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By Dickson Okafor
Hon. Mark Uchendu, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Secretary to the Government of Imo State, has said that as Imo State marks its 50 years anniversary, one sure way to maintain peace and unity is that the three senatorial zones should adhere to rotation of power agreed under Imo Charter of equity.
He also said for equity and justice, it will be the turn of Okigwe Zone to produce the next governor of Imo State in 2028, and called on Owerri zone to support Imo North to complete its tenure, since former Governor Ikedi Ohakim did not go for a second term in 2011.
Excerpts:
Imo State joined other states in Nigeria to celebrate 50 years anniversary, following their creation on February 3, 1976. How would you rate the state in terms development and your assessment of the leadership till date?
If you know how Imo State was at a point of creation and where we are now, you will know that invariably we live up to expectation. Not that we have reached where we are going, considering ups and downs which is associated with advancement, but so far so good. Like you rightly observed, a journey that began on February 3, 1976 after Imo State was created out of East Central State by the administration of Gen. Murtala Mohammed was as a result of high-level patriotism, commitment and concerted efforts of few leaders that birth to the heartland of South-East. Ever since then, with visionary leadership of the likes of Chief Sam Mbakwe, the first Executive Governor of Imo State, it blossomed into a testimony of courage, rich culture and collective progress. Before its creation, in Owerri the capital of Imo State, Douglas Road and Aladinma were the major roads. But today, Owerri is a modern city and it is still developing.
Political battle has started between Okigwe and Owerri zone for the governor of Imo State which will be vacant in two years from now at the expiration of Governor Hope Uzodinma’s tenure. Going by Imo Charter of Equity, which zone should power shift to?
By all standard, the issue of where the governorship should be zoned to after the expiration of Governor Hope Uzodinma’s tenure as captured in Imo Charter of Equity is Okigwe zone. Because whoever becomes the governor of Imo State will start his development policy from Owerri and the yardstick of measuring Imo State is Owerri zone. Almost all the parameters of development I mentioned earlier are all in Owerri. For instance, we have two Federal Universities in Owerri which include the state university and polytechnic. So, Okigwe zone needs to be developed as well, hence, the reason Imo Charter of Equity approved power rotation. Also, in Orlu zone, they have two universities and Orlu town is a mini state capital because they produced three governors since 1999. So, if you zone the governor to Owerri after Governor Hope Uzodinma has completed his tenure, where is he going to work or develop? The same Owerri zone. They claim that they have not had enough opportunity to rule Imo State, but nobody denied them the opportunity. When Senator Evan Enwerem was elected governor, it was the military that removed him not civilian. Also, when Hon. Emeka Ihedioha was elected governor, it was the Supreme Court that removed not the people. But in case of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, he was removed by the people out of mere gossip. What he did not do they say he did it to the extent they lied that he beat up Reverend Father and before you know it, they blackmailed him and removed him from Government House and it was Owerri zone that engineered Ohakim’s removal. The said Okigwe people are troublesome, but we are not troublesome rather we do our own thing in our own little way. So, it is the fault of the people because if they had allowed the rotation of power to continue, Ohakim would have completed his tenure of eight years. If Ohakim did well or not he should have gone and then power would shift to Owerri zone. Definitely, if you are traveling to a place and along the road you stopped, you must ensure you complete the journey and get to your destination. You don’t continue on a wrong trajectory because it won’t give you the desired result.
Okigwe Global League in conjunction with Okigwe Zone Stakeholders in a Roundtable Conference held in Lagos agreed to mobilise indigenes of the zone in other states to actualised their dream, can’t the two zones reach a compromise to avoid Orlu from capitalising on your disagreement and continue to govern the state?
Yes, we are mobilising our people across the country and abroad to restore the Imo Charter of Equity which is aimed towards institutionalising rotation of governorship of the state among the three senatorial districts. Okigwe Global League in conjunction with Okigwe Zone Stakeholders is a pressure group which I’m the founder and leader. During a recent Roundtable Discussion on unity, security, economic and political development of the zone held in Lekki Area of Lagos State, we agreed to reach out to Owerri zone also to arrive at a compromise and the discussion is ongoing and hopefully they will support Okigwe zone. For example, Achike Udenwa was governor for eight years with Okigwe man as his deputy and Owelle Rochas Okorocha was also governor for eight years and he had three deputy governors from Owerri zones. Right now, Governor Hope Uzodinma within first and second term he has two deputy governors all from Owerri.
