By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
The purported “Imo Charter of Equity”, an unwritten agreement recently entered into by a group called Imo Elders Council to engender equitable sharing of political offices like Governor, Deputy Governor and Speaker of House of Assembly among the three Senatorial zones in the state and which has endorsed the incumbent governor Hope Odidika Uzodinma for second tenure has been criticised.
The opposition to such new political arrangement is coming from Barrister Ihejirika Acho Ihejirika, Spokesman for Senator Anthan Nneji Achonu, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the November 11, Imo governorship election, who is arguing that one particular zone should not be producing the governor of the state to the detriment of two other zones.
Speaking on Channels Television breakfast programme Sunrise Daily monitored in Abuja on Monday, Ihejirika insists that if truly the Imo Elders Council are sincere about the said “Imo Charter of Equity” which was first introduced in 1999 to ensure that the three Senatorial zones take turns to produce the governor of the state, they should have recommended that the rotation starts from Okigwe zone.
Said he: “Imo Charter of Equity” which is been proposed is not new. In fact, it started in 1999 when who is who in Imo state were in PDP and they agreed that to ensure equity and justice, the three Senatorial zones of Orlu, Okigwe and Owerri should take turns to produce the governor of the state.
“Based on this gentleman’s agreement, Chief Achike Udenwa from Orlu zone was supported by Okigwe and Owerri zones to win election in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003 for second term which ended in 2007 when Chief Ikedi Ohakim from Okigwe zone was elected as the second governor under the arrangement.
“But Orlu zone with active connivance of Owerri zone truncated the “Imo Charter of Equity” in 2011 when the political gladiators in Orlu and Owerri zones led Rochas Okorocha destroyed the “Imo Charter of Equity” by truncating Gov. Ohakim’s second term bid and returned the governorship seat of Imo state to Orlu zone”.
Speaking further, Ihejirika blamed the political hawks who worked with Okorocha whom he said did eight years after ousting Ohakim, to make it 16 years for Orlu zone to be in power just as Owerri zone’s turn through Chief Emeka Ihedioha was cut short after the Supreme Court ruling brought Hope Uzodinma who is completing his four years to make it 20 years for Orlu zone to rule Imo state.
“So how can anyone be talking of Orlu zone producing another governor in 2023 to make it 24 years for Orlu zone while Okigwe and Owerri zones have done four years and two and half years respectively. It’s not only wrong, it’s can’t work as every zone has ably qualified persons to govern our state”.
The legal practitioner therefore argued that it can only be fair and just if the recent “Imo Charter of Equity” signed by the Imo Elders Council should start with Okigwe zone which is yet to complete the mandatory eight years on the seat.
He also described the reintroduction of the “Imo Charter of Equity” ahead of the November 11 Imo Governorship election as politically motivated and an exercise meant to serve self interest of the
personalities who endorsed the second term bid of Uzodinma.
Ihejirika lamented the fact that Orlu zone with its numerical strength of having 12 Local Government Areas has been flexing its muscles against the Okigwe and Owerri zones with 9 and 6 LGAs respectively in the distribution of political positions in the state, adding that Okigwe zone is the most marginalised in terms of distribution of social amenities and political positions.
He promised that LP candidate, Senator Achonu is determined to use his vast knowledge in the corporate world to make Imo state great again.
Imo Elders Council had in the communique signed by His Royal Highness, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, the Chairman and Rt. Hon. Maxwell Duru, the Secretary, the Council last week in Owerri, capital of Imo state endorsed Uzodinma’s second term bid after it met to approve the report of an Ad hoc Committee head by Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, Chairman/ Presidential candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) which recommended the reintroduction of “Imo Charter of Equity”.
Interestingly, both HRH Ilomuanya and Nwanyanwu as well as many others supporting the initiative are from Orlu zone with Gov. Uzodinma.
