By Christian Ubochi
I have been following the argument between Imo State governments under His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha and his former Chief Comedian Hon. Uche Ogbuagu and without bias, I will blame Hon. Ogbuagu for bringing everything that has happened upon himself.
When Hon. Ogbuagu was appointed Chief Comedian to the Government House, he probably did not see the title as an honourable one which is why he was flaunting himself as the SA on entertainment.
Appointment latter or no appointment letter, there were still publications on newspapers that had his name clearly written alongside others and we all read these things.
With Hon. Ogbuagu assuming office and creating the Bureau for Entertainment, he did all these to elevate his office because for someone in his class, being a chief comedian to a governor makes him look like a clown.
His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha has never appointed an SA on Entertainment, the last Imo State had was Okey McAnthony [Bakassy] under former governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim.
Uche lied to his friends and Imolites at large forgetting that at the end of the day, he will still be a comedian.
He blocked ways for other comedians/entertainers to get close to the government and was always out to charge his colleagues a huge amount to participate in government events. This is the main reason why he is now walking alone like a Liverpool team spanked in Anfield. He does not have anyone on his side but the politicians and they are only on his side because he is fighting Imo State Government and the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Going to the extent of saying that his life was being threatened which I can’t say how true it is, is a big step and if we all remember, the Hon Ogbuagu buzz started when some internet blogs published that the Akobo born Comedian has defrauded 500 Imo artistes of Five Thousand Naira [N5,000] each, a sum that totaled to N2,500,000.
Although this allegation was never proven as per the number of people that bought the form that year to participate in a competition that will see the governor take the best artiste abroad, the calculation was still wrong because if each artistes spent an average of nineteen thousand naira for his recording, transportation and feeding to see him achieved this sole aim of being taken abroad, it meant that about N9.500,000 was wasted because of him.
I don’t know what the governor told Hon. Ogbuagu and for him to be working without an appointment letter is his personal business, I want to say that he made his own enemies.
He is still using the governor to promote his forthcoming comedy album, which is unfair although in showbiz, it is allowed after all the uglier the better.
This could have been a government versus entertainers battle, but Uche is fighting alone and soon he will realize how alone he is simply because he had earlier fought off everyone who could have been on his side.
Like I said earlier, he chose to work without an appointment letter and that is his problem but one thing I saw in the whole scenario is that governor Okorocha saw this coming, maybe he never trusted Hon. Ogbuagu right from day one but needed what the comedian had in him. His brain.
Employing someone without an employment letter is not a good thing still for a governor who wants us to take him serious, but let this be a lesson to every entertainer that will be working with the government in future. Go there to work out ways for others and not to sap them out of the little they have.
Uche can say whatever he wants to say but he should understand that onye kpara nku ahuhu si ngwere biara oriri
Christian Ubochi writes from Owerri, Imo State.
Aside verifiable facts, the rest are the writers opinion
