A few days ago, some tricycle operators, otherwise popularly called “KEKE” NAPEP drew my attention to fleet of cars parked at Heroes Square, New Owerri, to be used as “Metro Taxis” in Owerri town, by the Governor Okorocha administration.
Their grouse was that Governor Okorocha during the campaigns in 2011 made them a lot of promises which have not been kept even by fulfilling one, and now he is planning to throw them out of employment by brandishing taxi cabs for Owerri Metropolis.
But my advise to them was not to fret over none issue as the cars and their fear cannot come to fruition by any means. If you ban Keke in Imo how will the state’s economy function?
Every keen observer of the Okorocha administration will discover that the present Imo economy is powered by “Keke”. This is the only available means of employment in Imo state. Both for the Drivers of the Keke, and those who buy them and lease out on high purchase to these youths, who mostly are graduates.
Even if you ban Keke, which roads would the “Metro taxis” ply? Towns like Enugu, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Calabar etc who operate town Taxi services have good roads and commuters can be dropped at the gate of their homes.
The issue here is not even whether Owerri has good roads or not, but any attempt to ban keke will cause increase in the economic stagnation of the state and its masses. Crime will rise to the highest level, and Okorocha would have lost the only crowd now that yells Owelle!Owelle! when he passes.
However, the Okorocha administration would have by now raised the economy of the state had it harvested the gains of some fine policies it introduced but were mismanaged.
Take the free Education policy for instance. Had ulterior motive not beclouded the senses of those who designed it, that innovation alone would have taken Imo state out of her present economic quagmire.
Apart from the fact that the practical gains of the free education has been slaughtered on the altar of selfish aggrandizement, as the quota of students of Imo extraction in IMSU has reduced, the gains that would have accrued to Imo economy has also been lost due to visionlessenss.
Let us look at the area of infrastructure for the free education programme; class room blocks, books, school uniforms and sandals, chalks, etc.
I was told that the cement slabs for fabricating the school blocks were imported. Imagine many Imo sons and daughters that would have been employed had the slabs be designed and constructed locally here?
Do you ever imagine how many cement, sand, Iron merchants that the Okorocha Government would have created had he looked home for such supplies?
What of millions of naira that Imo based printers would have made from printing these exercise books? What of those who sale sewing materials, cloths and tailors in Owerri and other towns?
These free education gains would have been savoured by Imo citizens, even as Imo economy would have boomed, since the money would still have been circulating in the state.
Those who got such contracts would love to change their lifes. Buy new cars, build houses, educate their children; all these facilities can be purchased at Somatchi, Ogbosisi and elsewhere in Imo state.
However, when such contracts were awarded as far places as China, what it means is nothing but capital flight. Therefore, money sent away from Imo cannot grow wings and return.
Okorocha’s Government has constructed many roads in Owerri. People say they are inferior roads. That is not my concern here. But what should concern us is that such roads should have contributed to the growth of Imo economy.
Not for where they are sited. But that the contractors ought to be Imo citizens, who will use the money paid them to patronize markets in Imo so that the state can reap from the chain reaction of Imo economic circulation.
Therefore, when Imo people complain that things are hard, as there is no money in circulation, it is because the macro-economy of the state is static, simply because those managing the state think that a given economy is judged by block buildings and roads.
Another example is this; if a Government deducts a civil servant’s salary to sponsor free education, it will work in a short term and back fire in a long term.
That civil servant will rejoice for some time, but when he realizes that his present take home will no longer allow him enjoy some of the social benefits that he took for granted before, he becomes a reactionary.
In Imo, a civil servant whose children are not in primary and secondary schools and not studying in Imo State University, would be wondering why his/her salary should be deducted for free education.
Even those who forfeited such will realize that it was to the detriment of their social outings, which is part of living.
Can a civil servant whose take home cannot take him/her home visit palm wine Joint just for a bottle to unwind?
So, under this circumstance such fellow simply tags along with life, while suffering inside, waiting for the day to pour out his venom. That is what Fella Calls “suffering and smilling”.
What I am saying is that most times, policies could be good, but the implementation rather than improve the lots of the people, impoverish them.
Like now in Imo. Civil servants wear uniforms; black and white, with red muffler. In the first place, that was good because it makes the workers look sharp in appearance. But unfortunately, the main motivation for workers to carryout their responsibilities with dispatch and expertise is not their dressing; but incentives like over-time and leave allowances.
