With the elections come and gone, the people of Imo State, while waiting for the cases in the Tribunal, have no option than to look unto the sworn-in Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to deliver the goods.
However, in the last four years, Okorocha had unleashed his policies in his bid to improve the lots of the masses. But whether those policies worked well with the masses is hinged on his second term election process, which went into supplementary.
Pundits posit that had Imo people been absolutely pleased with Okorocha’s four-year outing, there would not have been any need for him to struggle to gain a second term entrance into the Douglas House, as portrayed by the contentious election which went the full wire.
However, having succeeded at last to scale the hurdle, it will be advisable to inform the Governor that he still has a lot facing him, to prove the doubting Thomases wrong that he is an administrator vested with no selfish interests.
The worst thing Governor Okorocha can do to himself as a person and politician with the future staring at him in the face, is to assume that he now has the world at his feet having won his second term.
Therefore, I believe that a second tenure for any Governor is even harder than the first, as whatever he leaves behind will be how he will be judged after he had gone, as there will be no other chance to correct any impression held of him by the populace.
On May 29, 2015, the former Governor of Niger State, Chief Servant Babangida Aliyu had gone to hand-over to his successor, with his wife. But at the middle of the occasion, the former Governor and his wife were whisked away from the venue through the back gate, as the teeming youths of Niger State bayed for his blood. That is a wrong way to leave office after presiding the affairs of a State for eight uninterrupted years. The lesson here is that there is life after being Governor of a State.
Therefore, I would like Okorocha to leave Imo State in 2019 on high ovation, not like Babangida Aliyu of Niger State.
In that case, Owelle should revisit some of his policies which do not sit well with the poor masses of Imo State. Unfortunately, as it is with Leaders in Nigeria, none of the Aides surrounding Okorocha will tell him the truth. Of course, they have to save their jobs.
There are salient matters the masses of the State would want their Governor to address in his second term sojourn.
First, is the rumour about a palatial home which Imo people swear is owned by the Governor. But let me put it here that everybody knows that the Governor was personally rich before he won election in 2011. And again, his Salary and allowances can afford any Governor to construct any building. But in a normal clime, those holding public offices are expected to focus on their public service after which they can then face their private businesses and develop their personal lives.
Therefore, it is morally wrong for a State Chief Executive to allow the masses get the impression that he is running his private business, alongside that of the State.
This is the impression as regards the said Spibat Mansion, which its land, it was learnt, Okorocha had acquired before he became Governor. But rumour has it that it was developed while he was in office.
Am I saying that a man should become wretched because he is a Governor? No. What we are saying is that such projects are handled with “diplomacy” and “discreetly” to avoid wagging tongues. Tales have it that President Muhammadu Buhari saw it and marvelled.
Before Okorocha, Imo had Sam Mbakwe, Evan Enwerem, Achike Udenwa and Ikedi Ohakim as Executive Governors. You may ask yourself if any of them were linked to any such eye-popping projects while in office. My advice is that Okorocha’s Minders should know how to handle such issues, as it portrays the leader in bad light before the poor masses and electorate. So, the Governor should avoid such scenario this second term.
Another issue is the present Sanitary condition of Imo State, and Owerri in particular. It is true that the Government has decided to tackle the menace. However, had the Okorocha administration earlier queued in on this matter immediately it took over in 2011, the dangerous sanitary condition of Owerri would have been.
In 2011, Owerri was the cleanest State capital in Nigeria. Today we are starting afresh to tackle Illegal Parks, Hawkers, Kiosk owners, Petty Traders etc who have entrenched themselves in the State Capital now. There is nothing bad for an incoming administration to adopt the fine policies of the outgoing Government. This is the reason States like Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers are making rapid progress. For instance, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, despite the face-off with his predecessor, Rotimi Amechi, has said he will not embark on new projects until he finished those started by Amaechi.
In other words, it will be beautiful if Okorocha completes the Flyovers started by the previous administration. History will not forget him, as it is Imo people that will benefit from the flyovers.
And when embarking on such projects, the Governor should invite qualified construction companies, so that such projects can have long term guarantees.
It will be to the glory of Okorocha that children born after he had left office would be making reference to him through his legacy projects. That was what Mbakwe did when he constructed solid roads in the State. The roads still speak for the Obowo-born Administrator after decades.
Surely, Okorocha has tried in construction of roads, but it is quite unfortunate that many of such roads may disappear in less than two years after he has left office.
