What Does Uba Want From Ohakim?
A good lawyer, they say, speaks even from the grave. There are two un-sitting governors I followed their governance with keen interest in the just past dispensation. And, up till today, I have not thrown my love for them to the dogs. They are Dr. Chris Ngige of Anambra State and Engineer Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State. The reason why I followed and love them is because of the external intimidations they were able to surmount, by upholding the rule of law.
In this dispensation of Umar Musa Yar’Adua-led government, a Maximus Uba has dragged my attention to Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State with his myriad of dragonish write-ups. Uba has labeled Ohakim a lot of names; even he has convicted Ohakim without the consent of the court. Uba’s seditious write-ups are capable of casting aspersions to the minds of those who may be in mutual relationship with the governor to begin to doubt if it were the amiable Ikedi Ohakim they knew. What Uba has not called Ohakim yet is, bastard. What else! He has cast venoms, vituperations and vilifications on Ohakim. But, Imo political watchers presume where Uba may be dragging to – “Ghana-Must-Go” or employment. If not these, what does Uba want from Ohakim?
Far from writing Ohakim’s biography, but for the benefit of those who may not be familiar with Ohakim, he is down to earth. A native of Okohia-Osuh-Owerre in Isiala L.G.A of Imo State, Ohakim has served as a Commissioner under the late Governor Evan Enwerem.
During his tenure as a Commissioner, Ohakim affected the lives of Imo sons and daughters in no little ways. As if he was the Commissioner for Education (but he was not), Ohakim promoted education in the State to the high heavens, of which Osuh-Technical Collage, popularly called Osuh-Trade, nearly became a Higher Institution.
In Lagos State where Ohakim was living before he was voted governor, the story has not changed that Ohakim still remains humble, humane, humanistic, affable, adorable, and kind. So, why is Uba sending such bombastic unguarded missile of words on the person of Ohakim as if Ohakim is weakling?
Uba should go enquire how many Imo sons and daughters Ohakim has helped, trained in the university when he was not governor. Ohakim was a name any member of Osuh-Owerre meeting, sons and daughters would ask of anytime schedule didn’t allow him to attend their meeting because of his immeasurable stand before his clanspeople. Charity begins at home, they say. So, I would not know what else Uba wants from Ohakim.
Because of the endowed leadership role in Ohakim, Imo people voted him as their governor, which started right from his hometown of Umunnuma-Okohia. Ohakim didn’t grouse in a do-or-die manner to be governor, because God knew that he was upto becoming one.
The people rejoices when the righteous ascend throne! But it seemed that Uba is the only person not rejoicing because of reasons he has cooked in the pages of newspapers, which are all lies. If for nothing, now, Uba is supposed to be happy with the NEW FACE OF IMO.
While Ohakim was busy gathering Imolites together through employment, enjoining Ndi-Igbo together to building their land, agitating on how roads in Nigeria, especially in Ala-Igbo could be re-constructed in good shape, what Uba has achieved so far in earnest, in this dispensation, is to graduate as a liar, by painting Ohakim’s image ugly, with his fable pen. But that won’t pay him well, because any justice that was gotten on the ground of falsehood, will never stand!
Recently, in an article published in our dailies written by Ethelbert Okere, Executive Assistant to Governor Ikedi Ohakim entitled “Hack Writers and Ikedi Ohakim”, Okere brought to public notice a text (of threat to life) ‘Terrorist’ Maximus Uba sent him. The text reads: “I am sorry for you”. Whatever Uba might mean by that, we were meant to understand by the erudite journalist, Okere, that he took Uba as his friend, but is surprise now, if his friend (Uba) is becoming mentally sub-normal. I suggest he should be a guest to a psychiatrist.
‘Terrorist’ Uba did not end there, he has been tinkering and bickering any person that is now close to Ohakim. For example, in one of his (in) famous articles, he narrated how Mr. Steve Osuji (The Editor), Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ohakim asked him to work for the Imo guber aspirant, Emeka Nwajiuba, instead of Ohakim when he visited Osuji at Osuji’s NewAge newspapers office in Lagos. What a seditious article!
Those that knew Osuji in NewAge, the therapeutic writer Thursdays would not have the doubt that Uba is frustrated, because Osuji was intelligent and brilliant. Uba being dogmatic and egocentric insulted our collective sensitivities by writing that ‘sham’ article that Osuji even called Ohakim 419 during the time of his unpalatable visit to Osuji’s office. Uba wants to join heads together, but shame to the devil!
Uba may not only be a hack writer, but a calumnist, a political demagogue. Having said that Ohakim loved him more than Ohakim’s younger brother, which made him a “Siamese twin” of Ohakim. His actions so far towards his “Siamese twin” is un-called for and simply terrorism. His intellectual gamut, from what he has written so far, is an exhibition of complex and lacked integrity. His write-ups are readily intelligible to any reader that he is just a clown that signs his write-ups as a journalist.
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, the word terrorism means the use of violent action in order to achieve political aims or to force a government to act: an act of terrorism. And the way Uba is going, many Nigerians are saying, Uba, I sorry for you!
I know that Uba cannot compel the amiable Ohakim to arrest him with his “gossip and lying” articles, as that would amount to making him (Uba) popular. Uba should be bold to tell Imolites if there is any needle of his Ohakim had picked that he wants back. Did he sponsor Ohakim’s electioneering campaign? (Which I know for sure that Ohakim would not have agreed).
What is the matter with Uba? What does Uba want from Ohakim? If the ‘U’ in Uba were ‘O’, I would have thought that he has a date with Obasanjo, because he is making more enemies than friends. This act is not good.
Odimegwu Onwumere,
writes from Oyigbo, Rivers State, Nigeria.
