The press, as the fourth estate has remained a powerful instrument of mobilizing public opinion and many a people depend on the press through newspapers,
journals, magazines and the latest, social media for news and to know about government policies and other issues that suites their interests.
Here in Imo state, the reverse is becoming the case. The pen is no longer mightier than the sword because “the pen also lies”.
It has gotten so bad that even in the face of commendable achievements, some abusers of the government among us have through the print and electronic media continued to strive with malignant pleasure to set the people’s governor, Rochas Okorocha in opposition with the people.
Borrowing the words of the late German philosopher, Fredrich Nietzsche — “I am not upset that you lied to me, I’ m upset that from now on I can’t believe you”.
The good people of Imo state are getting upset because of the series of lies the enemies of the state have used to infiltrate our sanity and space with an intention to discredit and pull down the people’s governor’s lasting laudable legacies.
The late Russian politician and political theorist, Vladimir Lenin once postulated— “A lie told often enough becomes the truth”, but here Imo state, the continued utterance of such lies has not made it to be true.
The purported news about the carnal and bacchanal desires of the governor would always remain figment of the imagination of the whistle blowers and a few gullible. The people’s governor, a politician, not withstanding, remains a living example of a man who does not only trust God but has made heaven his throne. He has never failed to appreciate God at every given opportunity and like the biblical Abraham, is reputed for erecting an altar for the Lord where ever he finds himself. Hence the reason why the people’s governor has continued to count his blessings like that of Abraham’s.
Sometimes whenever I read most of the allegations against the peoples governor I just laugh, one don’t need to be close to the government to know most of these lies don’t just add up. How could one say the past Imo state House of Assembly members were paid #5 million each as monthly salary? Meaning they earned more than the past president and federal law makers. Isn’t such allegation folly?
The governor has converted the whole land in Imo state for personal use, including the land and houses he bought more than 10 years back before he became a governor. And yet no one has genuinely come out or gone to court to challenge the governor for coveting his or her land.
Am yet to know the section of the constitution that says: a governor does not have the right to acquire landed properties.
The governor built 6 billion naira mansion for himself. Please, how big is the house? Is our currency that valueless that such a huge amount of money would be expended on a house that is not as big as a stadium?
Our governor has used workers’ salaries to buy and service his retinue of aircrafts that’s why Imo state cannot pay its work force and you ask, did the governors of more than 22 states that found themselves in peculiar situation used public funds to buy and service their retinue of private jets?
Every month, local government workers’ salaries are being deducted for no reason and it is still reported that same local government workers have not been paid for 10 months! Incredibly hilarious! Whose money are they now deducting monthly?
Former president Jonathan lost the presidential election, blame Rochas— President Buhari is yet to appoint anyone from the South-east to his cabinet— blame Rochas! Why always Rochas?
To those that have developed ingrained hatred for the peoples governor and won’t see anything good in whatever he does, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is also a human, let us be fair in our assessments, it won’t make us lesser human beings.
The peoples governor hasn’t denied his poor back ground but he never told us he had no shoes growing up neither did he make his money or fame as a governor.
The framers of these lies— what have they really achieved or what do they intend to achieve?
Isn’t it a blessing in disguise that the more they spread such lies about the peoples governor, the more his popularity soars across the globe? Why denigrate or attempt to destroy our fellow beings with our “metaphoric pens” simply because we bluntly and ignorantly disagreed on their camp of thoughts?
The question to all those people who have taken it as a duty upon themselves to verbally, textually and digitally smear, curse and concoct lies against the peoples governor is, why are you all postulating “WE” warned Imolites against re-electing Gov. Rochas Okorocha? What moral authority qualified you all to decide for the good people of Imo state whom should be voted for or not?
To the good people of Imo state that re-elected Gov. Rochas Okorocha, we all know there some challenges which may seem insurmountable, but it is not an impossible a task. It is high time we dissociate ourselves from those people whose “metaphoric pens also lie in Imo state”— the veracity of their allegations have explained it all. They are critics with vindictive agenda and have lost every sense of propriety, if we don’t ignore them now they may turn on us tomorrow.
Joseph Chimezie writes from Owerri, Imo state; @purely2express, Purelytoexpress@gmail.com