The Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha of course, has a lot of worries. He ought to, after all it is not an easy task to carry the burden of over 5 million Imo citizens on your shoulder as their number one citizen.
Even as Okorocha has barely six active months left to be on the seat, yet a plethora of responsibilities dot after him.
Although I have no sympathy for Okorocha because he begged for the job. But I feel for him because he is always on the spot as the Chief Security Officer of Imo State.
However, in most cases, the Governor whether intentionally or inadvertently usually places himself in the eyes of the masses, because of his actions and inactions.
The recent matter bothering Imo State Governor, is the issue of illicit Drugs, which the Governor said has destroyed “his children”, the Imo Youths. Okorocha was so angry with the situation that he has to conclude that it was better for Imo Youths to indulge in Robbery than taking Drugs.
Why the Governor is saying this is not easy to decipher. However, what is certain is that as the Chief Security Officer of the State, he has more information at his disposal than the common citizens have, including the Journalists.
But why the Governor believes that it is better for the youths to indulge in stealing than Drugs is what broke my heart. Both crimes are criminal acts that bother the society because a Drug addict and Armed Robber are on the same plane, but of different speed.
Indeed, while a Drug addict destroys himself with the addiction, the Robber terrorizes the entire society.
But it is good to note that in most cases, armed Robbers get set for their trade after taking hard Drugs. In this case using Drugs as a stimulant and get high to carry out the dastardly act. In the other hand, a Drug addict could only be a menace to himself and family after destroying himself with the substance, and therefore becomes useless to both the family and the entire society.
Therefore, when condemning vices, be it taking of illicit Drugs, or stealing, and coming from a State Governor, he/ she ought to place a blanked condemnation on all societal vices, no matter how it looks, because all criminals are the same, and are serious dangers to the society vide, the Law abiding citizens.
Therefore when you say that Robbery is better than Drug taking, I disagree with that. Both are dangerous to both the society, as they pose a very big menace to the development of the society.
In the case of Imo State, for the Governor to have come that open to air his mind on Drug taking in the State among the youths, he must have been shaken with the intelligent report available to him in this regard.
Infact, he even has to set up a Task Force on illicit Drugs in the State headed by a Senior Government official. The Governor went as far as threatening that from hence, whoever is found to be selling Drugs, such a fellow would have his House pulled down.
Even the sleeping and docile Imo House of Assembly has been encouraged to put out a law that will ban illicit Drugs in the State and also punish the offenders.
In theory, all these measures may be good to be applied to checkmate this latest problem among Imo Youths. But the big question is; are these measures enough? What is the root cause of this latest trend in Imo State, where a lot of people have suddenly embraced Drugs? Has this been the trend before now? Did it just start among the Youths? Why is it so?
These are the questions begging for answers. And it is only the Government of Governor Rochas Okorocha, who has discovered that much Imo Youths are now taking to Illicit Drugs, that can not only profer the remedy, but the solution.
It is left for Okorocha, as the State Chief Executive and Chief Security Officer to handle this serious issue.
The situation is dicey because the future of every society lies in its youths. Renowned writer and world citizen, Prof Wole Soyinka described his own generation as “Wasted”. But since over decades the erudite scholar made this statement, has anything changed? The situation is even worse for some States, because while some have made plans for their future and are pursuing it with all vigour others are pursuing inanities.
Some of the States like Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and to an extent Kano have set eternal foundations for their youths, with long and short term projects that develop the talents in their States.
In the present Imo State, we have lost the fight to curb youth delinquency and that is why the State is now churning out Drug addicts. They say an idle mind is a Devil’s workshop. That is why it is very dangerous to leave youths unengaged because they are bound to channel it elsewhere.
When Governor Okorocha raised alarm on Youths taking to Drugs, it meets more than the eyes.
In all these sorry situations, can the Government be counted out in the list of those who led Imo to be one of the producers of Drug addicts?
What the Governor is openly saying today to the glare of Electronic and Print Media is nothing but a sum-total of the mismanagement and mis-direction of the future of the youths that have trailed Imo State since 2011.
What has been Government’s policy towards producing well-educated and equipped Imo Youths to stand on their own at any given time, divorced from occasional hand-outs dished out to thousands of unemployed Imo Graduates in the name of “Civil Service Jobs”, only four months any administration is quitting office?
