Owerri, the capital city of Imo state is gradually losing its beauty to politics. The city made up of clean and urbane population is facing erosion of its splendour, due to inconsistency of policies from political Leaders who govern the state.
At the creation of Imo state in 1976, Owerri was made the Administrative capital of the new State despite the presence of other ancient towns like Umuahia, Aba, Afikpo etc.
When the first Governor, Navy Captain Ndubuisi Kanu landed Owerri, he went into action immediately, and designed a master plan for the Town that produced the Njemanzes, Okories, Osujis, Oparaugos, Oparanozies, Njeribeakos, Nnawuchis, Odors, Nkwoparas, etc.
In 1976, Owerri remained a minitown with few roads, and few modern Houses, until Mbakwe came. This was before the Military Junta in Dodan Barracks, Lagos posted Ndubisi Kanu out haven seen how this Igbo son was committed uplifting Owerri to a modern town within a short time. Dr Sam Mbakwe continued from where Kanu left, as other military Governors like Sunday Adenihu and Co, were literally on holiday in old Imo, as there was not a single structure to point at as their legacies.
During the Mbakwe era, Owerri witnessed a tremendous development, even as the Avutu, Obowo born politician also engaged in developing other cities, including Aba, Umuahia, Afikpo, etc.
However, Owerri as the capital city of the state had more concentration as major constructions took place there, even as Mbakwe tried to evenly and simultaneously develop other cities in the state.
Mbakwe looked at the perculiarities of the various towns in sitting various projects. Aba got the Glass Industry, Owerri, the General Electronic and Serch Hercules Companies and Umuahia the Ceramic Industry.
Because of being the administrative headquarters, Civil Servants were the major inhabitants of Owerri, while Aba and Umuahia were mainly populated by business people.
Therefore, because of the polished attitude of Civil Servants, who are mainly of educated elites, Owerri as a town was not known to be rowdy. What you see as a norm in Aba or Onitsha can be an aberration in Owerri, where people have “shame”.
Better still, indigenous Owerri people are known for their cleanness and orderly behaviour. Therefore, this attitude influenced the “tenants” living in Owerri, who had no option than to live like their hosts. Was it not said that when you go to Rome, you behave like the Romans?
Owerri people take life easy and bother less about tomorrow, since it is only God that decides what tomorrow will be. But this behaviour was misconstrued by “tenants” in Owerri, making them think that all Owerri man cares about was just to “enjoy”.
But in making this allegation, they forgot that the same Owerri man will sell his property to educate his child, which is the greatest “property” parents can bequeath to their wards.
It was believed that if Owerri man eats his oil bean salad, and washes it down with his palm wine, those who wants to build sky scappers can go ahead. But that long held belief has changed for the better.
Today, while Owerri man enjoys his good time, he still builds mansions. This is the latest scenario which has baffled many, that had thought that the Owerri man would remain in that old bahaviour of yore until Jesus comes.
Therefore, the new generation of Owerri has snubbed the old behaviour of their fore fathers, and embraced the new way of life, which brings development, peace spiced with good time.
Generally speaking, Owerri because of destiny is now the potpourri of Imo state. Therefore, it has influenced a lot of Imo citizens across the political zones of the state.
The reason is because, since top politicians and Civil Servants from all zones of Imo State dwell and do businesses in Owerri, is there any way Owerri will not influence them and their children?
That is why today you see children born by natives of Orlu and Okigwe zones speaking Owerri dialect better than theirs. Most of these generations of Orlu and Okigwe Zones were born and bread in Owerri, and only visits “home” during Christmas periods.
What makes a people is their culture; which include way of living and language. Therefore, it will not be out of place to say that despite the opposite opinion some people hold, Owerri remains a Pan-Imo City, which has remained a loyal host to every sector of Old Imo state, even now that Owerri, Okigwe and Orlu Zones are called Imo State.
Therefore, it was for this reason that all Governors that emerged in Imo State always tried to make Owerri the centre point of the state’s development.
Mbakwe tried a lot, infact, he laid the foundation of most of the projects in the city, by improving on the master plan of Owerri, left behind by Ndubuisi Kanu, who designed Prefab and Aladinma Estates.
Mbakwe constructed most of the roads in Owerri, with high test and quality, that the roads he built over thirty years ago, out-lives the “Lebanese roads” constructed by some administrations in the state now.
