Imo State: Owelle Rochas not a miracle worker
By
Nwaorgu Faustinus
 |
| Ohakim |
Majority of Imo indigenes
and non indigenes will agree to some extent that the butted past administration
led by one of the most hated, alleged criminal cum 419ner, cunning, heartless
etc, governor Ohakim who has earned for himself the above sobriquet as well as
“Ikiri/ewi” during and after his wasteful campaign outing, proved to be a
“sore’ Chief Executive ever produced in the annals of Imo State politics.
His perceived and proven
commissions and omissions are largely responsible for his disastrous bowing out
of the government house which most people see as good radiance to poor
governance. However, this writer does not want to dwell on Mr. Ohakim’s
political flaws which I know are in the realm of public knowledge but my advice
to our nascent governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha is to guard himself from or
against reenacting the tragedies of the past.
Dissecting the
suitability of Owelle for the governorship post prior to gubernatorial poll,
one Obi Nwakanma wrote, “Rochas
Okorocha, the APGA candidate, is a very interesting character and deserves
closer watch. His political history, his intellectual capacities, and his
background indicate that he is also likely to bring into the state, a
terrible regime of maladministration.”
Mr. Nwakanma pointed out
thus, “All we need to arrive at this conclusion is simply to examine his
conducts as Chairman of the National Airspace Management Agency. A little peep
into his website indicates a serious lack of in sight. His great credential is
of a “philanthropist” – Eze Umu-ogbeye, as the Igbo would put it. Charity is a
good thing, but there is certainly a higher form of charity wherever there is
equality; and I’m afraid that a cursory look at Okorocha does not satisfy the
imperative for a 21st century
administrator in Imo
State.”
Whatever
might be the reason behind Mr. Nwakanma’s conclusion may not be unconnected
with his own purported personal interest - for he inclined to support the
candidature of Mr. Emeka Nwajiuba of the Congress of Progressive Change CPC whom he
endorsed on the grounds of being a young professional, well-educated, and
astute politician among other credentials of the CPC candidate.
Before I left my base in
Port
Harcourt for Ngor/Okpala before the elections to exercise my
franchise, I had already made up my mind to vote for Owelle Rochas base on his
track record in granting scholarship to many students, his good name and
philanthropic works that do not only resonate in Nigeria but also outside the shores of
Nigeria. Calls came from both Nigeria and abroad on the need to
rally support for this God, electorate-favored personality – Owelle Rochas.
This, strengthen my conviction that he was the one most favoured, loved,
legitimate and accepted candidate to occupy the government house and it came to
pass – today he is the Governor of Imo State.
The truth is Imolites
have high expectations from the successive government, led by Mr. Owelle
Rochas. The question is, how he will go about to actualize such enormous
aspiration and yearnings of Imo people given the present economic fortunes of
the state, passed unto him by prodigious “Ikiri”? Such hopes include rapid and
even distribution of infrastructural facilities; good roads, well equipped and
staffed schools, health centres and hospitals and portable water across the
twenty seven Local Government Areas. In addition, employment generation; prompt
payment of pensioners and salaries of civil servants, protection of life and
property, reduction in tuition fee of students in higher institutions among
others are top in the minds of Imo people.
Needless to talk about
the state of our roads, educational institutions, hospitals, health centers
which are melancholic sights to behold, no thanks to past kleptomaniac regimes
whose stock in trade is to line their pockets and stash our common patrimony in
closely guarded foreign banks. Though it has been said that
Mr. Owelle Rochas is bighearted, but can only his generosity deliver the
dividends of democracy at the door steps of Imolites?
It is his deeply seated
determination, persistence and the crop of likeminded personalities that would
work with him who have the overall interest of Imo people at heart given the
vital enablement (funds for the execution of people oriented projects) that
will see him through. Any thing short of this will bring us back to where we
were four years ago because you are not a miracle worker.
Therefore, you should
have the necessary sights – insight, hindsight and foresight to be able to
select those to work with you to lift Imo from its comatose
state to El Dorado.
The time to play out your rescue mission to the letter is now and brings Imo
back to what it used to be when Sam Mbakwe was the Chief Executive.
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