By Ori Martins
My generation grew up appreciating Engineer Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu as an exceptional Igbo with capacity, courage, vision and means. Both in name and stature, Iwuanyanwu towered above his contemporaries in politics, business and wealth.
When no Igbo mustered the courage to vie for the presidency of Nigeria, Iwuanyanwu braved the challenge. That time, Chief MKO Abiola was recognizably the most flourishing politician cum businessman in Nigeria. From that high prism, Abiola floated Concord newspapers and Iwuanyanwu came up with Champion newspapers. Abiola put up Concord Airline and Iwuanyanwu responded with Oriental Air.
The iconic Abiola had a football team known as Abiola Babes just as our legendary Iwuanyanwu gave us Iwuanyanwu Nationale. Iwuanyanwu Nationale, between 1986 and 2006 were one of the most formidable teams in Africa. And so, Iwuanyanwu’s name loomed larger than life. Those remarkable achievements announced Iwuanyanwu’s influence and glory locally, nationally and internationally, elevating him to the Olympic height of glory.
That period was Iwuanyanwu’s finest hour. Every Igbo proudly associated with him as his name could easily open doors for you either in government or social circles. He was among the be all and end all Nigerians. It was an era when Iwuanyanwu had his imprimatur in virtually all the greatness recorded both in the Igbo nation and Nigeria as a country.
For those who do not know, Iwuanyanwu was the biggest contributor to the realization of the Imo Airport. Those were the factors that made it possible for him to anoint his clansman, Chief Evan Enwerem as Imo State governor in the botched Third Republic.
In the present dispensation, the adumbrated prodigious flair and tenacity mostly ascribed to Igbo’s ingenuity and industry, which were all visible in Iwuanyanwu as an auspicious beginner, has given way to a great grey hair caught in the illicit affair of masturbation and double standards.
Just few days ago, the Aha Ejiagamba of Ndigbo caused political and social ripples when he stated that he regretted voting an Owerri zone candidate in the last governorship election in Imo State in 2019. That statement had attracted opprobrium against Iwuanyanwu by the PDP and its supporters as well as utter condemnation from Owerri zone and its sympathizers.
The PDP cannot reconcile why their BoT member would always take stand that is usually against the major opposition party in the country and cowardly attack the party’s leaders. So, Iwuanyanwu no longer supports equity, does not promote fairness and cares less about justice – Orlu zone had Chiefs Achike Udenwa and Okorocha ruling the state for 16 years and he still wanted it to grab power again?
For almost 10 years now, Iwuanyanwu, a PDP BoT member, has had the knack for political philander-ism. For instance, in the eight years regime of erstwhile governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Iwuanyanwu, against the popular stand of Imolites, openly identified with Owelle . That was in spite of Okorocha’s anti people policies which the PDP (Iwuanyanwu’s party) roundly condemned. Despite the fact that Okorocha arrogantly mocked Iwuanyanwu to no end, even mentioning his name among the big names in Imo State politics he had expired and retired, Iwuanyanwu still pandered to the governor of “my people, my people fame”.
In the past one year, Iwuanyanwu, mindless of what the PDP termed Supreme Court’s mindless verdict in sacking Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, still praises and applauds Senator Hope Uzodimma who was installed thereafter. In one instance, Iwuanyanwu said Uzodimma is the best thing ever to have happened to Imo State.
At the other, he enthused that Uzodimma had outscored the performance of previous Imo governors put together. Yet, the PDP and other opposition parties and their members have continued to shout that pensioners and workers in the state have not been paid. Owerri PDP in particular querried why Governor Uzodimma awarded the contracts for the rehabilitation of the roads from Owerri to Okigwe and Orlu without awarding any that crisscrossed from Owerri to Obowo, from Owerri to Ngor Okpala, etc.
It questioned why Uzodimma why the governor chose an Orlu vice chancellor for Imo State University to replace an Orlu ex VC. It wondered why the governor picked an Orlu zone ward as the Imo choice for Ohanaeze Ndigbo president. In all this, Iwuanyanwu never raised a voice in condemnation.
Really, it was politically incorrect for a personality in the caliber of Iwuanyanwu to act ultra vires by bringing down his hard earned reputation via the statements ascribed to him three days ago. The question is, why is Iwuanyanwu regretting his political actions of 2019? Overwhelming majority of Imolites, till today, still say Ihedioha was quite enterprising in his about eight months rule.
At least, his 32 road projects awarded to 16 construction firms laid a solid foundation for Uzodimma who noted on assumption of office that he would continue where Ihedioha stopped. Had Ihedioha performed abysmally as Iwuanyanwu wants to make it appear, Uzodimma would not have said “I will continue where Ihedioha stopped.
As it stands, most of the roads commissioned today by Uzodimma were flagged off by Ihedioha. The now renovated Dan Anyiam Stadium where Heartland is playing their home games rather than Okigwe were made possible by Ihedioha. Yes, Uzodimma deserves commendation for continuing and completing them.
Again, and most significantly, Uzodimma still keeps and toes the path of the judicial panel of inquiries set up by Ihedioha to look into the nefarious activities of previous administrations , particularly that of Okorocha! The move by this regime to bring Okorocha to book through legal means – and it has brought the Uzosdima government huge popularity: it was started by Ihedioha.
In his appointments, he never made an Mbaise man his SSG, his head of service was from Ikeduru while the accountant general was a scion of Oguta even as his chief of staff hails from Obowo. It was the most balanced appointment in terms of spread, merit and professionalism.
So, why is Iwuanyanwu regretting his votes for Ihedioha? Let me assume that Iwuanyanwu is being misquoted. Or was it a slip of tongue or even a Freudian slip! No matter the angle you take it from, Iwuanyanwu’s latest tackle has made him to catch the figure of a tragic hero. Iwuanyanwu, the once big masquerader that was feared respected is now treated as toys and dolls: what a pity!
In all, Iwuanyanwu said his mind thereby expressing his constitutional rights, but he ought to have known that “ where your rights stop, is where another person’s starts” even as an elder he must weigh the consequences of his actions or inactions before embarking on them.
