BY: SAM ONWUEMEODO
On Friday, November 13, 2020, Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins was impeached as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly. The report was that, nineteen, out of the Twenty-Seven members of the Assembly, signed the impeachment paper. And he was so removed and a replacement gotten without delay, Hon. Paul Emeziem of Onuimo State Constituency.
Two days before the impeachment stuff, Dr. Collins was alleged to have had meeting with Senator Ifeanyi Araraume. And the reason for the claimed meeting, was the impeachment of Governor Hope Uzodinma. This particular story could not have been believed by any sane or neutral folk.
If anybody should be angry with Dr. Collins, that person should be Senator Araraume. And what would have then warranted Araraume, meeting with Collins, to plan the impeachment of Uzodinma? We shall come back to this.
Dr. Chiji was elected in 2015 on the ticket of APC and re-elected in 2019, on the platform of APGA, to represent Isiala Mbano State Constituency, in the State House of Assembly. He was not elected as Speaker. For certain Political overtures or Considerations, his Colleagues elected him Speaker. And he became the number three Citizen of the State. That could be an act of God, anyhow. Or, Providence.
The office of Speaker is not a Permanent one. The good news is that he was Speaker. The first among his Colleagues. The number of years he was on the seat, should not be the Case. The Case should be that, he was Speaker.
What he should do in the Circumstance, is to thank God for giving him the opportunity to be Speaker or the number three Citizen of the State, with all the paraphernalia of the office. He should look at his becoming Speaker and not at the impeachment. And those mocking him or those laughing at him because of his impeachment, are indirectly telling him to remain ungrateful to God and indeed, to Araraume. And he should not do that. He should be thankful to God, especially when he remembers that there were those before him, who had been in the same Assembly for four or eight years, who didn’t become Speaker. And even those with him in the Assembly as we write. He should only Count his blessings and name them one by one, to see what God had done for him. He had had the experience of moving with Siren or with Convoy. And with Security details. Now, he must have come to realize that all these privileges were smokescreens. Balderdash. Neither here nor there. Creations of men. Some have also said that because he was impeached, he should not answer Ex-Speaker or Rt. Hon. again. That is not true. He remains Ex-Speaker or Rt. Hon. And we shall continue to call him, Rt. Hon. Collins Chiji, the former Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly since the value is vague. From Speaker to Ex-Speaker. The Sunday School lesson or the memory verse.
His impeachment only shows the need for steadfastness. It pays to be Steadfast. Anything you love, more than a very good relationship or more than trust, must not end on good note. By and large, it must crash. The devil you know, is better than the Angel you do not know.
Rt. Hon. Collins dropped APGA for PDP and from PDP, in less than one year, to APC, just to be Speaker and to remain Speaker. Cross Pollination. Or, double metamorphoses. Today, he is no more Speaker. Anything in life, you love more than your integrity, be it Political position or money, when you get it, know that, it won’t endure. Reason being that, only position or money from God, that does not add sorrow. Every good gift and every perfect gift, only comes above. When you betray to get a position, you have only sown a bad seed you would reap with time.
And accusing Chiji Collins of having met with Araraume for the purpose of removing Uzodinma was to remind him of his original root. Where he came from. And to also remind him that he was strange to Uzodinma right from the outset. They were only tolerating him.
They used him to achieve their personal goals. Approve N5 billion loan, Chiji did that without qualms. He became Zoombi, just to keep the office. When you love your life so much, you lose it. Pass the law that would enable the governor to be arresting and detaining Imo Citizens at Will, Chiji’s House Passed or approved it. Eyes right, he did. Mark time, he did. Attention, he did. Forward march, he did. Breath in, he did. Breath out, he did. Chest out, he did. Quick march, he did. Slow marching, he did. That is what you get or see, when you betray to get a position. They would turn you into a toy. Balloon.
The Araraume angle was a deceit. His impeachment was facilitated because he announced the Orlu State Constituency member’s defection (Pascal Okoli), from APC to PDP on the floor of the House. That is all.
Under Chiji Collins’ Speakership and Uzodinma’s governorship, House members became “hangers-on”. They beg or lobby to meet with the governor. The alien things in Imo. I have begun to tell the tales.
After Chiji’s removal as Speaker, a House member, Hon. Heclus Okoro, for Ohaji/Egbema State Constituency, the same day, was beaten in Government House and he has remained in detention since then, on the alleged or claimed orders of the governor. This is the only time, House members have become appointees of the Governor without their knowing it. They have been cowed.
For the first time in the history of the State, the Uzodinma government has written to Local Newspapers selling copies at N150 or N100 to pay N5 million as tax and levies. That is where we are now. I do not know who had bewitched King Ahab to think that the best approach or action was to kill Naboth, over his vineyard. Intimidation and harassment have become tools. But it won’t work. By strength, shall no man prevail.
Arrest and detain, have become slogan to the government in Imo. After Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, it has been from one story of arrest and detention, to another. Government of arrest and detain. Even the governor’s faction of APC led by Chief Marcon Nlemigbo, has also become sick for lack of attention. It has fibros and tumor, put together. ISOPADEC, has become a story. An ugly story. And those from the Oil Producing areas of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta, have seen the one that Seniors Beatrice. The old Beatrice, with all her teeth, off or removed. They have been turned into Imo State Non-Oil Producing Areas, ISONPADEC. They have become hopeless and speechless. Their current leaders have developed mouth rashes or whitlow of the mouth. Helpless elements. The Kingsley Ujus, the Emeka Benjamins, the Henry Okafors, the Hon. Jones Uzokas, are no more there, to tell the governor, how their people feel or should be treated. Who “say men no dey”, has become history. The people of the area have entered one “Chances” L300 bus with their son as the driver. Imo had gone from Redemption to New Face, and from New Face to Rescue Mission. And from Rescue Mission to Rebuild Imo. And from Rebuild Imo, to what we do not know again. Something strange. No name or adjective to qualify it.
But you know what? God is on the throne. He is the LORD who Changeth Not.
Udenwa begat Ohakim. Ohakim begat Okorocha. Okorocha begat Ihedioha. Ihedioha begat arrest and detain. I didn’t mention any name. I am speaking in tongues.
I am yet to hear about any part, the Current government could be said to have done well or is doing well. Every sector, including human relation is lame. The government seems to exist on few whatsapp platforms. They gave till the end of November for every Local Newspaper to pay the N5 million. They said some of us are the targets. I have been looking for a way to walk out of the Whitepaper Newspaper. And the government may do me that favour by taking it off me.
When a government wants to turn everybody and every sector or establishment into an enemy, know that such government needs intervention. Human or divine. Or, both. Because, these enemies would become nightmares. And they won’t sleep with their two eyes closed. These enemies may also become ghosts and begin to frighten you even on your dining table.
The truth is that, the Current government should go back to the drawing board. It has missed the track. Any view in the contrary, should be seen as fallacy. It does not matter, is not the language of the Victorious. I don’t care, not also for the godly. Every book has the introduction or the forward page and then, the Epilogue Page. You read between the lines. But we Shall Continue to Clap for Jesus.