Some leaders have alerted APC NWC of implosion, following the gale of defections by key members of opposition to the ruling party. How best can APC manage clash of interests ahead of 2027 without going the way of PDP?
In politics, people negotiate their way and if properly done there won’t be implosion. Before anybody leaves his party to another party, he must have discussed with the leadership of his new party before he joins them. Before any of the governors that defected to APC could take such decision, they must have discussed it with the president before public consumption. So, if you defect to any political party without agreement, then, you are on your own.
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The senate adopted electronic transmission, rejecting real-time electronic transmission of the result. But the opposition kicked against the decision saying mandatory electronic transmission of election result must be adhered to real-time, what is your reaction?
It is a matter of public interest going by the Electoral Act Amendment. The senate arrived at the decision after considering certain factors that may delay real-time electronic transmission of election results from the villages. And you know that over 70 percent of villages in rural areas have no networks. I believe that is why the senate adopted the manual alternative in the declaration of election results in 2027.
What is your take on the recent shutting down and reopening of Onitsha main market by Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State?
You can’t compare Anambra State to Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi states in terms commerce because Onitsha Main Market is an international market and largest market in West Africa. People rise up early morning on Sunday in Ghana and in other West African countries and take off hoping to be in the market on Monday morning and when they arrive, you will tell them that the market is close, it is embarrassing. They don’t have alternative in the other four states, so, Onitsha Market is the only international market in South-East. So, what Governor Soludo did is right. Onitsha main market must remain open for commercial activities. Also, people enter transport in states like Sokoto, Katsina, Niger and Zamfara on Sunday morning to come buy goods in Onitsha market on Monday and you tell them that you are observing sit-at-home. If they buy those goods on Monday, they will waybill it and it will arrive in the state in two days’ time and most of the traders don’t have enough money to pay hotel bills. The IPOB sit-at-home order should stop because South-East is losing billions of naira because of sit-at-home every Monday. Many are saying sit-at-home is an agitation for unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, but you cannot spite your nose to fix your face. What business has President Tinubu with the closure of Onitsha main market? Nnamdi Kanu’s matter is being negotiated politically so that he will be unconditionally released because judgment has been passed on him. So, this time if the president wants to pardon him, he will pardon him. Previously, the matter was in court. Now that the matter has been decided legally, President Tinubu can say let’s pardon him, but it can’t be done by putting pressure on the party or government.
Let us talk about power, with constant collapse of National Grid which is attributed to system collapse, do you see independent generation and distribution of power possible in Nigeria under this government?
The answer is that government should decentralise power supply because you don’t expect some people in some parts of the country that cannot pay for electricity to be consuming power which people in some states can afford. And you join us all in the grid, it won’t work and that is the major problem. Meanwhile, because of this the man that has factory in Lagos or Aba does not have electricity to power his factory.
To many, this is an indictment on President Tinubu because during his campaign in 2023 he promised that within one year if voted into power, Nigeria will start enjoying steady power supply and that if fails, Nigerians should not re-elect him in 2027?
It is a political statement because the former Governor of Lagos State and immediate past minister of Works, Raji Fashola also said within 6 months of former President Muhammadu Buhari administration if there is no steady power supply we should chase them out. Nigerians don’t hold them accountable and that is why we are taken for granted.
With high rate of abject poverty in the country with some Nigerians gearing towards change of government in 2027, do you foresee a repeat of what happened 2015 that birth APC?
It is the masses that will determine change of government if their vote counts because power belongs to the people. If the electorate vote and defend their votes, there will be meaningful change, but if they can’t, change of government won’t happen in 2027. The people are the opposition to any bad government and if the truly want a change they must stand their ground and ensure their votes count.
What is the chance of Peter Obi in his quest to fly the ADC presidential flag in 2027 against Atiku who has vowed that he won’t step down for anyone?
If Peter Obi fails to clinch the presidential ticket of African Democratic Congress (ADC), he will remain in the party and support whoever emerges as the candidate of the party. But if he emerges the flag bearer, those in party will as well support him.
