Months after elections and swearing-in of Owelle Rochas Okroocha as second term Governor of Imo State, the masses are still waiting for Godot. Have you read about Godot? Expectations have been deep and high as politicians and the masses wait in vain for the Governor to submit the list of his Commissioners and Special Advisers to the Imo House of Assembly for approval and clearance.
Although nearly all the States in the Southeast had since sworn-in their Commissioners as full administration of state matters swing it full force in such States, Imo State is still Governmed alone by Governor Okorocha, with the help of the Secretary to the State Government, Sir Jude Ejiogu and Chief of Staff, Chief Uche Nwosu.
It is quite difficult to decipher the mindset of Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha in delaying the compilation of the list of his State Executive Council. Could it be that he wants to take his time and fish out the best around to help him execute the onerous task of taking Imo to the next level? Could it be a ploy to save funds, as the future Commissioners could only earn their salaries and allowances whenever they are sworn-in?
Could it be that the Governor is making extensive consultations to make sure he carried every group along, including those who decamped from other political parties to work for his triumph, and even those who sabotaged their political parties and worked for his success secretly?
Whatever be the reason why Okorocha has not arrived at those who will help him pilot the affairs of Imo State, he should hurry up because the State needs to wake up from its slumber. There is no way Imo State can function properly without a State Executive Council headed by the Governor.
However, having wasted this long time in searching for his Commissioners and other appointees, Imo people would be disappointed if Okorocha presents them with a mediocre Executive. He has taken his time and therefore only the best is expected from him.
In his first outing, Okorocha operated like an Administrator in a hurry, and therefore could not assemble what could pass as First Eleven State Executive in a State like Imo State that is brimming with tested Technocrats and Intellectual politicians of every hew.
Imo populace forgave Okorocha in this folly because of two reasons; one, Okorocha had made Imo people believe that he was on a “rescue mission” and therefore would not seek for a second term, and was in a hurry to deliver the goods to the masses, and then move on to the next level and hand over Imo State to any of his stooges.
Therefore, Imo people did not care about the character and pedigree of those he assembled as his Executive members, so as not to waste time for the messiah, who has just a few years to turn Imo State into an Utopian Society.
Secondly, when Okorocha appeared on the Imo Governorship horizon in 2011, nobody gave him a chance to dislodge the behemoth, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, much more when the party had the incumbent Governor, in the person of Chief Ikedi Ohakim.
Therefore, the Imo elites gave him no glance as they concentrated on the already existing status quo which was satisfying their needs in terms of funds through contracts and other goodies.
Having seen that he was on his own, without support from the known political juggernauts in the State, Okorocha marshaled out his own “Army” and went to the battle front with the downtrodden, mostly Keke operators, Mechanics and other Artisans, who had felt ostracized from the PDP Government, which they saw as too elitist and conservative Group, that has no time for the poor people.
It was this scenario that plunged Okorocha into the fray, and in the end he dismantled the massive PDP structure with what I call his “Rag-tag Army”. Therefore, having won the war and battle with these set of crowd, there is no way Okorocha could go looking for those to be made Commissioners elsewhere if not these people who stood behind him through the furnace. This was the reason Okorocha’s last Expanded State Executive Council was made up of new faces in Imo Political climate.
Some of his former Commissioners and Special Advisers were not fit to head village meetings, much more head sophisticated and complicated Ministries and Parastatals where they need to burn the midnight candles and exert their mental prowess on how to make impact in their Departments and affect the lives of Imo people in the positive.
I believe that it was the dearth of qualified man-power that Okorocha appointed a certain Commissioner who spoke through both sides of his mouth. While his Principal was on the Radio saying one thing, he would be at the same time addressing the press saying an entirely different thing. This Commissioner once said Imo Government under Okorocha does not owe anybody a kobo. That was ridiculous. Even America is a debtor nation. Therefore governance is a serious business, and such gaffes portray the administration as being confused, unserious and not in synergy with its officers.
This time the Governor should select only those who are out to make positive marks on Imo people. Even if the slot of Commissionership is to compensate those who worked for him, Okorocha should endeavor to appoint only those qualified for the job; both academically and mentally.
If the Governor wants to carry all the Local Government Areas in the State along, he could still get those loyal to him with qualified pedigree. There are many positions to “Settle” those loyal to him who cannot read or write. It is unheard of anywhere in Nigeria except in Imo State where a fellow who has no First School Living Certificate or West African Examination Council, WAEC will sit in an State Executive Council meeting of a State and argue with fellow Commissioners that have Degrees in different fields, with the Governor in charge as the State Chief Executive. What would such a fellow bring to the market of such intellectual gathering?
