Opinion I Zuma's Courtesy Call On Okorocha: Matters Arising

ZUMA’S COURTESY CALL ON OKOROCHA: MATTERS ARISING

         

The last time I checked, the South African President in the person of Mr. Jacob Zuma was in Owerri the Imo State capital two weeks ago, precisely between the night of Friday, 13^th October to Saturday, 14^th October, 2017 over a courtesy call on the state’s Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha.

          

Prior to his arrival, we were rightly notified that President Zuma was coming to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Zuma Education Foundation and the Rochas Foundation College of Africa as well as engage his host, Gov. Okorocha in a few business discussions, particularly in the area of Aviation among others.

         

Let me take a little time to expatiate the second paragraph. Many may be wondering what is ‘Rochas Foundation College of Africa’. Rochas Foundation College that is deeply involved in rendering free education to orphans or indigent children in general, has been in existence prior to the emergence of the founder Chief Okorocha as the Governor of the Eastern Heartland. Recently the founder announced that when he clocked 55 years of age, the Rochas Foundation would henceforth be training at least 5 less-privileged children from each of the existing 55 countries on the African continent under the auspices of Rochas Foundation College of Africa. The project was thereof branded ‘Project 55:5:55’.

         

Another factor that informed President Zuma’s visit to Imo was reportedly the quest of Gov. Okorocha to ensure that South African Airline is flown from the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport to other countries in the world, after the anticipated successful completion of the ongoing work in the airport. Probably, the governor wanted the South African number-one citizen to see for himself that the airport would be equal to the task soonest.

         

It’s noteworthy that President Zuma came to Imo, saw and conquered. He conquered because his presence was showered with tremendous accolades designed by the chief host of the gathering. The honour bestowed on the August visitor included an award of Chieftaincy title to his credit, conferment of the revered Imo Merit Award, erection of statue that bears his ‘handsome’ physiognomy coupled with naming of one of the newly constructed roads in Owerri after his name.

         

It’s equally worthy of note that the aforementioned accolades granted to the guest were thereof greeted with series of mixed feelings and what have you from several Imolites home and in the Diaspora. This is what actually necessitated this critique.

         

I want to use this opportunity to let us realize that one of the few individuals who made me to emerge as a good and unbiased writer today is my father. Those days, as a chap who had extreme passion for writing, each time I wrote or compiled a piece of any form, my dad would take time to scrutinize, penalize if need be, and score the write-up aptly. As a professional critic, he wasn’t ‘merciful’ over his doings towards making me become a sound writer/analyst in future, thus carried out his works strictly and diligently at all times. I never appreciated his unrelenting efforts until lately when I absorbed writing as my career rather than hobby. Lest I digress, I am only trying to bring to our notice the essence of constructive criticisms in our everyday lives.

          

Lest I forget, we are talking about the honour bestowed on President Zuma during his visit to Imo. First, I want to differ from the view of the amiable governor over naming a road after the said president. Mind you, I am not concerned if Mr. Zuma deserved the honour or not; rather I’m more concerned about the procedure through which such was carried out. Before a road is named after a certain personality, there are rudimentary processes required to be followed. A member of the legislature of the affected state or country, as the case may be, would be required to move a motion in that regard.

         

Thereafter, the motion on the floor of the House would be unanimously approved by the majority members of the parliament either via voting or otherwise. Then, the approved motion would be sent to the Executive Arm for assent. Such scenario took place some years ago when one of the major roads in Owerri was named after the late Nigeria’s President, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’adua. I could recall vividly that Imo was the first state to immortalize the departed president. The ‘Musa Yar’adua Drive’ is today graciously recognized by all and sundry in the state because the needed procedure was adhered to.

         

In the same vein, I am still bemused why the state’s Merit Award would be conferred on a guest without any prior notice in that regard. An award that is designed by the generality of the state citizens was granted to a certain individual without the consent of those who designed or founded the award. Such action did not unequivocally augur well for the interest of the state at large. Before a Merit Award belonging to a state would be conferred on anyone, there is equally a laid down procedure expected to be followed strictly by the concerned authorities.

        

Hence, the citizens were not meant to be taken unawares before taking such expensive action. When the award was being presented by the governor to the proposed recipient, the former stated ‘on behalf of the Imo people, I hereby confer this award on you’; this meant that the consent of the said people had been sought before the time.

          

I don’t want to discuss that of the chieftaincy title because I have come to acknowledge that titles are now given to the highest bidders. In other words, once you can foot the bill, you are automatically qualified to receive any title from your immediate traditional ruler or even the overall royal fathers within your territory. It suffices to say that the system of our traditional institution has obviously changed, thus I wish to reserve my comment over the issuance of a chieftaincy title let alone ‘Ochiagha Imo’ to President Zuma.

          

 However, Gov. Okorocha may have had a genuine motive over all these, but sometimes the way and manner we introduce our plans make them unpopular on arrival. An Igbo adage says ‘Iye emesiri amaa, ana kpoya nwanma’ meaning literally, what is well organized is called the child of beauty.

           

We ought to endeavour to carry the followers along while taking some pertinent and sensitive decisions so that even if the opposition comes with their not unusual antagonism in the long run, the electorate would stand firmly by our side. I really mean well for this administration. I truly want it to score at least eighty-five percent (85%) at the end of the show; that’s the reason I’m invariably concerned about all these.

         

The deed is already done, hence, it is important for us to accept where we have erred toward making amends where necessary. After all, to err is human. Think about it!

Comrade FDN Nwaozor

Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub - Owerri 

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Twitter: @mediambassador