President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria (left) and Imo State Governor, Mr Hope Uzodimma
By Okafor Elekwachi
By this time, Governor Hope Uzodimma’s political hallelujah boys are busy thinking of how to explain Mr. President’s carefully selected last words in Imo after the show of shame tagged project commissioning. In closing his empty few minutes remark, Buhari said, and I quote; “The Governor of Imo State I cannot thank you enough, however I will be careful with your future invitations.”
The above clearly is a statement of dissatisfaction and disappointment, from a man who wanted to reprove his host and at the same time appreciate him for the opportunity to once again hear the sound of Sai Baba from a rented hungry crowd. Why was Buhari disappointed?
Presidents are known to visit states to commission signature/legacy projects. Over the last administrations, we saw President’s commission projects like airports, industries, major dual carriage federal roads, power plants, etc. Governors use such projects to show the President they are working, and the President is proud to identify with such projects as part of their vision in the center, especially when they are of same political party with the Governor.
But few days ago, a desperate Governor who would do anything to impress his paymasters in Abuja, including backing down from the recently agreed open grazing ban by Southern Governors, invited a sitting President, who is supposed to be busy addressing the prevalent insecurity in the country, to commission gutters and uncompleted single carriage internal road projects. What a shame!
All we hear from sycophantic supporters are empty praises like ‘Omwa na eti egwu’ Onwa onye guy’ ‘Onwa uwa nile.’ Highly pathetic.
But who do we blame for this national disgrace; a desperate Governor, or a President who is not in touch with reality, surrounded by incompetent wolves and sycophants who would do anything to portray their lifeless boss as the pseudo hero of ndi igbo with a victory parade on the graves of innocent youths of the South East massacred by the administration for seeking to leave a country where they are not wanted after all? I certainly blame the latter!
If the President and his handlers were not desperate for the Owerri show of shame, they would have known that the SOP is to send an advance team to Owerri ahead of the visit, to survey the projects for which the commander in chief has been invited to inaugurate, to see if such projects are worthy of his high-level participation. I mean even a Governor whose senses are intact, in this 21st century cannot be talking about commissioning gutters. But once again, we saw the result of incompetence from an administration that has broken every record in the negative.
So dear Mr President, next time Governor Hope Uzodimma sends an invite for project commissioning, please send your foot soldiers to Owerri to see first-hand before embarking on the journey. This is because you may be called upon soonest to commission public toilets and motor parks since you are obviously the Governor’s lifeline in office. This is leadership 101. As a matter of fact, if you are truly in charge of your government, someone should have lost his job by now for not doing due diligence, and for dragging an exalted office of the President into the Owerri show of shame.
But don’t worry Mr President, you are not paying for my advice. I’m just a concerned citizens….. here to remind you that the seed you planted in the Douglas House Owerri is bearing the expected fruit. Welcome to our experience Mr. President, to an Imo where hope is indeed hopeless! Iwe na ewem.
