CHIEF WILLIE AMADI'S OPEN LETTER TO GOV. HOPE UZODIMMA: AN OMINIOUS SIGN THAT ALL IS NOT WELL!

+ Njoku MacDonald Obinna

Owerri, Imo State.

History is replete with examples of men of great courage, who in their time, changed the narrative. Their steadfastness, consistency and frank commitment to a cause or struggle was quiet remarkable. They were neither intimidated by the fear of political incarceration nor threatened by the possibility of being killed in the course of discharging their social responsibility, or the public trust bestowed upon them. No wonder, posterity counted them worthy as heroes of substance - for their fearlessness and courage.

Chief Barr. Willie Amadi , a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International , pioneer General Manager, Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO), former Federal Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission, Imo State, politician and thought leader. Currently, the Chief Technical Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Environment, needs little or no introduction in the political leadership discuss of Imo State.

His first known political outing as pioneer Chairman of Imo ENTRANCO brought him to limelight having distinguished himself and discharged his official duties creditbly well with such unmatchable courage, uncommon candour, and unparalleled result- driven disposition in his avowed efforts to sensitize Imo people about the 'Clean ☘️ and�☘️ Green Environmental Policy of the Ikedi Ohakim Administration'; putting Imo State on the map of global recognition as the cleanest and safest state in Nigeria. The record, arguably, is yet to be broken by successive governments in Imo State.

I am of the candid opinion that, to such a once cerebral, performer and reformer, the least he could get from any responsive government is recognition and being carried along as a critical stakeholder in the state. Because Nda Willie (Ukwa Achiaka) is not a pushover; not a man anyone could bottle up without a fight.

As I carefully read through Chief Barr. Willie Amadi's open letter to His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodimma, on Friday, January 14th, 2022, titled: " My Advice To Distinguished Sen. Hope Uzodimma On His Second Year Anniversary In Office."

I picked up interest on the second point in his letter, as Chief Willie Amadi posited thus:

" Continue to apply and dispense the people's money with the fear of God for the overall benefit and good of Imo people ."

While I saw some courage, patriotism and concern in the said letter, most of the government functionaries, especially, close political allies of Sen. Hope Uzodimma might have seen it from a different perspective, not because they are paranoid or not bold enough to air such opinions or reservations in the public space but rather, as government functionaries who sworn oath of affidavit to be loyal and also protect the image of the government and its secrecies at all times - writing such open letter which Chief Willie Amadi 'personally' circulated online and went a bit further to publish same in a select Imo State based newspapers, is an ominous sign that something is fishing somewhere; as keen observers of Governor Hope Uzodimma's elitist style of leadership see Willie Amadi as ' rushing in a place where angels fear to thread.'

Our governor is an emperor and as such, may not be comfortable with the audacity and effontry in which his appointee of less than four months gave him an advice in the public space. Not too many state governors would also condone that. To Nigerian state governors and other politicians : Roberts Greeene's First Law of Power - 'Never Outshine The Master', is sacrosanct. But who knows how many times our governor may have ignored Chief Willie Amadi's calls and private mails without a response? Which I think, may have precipitated such open letter. Nda Willie threw caution to the wind and spoke his mind as a concerned Imo son.

However, having dispassionately read that letter with rapt attention, sense of critical thinking, and analytical mind, I know the letter must have raised some dust in government Quaters adding to the ' Political Harmattan Season' the Shared Prosperity Administration is already going through in the hands of the organised opposition in the state. A season of media bashings, social black sooth and political fumigation which the governor is working so hard to douse the tension through performance as to prove the naysayers wrong.

While Willie Amadi's open letter to Gov. Hope Uzodimma didn't sequarely chastise his person, his government, its programmes and officials, unlike the one written by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and President Muhammadu Buhari; which provoked thoughts and raised the bar for social awareness and political consciousness in Nigeria. I simply saw a man (Willie Amadi) who needed the attention of his principal (Gov. Hope Uzodimma) to discuss pertinent state issues including personal matters, but got none. And decided to go public to get such attention!

