Imo’s day of rage

CHIDIEBERE IWUOHA writes that Imo state Governor Rochas Okorocha’s ‘unpopular’ policies, coupled with economic hard times, sparked off civil protests in streets of Owerri, Imo capital on Monday
Recently, the Governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, came up with policies that have not gone down well with the people that gave him mandate in 2011. The decisions include; the relocation and ejection of traders of Eke Ukwu Owere Main Market and its demolition, ban on Keke riders in Owerri Metropolis without commensurate alternatives, ejection of Main Market traders and its demolition, erection of Zuma, Sirleaf statues and others, renaming of Bank Road as Muhammadu Buhari Road without approval from Imo House of Assembly. The pent up anger of the people was let loose and in no time, a state-wide protest was started.

Background
Governor Rochas Okorocha came into governance in 2011, as Man of the People. It was at that time Imo people needed succour and looked for a Messiah or change from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) government of Sir Ikedi Ohakim, to a better regime, as they were convinced that it was anti-people and did not have human face.
When the election of that year finally came, the hand writing was on the wall that Ohakim’s administration was over to make way for Rochas who promised the people a better deal.

Touted free education
For example, the governor announced his much touted free education for the less privileged under Rochas Foundation and promised to enshrine free education at all levels and raise the education standard of the people of the state if elected.
Okorocha was elected and expectedly, he showed human face by opening up some roads, even without tarring them; paying school children N1 or N2, sewing their school uniforms, providing them with desks and chairs, rejecting his salaries and security votes, agreeing to pay civil servants N20,000 minimum wage instead of N18,000 and even giving them one month salary for Christmas at the end of every year etc. But his human face government came to an abrupt end when he discovered that Imo people did not vote for his return in 2015, and that if not for his “commando” like action, he would have gone back to his village, Ogboko or better still Jos, from where he came. This changed his governorship posture as he decided that they should pay for their ingratitude to him.

Solidarity wane
In his second term, that is from 2015, the usual gathering of solidarity whenever he is sighted and shouts of “Owelle! Owelle!! Owelle!!!” began to wane as what they saw in him before 2011 was no longer what they were seeing in 2015. The promise of conducting local government election was not being fulfilled, ban of Keke riders who gave him overwhelming support in 2011 was effected without enough taxi cabs for the people leading to influx of private vehicles and over-stuffing of passengers, Eke Ukwu Owere Market demolition was effected, Orji Mechanic Village and Naze Mechanic Village were demolished and relocated; demolition of people’s houses and shops in the name of Urban Renewal, fragrant abuse and disobedience of court orders became the order of day; workers’ salaries were cut to 70% and at times 80%;Pensioners were made to collect half of their pensions before they went to court; erection of Zuma’s statue, Johnson Sirleaf statue and others without recourse to the State Assembly or the people; renaming of Whetheral Road to Dee Sam Mbakwe Road, Okigwe Road to Nnamdi Azikiwe Road, Bank Road to Muhammadu Buhari Road, Orlu Road/Hospital Road to Akanu Ibiam Road etc. Citizens are subjected to untold hardship caused by ban of tricycles in the metropolis as people trek long distances to work and business places and now hike in fuel price which has skyrocketed to N180 to N200 per litre. The other day, it was the suspension issue of three key members of the State House of Assembly over their refusal to “play the Speaker’s or Governor’s ball”. In fact, most of the Governor’s Projects, according to Imo people, were conceived by him and carried out by him and that most of his contracts are done by members of his family and in-laws who also occupy some sensitive positions in the state. There is also the news making the rounds that the Governor wants to impose his son in-law, Hon Uche Nwosu (currently his Chief of Staff) as his successor, irrespective of the fact that he is from the same zone with him (Orlu zone) which would be ruling for sixteen years out of twenty years by 2019, despite options from Owerri and Okigwe zones. All of the above led to sufferings on the part of the masses, anger and negative comments against the governor which snowballed into two groups planning protests and rallies against the governor.

Protests
On Monday, there was a protest led by Hon. Barr. Uche Onyeagocha who was formerly serving under Governor Okorocha. In front of the banner displayed by the protesters was a robot dressed like Governor Okorocha with his usual muffler on the neck. Soon after the police sighted them, they were confronted and made to disperse. Some of them who tried to cause trouble at the Imo International Conference Centre(IICC) where some pensioners were being verified, were stopped with a release of teargas canister. Before the protests, the Imo Police Command through the Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), Mr Andrew Enwerem had announced that some politicians and Civil Liberty organizations were planning protests against the state government from Monday , 18th to 24th of December,2017. He made it clear that the police did not approve of the protests because of the closeness to the forth coming yuletide. He however, advised them to reapply after New Year. He said to his greatest surprise, they were going ahead with the protests and warned that they were on their own.
Meanwhile, heavily armed policemen were stationed at strategic points in Owerri, the state capital to forestall any break down of law and order.

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