Features
James Okoroma: Don with eyes on Mbakwe’s Imo dream
Published
3 years agoon
Imo State has always presented some interesting perspectives to Nigeria’s national politics. For the state, it has been a political trajectory of the good, the bad and the ugly, as made popular by the 1966 Italian epic spaghetti Western film, starring Clint Eastwood – the good – Sergio Lee Van Cleef – the bad and Eli Wallach – the ugly.
While the jury is out and would be so for a long time, there seems a convergence of opinions, in and outside the state that Sam Mbakwe, still holds the trophy of not only the good, but in fact, the superlative form of it – the best. The groundswell of thinking is that nobody has come close to Mbakwe’s records, more than 40 years after he left office, no thanks to the January 31 1983 military coup of Muhammadu Buhari, who went ahead to become President, in 2015, regardless the benchmark used.
That is where James Okoroma comes in. An accomplished journalist, consummate teacher and erudite scholar, he says he is intent on breaking the jinx, not only because he is imbued by his compassion to uplift the status of the state, and the standard of living for the people, but as a tribute to the late sage, whose identity as a reformer, saw the state as one of the fastest developing in Nigeria at a point in its history.
Okoroma, is pained that Mbakwe’s records had regrettably been blighted and buried in the morass of bad behaviour by successive leaders in the state, whose governance tradition taper towards self, rather than people to whom the former governor devoted his entire adult life serving, a development, which he says must be reversed.
So, having filed his application for the job of the Governor of Imo State, on the platform of African Democratic Congress (ADC), he would be squaring up with candidates of other political parties in the November 11 governorship election, including the incumbent, Hope Uzodimma, who is running for re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is in power at the national and the state level.
Naturally, for those relying on the old order in assessing political fortunes or lack of it, the immediate contention is that he is a dark horse, because the ADC is not listed among the big political parties and that he is not among the big names in Imo politics. In other words, he does not have the structure to win the governorship election. But the immediate counter lies in the other arguments that suggest otherwise, one of which is that the state has never been enamoured with big names in making their political choices.
In fact, virtually all the governors that have ruled the state from 1999 when Nigeria returned to full-blown democracy, have either been the very dark horses or thrown up by some uncanny dramatic political events, which were neither never envisaged nor came into the calculation in the sequence of things.
In 2007, the governorship election, which threw up Ikedi Ohakim of the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA), a completely new party and one of the darkest horses on the bloc, came out of the blues. It was the outcome of the drama that ensued in the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was in charge at the state and national levels.
The bitter clatter of the battle weapons between then President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was determined to deny him victory and Ifeanyi Ararume, who was determined to prove his worth, left the PDP so badly bruised and lacerated that it lost the election it was billed to win, even after Ararume, then Senator representing Okigwe zone at the National Assembly, eventually snatched the ticket of the party from the jaws of the lion at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. But the backlash therefrom, effectively threw victory in the laps of Ohakim as the beneficiary.
Even more recently, the emergence of Uzodimma, though presents a different perspective, is no less dramatic and unexpected. To many, it is more of an accident than normal. The drama of how he was eventually named the governor by the Supreme Court, months after Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP had been on the seat, underscores the reality of how fate could actually work in favour of the underdog. Nothing says that history could not repeat.
Indeed, one of the easiest ways of a dark horse being thrown up, is when the big elephants do battle against themselves. Presently the known names are out once again. Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary of the PDP, Attan Achonu of the Labour Party (LP), a man who has been in the face of Imo politics over the years, since emerging Senator in the state in 2015. They are the ones expected to pose the real threat to Uzodimma, and not the likes of Okoroma.
Incidentally, apart from the peculiar nature of Imo politics, those who might naturally assume that the likes of Okoroma would not measure up, going by the thinking of the old order politics, which look for ubiquitous names, may likely be the ones to be jolted back to reality of the new political phenomenon in Nigeria, just like the recent events in the country, have demonstrated. The outcome of the 2023 general elections and the performance of the LP, through the exemplary influence of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the party, has shown that what Nigerians are looking for in leadership are far beyond big names or structures, especially the variant Obi described as structures of criminality, which have brought nothing but sorrow, tears and blood.
Those with demonstrable appetite for anti-democratic activities, anti-social behaviours and, or anti-people records, may soon discover that though they may possess the instrument of raw power, they require more than that to advance this time around. It becomes even worse for them, particularly if they are perceived to have a hand in the plots that have turned the state into a killing field in recent years, either as direct participants, enablers or supporters, one way or the other.
That may indeed be the biggest issue in the November poll. If indeed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), lives up to its billing in the election, political actors in the state and those who promote them, may realise that what they need to advance to power are beyond what they flaunt at the moment.
Already, Okoroma, seems to be looking in that direction. Bemoaning the lot of the state in recent years in his recent letter to the people entitled: As Imo Burns and Bleeds, I offer to serve, he made a pitch on how the combination of experience and integrity would be the weapon to conquer the ugly experience the state has been subjected, in what, to him could only be summed up as the years of the locusts.
He wrote: “It is with a deep sense of responsibility and commitment I write to inform you of my decision to offer myself for service as governor of Imo State on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). I have painstakingly learnt leadership principles. I have served as Special Assistant to some of Nigeria’s leading politicians, such as the late President of Senate, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo and Chief Akin Omoboriowo, who was at one time Deputy Governor of old Ondo State.
I have worked in the Nigerian Senate.
“This makes me conversant with legislative procedures and parliamentary politics. I am also vast in political party administration, having worked as National Secretary of one of Nigeria’s political parties. I am also an employer of labour. I have taught at secondary school and at university level. In view of my experiences and entrenchment in the Nigerian political system, I cannot fold my arms while Imo burns and bleeds. Imo is in dire straight and needs urgent redirection.
“My experiences as a university lecturer, secondary school teacher, special assistant to the former President of the Senate, Deputy Governor and employer of labour, equip me with the necessary leadership skills to genuinely rescue Imo from leadership collapse and executive rascality. I intend to combine the vision of the late Chief Sam Mbakwe, with the humility of Chief Achike Udenwa to place Imo on the part of sustainable development if elected governor.
“I shall undertake the following:
- Run an all-inclusive government that will bring all Imolites together and restore their confidence in government
- Initiate and implement an educational policy that will bring the managers of the school system and drivers of the economy together to produce graduates who would be useful in different sectors of the economy
- Restore discipline in the school system and stop the exploitation of students in our tertiary institutions
- Embark on a channelisation scheme to deflood and decongest Owerri for free flow of human and vehicular traffic
- Provide cheap, qualitative and accessible healthcare system that will guarantee free healthcare for pregnant women, children below the age of 18 and senior citizens above the age of 75
- Create roles for traditional rulers and the church in the provision of security and management of local affairs
- Build cottage industries to be run by the people, in accordance with regulations which shall be prescribed by my government
- Provide a meeting point between state and non-state actors as a means of ensuring peace and lasting security in the state
- Enhance tourism to provide jobs for our youths in the hospitality industry
- Provide interest-free credit facilities to help small-scale businesses and grow the informal sector
- Ensure prompt payment of salaries and pensions in order to encourage civil servants and build an effective workforce
- Revive agriculture and make Imo a food-producing state
“I’m aware of the agony, pain, deceit and humiliation of our people. I’ve suffered over the years. I intend to put a stop to all these by decisively providing effective, humane and purposeful leadership. By the grace of Almighty God, Imo will rise again under my watch. Please accept the assurance of my sincere regards and abiding solidarity.”
How this resonates with the people would be determined by the time they file out in November to decide on whether to retain the old order or to opt for a change. But what is no longer open to guesswork is that Okoroma would be part of the calculations in that decision. Who knows, Imo may indeed have a new face – the face of an intellectual egghead! The clock is ticking!
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Features
Adewunmi to LCC! Forgive, forget, reconcile, be agreed! *Begins final term
Published
3 days agoon
June 3, 2026
Seyi Adewunmi, President of the Lagos Country Club (LCC), launched into his third term in office on Tuesday, with the eternal words with which William Shakespeare depicted the pleas of King Richard 11 to British noblemen at daggers-drawn in his forecourt, some 431 years ago – forgive, forget, reconcile and be agreed.
It was his way of offering his olive branch to seek healing for members still lacerated with old wounds of the bitter battle for the soul of the club, which ended up in courtrooms after failure to settle it inside the games-room, the tennis courts and other troubleshooting arenas.
Flanked by his wife, Ify, whose contribution he lavishly acknowledged, Adewunmi, at his inauguration at the club’s main hall, apparently recalling the incident, which nearly crippled affairs at the family club, said: “To those who are still aggrieved, I speak to you now, directly and without condition. Whatever the disagreement, the Club is bigger than any single dispute, and its future is far more important than any lingering bitterness.
“Whatever the words that were said or the decisions that felt unjust, I invite you, today, to lay it down. No dispute is worth dividing us. I extend to you my open hand and my open heart. This is your club. It needs you. I need you.
“The chapter we are about to write is better written together and it MUST be written. So please sheathe your swords. Come home. The gates are open, the seats are ready, and the work is too important for any of us to sit it out.”
The President, who was full of praises for the club’s Board of Trustees, was particularly enthused with the contributions of Aare Kola Oyefeso, the leader of the exulted body, whom he described as “a conscience and compass of this club,” for donating his wealth of experience.
Hear him: “To our Board of Trustees, and to Chief Kola Oyefeso in particular, I offer my deepest respect. You have been the still, small voice of wisdom in the seasons of noise.
“Every time this Presidency needed an elder’s hand on the shoulder, you were there. The Management Council and the Board have not merely coexisted during my tenure, we have collaborated, and the Club is better for it. I am indeed very grateful sir.
Expressing similar gratitude to other members of the Management Council Officers and the Chairmen of the various Sections and their Committees as well as the members, he enjoined them to prepare for the task ahead.
He added: “I see you all. I greet you all. And I am profoundly glad to be standing here, still standing, before you today. Let me begin with a confession. When I first stood in this position three years ago, I made promises. Big promises. The kind that sound magnificent from a podium and look somewhat different at seven in the morning when the contractor has not shown up and the cheque has not cleared….but I did not run away.
“I did not make excuses. I did not hide behind procedure or blame my predecessors. I rolled up my sleeves, as you well know I am rather fond of doing, and I worked. Two terms. Hundreds of meetings. Thousands of decisions. One attempted character assassination which, I am glad to report, the character survived.
“And today, you have returned me unopposed for a third and final term. Not because I cannot be challenged. Not because the road ahead is smooth.
“But because you looked at my record, you weighed me as a man, you made your assessment, and you made your verdict. I receive this mandate with the full weight of gratitude and the full fire of purpose. Lagos Country Club — your President is back. And this time, we will finish the work.”
He also expressed gratitude for various members of the club, who had supported in many ways to keep it going, recalling particularly the donation of equipment worth millions of naira by Tunji Amosu, the Vice President of the club, saying such a selfless gesture defined the idea behind LCC as a family club.
Hear him: “He (Amosu) reached into his own pocket, deep into his pocket I might add, and donated equipment worth millions of Naira to our new clinic. Millions. I want to be clear: this was not government allocation. This was not a corporate write-off. This was one man saying, ‘I believe in this Club enough to invest my own resources in its wellbeing.’ That is the spirit of Lagos Country Club at its finest, and it deserves to be celebrated.
“But let me also say that greatness is not only measured in millions. Gifts are never less precious than the grand gesture, and for this reason, I want to honour those who gave what they had, and gave it gladly. Confidence Yunusa (D12848) donated pillows to our clinic, and before you smile, those pillows matter. They speak of someone who thought about the comfort of a sick fellow member on a sick bed. That is love in action.
“Also, Femi Oduwole (D14027) gave us a water dispenser. Clean water. To all who gave in any measure: this Club sees you, this Management Council thanks you, the Board of Trustees appreciates you and history, as I speak is recording you.”
Features
Jim Nwobodo: The Sun shines, thrills, at ‘The Vanguard Awards’
Published
1 month agoon
April 30, 2026
By Sunny Igboanugo
Features
Ben-Chuks Nwosu, Ogbalike Nnewi: Another feather to the cap, as the doyen soldiers on
Published
7 months agoon
October 27, 2025
Despite consistent usage, it has remained a powerful reality, the age-long saying that the drum sounds for a great man – in life and at death. Rather than becoming a tiring cliché its reality continues to emerge as demonstrable evidence from time to time.
So, when on Sunday, October 26, 2025, the cap lowered on the head of Ben-Chuks Nwosu – astute lawyer, consummate politician, inimitable humanist, gifted public speaker and foremost community leader, it was not just another historic event, many of which have trailed him over the years, but a clear statement on the persona of the former Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly – one meant to capture his import as a man who has conquered his territory and etched his name permanently on the sands of time.
The versatile lawyer and politician, was among the influential figures assembled for special recognition by Igwe Keneth Orizu 111, Monarch of the Nnewi ancient kingdom – one of the iconic traditional stools in Anambra State – to mark his 100 years of age and 62 years on the throne, as one of the features of the historic event.
The monarch, the oldest and longest reigning king in Nigeria was emphatic on why Nwosu made that list – it was an acknowledgement of his positive contributions, not only to the development of the ancient town, but to the advancement of humanity in general through his engagements in many aspects, especially his chosen career of law and his vocation as a politician.
Ostensibly, the royal father wanted to make that statement both as part of the records of his reign and to demonstrate the essence of the biblical saying – to whom much is given, much is expected – and how this son on of Nnewi land had over time, fits that bill perfectly.
For instance, not only the monarch, the people of Anambra, if not the conscious world, bore and still bear witnesses to how, the primus inter pares of the Anambra legislature, Nwosu unsheathed his sword from the scabbards to confront the political hounds that attacked the state at that time, in defence of his territory – democracy.
