By Harry Awurumibe
The cheering news of the landmark endorsement of Dr. Ikedi Ohakim and his Running mate, Lady Ann Dozie of the Accord Party by the Imo State Elders Advisory Council is a step in the right direction. The Council led by a respected Imo State leader, Chief Raph Obioha had after a careful perusal of the manifestos and campaign documents submitted to it by the gubernatorial candidates of political parties for the March 9 Imo State Governorship election endorsed Ohakim as the most credible candidate out of the lot to salvage the state from bad governance of the out-going government of Rochas Okorocha.
The Wise men said they based their choice of Ohakim of the Accord Party on the genuineness of his campaign promises among which include the immediate return of the Local Council Government System which has been in camatose since Okorocha sacked the elected LGA Chairmen and Councillors since 2011and has pocketed all the huge allocations that accrued to the LGAs to develop their towns and villages.
They believe that the former Governor of Imo State will also pursue the implementation of policies which will benefit all Imolites unlike other aspirants who may not have the capacity to make good their promises.
Above all, the Imo Elders may have opted for Ohakim of Accord Party to revitalize the time- tested Imo Charter of Equity which has been in existence before Okorocha and some political jobbers threw spanner to the wheels of Imo progress in 2011.
By taking this bold step to endorse Ohakim, members of Imo State Elders Advisory Council have decided to be remembered kindly by posterity and they have spoken loudly through this public statement to Imo State electorates to cast their votes to His Excellency Dr. Ikedi Ohakim and Lady Ann Dozie of Accord Party on Saturday, March 9, 2019.
This wise decision by Imo Elders Advisory Council to endorse Ohakim is coming at a very auspicious time for genuine Imo citizens from all works of life to support the Elders line of thoughts and throw their weights behind Ohakim from Okigwe Zone to finish his Four Years and to hand over power to Owerri Zone to start another 8 Years Two Terms for each zone.
Aside Ohakim, any candidate that emerges on March 9 Imo Guber will certainly crave for 8 Years. Any other aspirant outside Ohakim who has “secretly” promised any zone that he will do “only” one term and handover is telling a “White Lie”. On Imo Charter of Equity We Stand.
It will bring back harmonious coexistence, rural development and general wellbeing of Ndi Imo just as Charter of Equity has worked in the neighbouring states of Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Delta and Abia.
Harry Awurumibe, is a public affairs commentator