Regrettably, Imo State has one of the most inaccessible governors in Nigeria. A State Governor who is not reachable by the people at the grassroots, not reachable by elected members of the Imo State House of Assembly except when he wants to apply for fresh loans or during the seamless presentation of his Annual Appropriation Budget without defense. A man who is also not reachable on phone, through text messages and even private mails of his commissioners, SAs and SSAs: cannot be said to run a people- friendly government; as he carries himself in such manner that nobody contributed to his emergence.

Therefore, they should consider it a privilege to work with him and not a right. Our governor, is a large political warlord who feels more at home in Abuja than in Imo, thus, giving room to a number of the expensive mistakes made by his appointees since the man at the helm of affairs is not always around to listen to their complaints based on feedbacks , share ideas with them and even feel their expressed concerns over some issues raised by respected critical Imo stakeholders including strong voices from the organised opposition.

Can the likes of Hon. Uche Ogbuagu(Ikeduru Constituency), Hon. Obinna Okwara (Nkwerre Constituency), Hon. Arthur Egwim (Ideato North Constituency), Hon. Ekene Nnodumele (Orsu Constituency), Hon. Ngozi Obiefula (Isu Constituency) and other lawmakers, say to have set set their eyes on Onwa Onyoko in the last one year or thereabout, even as elected state legislators under the same political party; APC? This style of governance, in all honesty , doesn't speak well about the governor who is now seen as 'Abuja based governor.' Must one have to ambush His Excellency at a church function before getting an audience from him?

While one must completely agree that elected state governors, just like the president, are extremely busy people given their daily itinerary and tight schedules. But if governance is about the people, any reasonable, responsible and responsive state governor must as a matter of public good make out some time for the people who elected him to govern them. Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha is very outstanding for this. Little wonder, he is ever green in the minds of Imo people despite his political ordeal in the hands of his successors; Chief Emeka Ihedioha (May 29, 2019 -January 14, 200) and Sen. Hope Uzodimma (January 15, 2019 till date ).

Ironically, Governor Hope Uzodimma is not only inaccessible to Imo people, who have ever since maintained their social apathy from his government, but also to his long standing friends, commissioners, SSAs, SAs, members of government boards including elected state legislators. Unfortunately, any of them he so wishes to see whenever he is in a right frame of mind; as the security challenge in the state always puts him in both emotive, reactive, and reflective mood, would have to exercise some patience as long as 14 good hours before seeing 'the Demigod in Government House.'

Funny enough, alot of political leaders in Imo State at one point or the other had gone through this ugly experience. Chief Willie Amadi and Chief Toney Gray are no exceptions. As His Excellency has been accused by the political pundits, conservatives and close observers of his style of politics of having way with dragging people out of their political camps or political parties , and later abandon them after giving them false assurances or high hopes. Babatunde Charles Ezekwem, former Imo PDP Chairman, can tell better.

Conclusively, with this exposition of a piece, alot of discerning and critical minds in Imo State will dissect and understand better what might have prompted Chief Willie Amadi's open letter to His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodimma: as Ukwa Achiaka acted in the manner of a Yoruba proverb that says: '' If a big masquerade claims it doesn't see the smaller masquerade, the smaller masquerade will also claim it doesn't see the big masquerade." Elegam face, in our Igbo local parlance.

For a man, who, despite his human frailty, still has the notoriety and grace of hosting Imo State Governors, Senators, Ministers, Foreign Diplomats, Ambassadors , including high profile politicians and top- notch socialites; at his Ajuzogu Civic Center, Owerri. Being ignored or sidelined by a Governor whom he sees as a partner in progress in his committed efforts toward sustaining a number of his laudable policies in the Shared Prosperity Administration, is not only embarrassing but a clandestine call to make him reconsider working with the 3R Government, especially, as most of his former political allies in the Peoples Democratic Party , PDP, through the background social -engineering of Sen Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu (Sam Daddy), are gradually returning back to their 'first love' where they are completely celebrated!

With Chief Willie Amadi's open letter to Governor Hope Uzodimma, a landmine has been set!

+ Njoku Macdonald Obinna

Publisher,

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