In the first place, Okorocha started very well in the area of youth development, by choosing free education as the cardinal point of his administration.
A greater percentage of Imolites bought into this free education policy. But as Okorocha is about leaving office seven years after, with the Governor himself raising alarm about the number of youth Drug Addicts in the State is an indication that his youth policy has failed.
Without a good education policy that can produce youths in good character and deed, Imo State is in danger in the days ahead, except a new administration takes that as a serious matter.
A multitude of youths without employment is a big danger to the State. After combing other States without getting jobs, Imo Youths tend to return home, where they could at least eat once a day under their parents, who had already paid through their noses for their education.
In the States mentioned earlier, they developed their infrastructure alongside their youths, who are the greater tomorrow. They invest in projects that has added value to their people.
But in the case of the present Imo State, we give much attention to unproductive ventures that have no economic values; such as Gardens, Halls, Conference Centers, Traditional Rulers Palace, Christmas Trees, Hosting of Foreign Presidents, building of Statues, New Government Houses, Presidential Lodges, Hall of Fames, Squares etc.
Now, the chicken has come home to roost. The larger society is just like running your family. If you fail to equip your children well they cannot grow to take over from you with pride. Therefore, what we sow is what we reap. These youths now taking to Drugs in the State did not come from the moon.
Since 2011, no old Industry has been refurbished and no new one has been established yet. This is against the backdrop of the Governor’s promises on Industrialization, which he knows guarantees his Job, Job, Job! Industry! Industry! Mantra.
All the trips to Vietnam and the numerous Economic tourism to Turkey with a large contingent of Imolites are still flying in the face of Imo populace who groan in the night over the present tough situation.
Whoever saw Governor Okorocha’s activities in office in the first two years would realize that the Governor meant well. But suddenly, he seemed to have jettisoned his earlier people-oriented plans that would have put him in the heart of Imo people to eternity.
Many say it is because strangers who were not part of the real “Rescue Mission” have hijacked the Governor and therefore they do not know about the “Owelle’s Blue Print For Imo State”.
Unfortunately, while the Government laments about the number of Drug addicts and Robbers in the State, the same Government is demolishing markets. There is nothing frustration from idleness cannot push a man into.
Was it not the Okorocha’s administration that sacked the 10,000 youths it met in office employed by the previous Government?
We are lamenting about Imo Youths, yet the same Okorocha’s Government sacked over 20,000 Youths it employed.
When such number of unemployed Army of youths are thrown into a small State like Imo that has no Industries, what do we expect?
More still, the Civil Servants and Pensioners who produced most of these youths cannot take care of themselves much more their old children who by now should be taking care of their aged parents.
This is the reason we say it is a duty to pay workers their salaries to help take away able bodied youths off the streets.
Another area that takes youths off the street and vices is Sports. But the Okorocha administration does not even give a glance to sports development in the State.
A visit to the new stadium Owerri will convince you that the incumbent administration does not care about Sports. The old stadium Owerri has gone with the demolition of Ekeukwu Owerri, and with the latest inferno that gulped the shopping plaza along tetlow Road, that is the end of the stadium.
First time in the history of Imo State, the State’s darling football team, Heartland Football club went on relegation.
Now the Management team has against all odds brought back the team to the elite league. But has the Government done anything to improve the team? May be it is waiting for the club to go back to relegation and then obliterated from Nigeria soccer history.
Sports development can take care of a lot of Imo Youths now embracing Drugs. Infact, some States like Abia, Enugu, Rivers etc have two or three Football teams in the various leagues and they are well-funded. But Imo State since seven years now cannot fund just one team. And this is very important sector to employ the youths.
It will be a stupid to say that for seven years, Okorocha has not done anything in the State. That is not true.
But I make bold to say that in terms of such policies that can enhance the quality of Imo Youths, create employment and take care of the restive youths and remove their eyes from societal ills like Drug taking, this administration has failed.
Enough of these frivolous projects that can hardly employ one person. Let other Governors look into Imo Youths employment, and they will have less sleepless nights over youth indulgence in Drugs and Robbery. The time is over now, as Okorocha is about leaving office. But any attempt is welcome.
