Exit Of An Icon: A Tribute To Chief Ezeogo Uma Nchege Nwoke

By Nwachukwu C. Okafor

                           

The recent motion moved by the lawmaker representing Ideato Federal Constituency, to create a new state called ‘Orlu State’ by carving out some economically viable parts of Anambra state (including Umunze my home town and other parts of Anambra South) and cobbling them with some townships in Imo State, is the most insidious and mischievous machination ever concocted by the current breed of visionless politicians that are bestriding the Nigerian political arena today.

It is obvious that the fear of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and the unbridled ambition of Hon. Michael Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu a first-time lawmaker to become a senator in his idealistic “Ideato Senatorial zone” has driven him to begin to think up the absurd and to use his office as a lawmaker to bring his infantile delusions to life. Nevertheless, such will never happen.

Nigerians will recall how this Hon. Ikeagwuonu convened a phantom conference of all political parties and used the platform to promote his personal ambition and to become a lawmaker. This same inordinate ambition was what led to his fight against Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State who incidentally is from the same Orlu zone as the lawmaker.

Hon. Ikeagwuonu has sought to deceive the uninformed about his motives.  According to him, the creation of the new state will lead to “economic empowerment and socio-political progress” in the region. However, we all know that this is far from the truth. Orlu zone has remained under developed, not because of lack of prominence, but because of the quality of leaders who have sought to lead the area for many years.

Imo State has 27 local government areas. Out of the 27 local government areas, 12 are in Orlu. They are as follows: Ideato North and South, Isu, Njaba, Nwangele,  Nkwere, Oguta, Ohaji/Egbema, Orlu, Orsu, Oru East and West. Can Hon. Ikeagwuonu tell Nigerians, how they past leaders of Orlu zone contrived to create the biggest senatorial zone in Imo state, which they have continually used to marginalize and rule Ndi-Imo for long with nothing to show for it.

Creating a new state will not help Orlu people. What will help them is to; learn how to live with their neighbors in Okigwe and Owerri zones. 

The only time Imo State has experienced sustained progress was in the days of Governor Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe of Okigwe zone. After the return to civilian rule, Orlu zone has ruled Imo State more than any other zone, yet the zone has remained undeveloped.

The Former Premier of East Central Region, Sir Michael Okpara after observing Orlu people during one of his campaign stops in the early days of Nigerian development, coined a song about Orlu people. He sang that, “Obodo nile  emepechalla ofo ndi Okigwe na Orlu, ndi na achi ha amaghi akwuko”. Literarily he was saying, “That all other cities have seen development except the zone and it is because their leaders were uneducated”. Hon. Ikeagwuonu should find out what led the man who built the fastest economy in the world then, to coin such a song against the zone. Their underdevelopment was not because of lack of prominence of the zone but because of lack of visionary leaders.

The point has to be made now, that Nigerians and the people of Eastern Nigeria are no longer in the mood for state creation. What Nigerians desire today is a restructured Nigeria that unleashes the economic potentials of the federating units? Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is aware of this new reality and has expressed that knowledge with the Executive Bill sent to the National Assembly in an attempt to restructure Nigeria. Hon. Ikeagwuonu and his co-travelers should work on the President’s Bill and use it as a platform to create regional governments out of Nigeria as against the now boring and serial agitations for state creation.

However, if Orlu people want a new state, they should go at it after all they have enough local governments in the zone to make a state. They need not add any town or local governments in Anambra State to make up their State, more so when none of the added towns was ever consulted before being cobbled into a phantom Orlu State.

We are aware that Orlu as it stands is not viable like many other states in Nigeria and that is why the lawmaker has sought to incorporate some progressive sides of Anambah State to justify his evil machinations. That is very objectionable and cannot stand.

Nigerians are aware that most existing states are not viable. The current shameful situation where State Governors cannot pay N60, 000.00 as Minimum wage, begs the question where will the government secure funds to create and fund new states, particularly Hon. Ikeagwuonu’s romanticized Orlu State?

Fortunately, creating a new state cannot happen on the pronouncement of Hon.  Ikeagwuonu and his co-travelers. We have a constitution, which provides that there can be no state creation without constitutional amendment. Section 9 of the 1999 constitution as amended makes copious provisions on the processes for amendment.  The constitution states that the National Assembly can only pass an Act to amend the Constitution, when its proposal is supported by two-thirds majority of all members of each chamber, which means a concurrence of 72 senators and 240 house members, and further approved by a resolution of at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly that is 24 States. 

The public should be made aware that what happened on the floor of the national assembly was a first step in a very long process. The second stage will be the second reading followed by Referral, and Public Hearing. After the Public Hearing, there will be a third reading and passage. After passage, the bill will go for harmonization between the Senate and House of Representatives as needed. The journey of the bill continues to the State houses of Assembly and if it succeeds, it is returns to the House for adoption of report from the state houses of Assembly. It will then proceed to the President’s table where it will be signed into law of which he/she reserves the right to either ascent or refuse ascent.

Thus, those who are jubilating about the creation of the fathom Orlu State should wake up and realize that as usual, politicians are using this as another trick to divert attention from their monumental failures. 

We say no to an Orlu State with Umunze or any other town in Anambra as part of it.

Nwachukwu C. Okafor a Lawyer and Policy Analyst writes from Apex NC and can  be reached via [email protected]