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MASSOB'S Biafran Agenda Is a Fraud

By Bala Dan Abu & Tobs Agbaegbu
Monday, July 21, 2003

Achike Udenwa, governor of Imo State, who was recently re-elected for a second term, spoke to Bala Dan Abu, editor and Tobs Agbaegbu, associate editor on the programmes of his second tenure, Ojukwu's position in politics, the campaign for the actualisation of the sovereign state of Biafra and the claims by Alex, Chief Sam Mbakwe's son, that the state government has refused to take care of the former governor of the state. Excerpts:

Newswatch: You are back for a second term as governor. We want to find out what you were unable to do in your first four years that you want to address now.

Udenwa: I want to do a lot of things. You see, some people believe that everything can be done at the same time. I wish resources were so available to do everything at the same time. What I have done in this second tenure is to select the principal areas I want to concentrate on, and I have named them as agriculture, manufacturing and re-orientation of our people. Well, that doesn't mean that the basic responsibility of government, like provision of water, good roads, electricity, hospitals and education won't be attended to. Those ones will still be there. But I want to concentrate on these big three. I believe if I make a success of these three, Imo will definitely move forward.

Newswatch: We understand what you want to do in manufacturing and then in agriculture, but not what you want to do in orientation.

Udenwa: Okay. You see, in most cases, the citizens are not well-informed. You will be surprised to hear that the most educated people, the elites, do not know what the government is all about. We need to orientate them. And we need to orientate ourselves in government, what our responsibilities are to the people. For example, let me just say that people think that coming to government is an avenue to make money, or just to seek self-aggrandisement. It is not so. It is supposed to be service to the people. We need to be reminded of that? Those outside should also be reminded of their civic responsibilities.
Many times, you see people throw refuse on the road, believing that it is just the government's responsibility to clear it, but they don't know that the money that the government spends is their money. People are not paying their taxes, but they want every amenity in the world. They would even quote for you, that if you go to London or America that those places are more developed and you won't see any refuse on the roads; that electricity is on throughout and water is flowing but they would not tell you that the people in those countries pay their bills. An average worker in these developed countries almost works to be able to settle his bills. But here, who pays? And here, you want everything done. So, these are things we want to do under orientation. We also want to start now, to let our people think back. What are our societies values? What do we value in the society. Is it money or character of individuals? These are some of the things we want to do under the orientation of the people.

Newswatch: Is the government going to establish new industries?

Udenwa: We have no intention of establishing new industries. Even the few we still have are not functioning well. We want to privatise them. What we are doing is to promote industrial development by letting private investors go into them. Let the private sectors go into them. The same thing with farming, the government is not going to establish farms, but to see how to encourage the people to take to farming.

Newswatch: What exactly is the position of the government on the Resin and Paint Industry in Mbaise? If you pass through there, you always see a notice saying," this place is locked up by court order." The whole place is overgrown by weeds.

Udenwa: What happened is that resin and paint was privatised long before we came into office. It was privatised to the extent that government gave up some of its shares and retained some of the shares. But the controlling shares were given out. And unfortunately the people presumed to be the owner of these shares went to borrow money from a bank and defaulted in repayment. The bank impounded the company. So, it has been a very naughty issue, since we came in. It was in 2001 we set up a panel to probe and see precisely, the current position of the company. The same thing happened to two other industries involved. That tells you how government manages its own enterprises. So, I am sure that commission of enquiry will be able to direct us.

Newswatch: In your second campaign for re-election, you faced opposition from some strong politicians. What is your relationship with such people now, in and outside PDP?

Udenwa: Definitely, I was never under the illusion that if I want to re-contest, that I will go on un-opposed. I didn't have that illusion at all. I knew that people were going to oppose me and people did oppose me. And having won, I have extended my hands of fellowship to them. I told them to come. Those with good and bright ideas, let's work together. Few of the leaders are already coming back and we are talking. But other ones are still in the tribunals, maybe when they settle, they may come.

Newswatch: It was widely reported before the election that, because of the influence of Chief Ojukwu, that APGA was going to have influence on the people of South-Eastern states. It turned out the other way round. What do you think happened?
Udenwa: It is because people just talk out of sentiment. That is not politics. You don't have to talk out of sentiment. Oh, you heard that Ojukwu is coming to Owerri for example, and you see young men trooping to the stadium, are you now seeing that as support for Ojukwu, it is not?

