Idoma at the crossroads once more

By steve anyebe.

It’s been difficult to sleep all night. What with thoughts of 30th December, 2021! The D day for the selection/election of Och’Idoma V. Who and who are in the race? Who is likely to win? What is likely to happen? So many questions. The only answer that will make Idoma people happy is that the eventual winner should be one willingly and popularly elected by a credible electoral college. Is this likely to happen today? Your guess is as good as mine. Not likely! Simple reason is that the electoral college, as presently constituted for the uploading of the next Och’Idoma, can hardly be described as credible. Again, the reason is because of the exclusion, this time around, of Idoma beaded Chiefs who have always been part of the selection process. An obvious lapse in the Benue State Chieftaincy Law of 2016 is what has thrown up this whole problem. Who is responsible for the lapse is not the issue now, but how to take a decision that would straighten this fault line which even Government has accepted is an anomaly. And all hopes for this lie squarely with Governor Samuel Ortom. His Excellency can make an announcement this morning that can change the course of Idoma history for good. He should fall back on the saying that the law is made for man and not man for the law. Unless Idoma beaded Chiefs are included in the process of selecting Och’Idoma V, whoever is selected today would face credibility problem amongst most Idoma elites for a long time. And that would not be nice. The exclusion of beaded Chiefs would also make most stakeholders point accusing fingers at the Benue State Government of using it as a ploy to appoint its stooge. That too would not be nice.

Already, last night was full of all sorts of rumours indicating that Government had directed members of the electoral college to vote for a particular aspirant who doesn’t seem to be the one allegedly expected by Idoma popular voice mandate. These are rumours though, but very strong rumours which are not nice.

As things stand now, by popular acceptance of not only Idoma people, but majority of Benue elites, the best way to go in bringing forth Och’Idoma V is to cause the inclusion of beaded Chiefs/District Heads in the electoral college.

If you ask me my candid opinion, I would straight away say *”postpone the election/selection of Och’Idoma V for one month, amend the grey areas in the 2016 Chieftaincy Law, then conduct the process”.*

I wish everyone a fruitful 2022 in advance.

Why am I only seeing this new and what does it portend for us, Our New Och’ Idoma and The Entire Idoma Nation..???