As Nigeria democracy continues to evolve the electorate is slowly but steadily beginning to take center stage. His voice is beginning to be?heard. His voice is beginning to count and the politicians are beginning to?take him serious. Power is going back to where it actually belongs, the?people.
By 1999 this unfolding change was absolutely unimaginable. The voters?counted little or, even nothing. The politicians indulged in selection and?not election making nonsense of the concept of democracy. For twelve good?years the undemocratic culture festered, giving rise to the widespread?cynicism amongst the citizenry and the international community that what we?are practicing is civilian rule and not democracy.
But in 2011, the tempo changed especially in the state. The masses suddenly?found their voice and decided to take back their birth right. It was
reminiscent of a revolution though a bloodless one and when it smoke?cleared the masses emerged victorious.
Since the Rescue Government came on board courtesy of the will of the?people, attempts have been made to give the people a place of pride.?Ostensibly, the policy direction emanated from the governments informed?reasoning that the political culture of people deciding who should govern?them be entrenched. This is of course true. There have been times in the?past when our hard won freedom has slipped out of our fingers just because?of momentary complacency on the part of the people.
As beneficiary of the electoral revolution of 2011, and active player in?the Rescue Government, Speaker Benjamin Uwajomogu is one man who has?feverishly worked for the entrenchment of the peoples? power. Of course he?knows fully well that this is no mean task and has therefore, girded his?loin strictly in his resolute bid to make sure the campaign worked. Without?any iota of doubt, that objective is steadily being actualized with amazing?speed and unprecedented acceptance using the Okigwe Political Peoples?Movement (OPPM).
Since it came on board, Okigwe Political People Movement has never left?people in doubt where it is coming from. Similarly, its direction and core?objectives have become as crystal as daylight. In the main, OPPM is all?about the masses. Or, put differently, OPPM is a movement of the people for?the people and by the people.
No doubt, this progressive grain places it world apart from other?socio-political bodies in the zone,generally.?Almost all these former claimants always proclaim masses orientation but in
actuality are elitist. They are populated by the elites or politicians and?therefore, solely cater to their needs while pretending to be concerned
about the people. Unfortunately, this fallacious fa?ade holds ground for a?little time and eventually crashes into smithereens like a house built on a?sandy soil.
OPPM never wanted such fate. It desired permanence and acceptability and?therefore, from its embryonic stage saw the masses as its sole priority.
Indeed, OPPM was created to return power back to the people. And when we?talk about returning power to the people, we are talking of holistic return?of power. Somebody might be inclined to doubt the workability of this?movement. Well, it is already working perfectly well as experiences of the?inauguration of the Okigwe, Obowo and Onuimo.Isiala mbano,Ehime Mbano and most recently the leaders local chapter Ihitte Uboma show. Basically, the simple?strategy designed and being consciously implemented for actualization of this?goal is to make the people real owners and stakeholders in the business. So?right from the booth to village level to the chapter to the ward and finally, the?LGA level, the people decided who will hold what position.
Naturally, this kind of its-our-own-project spirit creates a sense of?ownership and of course, sense of protection and belonging. Of course, it?goes without saying that individuals, groups and in fact human beings
quickly buy into ideas or projects once they feel they are owners of such?idea or project. This is the idea behind OPPM and its working well.
After this primary stage comes the second and most critical stage which?borders on general election. OPPM being APC acquiescent is out and of course working dedicatedly?to ensure that those that eventually contest elections come from amongst?the people. Because its people oriented, OPPM supports the All progressive congress and his Excellency the Governors commitment of creating level playing ground for?fair and free nomination exercise. Once this clamor which it hopes to?continue to parrot and drum till 2015 materialize, it becomes certain that?those that would contest genuinely are of the choice of their people.
More so, it is targeted at doing away with ?strangers? coming overnight or,?dropping from the blues to grab power. As we all know this negative?practice fuelled in the main by greed and political corruption has been?ravaging the system for twelve full years. Additionally, like Gov. Okorocha?has consistently drummed, candidates chosen and elected by the people would?never contemplate indulging in the kind of wholesale mind boggling?criminalities that those imposed via selection commit with atrocious?impunity.
Essentially being a vehicle for the dissemination of this Rescue Mission?message, OPPM has been dubbed the brainchild of the State governor. With?every degree of certainty this is the truth. Chief Tony Black Nduka,?Coordinator of the body, while addressing the mammoth crowd that?graced the inauguration of Onuimo Chapter at Okwe Central School recently?had lent weight to this position when he said; ?OPPM is Gov. Okorocha?s?structure. Hon. Uwajumogu is only the leader of OPPM and not the owner.When 2015 comes we will hand it over to Gov. Okorocha and whatever he wants
us to do we will do.?
This clarification indeed is necessary and at the same time heartening for?a number of reasons. With regard to its timeliness, I think it has once and?finally too, rested the erroneous speculation that Speaker Uwajumogu owns?the movement. Actually, this rumour had spread on the premise that?the Speaker is keen on Okigwe 2015 Senate and therefore, wants to start?early to put his house in order. Yes, politics is synonymous with seeking?elective offices but Hon. Uwajumogu though a politician has a peculiar view?about election and power. He subscribes wholly to divine supremacy in the?affairs of man and in particular politics. So, to him, only God gives power.
Similarly, he holds tenaciously the belief that the masses are the?instruments for the translation of that divine ordinance. And in view of?the foregoing he insists that the people have the power of choice when its?election. With this mindset, therefore, what usually counts at the end of?the day is one?s track record or antecedents. For now, he will always?argue, rather than preoccupy himself with 2015. The opportunity at hand?should be judicially utilized to better the lot of the masses. From the?above explanation, its crystal clear that politics is not the primary?motive for his leadership of OPPM. His leadership of the body is?essentially because as an active player in the Rescue Government it would?amount to gross negligence to sit and watch the good works of the?administration go unnoticed or unprotected.
Which brings us to why OPPM is the structure of Gov. Okorocha and dedicated?to preaching the Rescue message. Around the nooks and crannies of the State?acknowledgement has been made concerning the good works of the present?government. While the good work continues in the months and years ahead the?imperative of sustaining what has been achieved becomes exceedingly?overwhelming. In governments calculation only the masses, the beneficiaries?of these goodies can execute that task. And again, this can only be done?through proper organization and orientation.
Having witnessed the inauguration of IHITTE-UBOMA OPPM on Sunday 4 may, 2014, I?would say this idea is really working. If it proceeds at this pace with?equal energy, commitment and participation by the people of the zone, then?Okigwe Zone would certainly have been freed from elitist prebendalism to?masses collectivism.
source: Emeka Ahaneku