Newswatch: Is that to say that Ojukwu is not a relevant political figure in the South- East?

Udenwa: I don't want to put it that way. What I am telling you is that the mere fact that young people come out to see Ojukwu does not mean support for him. Many of them have never seen Ojukwu before, but have heard so much about him. When they hear he is coming to Owerri, don't you think they would come out to see him? And again, when you talk of whether Ojukwu is not an influence, Ojukwu is somebody we all respect. I respect Ojukwu. I have nothing against him. I have something against those who brought Ojukwu out to run for presidency. I told Ojukwu that it was ill-conceived. Let us be honest. As Nigeria is presently constituted, Ojukwu cannot win the presidency. It is not possible.

Newswatch: Why?

Udenwa: We have six zones in Nigeria. He can only make an impact in the South-East. The other zones will not vote for him.

Newswatch: Why?

Udenwa: Well, we all know his past. I am not condemning him for his past. He sacrificed for all of us at a time. But we must be realistic to accept that no other part of this country will trust him to give him the presidency of the country. That is the fact. No matter how sentimental you want to be within Igboland. The other five parts won't vote for Ojukwu.

Newswatch: Would they vote for another Igbo man?

Udenwa: They could, if well-planned. They could. The only thing I have been telling Igbo, is that, the presidency of this country, we cannot approach with sentiment. When you tell them that we are not ready, they would almost stone you alive. You can never win the presidency with that, you can never. You cannot win it as if you are protesting. You form a protest group such as Igbo Party, nobody will vote for you. Nobody. The best chances for Igbo man to win the presidency is still within the PDP. I keep saying it. Unless anything happens dramatically tomorrow, but as at today, Igbo have no chance to win the presidency under any other political party except under the PDP.

Newswatch:Was that the underpinning tone in the lecture you delivered at Lagos last year?

Udenwa: Yes, I said so on Igbo presidency. I said Igbo still need to work hard to be able to win the presidency. They need to get united first, agree on our strategy, on whom we are presenting. And then, with that, approach other zones. We can't go it on our own, we must approach other zones. In my lecture I said it clearly, look at the South-South, people next to us. We have an outstanding problem with them. You can never, never brush it aside. You must cultivate friendship with them. We need their votes, we need their support before we go to other zones. You don't win the presidency, just by sentiment.

Newswatch: How do you start, because nobody can talk about Igbo leadership without reference to you and your colleagues now? How do we start?

Udenwa: Yes. We start by all of us coming together. I started one organisation known as South-East Caucus. It was aimed at galvanising South-East as a political family. But somewhere along the line, because of some people's political ambition, that very organisation didn't end up well. My own idea is for us to sit down, think about what is possible. Look at Nigeria and ask: Do you think today, it is possible for us to be president, or in the next four years?. Which one? We look at the parameters, we work it out and agree on what is possible, and then who are the people, we are going there with? Maybe, one or two persons. We try them. By the time we all get there, maybe we now decide on one person. We all rally round that one person and we would have sold that person to other zones. It's not something you can do on your own. The West, only, did not make Obasanjo president. No zone can make somebody president without consultation with other zones and discussion with other zones.

Newswatch: What you are saying is that, because of Ojukwu's peculiar background, he can never become president of this country.

Udenwa: I don't want to use the word he can never, I am not God. But given the present circumstances, the chances are almost near zero for him to become president. But tomorrow things can change.

Newswatch: A leader must have a vision. As a leader, if you are to prepare a blueprint on the Igbo president thing, how would it look like, in terms of timing?

Udenwa: Well, in terms of timing, you see we have lost, the last 2003 presidential election. It is already behind us. It is only for us now to meet and begin to talk.Will 2007 be possible? If 2007 is not possible, is 2011 possible.?We look at the timing. The only thing I pray that everybody does is to remove sentiment from the aspiration. Sentiment doesn't get you anywhere. Rather, careful planning and execution will get us somewhere. Not sentiment. If somebody says Igbo presidency is not possible now, you say stone him without asking him why. But the issue is, is it realistic? You people in the press also have a responsibility in that direction. I hear Igbo people in the media, most of the time, are breaking people's heads, for saying that, Igbo presidency is not realistic now. How many people do we go to the presidency with. How many? How many candidates did Igbo people present the other time? And what happened. Ojukwu came third. What type of third. A far third, one point something million votes as against Obasanjo's twenty something million votes. As against 14 million votes of Buhari. Can't you see the type of third. These will tell you that we are not yet prepared and the sooner we get prepared, the better for us.

