ROCHAS OKOROCHA AND HIS SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

I was reliably informed that the disgraced outgoing Gov. Rochas Okorocha has been having sleepless nights because May 29 is fast approaching.

The fact that the Governor has employed every under hand means to frustrate and even truncate the swearing in of Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha is a proof. In a civilized society where civilized leadership is involved , the outgoing Governor ordinarily should ensure a smooth transition of power, even though the incoming government is an opposition. However, the case is different with the outgoing Governor. Despite the fact that his son-in-law has filed what appears to be a hopeless petition at the Election Tribunal, yet the outgoing Governor has remained inexplicably restive.

That is why since Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha was declared winner, the outgoing Governor has made so many moves to frustrate him. Starting from emptying the treasury, to massive last minute employment. Then the unnecessary foot-dragging in setting up a Transition Committee to the mass looting of government property across the State and the last minute registration of 3 Universities. Also to be included is the alleged attempt to bribe senior INEC officials with $1 Billion to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha and the mischievous move to use some faceless persons to get a court order to stop the swearing in ceremony.

We can't fail to mention how the Governor has been running from pillar to post to find a way to stop the moving train that is Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha. He started by staging a visit last month to the President, in his usual manner of dropping the President's name even when it's obvious the President is not interested in his matter. Then he ate the humble pie and ran to Tinubu and from there to Oshiomhole where he was embarrassed and thrown out of the office. It has also been reported that the outgoing Governor has suddenly become "born-again" as he has been jumping from one church to the other for prayers to save his dying political life.

The latest is the stage-managed Southeast Post-election Peace meeting for which, it was alleged he further emptied State treasury to pay First Class Traditional Rulers across Nigeria to come and launder his badly battered image. All these avalanche of moves were simply geared towards one objective, and that is to stop the swearing in of Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha and to install his son-in-law Uche Nwosu as Governor.

But the $1 million question is why would a Governor who supposedly served his people for 8 years be so jittery and feverish to handover power? Why is he so desperate to install his son-in-law Uche Nwosu? Any discerning mind can see that the outgoing Governor is desperate to handover power to his son-in-law at all cost not out of patriotic zeal, but simply for the young man to cover his tracks. Any body who knows Rochas Okorocha very well knows that he "over-thinks". The kite he was flying about contesting for presidency in 2023 was a ruse aimed also at diverting attention from the scandalous unprecedented looting of the State under his watch. His purported senatorial ambition was also meant to actualize the same purpose.

Unfortunately the Governor got hit from an angle he least expected, his own political party where he was a king pin and a stalwart. His bubble bursted and he resorted to fighting a dirty rear guard battle to save his life. These are the reasons Rochas Okorocha is having sleepless nights at handing over power to the incoming Governor. He is sore afraid that the incoming government will unearth the dirty deals and fraud that took place in his government. He is scared of facing a probe by the EFCC and the State where his son-in-law will not be in power to cover him up. He is afraid of going to prison.

Granted, the thought of going to prison is enough reason to give anyone a sleepless night. But is it not the Bible that Rochas Okorocha usually quotes that says "whatsoever a man sows that he shall reap"? Ironically, Rochas Okorocha has just built a multi million Naira prison complex in the State, as if to say he is Nostradamus- the man who saw tommorow. However, what will happen in his tommorow is between him and his God. But one thing is sure, May 29 must come and go and what will be, will be.

By Barr Ekene Bob-Ekechukwu