Roads constructed by Udenwa and Ohakim still prove eloquent evidence that they were here. No matter how few such roads are, it is better they stand the test of time. Therefore, it would be a thing of joy to the Imo populace if Okorocha improves in his road construction this time.
Another expectation from Okorocha is the permanent relocation of Government business to New Owerri, by moving the Douglas House there.
If the Government House is moved to New Owerri, it will automatically move development to that area and decongest the Old Owerri, which is brimming with human population and traffic.
It is no use subsequent administrations giving facelifts to the present Government House and demolishing historic edifices around it in search of space when there is free and fallow land begging for a masterpiece Government House of any size in New Owerri.
Even if all Okorocha does in his next four years is to move to New Owerri, he would have engraved his name and administration in the annals of Imo history.
The free Education policy is the major thrust of his administration, as this has endeared him to the hearts of many in Imo. But it needs to be reviewed and where found wanting, corrected.
For instance, the story that the policy has reduced the number of Imo-born students into Imo State University should be looked into.
The argument is that since outsiders pay fees, which helps in running the Institution, they are now given more slots than Imo State-born students. If it is the case, it looks penny wise, pound foolish, because the reason for establishing IMSU was to create opportunity for Imo sons and daughters to acquire University education without much admission hassles, faced in other Universities outside the State.
Therefore, this second term, Okorocha should look into this allegation. No policy is error-proof, but constant review needed to stitch loose ends.
It is very unfortunate that Governor Okorocha is the only Governor produced by Imo State that ruled for four years without conducting Local Government elections, no matter how flawed such exercise may be.
Achike Udenwa in his eight-year reign conducted two council elections. Ohakim in four years in office did one.
Therefore, Okorocha has the opportunity in his second term to erase this error. Conducting Council election is to Okorocha’s advantage. It will helps to build his party and expand his political base, as he is bound to produce most of the Council Chairmen and Councillors, including Supervisory Councillors, because they will all look up to him.
Council election will create jobs in the State, and reduce pressure on the State Governor, as he can now have peoples representatives at the grassroots level who will help circulate the dividends of democracy.
No matter how much the Governor concentrates power in his office, he cannot see everything that happens in the remotest of villages, but his “Eyes”, the elected Chairmen, can.
That Udenwa till date evokes respect from villages scattered across Imo State is because of the LGA elections, which afforded him the opportunity to “make people” in the remotest of clans in the State.
Therefore, it sounds abominable for Okorocha to finish another four years without conducting a Local Government election in Imo State.
Imo masses want from Okorocha this time a compact State Executive Council made up of seasoned politicians and Technocrats, who will help him leave a mark on the State.
Last time he appointed over two hundred Aides. Some of them had no offices, let alone official vehicles. When there is Expanded Executive Council Meetings, many will be staring at each other wondering what they came there for, not knowing they were all SSAs, SAs, and Commissioners.
This scenario was what caused Okorocha’s appointees to lament that they were better-off how they were before they accepted their appointments. The reason is simple; the goodies were not enough to adequately take care of every appointee.
But had Okorocha chosen a few and took good care of them, it would have been better because anybody given Government appointment is assumed to have “arrived”, especially by his relations and community.
How would it sound that a follower visited his Commissioner from the village, and “Commissioner” cannot afford transport money? Or Commissioner visits home on weekend and was not able to “host” the teeming crowd trailing him/her?
Therefore, the Governor cannot please everybody, and should this time appoint a few Commissioners, and other Aides that are manageable. It is to his own credit that his Commissioners and other Aides are well taken care of and respected by the populace, because they represent the face of his administration.
On the issue that Okorocha surrounds himself with his Brothers, Sisters, In-laws and friends, whom he gives mouth-watering jobs, the argument is neither here nor there. There is nobody who will occupy that office and abandon his relatives. But what should be important is if these people are qualified for the assignments they are handed. However, the Chief Executive should not over do it.
For those of us that live on information gathering, these are some of the things we hear from Imo citizens they want from their Governor. They say these things inside Keke, Churches, Beer Parlours, Stadia, Car Wash, offices etc.
However, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is the man on the driving seat and holds the wheel. It is left for him to steer the vehicle whichever route he wants it.
Late Ace Broadcaster, Buma Irokosima said “Advise no be curse”. I have passed the message. Please, spare the messenger, but take the message, if you wish.
I rest my pen for now.
