By Emmanuel Chukwu
The Monday November 26 edition of the White-paper newspaper had a back page article with the title “CHARLES AMADI (CHAVON) MAKING HIS OWN UGLY POLITICAL HISTORY” written by Sam Onwuemeodo.
As lacking in decency and grace as the article was, one could have ignored it, but for the obvious fact that it was a rabid, rancid ranting capable of misleading the author to bask in the illusion of journalistic achievement, if ignored, compelled this writer to embark on this corrective indulgence to clip the narration of its deceitful wings. Indeed a proper education on the issues raised prompted this corrective measure to prevent its possible repeat in the future if ever the author understood the weighty implications of such offensive outing to himself, his target and of course the general public who may have consumed the deceitful portion with misleading consequences.
It is a sacred fact among journalism scholars and professional tutored on tort that the use of disparaging words that have no boundary whatsoever with fair comment must be avoided, but the Ochanja market brand of journalism some people practice today negates. Journalism epic aim is not to create bad blood as Onwuemeodo does, but to educate the masses and project ideas that promote human understanding peace, prosperity and friendship.
In the graceless article, Sam Onwuemodo rudely descended on one of the strong pillars of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Imo State, Chief Charles Amadi (Chavon) for deciding to recognise senator Hope Uzodinma as the gubernatorial candidate of the Imo APC which is a recognition already done by majority of members of the party in the state.
He enlarged the scope of his trash on the APC Zonal leader by using other trivial issues to impugn on his integrity as a party leader.
Onwuemeodo and his clan of shallow chasers should be made to know that recognising the candidate of a party for any elective office is one of the great duties of a party leader and its members, pending whatever ultimate position that may unfold, at last if any. To cast aspersion on Prince Amadi for his decision to embrace the position of the National Working committee of APC in the circumstances is to say the least, unwarranted and a clear loss of the essence of hierarchy in a political party.
It is repeating the obvious to adduce that Prince Amadi’s recognition of Uzodinma is by every measure considered proper and in tune with the dictum of party supremacy that any attack on him on its account must be seen as an unwarranted step, fuelled by overzealousness and lack of true understanding of party politics. It takes a strong belief in party cohesion to accept any position supported by the party hierarchy, especially when such a position arose from the popular wish of the majority, nothing more, nothing less and any argument that queries a decision based on popular opinion and natural justice is the devil’s alternative to cause anarchy.
Sam Onwuemeodo and his co-travellers must be reminded that Chief Amadi is still a strong APC member and if he had actually joined the Okorocha administration for the sake of naira as you insinuated, he would not have recognised Uzodinma, he would have followed Okorocha to partake in enjoying the billions of naira that accrue to Imo treasury monthly. How about that?
A good politician is the one that acts in consonance with majority, opinion and conscience. A good leader that is not a ‘shoe shiner ‘ is the one that aligns himself with the majority, since it is an incontestable truth that power belongs to the people in a democracy, even in situations of stolen mandates. Except a leader who has chosen to live in permanent self delusion, no sane political leader who believes in majority rule would chose to stay in a sinking ship of minority.
This position makes people like CHAVON true Party leaders who believe that power belongs to the people and that the minority would have their say, while majority have their way. In fact it would have sounded hallucinatory if Chief Amadi had remained in a camp that has fallen out of favour with the masses. The true measure of right political decision in a democracy is when a leader takes an action greeted with thunderous ovation from the majority. It is expedient in the prevailing circumstance of high pitch public sentiment in demand for a reverse from the selfish rescue mission government for any reasonable party leader to feel the heart beat of the masses.
Sam Onwuemuodo and his Childish sympathisers would be made to know that a man who understands the import of history endeavours to take decisions that would place him on the side of positive reckoning than to chase shadow of immediate putrid material gain. It is instructive to infer that Chief Amadi as a comfortable man may have taken the decision to distance himself from the self-styled rescue mission, in order to secure for himself and family a place of honour at the time the history of Imo State would be written than to remain in a camp that is obsessed with grandiose delusions and penchant for laughable pursuits?
The sixteenth president of America, Abraham Lincoln reflecting on the struggle between those in the minority who did not understand the need to embrace change at a time their country was in dire need of charge said. “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present, The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is anew, so we must think anew and act anew”. Unquote.
At a critical stage when Imo APC is facing difficulty, it would be unwise for anybody conversant with the growing demand for change to still think in the past or even compel those aware of the rising public sentiment for a new direction to still stick to selfish thinking and expect a positive result. CHAVON and others not restrained by dogmas and selfishness understood the need to take a new position in the interest of their party and respect for the national leaders.
