By Declan Emelumba
We may never know for certain whether all is well with Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi. His case is like that of the man for whom the Devil finds work because of idle hands. Two clear years stand between us and the 2027 Imo elections, yet Amadi is already shadow-boxing, gorging on self-importance, and attempting to spar with a governor in his final constitutionally allowed term – as though heckling from the sidelines could somehow install him in Douglas House.
In the last couple of months, Chima Amadi has been all over the place seeking attention, craving visibility, and imagining himself as the saviour of Imo State. Whatever or whoever fed him the fantasy of riding on attacks against the Imo State Government to realise his vaulting ambition of becoming governor through rabble-rousing has done him a terrible disservice.
An unknown political quantity in the state, Amadi’s entry behaviour betrays a desperate and clumsy plot to curry public sentiment in his quest for power. In his rush to execute this plot, he has failed to be meticulous, failed to be circumspect, and above all, failed to be procedural.
Only a political neophyte begins a political journey by doing the last things first and the first things last. In our party system, anyone desirous of elected office will naturally start by joining a political party, popularising himself within it, and galvanising the faithful to buy into his vision. Thereafter, he proceeds to contest the party primaries for the office he seeks. A general campaign follows after clinching the ticket. Yet, as we speak, Chima Amadi is not known as a member of any political party, but he has already begun a general campaign to be governor. This is pitiable, he may well end up never securing the ticket of any political party.
So obsessed is he with ambition that it has clouded his thinking. The result is predictable: the prize he seeks will elude him. Matters are made worse by his preference for playing to the gallery instead of sticking to substance and facts.
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He and his ilk abuse the unfettered democratic space provided by Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma. The governor has created an atmosphere for open political discourse in Imo State, granting everyone the freedom to speak, regardless of the rationality of their views. Unfortunately, some politicians have abused this right, crossing the line into sedition. While this administration welcomes constructive criticism, what Amadi has been engaging in is nothing short of sedition.
For clarity, sedition is “the organised incitement of rebellion or civil disorder against authority or the state.” Another word for rebellion is insurrection. Therefore, when Amadi bandies around huge sums he claims Uzodimma has squandered, or says there is “nothing to show for it,” without proof, he crosses into seditious territory. In law, he who alleges must prove.
At a recent seminar organised by the Catholic Men Organization (CMO) in Owerri, Amadi made damaging, baseless allegations against the Uzodimma administration. He falsely claimed that Imo State records the highest maternal mortality rate in Nigeria, 1,863 deaths per 100,000, due to poor health facilities. The truth is that the actual figure is 163 per 100,000 live births, a statistic that validates the state of our health facilities. Worse still, Amadi relied on 2018 data, predating Uzodimma’s tenure, to mislead his audience. In fact, a recent report by an international health journal clearly lists states with high maternal mortality rates, and Imo is not among them. Is it not wicked to attempt to incite the public with such falsehood?
Amadi was equally reckless when he demanded that the government account for all monies received from the Federation Account from 2019 to date. A little effort would have shown him that Chapter 5, Part 2, Section 125, subsections 1 and 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) clearly spells out how public accounts are rendered. It does not require the government to account personally to Amadi or any other individual. A responsible citizen’s concern should be whether the government is complying with constitutional provisions. Clearly, Amadi is unaware of this, as his outing at Assumpta revealed his ignorance of the Nigerian Constitution. But perhaps he should do well to learn the elementary lesson of governance which is that public administration is driven by laws not whims.
And speaking of stewardship, perhaps in Amadi’s world all the rehabilitation work on 305 health centres across the state counts for nothing unless each matches the National Hospital in Abuja. Likewise, all the recognition awards from reputable bodies, including international organisations, mean nothing unless issued by Amadi himself.
When he claimed nothing was happening in the local governments, he had to capitulate when confronted with evidence, five kilometres of road built in each of the 27 LGAs. He would rather see such kilometres built monthly. Yet he remained silent on the uninterrupted power supply projects funded by LGAs or the fact that local government staff are being paid regularly. Naturally, if asked to prove that Uzodimma has seized LGA funds, he would have no evidence.
Amadi’s incitement continues until the government accounts to him for every kobo generated since 2020. By arrogating to himself the powers of the House of Assembly, he will only be satisfied when he assumes a supervisory role over the state’s finances. That is why he will not acknowledge that Uzodimma has added two new universities to the state’s lone existing one. To him, until 10,000 teachers are recruited, education is unfunded. He conveniently ignores that before Uzodimma, even lecturers were owed salaries, and that it takes substantial resources to pay the staff of three universities, one polytechnic, and one college of education while executing capital projects in the sector.
Nor will Amadi acknowledge the billions invested in critical infrastructure across the state. When he drives through Imo, he should ask about the state of those roads before this administration. Perhaps he should ask his political associates from previous governments what Uzodimma did to make Imo roads motorable again. It is not enough to be loquacious, or even garrulous, in questioning the governor’s integrity. Like doubting Thomas, he wants to be led to each of the more than 120 completed roads before believing.
Unfortunately for Amadi, Uzodimma will not be distracted by unsubstantiated allegations. These same tired claims of underperformance failed to stop his re-election, with Imo people returning him 100 per cent. People like Amadi could not even win their wards, let alone their LGAs, exposing their political irrelevance.
Overwhelmed by Uzodimma’s record performance, they resort to deceit, lies, and incitement. When a man abandons the theme of a seminar to hurl mud at the government, it shows he has no ideas to sell. Amadi’s only campaign material is a virulent attack on the administration. He says he will release a manifesto in the future, I can hardly wait to see how he convinces Imo people he is not a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
His undoing will be his fondness for throwing false allegations. It is telling that whenever there is a security breach, Amadi and his accomplice, Ikenga Ugochinyere, are first at the scene. This smacks of interference with evidence or confirming that their plans have been executed. Their haste in providing money and materials to victims of the recent Arondizuogu killings raises more questions than answers.
But as Chief Security Officer of Imo State, Uzodimma will never shirk his responsibility to protect lives and property. He is not bound to reveal his security strategies outside the Security Council, nor does he need showmanship to prove he is doing his job. He works diligently with the federal government and security agencies to tackle crime.
The arrest of those behind the beheading of a local government chairman, two years after the crime, proves the long arm of the law will reach criminals wherever they hide. Sponsors of such crimes are understandably jittery. Uzodimma has long said insecurity in Imo is politically motivated; unfolding events keep vindicating him.
What Chima Amadi should know is this: those who peddle false allegations against the government will meet a disgraceful end. Those who hope to gain electoral mileage by inciting the public will face a bitter and crushing disappointment.
Emelumba is Imo State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy
