Open Letter to Mr. Ambrose Obinna Egu
In our Phone conversation yesterday, I must confess that I was touched by your words however, I choose not to allow my emotions get the better part of me. Irrespective of the ties that bind, you have to understand that I owe it to myself to be fair and unbiased at all times. It is for that reason that I dropped my Family name. As a matter of fact, for the record I do not discuss Politics with my Family so as not to be biased.
(Joi John) has no friend or relatives in Politics. The views expressed on this blog are solely mine. Even as I write, I do not stand as angel. Growing up in Owerri, I certainly wasn’t your typical (good girl)but, I am thankful to God that I stand today as a better person. My story is proof that anyone can be whatever they choose to become if only there is a will.
Its quite unfortunate you took the Article personal but I hold no grudges against you because it’s human nature. On the contrary,you have to understand that the nature of a politician’s job is different. As a Politician ,You are expected to stay true to certain morals – especially ones which you are publicly promoting. While it hurts me that you feel really bad about the expose on your private life, I am of the opinion that if a would-be politician cannot stomach having some negative aspect of his life exposed, then he should not enter the world of Politics.
The private lives of our leaders are interesting in the sense that we also identify with their daily struggles and interests. We like to point to what our Politicians do as an examples of what they believe. Who cares if you smoked POT? Bamboozled money on Beer, Women or what have you? I personally dont care!
I challenge any one who can boast of a clean slate to step forward and cast the first stone at you. I have withdrawn my stone.
As far as I am concerned, a Politicians private struggles should not make or break his Candidacy. We don’t elect our leaders to be a moral authority; but a legislative one. I did not reach out to you as a Family-Friend. I reached out to you as a Political Blogger who had a keen interest in the Candidates seeking to be entrusted with Leadership in her home state. I was interested in you. Not many Candidates had the priviledge to get featured on this site. Blogging is time consuming so for me to have made out time to contact you, it should have shown that I meant the best for you and was willing to contribute in my little way to shed light on your Candidacy.
Personally, I wanted you to win. In my own little way, using my Blackberry Messenger Contact list, I campaigned for you. (You are a witness to that) If nothing, atleast 800+ distinguished contacts got to learn of your Candidacy.
Perhaps you looked down on me and my little blog. Kindly google your full name. The very first link Google has for you points right here on IMO STATE BLOG. No Politician should neglect the Power of the Social Media network. This may not be your traditional news site with a million and one followers but in its own little way, it has it own fair share of recognition and traffic. In just a few months of its existence, it has done quite well. The Counter on the bottom right hand corner of this page confirms my claim. So, if anything, you owe me a grateful Thank you note for propagating your name on the World Wide Web and I say this with all due respect.
I made three attempts to reach you. You couldnt have been any busier than the Gubernatorial candidates or their immediate representatives who were gracious enough to grant me audience. In your defense to me yesterday, you said ( you cannot force people to talk) I agree but, NOT in the realm of Politics. From the day you stepped into the Election ring, you became a Public figure and you owed it to any indigene of the State to discuss any questions regarding your candidacy.
If you truly meant business when you stepped out to contest for the House of Assembly, one would have thought that answers to the basic questions I had presented to you would be at your finger tips. I didnt have to be calling from Vanguard, Thisday, HuHuOnline or Sahara Reporters to get audience. You avoided the questions and it left me thinking if you were actually contesting on a genuine platform or just for the heck of it because the PDP Machinery had been put in place to scale you through.
It is not my business if you were imposed by the much respected Nda Lemmy Akakeem or His Excellency, Gov. Ikedi Ohakim. I cannot tell you that I wont take advantage of such an opportunity if it came my way but, it doesnt end with Victory at the POLLS. As the saying goes, If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. How prepared were you to handle the challenges at the House of Assembly knowing fully well that you would be held accountable for every promise you made?. What was your plan?
I would like to draw your attention to Delta State Senator-elect, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. When you search for a politician who worked his way from the grassroot to the Corridors of Power, look no further.Evidence of his constructive leadership can be seen in his profile. Please visit his Campaign website: www.okowa4senate2011.org to learn more about this great man.
Why am I even going as far as Delta State?. Right there in our home state, the Victory of His Excellency Rochas Okorocha is a testimony. The whole world witnessed the Movie. Live! No magic. No wuru – wuru. The voices of the people spoke.
Just goes to show that when you have a good rapour with your people and show genuine interest for your community, they will not deny you their vote. If a riff-raff turned 419-er in the person of Chief B_____ E_____ could make it to the House of Assembly, there was no reason why you did not win.
With all that said, you may have been a victim of a failed PDP machinery but we cannot turn back the hands of time. We are moving forward. A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits. This is not a time to look back with regrets. Though we may encounter many defeats, we must not be defeated.
“It is not the critic who counts; or the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust, sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is no effort without error and shortcomings”-Theodore Roosevelt.
I do not intend to point out your failures or ridicule your Political ambitions but, rather to motivate and inspire you. If you win, I win. It is my desire to see a new breed of youthful minded Politicians step up to the plate and retire the old.
This is a new dawn.
Nil desperandum; dimidium facti qui coepit habet. (Never despair; He who has begun the task already has the workhalf done)
The mark of a great player is in his ability to come back so, lets dust off the arrogance, roll up our sleeves and head back to the drawing board. We can no longer rely on Political God-fathers and family ties. I believe that if we spend the next four years laying the right foundation by improving our Community Public relations and rebranding our Image, there will be no obstacle to Victory come 2015.
THIS LETTER IS A RESPONSE TO MR. EGU’ S REACTION TO
THE BLOG PIECE: Election Abracadabra