Newswatch: The MASSOB leader accused your government, and in fact, you in particular, of organising the killing of their members last time. We want you to react to that.

Udenwa: I think something is basically wrong with Uwazuruike (MASSOB leader). There is no way I could be involved in anything that will kill our youths. I have never talked with the police on it before in my life. The only thing is that when such things happened in the past, I got to hear those francas had happened. I get to hear of it and I discuss it with the police and they tell me the circumstances. I am happy, he, Uwazurike said he was here twice on my invitation and luckily he came in with Ohaneze chairman and some of his executive members were here. I only told him the truth. I said look, you have agreed you are leading a militant group, but you could do your own with some sense. We have Odua People's Congress, OPC. We have the Arewa Youths , your own is Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, what do you want to achieve? The name itself makes it a treason. I told him that here. I said your own name made it treason. You are just sacrificing our youths. First of all, you are to discard that name, otherwise you don't expect me to come and support you. I swore to defend the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Do you expect me to come and support you to set up a Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra inside Nigeria? So you can see, when you talk to that chap, you find out, he is just a fraud. I tell you because he uses this issue of Biafra to collect money from our people abroad. He only calls out defenceless youths against the police. In some cases, they attempt to disarm the police. The last time that he went to disarm the police, the police confronted the man. Tell me, anybody, military or police, you will go to disarm and he will let you go. So, I think that the press has to tell him the truth. I have nothing against an ethnic militia that will defend the Igbo and probably add some militancy to Igbo needs. I am not against it, but you cannot tell me you are realistic by setting up a Movement of Actualisation of Biafra. You newsmen know the implications. That is why, any small thing he does, the police just descend on him and his group.

Newswatch: He claimed that, in private all Igbo political leaders including all governors support MASSOB.

Udenwa: I don't know of support.He cannot say that. On one hand, he was accusing me of conniving with the police and on the other hand of supporting him. I don't support him. I told him plainly. He was here. I have given you a name, go to the president-general of Ohaneze today, Justice Eze Ozobu. I told him to denounce the name first otherwise he cannot expect a support from me. I won't do that, unless I want to resign as governor. I swore to defend the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You cannot tell me to support an organisation whose aim is to undermine the unity and integrity of the country. That is what I told him here. He cannot tell me that everybody supports him. Support for what?

Newswatch: What is delaying the appointment of your commissioners?

Udenwa: Nothing.

Newswatch: Why have you not announced the appointments?

Udenwa: We are in the process. Very soon you will hear.

Newswatch: Is the pressure too much for you?

Udenwa: No! No!. The pressure is there. It doesn't mean we cannot make up our minds, we can never get it right, no matter the way you do it, at the end of the day, there will be one or two mistakes here and there, but we are trying to do the best we can.

Newswatch: What is your relationship with the club called Mbaise Stars?

Udenwa: Mbaise Stars, my relationship with them?

Newswatch: Yes! There is an organisation of some personalities, from Mbaise called Mbaise Stars. It is important we ask you this question, because a number of them whom people consider as 419 go about saying they are your friends. People are worried that a governor is hobnobbing with these men of questionable wealth.

Udenwa: Well, when you are in the position, where I am, those things don't mean anything to you again. A lot of people claim that they are my friends. A lot of people claim that they are my brother even when I am not from the same area with them. They still claim all those things. So I wouldn't be surprised, if anybody claims he is my friend. It depends on what you call your friend. But I know the organisation you are talking about now. They once invited me to one function in December 2001 at Mbaise. They must be the people you are talking about. There is no special relationship I have with them. Just like people inviting me to other organisations and then I attend the function.

Newswatch: Are you aware that most of them are doing shady businesses and make money out of 419?

Udenwa: I wouldn't know. I don't know, how you make your own money. I don't know.

Newswatch: Most of them are very rich men and are being associated with 419. If you go to their function, it looks as if you are endorsing them. They are claiming that you are their patron.