The echoes of that historic period in the state, have continued to reverberate across the firmament, while the imprimatur has continued to be evident in demonstrably bold terms even now, as the doyen has again donated himself to yet a fresh battle – that of rescuing the people of Anambra from the abyss of despair as the state approaches the edge of the precipice where the current minders are driving it, through bad policies and unwholesome politics.
Currently, the Chief of Staff (CoS) of the John Chuma Nwosu (JCN) Campaign Council, the ex-lawmaker, has become a central voice for the new advocacy in Anambra by JCN – the man, who has taken it as duty to rescue the state and reverse the evil political vehicle, fast galloping towards that inevitable destruction.
Ndubuisi Nwobu, Deputy Governorship Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), at the hosting of members of the council at a reception organised at his Nnewi country home, shortly after the event at the Igwe’s palace, spared no words in acknowledging this aspect of the former Speaker’s persona, particularly his contributions to both politics and human development in Anambra State and beyond.
Nwosu takes traditional greetings with Igwe Orizu
For Nwobu, himself one of the biggest names in Anambra political arena, bearing the scars of its different political wars, it was a recognition of a fellow warrior in the battlefield and a colleague in arms, whose contributions are vital for the mission at hand.
The former Chairman of Awka South Local Government Area and former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who represented the governorship candidate at the event was emphatic in guaranteeing that Nwosu would neither relent or be deterred by the arsenal of war being assembled by the anti-democratic, anti-progressive and clearly negative forces in the state, who seem intent on relentlessly asphyxiating it of life.
Hear him: “There is greater work ahead and I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll live up to expectation, because your passion for the service to mankind is exceptional. Whatever you set your mind on, you pursue it with so much gusto and vigour, as if your life depends on it. For you, there’s always no going back.
“Congratulations. The entire campaign council greets you. We thank you for what you have done and have no hesitation in our belief that with your contributions to this onerous task, we’re going to triumph. Remain strong. May the good Lord continue to strengthen you in the name of Jesus.”
Before Nwobu spoke, Prof. Zelinjo Igweze, Director, Women Mobilisation and Dr. CC Okeke, Deputy Director General (DDG) Political Matters, had also spoken in the same manner, paying glowing tribute to the Nnewi-born political juggernaut.
Ike Iwenofu, accomplished Engineer and Director General of the council, had earlier in his tribute on behalf of the members, also acknowledged Nwosu’s towering profile and invaluable contributions to the campaign efforts.
He wrote: “The entire John Chuma Nwosu Campaign Council bursts with joy as we celebrate our indefatigable Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Barr. Benchuks Nwosu, on this glorious day of honour and recognition by His Royal Majesty, Igwe Dr. Kenneth Orizu III of Nnewi, during the historic Centenary Birthday Celebration.
“This royal honour is not just a mark of distinction, but a celebration of character — a recognition of your steadfast loyalty, uncommon humility, and tireless service to humanity and our great movement. You have continued to distinguish yourself as a pillar of strength and a shining example of leadership, loyalty, and integrity. Your honour today reflects the values we hold dear — service, excellence, and commitment to the greater good.
“We rejoice with you, Ogbalike Nwachinemelu, and pray that this recognition opens even greater doors of favour, grace, and impact in your journey ahead. A thousand cheers to a worthy son, a noble leader, and a loyal ally!”
Nwosu with Nwobu
But for the man of the moment, the event evoked memories decked in family history, particularly depicting a family of warriors, whose essence was captured in the roles they played in defence of the territorial integrity of the Obuofia Nnewi enclave in the years of yore.
He tells the story: “My father, Nwoke Modo was a warrior and it became his assignment to move from Obuofia to wage wars against our attackers. Where we live now is called Agawana, meaning war trenches. So, Eze Ugbuonyanta, the great grandfather of the person that gave me this title today, named him Ogbalike. That means, when things get tough, he is invited.
“So, when this came up about a year ago, I told the Igwe that I had a senior brother, but they said the knew the history, but that this was given to me in recognition of the special role I played as Speaker, particularly during the impeachment saga (of former governor, Peter Obi.)
“They said I proved some genetic trails when I did not betray him as then Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Council and I did not betray Dr. Dozie Ikedife, who was the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. So, this has been in the making for more than a year. In line with tradition, I had to let my elder brother know and he gave his consent that I could go ahead and take our grandfather’s title. That’s what I have done today. Since he was a warrior, they felt that the role I had played in Anambra politics akin to that of a warrior, hence the title.”
With this historic aspect, it might no longer be surprising to anyone the line the former Speaker is toeing, why his battle-weary body is lacerated with the scars of war and why his path both in politics, law and other endeavours is strewn with courage and forthrightness. It lives in the family – an acknowledgement that Ogbalike Nnewi is not just a title, it is history!
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June 6, 2026 10:41 am
June 6, 2026 10:41 am
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