I have had the opportunity to witness a State Executive Council Meeting in progress, presided over by a Governor, with only the Commissioners in attendance (not Expended Exco with SA, SSA, etc) In such meetings it was usually like an Intellectual harvest of Professors. A serious business, as all the Commissioners arrive early, go inside the Executive Chamber and sit down like students preparing for a final year Degree examination, with all of them buried in the documents in front of them. Such meetings last for hours, and end with most of them including the Governor loosening their ties and heading straight to the dining room, after a hectic deliberation that tasked all of them.
The State Executive Council is the highest level of Governance, where the best are assembled to put their expertise to the disposal of the Chief Executive who taps on the energy of this egg heads to develop the State. It is not a place for touts, miscreants, and drop-outs whose only qualification is that they are relatives or loyalists of a Governor.
However, the Governor is free to appoint his/her relations to such positions, provided they are qualified and fit to live up to the intellectual expectation which such positions demand.
The world is at the disposal of Governor Rochas Okorocha now to poach any son or daughter of Imo State wherever such persons could be found to move the State to another level. If the State Executive Council achieves much, it is to the credit of the Chief Executive, as he is the Leader of the team. Who remembers Sam Mbakwe’s Commissioners today? But his name remains a currency in Imo. I know what it took one former Governor of Imo State to bring home Dr Aloy Aguwa from United States of America USA. Aguwa who is now late, was an Environmental guru, who was working for United Nations Organization UNO at that time.
It was the late Aguwa who designed the Environmental Revolution of one past administration in Imo.
In order words as, much as Okorocha is now in a sort of quagmire on how to please all those who worked to “deliver him” for a second term, he should tell them to make available to him men and women who are qualified for the task they will encounter in their offices. He should not allow any person or group to give him a list of appointees whose only qualification is that they are sons, daughters, in-laws or political Aides of these politicians who worked for him in 2015.
Many believe that Okorocha will accept names from the likes of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Chief Jerry Chukwueke, Chief Charles (Chalvon)Amadi of OZOPOLF. He may also appoint or give slots to people like Chief Rex Anunobi,Bar Steve Asimobi, etc.
We know also that there are people who secretly worked for Okorocha he would like to compensate without making their names open.
Apart from qualification, political Groups, and party leanings, there are expectations that Okorocha will remember some of the LGAs who were left out in his first term. The unwritten law in Imo has remained that the LGA from where the Governor emerged has no need for a Commissioner, because the position of a Governor is much more than four Commissioners put together.
Again, there are some LGAs where Okorocha posted poor results during the election. Will he remember such LGAs in equal terms with those where he swept the pools?
How many Commissioners would Okorocha appoint this time to deliver the goods, and at the same time accommodate various political Cells in the State?
It will make more impact if the Governor looks for a resourceful, compact and productive personnel that will run the engine of the State than what obtained in 2011 when he appointed a plethora of Aides that were confused on what to do, as they were in disarray from the beginning, because of the number of Okorocha Commissioners and other Aides.
There would be no need to duplicate offices this time cash is scarce. Therefore, a situation where a Ministry like Education was split into Secondary and Primary, with two Commissioners, was simply to create jobs for the “Boys”, but not to develop Imo State and Education.
Indeed, it is usually good to send appointees to the areas they can capably manage, even though every Graduate can attempt to fit into any position. But it is certain that a Medical Doctor will always do better in Ministry of Health than a Professor of Communication Arts.
Therefore, since Okorocha likes road Construction which many see as his focal thrust, he should look for a qualified Engineer to man the Ministry of Works. This is because such a person would endeavor to make sure that Imo people get value for the roads Government spent money on.
A qualified Engineer cannot be fooled the way Jpross fooled the former Commissioner for Works and jetted out with Imo Tax payers money till date, after leaving behind uncompleted inferior Road projects that have turned out to be curse than a blessing to Imo people.
It is usually good to put a round peg in a round hole! When a Carpenter sows a cloth for you just because he is your brother, you should imagine how it would fit you.
In order words, it is pertinent that those Ministries that deserve professional hands should be left in the hands of such persons, Example; Education, Lands, Health, Works and Information.
There are some Ministries that do not need their Commissioners to learn on the Job.
Imo people are waiting for Gov. Okorocha to submit the list of his Commissioners. It will tell if the Governor has learnt from his past mistakes, or if he is for another experiment in 2015.
President Mohammadu Buhari said he will appoint his Ministers in September. Imo State is not Federal Republic of Nigeria. Let Okorocha unveil his Appointees.