Udenwa: Definitely I know, I am not the patron of their club. I am not their patron. Though I am a patron of many organisations. I haven't heard them calling me to be their patron. You see, let me tell you, if you are a governor, you will be governor to the good, the bad and the ugly. All of them put together. You are their governor. It should not be strange if you see any of those organisations, whether they are good or they are bad, claiming that the governor is close to them. There is nothing bad in it. But I can assure you that those who know me, also know my friends. Those who are around me, cannot associate me with 419, because that is the area I hate most. I ever preach against 419. I say it all the time. Why should the society promote people you don't know the legitimacy of their wealth and income and yet the society promotes them? Even you the press, you are the worst offender. You sing their praises everyday. Why are you coming to ask me? If you go to the press you will hear, all the good names and beautiful write-ups, extolling the virtues of 419 people. You are the people we should ask first.

Newswatch: Some of them even claim that they contributed to your election.

Udenwa: Which kind of contribution?

Newswatch: Financially.

Udenwa: Is it financially or otherwise? The time I launched my campaign appeal fund, did we insist that, this person you can contribute or you cannot contribute? Many people contributed. I don't go to them to ask, what is your work. A lot of people contributed.

Newswatch: We are talking about specific contribution now, which they intend to trade for positions, especially in the autonomous communities.

Udenwa: What do you mean? I can't even understand. To start with, the issue of autonomous community was dealt with even before I ran for governorship. I don't see how these things tie up, or are you saying they gave me money to create autonomous community or gave me money to do what? For what?

Newswatch: So that some of them can be Ezes and traditional rulers.

Udenwa: Of course. There is a process to be followed to become an Eze. I don't go to any community to institute Eze. There is a process that you can follow to be Eze. Your people will present you. Your local council will present you. We would do a clearance from the security agencies, before you become an Eze. That is the procedure.

Newswatch: It is important that you are clarifying these issues because of what has happened in Lagwa. You know there is a crisis there right now. Specifically, it is on the Ezeship tussle and one of those involved said the autonomous community was created to compensate him for the support he gave to your government.

Udenwa: How many autonomous communities did I create. There are more than 200 communities. Why would I want to reward one person. There is nothing like that. Ezeship tussle is not new to us. I am sure, if you go round Imo now, there are about 50 Ezeship tussles. It's always there. There is nothing peculiar about the one in Lagwa. Unfortunately, we got a security report, that they are now killing themselves, which is an unfortunate, thing. There is a lot of arson and killing. As we heard, to me it doesn't have to be so. Who is an Eze? An Eze is somebody the community says, "Look after these things for me," so government is not in anyway connected with such a person. Provided you don't kill somebody or anything, disturb the peace, when people are struggling for their Ezeship, we don't normally intervene. It is just unfortunate that the one in Lagwa has gone beyond that. That is why we are looking for what we can do now. We are thinking whether to set up an enquiry, we are already talking to them. The security men are there now. So, it has nothing to do with government. It is a natural thing for the community to choose their Eze, so for somebody to claim that, we have made him an Eze, we can't make him an Eze. Now I am the governor, I can't go to Lagwa to say this person must be Eze. I can't do it. There is a process. I don't go to impose an Eze on any community. There is a process in which they would submit their Eze and send to us. The only thing I do, is to approve.

Newswatch: As at present, is it correct to say that the government has not taken a definite position on the crisis on Lagwa?

Udenwa: We have not taken any definite position. We want to find out the underlining facts. So, we have not taken any position.

Newswatch: What is the general state of security in Imo now. Is it better than before the elections?

Udenwa: Yes. I told people at the time that after the election, the security situation of the State would improve, some characters entered the electoral race in Imo State, and they were killing others. But things really have come down. I am not saying there is no crime in the state, but not the type of crimes we had during the electioneering campaign. So, right now, we are different. We have stabilised, security-wise.

Newswatch: It is heart-warming to hear what you said against 419 people, and all their activities. Is it not a matter of concern that several indigenes of Imo State are standing trial for 419 in the law court? Is it not a concern to the state government?

Udenwa: Well, as an individual, it pains. The state government has no hand in it. It cannot do anything about it. If anybody commits an offence, let him face the trial. So, I cannot even condemn somebody. I think the law tells us that you presume somebody innocent until he is convicted. I cannot say that as they are being tried, I declare them as criminals, I don't believe that. When you are tried and convicted as one, I know you are. We will know you are. As at now, as a government we cannot do anything about it. They are facing the court. If any of them is guilty, let him pay for it. If the person is not guilty, let him get discharged. I don't want innocent souls to suffer. This is our stand. We can't encourage it. If not because these men are from our state, there are many others from other states, in Nigeria. It is condemnable whether they are from our state or any other.