Now, has the new appearance of Imo workers changed their attitude to work? Has anybody thought of the fact that this fad of asking Imo adult work force to be putting on uniforms has robbed those selling cloths at Oweri markets a lot of money that they ought to have made from the civil servants who now wear only black and white clothes?
What am I saying? That looking good for Imo work force is good. But cloth traders in Eke Onunwa market Owerri are lamenting, because most of them are now keke riders, because the customers are no more coming.
A particular political party in Imo state was some time ridiculed with the slogan; share the money.
That was then. Today the Imo masses have realized that money is the lubricator of life.
When it circulates, and circulates only within given hands and area, it creates a short-fall within larger areas.
Therefore, what Imo needs now is to implement policies that will complement the improved infrastructure and circulate money within the state. What do you think led Governor Fayemi of Ekiti state to lose election?
Recently the present administration in the state said it has employed (25,000) twenty five thousand workers. Are these permanent or adhoc staff? Is it expedient for the incumbent Government to employ such number of staff when it is still in Court with over ten thousand youths employed by the pervious administration? These youths being dragged about in courts from Enugu to Owerri, are they not Imo citizens?
Does money in the hand of an individual care who he/she is? In this case, sacking ten thousand in 2011 and employing 24,000 in 2014 has it any meaning, when the 10,000 workers would have since 2011 they were sacked contributing to the wealth and circulation of money in the Imo economy?
While the same Government is employing workers, it shut Concord Hotel, the only “Factory” Imo state has. Today, the relieved Concord workers have joined the 11,000 sacked in 2011. Talk about building an Economy!
It is pleasant to note that the Chief Executive of the state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is aware of the cash squiz in the state as he once at an occasion assured Imolites that after executing the “Rescue” portion of his policy thrust, he will then begin the “Mission” aspect, when Imo people would be smiling to the banks.
But with virtually only five months remaining for all those gunning for elections in 2015 that are now in office, can Imo state still witness the elderado period promised by Okorocha?
I had expected that as a core businessman, Okorocha would have changed the face of Imo economy. He showed sign of such in the beginning when he embarked on economic missions to such places as Kosovo. But till date, there has been no factory at sight. Not even pure water factory, not the power plant promised.
Now that Imo economy is hinged on Keke Riders, what stops Government attracting Keke Assembly plant in the state?
Let us face the fact, this would have reduced the high price of keke in Imo, and made it available to the roaming youths looking for non available jobs.
Every state has its peculiar differences and its comparative advantage on its economy. Imo is not the same as Cross River, Adamawa or Kebi states.
We should not be ashamed to locate what we are experts in and concentrate on it.
Big Factories are not the bases of judging how good the economy of any given place is. In India for instance, small scale industries are what that power the economy.
Relying too much on civil service to power Imo economy has been the bane of the state since after Mbakwe. Rather than re-direct Imo economy, all we get is the governors to go to Abuja, collect allocation , pocket the one that goes to the state, and share what ought to be the local Government Funds for various projects in the state. That is the reason the Governors will not allow independence of Local Government Areas from the states.
Every year Imo churns out thousands of graduates who troop out to other states looking for greener pastures, just because there are no job opportunities for them to remain in the state and contribute their own quota to the state’s growth.
I believe that Imo can live without the Abuja hand-outs if her leaders think hard. But unfortunately there seems to be a spell which stricks the Governors the moment they step into that Douglas House.
They immediately forget the lofty campaign promises and relapse into “jollification” and appoint brothers, sisters, inlaws and relations into lucrative and juicy positions
Or could it be that those seeking for the position hardly know how complex and weighty the seat is, only to discover that what they though was not really what the situation.
That was why Owelle Okorocha told Imo people in 2011 that the state is too rich to even contemplate borrowing from banks. But three years after, he stands on a good stead to know that it is not easy.
The truth of the matter is that even though the position of a Governor can make the fellow and his/her fourth generations not be poor again, since poverty is worse than AIDS, but it still remains a difficult job and posterity will give verdict later.
But what must be understood by whoever occupies Imo Douglas House now, or in the future is that “Keke Economy” is not palatable to Imo state. Something must be done to remove the state from this ugly situation. And it can start now with the present occupier of the seat. Or is it late?