He initiated the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Imo House of Assembly Complex and Ikenegbu Layout, which was for dumping of refuse, and “Hard Guys” to go a “Smoke”, when we were growing up.
Owerri till date remains grateful to Mbakwe because of his Patriotic and Nationalistic Candour, which still inspire the entire Imo populace, so much so that the mention of his name invokes nostalgic feelings.
However, while Mbakwe embarked on the development of Owerri, he left behind some of those structures that will ever tell the history of the ancient city.
Although the legendary clock at Ama JK round-about had to go, he left the Douglas House building inside the Government House, which was the House the White Men who constructed Douglas and Royce Roads lived in during the colonial days. He also left behind the Exco Chamber, from where PortHarcourt, Rivers State was designed.
Naturally, when Senator Evan Enwerem assumed office as the second Civilian Governor of Imo state, he ought to have done more work in “Owerri” for at least being a native of Owerri. But he was in office for only Eighteen months.
By the time Dr Achike Udenwa took over as Governor of Imo State, the world had added environmental development of a city, to the structural beauty of its buildings.
Therefore, because of Ecosystem it became important that the structural beauty of a City must correspond with its environmental protection, for both the inhabitants and the city itself.
Udenwa dwelt more in building some roads in Owerri, and forgot entirely about the tones of dirts in Owerri, a city whose indigenous occupants are known for their neatness.
For eight years, during which Udenwa was Governor, not one refuse dump was evacuated.
So, Owerri people literally slept and woke up untop of refuse bins, which rankled Owerri indigenes to no end.
However, when Udenwa left in 2007, he did not totally diminish Owerri, as he left some of those Tourists attractions that can elicit historical discussions among the Owerri people.
When Dr Ikedi Ohakim came, Owerri was in for a serious touch, because the man loved nature, and was an Art Collector. Such a mind-set led him to introduce an environmental project, which exhumed thousand metric tones of dirt lying under the gutters of Owerri for eight years.
What was clear was that he was a neat Governor, and it showed in how immaculate clean the entire Owerri became, within a few months of his administration, to the extent that Owerri became the cleanest state capital in Nigeria.
Owerri indigenes appreciated this era that led a lot of Tourists to visit the city to savour what it could provide; and they were many.
Owerri became a Tourist attraction, as Hotels sprang out from every corner. In international Trade, you concentrate on that good you have comparative advantage. Therefore, Imo then focused on Tourism, which was no crime, as some countries like Kenya depend on Tourism today. Cross River state make more money from Tourism in her internally generated revenue.
Ohakim tried to build some fly-overs to boast transportation in the city, as part of his Tourism thrust but time was not on his side, as he left office without fulfilling that dream.
However, he left behind those Tourist attractions that are dear to the heart of average Owerri man; The Douglas House and the British Executive Chamber.
Owelle Rochas Okorocha took over from Ohakim and has built roads within the Owerri city which has facilitated easy movement of vehicles around the Layouts.
However, he has allowed dirts to accumulate in metric tones again, like his brother Udenwa who hails from same Orlu Zone did for eight years.
Since Okorocha came, there has not been one single Sanitation Day, as the previous administration was doing, which nearly became part of their living, until Okorocha surprisingly stopped the beautiful exercise.
Unfortunately now, Owerri has lost whatever improvement it recorded environmentally, since two years of Okorocha’s regime took over.
Motor Parks are found at every junction in Owerri now. Car sellers have left their market at Somachi, and now display their wares on the streets. Vulcanizers, mechanics, welders and petty traders are coming back into the city.
Beggars of all kinds are taking over the major roads in Owerri like Bank, Okigwe, Douglas and Wetheral roads. Hawkers are back, with left-over of their wares littering the environment and black spots in the city are now their hide outs from where they turn to robbers in the nights.
Okada riders are gradually staging a come-back, as they molest motorists at will.
Dirts are thrown about any how, as gutters become dustbins. Mountains of refuse are becoming common, as they are eye sore.
How could Owerri lose its face within so short a time? Worst still, our Douglas House and the British Exco Hall, where PortHarcourt was designed in the bowel of Owerri City, that served as a Legacies and Tourist centres are gone, and gone forever.
Oh! Owerri, our dear Owerri, when will you regain your fading Beauty?