Newswatch: The problem is, some of them are causing problems for you in the state. Because they have made so much money, they are using their wealth and influence to get some positions. They are even saying that they have your support to get some of these positions.

Udenwa: I don't know these positions. But the people you are talking about, are they indigenes of my state.?

Newswatch: Yes, they are.

Udenwa: To be honest with you, I wouldn't know that they are 419 or not. If I know I cannot give them appointment in the state. Check all my cabinet whether there is any 419 in the cabinet. If there is any, tell me. You should give me enough proof that he is 419. If I get that, he goes. We never allow 419 in our cabinet. The issue is that, we can just say, this man is a 419. Nobody comes forward to say, this is how this man is 419. I know that security agencies will have such information, so we normally refer to them. If the security agent says you are not 419, we take it that you are not one.

Newswatch: We learnt that the first civilian governor of this state, Chief Sam Mbakwe is being neglected. He is sick. Some things were said about this neglect coming from your government.

Udenwa: I have not heard from the mouth of anybody that Chief Mbakwe is being neglected.

Newswatch: Alex, his son said that Chief Mbakwe is being neglected by Imo State Government.And that even to get his pension paid is a problem.

Udenwa: Is he a pensioner?

Newswatch: That is what he said.

Udenwa: I think people don't need to dramatise this. What happened is that there was nothing prepared for Chief Mbakwe, by the time I came into office. What I did was to get the House of Assembly to pass a pension bill for him. It was the bill which provided for his pension. Ask him, before I came in, what did he have. I saw the way he was going around. Some of my colleagues were complaining to me. So, I decided to get the House to pass a law making sure that every month he is paid something, substantial to sustain him. And, unfortunately, I think that the problem Chief Mbakwe has is from his children. They are telling you that he is not being taken care of. They are deceiving you. They are not telling you the truth. I even got him a car. Medically, I know how much I spent on him. How many times has Sam Mbakwe gone abroad? I know how much I paid. Locally here I know how much I paid. The government has paid for him. So, I will be shocked that his son is saying that he is neglected. What does he think? Ask him the extent to which the is taking care of his father. Are we not having a basic responsibility to our aged parent, if we are lucky to have an aged father. So ask him what he is doing to take care of his aged father. He had the guts to come and tell me, that his father is not being taken care of, by the government. I want you to go and enquire to and find out.

Newswatch: Since Mbakwe ruled a state that has been split into two now, is nothing expected from the other state government?

Udenwa: Well, I don't think it is Abia State's problem. If they want to, they can. But at least he is in our state. He is our indigene. Sam Mbakwe is being paid regularly like any other person. You can go and ask the House of Assembly. You can go and check the record. But I wouldn't know when he was paid and when he was not paid. It is possible that this time around that there is delay in monthly salary payment, maybe his own is also delayed. I will not be surprised if it happened. It will be very inhuman, a case of extreme ingratitude to say that this government is not taking care of Sam Mbakwe. Can you ask him how much was being paid for Sam Mbakwe's medical bills?

Newswatch: Is it true that your administration awarded contracts for the supply of fertiliser and rice to Alex Mbakwe?

Udenwa: I don't like doing things for people who are ingrates. I gave Alex a contract to supply rice. He did not import any rice. He only tried to buy from those who had imported. He had to ask for price increase. I granted him an increase. I didn't see the reason for granting that increase. He kept complaining. Again, the same thing happened with fertiliser. Go to the ministry and find out what I am saying. I want you to ask him, what happened with fertiliser and with the rice. From this government he got the contracts, to make some money in order to help the family.

Newswatch: There was this story across the state of inherited debts. And some states were even saying that it was affecting activities of government because of repayment terms.

Udenwa: Well, these were loans, that were borrowed between 1979 and 1983. In this country today, Abia is the highest in debts owed and we are the next. We were the first before and Abia second. For Abia State and Imo State, the borrowing was from the same source. Imagine what it could have been, if Imo State is still one. That is the situation on ground today. And, you can imagine what it means using about N200 million just repaying old debts. You are only paying interest and penalty. Can that money not develop Imo State? Unfortunately, the industries on which this money was borrowed we inherited them dead. Concorde Hotel, for example was completely down. I know how much I put into Concord. We are now trying to revive the shoe industry. The story is the same. You have just asked me of Resin and Paint. Resin and Paint is dead. Yet, the loan with which they built Resin and Paint is still on us, which we are paying. The same is with Clay Industry, Inyishi. The same thing with Cardboard Factory. I want people to be realistic. We are under. It will take time to come to the level, before even we start making progress. These are some of the things we had in the past. People are crying over what military regime did in their states. They should come to Imo State and find out what happened here. They will be shocked.

