The 2014 Yam Festival, more precisely the Iriji Mbaise New Yam Festival, turned into a political rally with the governor Rochas Okorocha and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, throwing barbs at each other.
Sources say the Deputy Speaker, who is a ‘son of the soil’ and represents the Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala federal constituency fired the first salvo when in welcoming the governor, he asked what the governor had brought to the state in the name of development.
Referring to a “lack of state government presence in Mbaise,” Ihedioha said, “the major projects in Mbaise are those executed by the federal government. In the few areas credited to the state government, we only see projects that are very poorly executed.
“It is evident that the governor has run out of ideas, so as a matter of expediency, it is expected that he would hand over the reins in 2015 so we can help out.”
Responding, an angry Okorocha said:
“The green cap (referring to Ihedioha’s trademark cap) will not make anybody governor of Imo State and as a matter of fact, there is nobody in the Imo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is his match in an electoral contest. My three years in office is more productive than the 12 years spent in the state by the PDP. Imo people have rejected PDP because PDP is worse than the Ebola virus.”
Sources say the governor’s microphone was switched off (on purpose) several times while he spoke, and the people of Mbaise jeered at him severally too.
Governor Okorocha left shortly after, for another assignment according to his supporters, or to avoid further questioning by supporters of the Deputy Speaker.
President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Professor Viola Onwuliri, at the event, spoke to journalists afterwards condemning the conduct of the governor who she said just came to cause confusion.
She said: “Since Okorocha assumed office in 2011, he has never attended the Iriji Mbaise until this one that precedes the election year. This is not the ground for venting personal animosities. He even left before the actual ceremony began. He just brought trouble to the event and this is an embarrassment to the state and its people. I am positive that by 2015, we will all have a chance to redress this anomaly.”
And, the office of the Deputy Speaker, in response to a directive from the office of Governor to apologise for the embarrassment, have said the governor must apologise to the people of Mbaise for defiling their custom and tradition.
A statement signed by Chibuike Onyeukwu on behalf of Ihedioha said, “The deputy speaker and other Mbaise leaders believed that it was the governor who actually owes the Mbaise people an apology for disrupting the event after coming late in his characteristic manner and defiling the treasured cultural values and tradition of Iri Iji Mbaise,”
“It is on record (and for the avoidance of doubt, the tape of the event can be cross checked by members of the public) that the deputy speaker did not only welcome Okorocha to the event but also enjoined him to accept the kolanut offered to him as chief guest of honour.
“This was in spite of suspicion of an ulterior motive by the Mbaise people on the part of the governor who had found it convenient to ignore several invitations to attend ‘Iri Iji’ Mbaise in the past three years suddenly decided to attend this year’s edition for obviously sinister political reasons. The Mbaise people and friends of the nation present at the event easily saw through this facade and pretence.”
The statement ended with: “The governor holds him (Ihedioha) in trepidation and is at a loss as to how to address his growing popularity and acceptance among the Imo people vis-a-vis his (Okorocha’s) fast declining rating among the people.”
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