It was not expected. Virtually caught everyone unawares. Like the northern harmattan, it bloodied the noses of Imolites except, of course, the men and women of means.

The strike action embarked upon by the Imo State branch of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, in connivance with the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, was to say the least, heart-rending for many Imo families who are gradually recovering from the torrid days of the “unknown gunmen”.

As usual, businesses were paralysed. People were forced to stay indoors as the few public transport operators made sure that they exact their pound of flesh from those unlucky to venture outside their homes.

And as in a case of epic conspiracy, the almighty Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, took their light for several days without explanation. And the taps stopped running. Families had to depend on the heavenly downpour for water. What a coincidence. What a tragedy that had befallen a people over the past 3 months or thereabout.

For the first time in the current democracy, a people had to endure with three governments, each spewing antagonism against each other. First Owelle Rochas Okorocha was in a hurry to install his in law that he forgot to hand over, properly to Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.

The latter, obviously licking his wounds, dared not touch anything that had to do with his nemesis, Dist. Senator Hope Uzodinma. So, the State had been governed without a proper documentation and the citizens had to bear the brunt.

And it is this brunt that has dodged the people ever since- the Supreme Court Judgement and the subsequent appeal judgement, the COVID-19 shut down, the #EndSARS palava, the “unknown gunmen” torture, the IPOB “Ghost Monday” or sit-at-home order and then the IPMAN/PTD strike. All these on a people whose means of livelihood is a daily scavenging that yields so little.

Come to think of it, last week’s strike action by the owners of Petroleum in the Country could have been averted if common sense and responsibility were employed. With governor Hope Uzodinma absent for more than two weeks allegedly to source for funds to run his government and a non-available Deputy Governor, those saddled with quenching the fire were left gasping for breath.

With the conflicting informations or lack of it as in the case of the IPOB decreed sit-at-home order, the citizens were left more confused. As usual, beer palour speculations of a plan to increase the Petroleum from N165 to N300 or N380, were rife. But when news filtered that neighbouring states are not embroiled with the IPMAN/PTD strike, tension rose to the ceiling.

And confusion, not helped by the governor’s absence and the alleged stockpiling of tanker trucks at the outskirts of the state- a potential calamity waiting for the slightest ignition of fire. With hunger staring everyone at the face, survival instincts took over.

People had to scamper to the nearly towns of the neighbouring states to buy petrol. But to others, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. The black market operators. They bought at the official rate only to sell at exhorbitant prices- N700, N900, N1000, per litre. And the transporters grind their teeth- a journey of N100 becomes N300 or N400. Some even charged as high as N700 in a normal route of N100. It was the height of man’s inhumanity to man.

And the government kept mute. See no evil, hear no evil while Rome burns. While the captivity lasted, information filtered in on the actual cause of the strike. It was a garnishee judgement secured by a member of IPMAN/PTD over the demolition of his petrol station by the administration of former governor Rochas Okorocha, now Senator representing Imo West Senatorial district.

According to officials of IPMAN/PTD who were on a live radio programme, the current government’s refusal to settle or obey the court incurred by her predecessors necessitated the “solidarity” strike by the two bodies.

But in a response, the State government through the information Commissioner alleged conspiracy against the government insisting that the state government had since appealed against the judgement hence the Unions should wait for the outcome of it’s appeal. Conspiracy with who?. Perhaps a puzzle only the Commissioner could solve.

While the column may not delve into the moral or legal justifications of the strike, it is pertinent to disclose that court judgements against the state have become another goldmine between officials of the government, the judiciary and an alleged victim. This issue first came into prominence during the regime of Chief Ikedi Ohakim.

Awed by the avalanche of granishee judgements against the state, Ohakim parried the matter till his tenure ended. His successor, Rochas Okorocha was blunt. He will not give a dime as payment for any garnishee judgement. But his administration, unfortunately won the prize as the largest accumulation of garnishee judgements courtesy of his awkward Urban Renewal Programme when he went on a demolition spree.

It was the volume of these garnishee judgements that frightened his successor, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha who promptly cried out. He was thankful that his regime ended abruptly as he obviously was lost on the magnitude of these swindling machines. Sadly, governor Uzodinma, a former Senator who obviously knew about these unfair judgements, would become the victim of these criminal judgements.

He inherited the scourge and it’s backlash. Politics is a bitter venture. Destroy your opponent with any weapon available. The garnishee judgements have become, unfortunately, a grevious weapon against the governor by those who swore over it. It has become the proverbial tse tse fly on the scrotum that cannot be easily wished away without squeezing the valued organ.

The IPMAN/PTD strike is a forerunner of things to come as the 2023 elections draws near. The garnishee judgements is a wicked device to siphon the State government’s fund by high ranking officials of government in active connivance with the judiciary. Just as the padding of salary and pensions issue, the garnishee judgements is another avenue to steal the people’s money with impunity and without conscience.

It has unfortunately become a tool of blackmail against the Chief executive. Imo people may not know about this. What they are currently concerned is a return to normal life. But normal life will return but these swindlers of the common patrimony will not relent.

They will blackmail the governor into submission because of the next election and if he put up a little resistance, they will invade the emotions of the so called poor masses. A ready alibi or tool of blackmail. That is why governor Uzodinma must employ every tact in his disposal to handle the Orlu Petrol Station issue. There must be a compromise.

A middle of the road agreement. If the governor refuse to dialogue, more image damage will be done by his opponents. But should he acquice completely, more garnishee judgements will pop up. It is indeed a catch one situation. But let reason and common sense prevail rather than greed and avarice.

By Chuks Ofurum