Newswatch: Why don't you privatise those companies?

Udenwa: Well, we want to privatise them.
We don't want to leave them and start pumping money into them. We are privatising them, in order to make them work efficiently.

Newswatch: Could you tell us more on the speculation that the Imo State University is to be moved to a permanent site in Orlu?

Udenwa: There is nothing like transferring Imo State University to a permanent site. You see people come with these rumours. What happened that gave rise to what you are saying now is that an organisation from Orlu came on a courtesy call and made a request that I should do the permanent site in Orlu. I told them the truth that, it's not possible, that I can't do it. I don't even have the money. I don't even think about it. It is right to ask. Various other communities also ask me for impossible things. And I tell them that, it is not possible. So there is nothing wrong in asking. Many communities come here to ask me that Owerri is congested with tertiary institutions and that I should bring one to their area. Everybody is free to ask. It is not a crime. But we can only do what is possible and fair.

Newswatch: Where the university is presently sited, is it a temporary place?

Udenwa: Yes, it is a temporary site, but we wonder, how temporary it will be. It has been temporary since 1991.

Newswatch: Where would you like posterity to say that you took Imo State to at the end of your tenure?

Udenwa: My biggest ambition within four years is first and formost to raise the economy. To me our problem is more economic than political or social. We need to raise the economy of this state. I would like to see a situation, where if you come to Imo State, you would be satisfied with the economy of the state. That the economy has grown. That is better employment. That our youths are not roaming the streets.
Again that production is booming, we are manufacturing goods. We have farm produces from our farms. We want to see buoyancy in our economy. We want to see an economy where we don't want to depend on Abuja to pay our salaries. That would be my biggest priority. And again, I would like to leave behind a peaceful state. A state that there is peace, because in the absence of peace, we cannot have any development. I will also like a state where I see people who now understand their civic responsibilities, what the society expects from them.

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The Laughing Governor Of Imo State
By
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye

Sometime ago, Sam Onunaka Mbakwe, the former civilian governor of Imo State was a guest at Tony Iredia’s now rested interview programme, POINT BLANK, on the network service of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). That Thursday evening, Mr. Iredia wanted to know from Mbakwe how he actually got the very popular tag with which he was known in those days, namely, “The Weeping Governor Of Imo State.” It was PUNCH, the ex-governor insisted, that invented the name and used it constantly until it gained currency! But was he really “weeping” as governor of Imo State? No, he never wept or did any such thing as to earn such a tag. Obviously, the former Imo State governor had forgotten his then famous mournful complaints against the Shehu Shagari-led Federal Government and his frequent tearful laments that “there was no federal presence in Imo State.” Well, no matter.

A couple of months after the Mbakwe interview, Tony Iredia also brought to POINT BLANK Achike Udenwa, the fellow presently encumbering the Government House, Owerri, as its governor. Before then, I never knew that Udenwa was such a jolly good fella. In fact, on this particular evening, the governor turned out to be a most entertaining personality. Each time, a question was thrown at him, Udenwa would first explode into a peal of loud, lengthy, ringing laughter before supplying the answers. Watching him laugh that evening, it was quite obvious that his viewers may have equally gone away with the impression that he was also not a very serious fellow. In fact, he became almost a huge embarrassment to those of us who are unlucky to find their villages within the state he says he governs. However, in his favour, one also got some impression that His Excellency would make an impressive comedian, and he seemed too eager to showcase his talent before NTA’s thirty million(?) viewers that evening. On this score, he was most successful because his laughter was indeed most remarkable. Each time the governor rang out the lengthy, hearty laughter, slanting his gradually bloating frame sideways to the rhythm of the mirth, my wife would exclaim: look at this man-o-o! Why does he laugh like that? And then she would also laugh. That’s the point: Udenwa’s laughter induces laughter. It does appear that in Udenwa’s calculations, if Mbakwe was a “weeping governor” of Imo State, then he had better make some difference by becoming the “laughing governor” of the same state. So if Mbakwe’s weeping could do some magic that the people still remembers with nostalgia, then his laughter may do much more.

