governor to occupy the government house in Umuahia? But hey, Icheoku has no dog in the fight and so could care less who Abians decided should governor them or how they went about arriving at that decision. What a hard, bitter lesson to learn, that sometimes your well intentioned action often turns out to be your worst nightmare. But illegality is illegality and if it begets illegality, so be it, who gives a damn?
Lastly, because humans do not necessarily learn from history or allow past experiences to guide their present action, the present crop of soon to be ex-governors are busy endorsing and sponsoring candidates to succeed them as well to other legislative offices of their states. Icheoku asks what is the guarantee that they will not similarly suffer the same fate which they are exposing their former mentors to; assuming what goes around still comes around? Are these soon to be former governors not thinking that possibly their new political god-sons might someday suddenly grow up, following their inauguration, and begin to chastise them to the extent of even chasing them away from their states? But only time will tell the treachery hidden in the hearts of men. Icheoku and the elements "dey laugh" at the follies and foibles of man, as presented by these current lords of manor in these states, who presently see themselves as demo-gods, before whom every person in their state must bow and tremble. But one good thing with time and which time only does very well, is human humbling. Icheoku says sooner than later, it will be deja vu pay back time, with these now beloved political god-sons dealing the then former governors the same very back hands these governors are presently dealing their own predecessors. What indeed are we humans, that we are this daft, not to correctly imbibe history and apply it as our guiding compass to all our future actions?
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Christy 'Apena' Essien-Igbokwe , the wife of Jegede Shokoya of the New Masquerade and Nigeria's lady of songs is dead; she was 51years old. Although her family claimed that "brief Illness" killed her like so many Nigerians; Icheoku retorts that it was most likely AKwa Ibom voodoo and remote control that was used to arrest her. It is on record that she had fallen out with the governor of her native Akwa Ibiom State and have been having a relentless war for political turf with the governor? So who knows whether she was sacrificed to Ekpe cult or even Alusi-Okija as an offal; afterall African science is still very much alive and portent. May her soul rest in peace.
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