For people like Onwuemeodo who still believe that today’s Imo State does not need a new direction, Lewis Mumford’s view that “What our civilization needs today as a condition for inner renewal is the cultivation of an exquisite sensitivity and incomparable tenderness” should consider Mumford’s position a daily rehearsal truly, exquisite sensitivity and incomparable tenderness are earnestly needed in Imo today in the face of crushing poverty arising from the destruction of sources of income to the traders and lack of job opportunities and equal employment of the vast resources and monthly state allocations. In fact in the present state of mass suffering it takes a man who does not believe in God to rejoice that the decision of one man is good for the people. Onwuemeodo mischievously asserted that the Chavon has a worrisome history of unsteadiness, which he said would have made the governor to keep him at arms length and bla bla bla. His insulting analogy of rich men and shoe shiners portrays him as a myopic Chief Press Sectary with rude instinct.
Having acknowledged that he attended meetings in Prince Amadi’s house in the past betrays your illogical posturing. Does it mean that over than period you attended meetings in house he did not iroe up to his bidding as a leader? If he did not satisfy your description of a leader, you would have stopped attending such meetings. This outburst is only the mournful spectacle of a man bemoaning his fate after losing a great pillar and benefactor.
Imo people are sure that Prince Amadi is not among the class of demented fellows who boast of being rich when they are not. There is no public incident to support that he makes pretensions to being what he is not. It is public knowledge that he is one of the successful sons of Imo state in the oil and gas sector. He started playing leadership role long before the inception of this present government.
The people of Eziama Ikeduru and the entire Mbaike are very proud of him. To insinuate that he joined the government of Okorocha because of political opportunity and naira is a jaundiced view meant for the trash can. It testifies to your defective sense of judgment and uncharitable misrepresentation of the man and his life philosophy.
Your allegation that he had his own senatorial candidate during the primary against Emma Ojinere is also a misfired shot. If the Chima you referred to is Barr. Chyma Anthony, you actually spoke without knowing the true circumstances surrounding the entrance of Anthony and Ojinere in the senatorial primary further public explanation may unfold unpalatable truths, but the essence Of this response is not to exhume bones but to puts record straight. The Chima you talked about is a lawyer and politician who had a senatorial ambition in 2011 and staged a comeback in 2018. He is well known as a material for senate and other positions.
To Bamboozle Prince Amadi for accepting Hope Uzodinma as the APC gubernatorial candidate as if he committed a treasonable felony, when some of those you regard as non Uzodinma compliant had earlier gone to him for recognition means that you are far the main stream APC politics in the state.
In one of the paragraphs you alleged that Chief Amadi abandoned Owerri Zone Political Leaders Forum (OZOPOLF) a few weeks to the 2015 election and he did not give anybody reason why he abandoned it after OZOPOLF according you, issued threats in its bid to ensure the emergence of Owerri zone man or woman as governor. Good a thing, you recognized that he founded OZOPOLF, but you did not realize why he abandoned it in 2015. Sources testified that Chief Amadi was determined to ensure the emergence of an Owerri man as governor, but when it became too clear to him and other members that a particular section took the project as their own project to the exclusion of others, an attitude that annoyed majority of the members, and they were discouraged. Onwulmeodo your argument on OZOPOLF and 2015 is a clear case of irony and illogicality because two of you were active members of APC which Chief Amadi helped to win election. You profited in leaps and bounds from that victory which guaranteed your present position. Are you now angry that APC won the governorship election in 2015?
This writer is highly civilized that he resisted every temptation to make deductions which could make people know that some people most often forget to think before speaking. A product of a higher civilization does not play a spoiler game, because he or she is naturally detached from frivolities. Tyranny of the pen is unacceptable, for the pen is the greatest instrument to free enslaved minds, so men who wield the pen in whatever form should wield it with tact and grace to enlighten the world.
Onwuemeodo and his clan of shameless shadow chasers should leave Chief Charles Amadi alone it is a case of ingratitude to cast as passion on him after he helped the party to achieve victory in 2015.
Security Forces in the state through a coordinated intelligence report has bursted the camp of the unknown gunmen at Akokwa, Arondizuogu after a long gun duel which resulted to the death of some of the criminals and others arrested. These criminal elements have been known to be behind several attacks in the state such as the killing of police men in Mbaise, Aba Branch in Ehime Mbano, burning down of police stations, attack and attempted kidnapping of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, abduction of Miss. P.P. Johnson, a female soldier in Okigwe and recently the attack in Akokwa that left many dead. It is obvious that these daredevil gunmen have been perpetuating their evil plans unabated until yesterday when their camp was bursted by security agencies. This is another assurance that our security operatives are leaving no stone unturned in the fight against banditry and other related activities. While it has become obvious that the activities of these non state actors are politically motivate...