Quite frankly, the Imo people would certainly wish for a return of Mbakwe’s tears than Udenwa’s loud laughter. In Udenwa’s case, they have seen a classic case of where laughter does not even foreshadow hope, development and healing, but instead assumes a harbinger of sorrows, pains and disappointment, due to Udenwa’s monumental failure in character and leadership, and unconscionable misrule, despite his huge laughter. The situation has become so bad that it now takes extra effort to overcome the embarrassment and discomfort of having to introduce oneself as an indigene of Imo State, simply because, we have been afflicted with a Governor who is quicker to use his mouth than his hands. Many of us were so embarrassed not too long ago when the press made heavy weather of Udenwa’s famous listing of the arrival of a single Mr. Biggs spot in Owerri as one of his “numerous achievements.”

Indeed, the people of Imo State were unanimous in their rejection of Udenwa, his ringing laughter, warts and all. At a time, during his first term, “non-performance” almost became his middle name, and he became a prominent metaphor for that everywhere. Although he put that down as the handiwork of his detractors and “Abuja Politicians”, even the Presidential Monitoring Team led by former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, which was a PDP propaganda machinery, refused to close its eyes to Udenwa’s crying failure, and went ahead to score him lowest in performance and ability. Udenwa cried blue murder. But it was clear to him that he would surely be voted out in any fair electoral contest where the will of the people would be allowed free expression. Before long, the name he gave himself: “Onwa ndi Imo” ( the moon for Imo people...to see with) was changed by the people to “Onwu ndi Imo ” (death for Imo people). And so, in desperation, he grabbed with his two hands PDP’s special “nomination-securing ticket” for discredited politicians which was to become General Olusegun Obasanjo’s chief “oriki” singer in Imo State. With his now exasperating laughter in the midst of abounding decay and pain, Udenwa sang the General’s praises in the streets and market places to the disgust and resentment of Imo people. Considering the evident grave contempt and established biting dislike which the General has for the people governed by Udenwa, the sinking governor was further estranged and resented throughout the length and breadth of the state. But his grand show of shame impressed Aso Rock enough to dump the naïve “Abuja Politicians” and endorse him for the PDP ticket.

After INEC announced that Udenwa has been re-elected, I visited some communities in Imo State, and everywhere I went, I was told that it was the APGA candidate that they all voted for, not Udenwa. I did not meet a single fellow who told me he voted for Udenwa. Well, Udenwa has “won” and has resumed his unproductive governance and ringing laughter, but let’s wait: We know how PDP wins its elections. Today, we are talking of Chris Ngige of Anambra State. Hopefully, tomorrow, we are may hear Udenwa’s story!

Imo people did not reject Udenwa without solid reasons. The roads in Imo State are the worst anywhere on earth, both the ones owned by the Federal Government headed by the man Udenwa campaigned for, and the ones owned by the state. Now, go to Owerri through Port Harcourt Airport, and you will come face to face with a deliberate policy to make a people continue to have the clear feeling of conquered people. From the Airport junction, a real road leads to Port Harcourt, while a death-trap leads to Udenwa’s Owerri. This model is replicated at all entrances to the South East. Even Udenwa’s roads are so horrible. All you see everywhere are large signposts proclaiming: “This road is being constructed by the PDP government of Achike Udenwa”. Road? Where is the road? for instance, check out the “road” to the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), or the one to Orlu via Umuaka -- the very “road” through which Udenwa goes to his village! Others are much worse. Udenwa once said that he was performing below expectation because Imo State has a large population of civil servants, and that nearly seventy percent of the monthly allocation are used to pay salaries. Well, until he clears the arrears of salaries of not less than four months owed to workers in the hapless state, he should find another tale to spin. Major communities in Imo State have no telephone facilities, no pipe-borne water, no light, no accessible roads. What is Udenwa doing about these? Has he discussed them with the man he campaigned for in Aso Rock? The mounting dirt in Owerri is turning into huge pyramids. Yet, the bazaar and overt profligacy that thrive in Udenwa's Owerri have become is so sickening. Udenwa's endless and unpatriotic oversea trips have become immensely scandalous. The Governor carries frivolity on his forehead as a trade-mark. Imo State looks like a tattered, long forgotten beard. In short, Udenwa should spare us his noisy laughter because there is nothing in Imo State that justifies his boundless mirth.

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