It was James Freeman Clark who made the famous statement, “The difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician thinks about the next election, while the statesman thinks about the next generation”.
Considering the above to be true, it, therefore, means that politicians are self-centered leaders, while statesmen are political leaders who are only interested in the welfare of the masses. Politicians only think and plan on how to scheme themselves into power, while statesmen only think and plan on how to make their socio-political and economic environment better than they met it. They think of what legacy to leave in the hearts of the people.
As 2019 governorship election in Imo State draws closer, perpetual politicians have already indicated their interest in the prized seat, even when the race is yet to be declared open by the constituted authority (INEC).
Rather than applying subtle campaign strategies to win the hearts of the electorate, these politicians have been busy heating the polity with unnecessary tensions, drums of confusion, of distractions and of manipulations; all in desperate attempt to stampede, hoodwink and cajole the people of Imo State and thus incite them against a particular zone – Orlu. In the last few weeks, there has been coordinated attack on Orlu zone, with focus on 2019 Imo governorship election.
More specifically, there has been constant attack on the Chief of Staff to the Imo governor, Hon. Uche Nwosu, who incidentally is from Orlu zone. Few days ago, my attention was drawn to an open letter to Governor Rochas Okorocha written by a known citizen of Imo State. The center point of his letter to Governor Okorocha was on Imo governorship seat in 2019 and the interest of Orlu zone.
This citizen has the right to make public his personal views on any political issue affecting the state and indeed the country. Nevertheless, such views should not be used to incite the Imo public against anybody or any zone. This is because the aggregate viewpoints of the masses on any issue matter more than an individual opinion.
In the said letter, the citizen raised the following issues: That majority of Ndi Orlu zone are not interested and do not want an indigene of Orlu zone to contest the 2019 gubernatorial election for 2019; secondly, that out of 20 years of the present democracy, Orlu zone has taken 16 years and that, therefore, it will be morally wrong for anybody from the zone to take a shot at the next governorship election. Thirdly, that Governor Okorocha has it in the closet of his mind to want his son-in law, Uche Nwosu to succeed him; fourthly, that Owerri zone should be allowed to produce the next governor, after which Okigwe zone should take its turn. Lastly, he claimed that Governor Okorocha intends to stop aspirants above the age of 50 years from contesting the 2019 governorship seat. The above five points are the major issues, among others, the commentator raised in his open letter to Governor Okorocha.
Ordinarily, I would not have reacted to this open letter, but I am doing so because, as a major stakeholder in the state, as one who means well for Imo, and as one who will never allow, “street gossip” to be taken as true position of things in the state, I have an obligation to step out once again to state the true facts as follows: That all the three zones of the state had always fielded candidates for governorship seat since the beginning of this present democracy.
Dr Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha writes from Owerri.