By Kenneth Uwadi | Imo State, Nigeria | March 2, 2023 – One thing that cannot be taken away from Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s  music is its consistent defense of both the political and economic interest and aspiration of the working people. Fela`s songs lampooned the level of corruption and looting in public sectors. He lampooned killings and destruction. He lampooned various anti-poor neo-liberal capitalist policies of the thieving government at that time. In Confusion-Break-Bone (CBB), one of the mid-1980s hit series that also included the Beast-of-No-Nation (BONN) it became necessary for Fela to reply critiques who felt that his lyrics were over-laced with doomsday chants.“If something good I go sing about am”. Like Fela, we will continue to talk.

The  reason Ndi-Imo called for change in 2019 was because everyone knew things were bad and that something urgently needed to be done to fix the state.Today, Uzodinma is in power and is doing well. Uzodinma’s emergence as governor delivered Ndi-Imo from  the failed philosophies of the Rochas Okorocha’s administration. The Governor also delivered Imo from the ruinous anti-poor, anti- people, pro rich  economic policies of the Emeka Ihedioha’s capitalist thieving government. In fact if Fela Kuti was alive when Emeka Ihedioha was in Power, he would have been calling him ‘Thief, thief! Rogue, rogue! Robber, robber!You would have heard Fela branding the Mbutu born politician ” International thief thief, I.T.T! International rogue” The entire money stolen by Ihedioha alone in his 8 months administration is enough to begin to rebuild failed infrastructures in his Owerri  constituency.

The Ihedioha’s administration lasted for only 8 months before he was removed. He was removed in 2020 but till date his  leprous hands  are  still agonizing in pain over his disgruntled and torn coat administration that was kicked out of office by the Supreme Court. He has been behaving like the morally bankrupt and shameless character he is. He seems not to know that it is the Lord that giveth power and it is the Lord that taketh. He has been crying over an election he never won.

Will everyone in imo  die over Ihedioha’s phantom governorship ambition? We recall  all his  unkind statements . His deputy, Gerald Irona boasted that they will  “make  Imo ungovernable” for the Apc. Emeka Ihedioha  himself has on so many occasions opined that he must be the governor of Imo State, one of which was a verbal attack on the governor of Kano state his Excellency Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at a function for not recognizing him as the governor of Imo state. Same Emeka Ihedioha, has been caught on tape saying there will not be peace in the state till his successor, Hope Uzodinma, leaves the Government House. “They can leave the government house now, what I’m telling them is that they should leave the government house for peace to reign in the society cause they won’t succeed in doing anything so long that I’m here,”  he said.

Since Ihedioha  was removed from office, true to his threats,  there have been senseless killings and burning of government and innocent people’s properties and houses in the state , there have been attacks on security operatives and government properties. Ahmed Gulak, a former aide of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was killed in one of the attacks. Dr Ikedi Ohakim escaped death a few days ago. We all know of one Army deserter Lance Corporal Nwagwu Chinwendu also called Onye Army from Aboh Mbaise who was arrested by security men for the killing of Ahmed Gulak. The Onye Army  has made some confessions including naming a certain “Ihedioha’ as one of their sponsors. We all know that since the inception of the attacks in Imo communities, not one Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, member have been attacked, none of their houses have been burnt or attacked.

For a phantom governorship ambition a certain Ihedioha  as alleged by the Onye Army is sponsoring criminals  to  unleash hell on the  people. The blood of those who were brutally killed will surely  cry . Is a phantom governorship ambition good enough for  innocent people to die? So if  he becomes governor tomorrow we all will be arrested or killed. Those who kill by the sword will also die by the sword. Killers will not rule Imo. Imo can never be handed over to killers and murderers. No matter how powerful you think you are, the law will surely catch up with you.

 I still remember the day the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) in The Hague convicted Charles Taylor, a former president of Liberia, with aiding and abetting 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity – including murder, rape, sexual slavery and use of child soldiers – committed during Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war. The term “blood diamond” very literally refers to the blood that was spilled in Sierra Leone for the diamonds that adorned countless necklines, earlobes and fingers. As president of neighboring Liberia from 1997 until 2003, Charles Taylor acted as chief, father and godfather to rebel forces in Sierra Leone. He created, supported, armed and controlled the RUF in return for diamonds. Where is Taylor  today? On 15 October 2013, Taylor was transferred to British custody, and began serving his sentence at HM Prison Frankland in County Durham, England. Like Charles Taylor,  one day the law will catch up with Ihedioha. May he never happen to Imo State. Imo is in the hands of God.

-Kenneth Uwadi lives in Mmahu-Egbema, Imo State, Nigeria

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