WHY SENATOR IZUNASO LOST BACKING OF ORLU LEADERS

 By Nnnenna Mgbenwelu

NASS in Session, Izunaso in red cap on right

Except a political miracle occurs in the next couple of weeks, Senator Osita Izunaso representing Imo West District at the National Assembly, will be on his way back from Abuja. With the formal declaration of the political godfather of Orlu zone, Chief Hope Uzodimma to contest the senate seat; with the avalanche of opposition built up against Izunaso; and of course the ground swell of resentment towards the senator, his days as a national legislator are indeed numbered. 

 

Although Izunaso has reportedly been fighting back against his opponents, boasting that with the Senate President, David Mark and Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State , he is comfortable. What is on the ground however suggests otherwise. Izunaso has simply burnt all his political bridges and he is more like a political orphan as far as the Orlu senate seat is concerned. In any case, the senator would be deluding himself to think that he has a return ticket given the contempt he has for Orlu political leaders in particular and his constituents in general.

 

While Izunaso can claim to have performed very well in organizing annual jamboree for the disabled in Imo State and sharing out cheep telephone handsets to disillusioned youths, he cannot in all honesty beat his chest that he gave Orlu quality and effective representation in the last four years. He cannot also admit that constituency projects wherever they are found were evenly distributed among the 12 local governments that make up the Orlu zone.

 

In the first place, his becoming a senator was a stop-gap measure employed by former governor of the state, Chief Achike Udenwa to end the political dynasty of Senator Arthur Nzeribe. He was to hold the ticket on trust for Udenwa but he reneged on that promise. The former governor is still angry over that betrayal and would not bat an eyelid to extract his pound of flesh. Indeed, the fact that Udenwa has indicated interest to contest the seat shows the deep animosity he has against Izunaso.

 

But the former governor is not the only one. All those who helped Izunaso into office have vowed to stop him from returning because of his arrogant posturing and weak representation in the National Assembly. For instance, the radical Orlu Political Consultative Assembly, (OPOCA) which purchased the senate nomination form for Izunaso has since disowned him because he refused to address the political and economic marginalization of Orlu zone. Members of the body had since pitched tent with Chief Hope Uzodimma. Even the man who took Izunaso into government, Nze Ignatius Umunnah has abandoned him. Umunna, the former secretary to Imo State Government is now the Director General of Hope Uzodimma Senatorial campaign organization.

 

Apart from alienating himself from OPOCA and political leaders in Orlu zone, Izunaso completely disconnected himself from the people that voted him as their senator. He hardly held constituency briefing and whatever constituency projects that were approved he took to his home town, Ohakpu and Oru West to the total neglect of the other local governments. Employment opportunities and scholarships were given to children and girlfriends of his cronies. He became a lord instead of the servant of the people.

 

It could be recalled that it was based on that arrogance and incompetence in discharging his legislative duties that Orlu leaders gathered signatories for his recall last year. He was to go down in Nigerian history as the first senator to be recalled but for the intervention of Gov Ohakim and OPOCA which pleaded that he should be allowed to serve out his tenure and go home. But it does appear that a mistake was made in not booting him out of office immediately.

 

However, the people of Orlu are poised not to repeat such costly mistake,l even as the greatest obstacle to Izunaso’s re-election is the fact that his federal constituency has dominated the Orlu senate seat since 1983. Orlu zone is made up of four federal constituencies namely Ideato North/Ideato South, Nkwerre/Nwangele/Isu/Njaba, Orlu/Orsu/Oru East and Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta/Oru West where Izunaso hails from. From Arthur Nzeribe to Izunaso, the federal constituency has produced the senator for five consecutive terms. The consensus is that the seat should move to another federal constituency.

 

In this regard, the leaders of OPOCA and Orlu Political Stakeholders Forum have contended that they won’t allow the concentration of the senate seat and the Speaker of the state Assembly zoned to Orlu to remain in one federal constituency. The current Speaker, Chief Goodluck Nanah Opiah hails from Ohaji/Egbema. It is obvious that while the Speaker could still remain in that federal constituency in 2011, that of the senate seat ought to move to Orlu/Orsu/Oru East where Chief Hope Uzodimma hails from since the Ideato axis has the chairmanship of the PDP in the state.

 

Apart from ensuring equity, justice and balance in sharing political offices in Orlu zone, there is also the issue of a capable leader to confront Chief Udenwa who has sworn to stop Ohakim’s re-election through Orlu zone which has the largest population in the zone. Izunaso has been operating under borrowed robes. He does not have the political clout to checkmate Udenwa who sees him as his boy. The same could not be said of Uzodimma who is credited to have sponsored half of the elected officials in the zone to victory including Izunaso.

 

To say that the battle for the control of Orlu in 2011 will be fierce is just stating the obvious. Gov Ohakim needs strong personalities in Orlu zone to drive his campaign because Okigwe where he hails from and Owerri   are trouble areas. Izunaso does not have that strength, because even the senate seat shoe is too big for him to wear reason he has been wobbling since 2007. Many people in Orlu don’t trust him because they see him as the man who betrayed Udenwa and could not keep his own part of the bargain. So instead of being an asset, he is actually a liability to Ohakim.

 

As the battle for Orlu senate seat gears up, Izunaso has been left in the cold. His erstwhile political godfathers have abandoned him. His constituents are displeased with him. Udenwa and his followers are lying in wait for him while OPOCA has disowned him. Nobody from outside Orlu can save Izunaso because the people are poised to resist any form of opposition.