Many years ago, during the life time of Rt. Honourable M.I. Okpara, the Former Premier of the old Eastern Region, it was in this Dan Anyian stadium in Owerri that he made his most famous statement. He was being criticized to have joined the NPN in place of NPP. In response to his critics, he told a story of what his uncle told him saying, “First fool, nobi fool but second fool na proper foolish.” Long after he was gone, that his statement is still relevant today in Imo State. Because, in view of what is going on in Imo State today in terms of governance and the people’s raw deal which they are receiving for their mandate, we know and it is now very clear to the people that for the next governor of Imo State, there will be no second mistake. We must not base our choice on mere display of populist behaviours that which easily can move emotional people particularly the young voters to throw away their votes.
For example, during the last governorship election many Imo voters were hoodwinked by a more exhibition of an actor’s gimmicks such as “buying and eating of akara in the streets; riding on keke bike; walking in the street and lifting a baby for showmanship; inviting a hawker to buy gala and chewing same to the admiration and clapping of hands by the easily deceivable voters.
Honestly, after reading what one of the current aspirants wrote recently when offering himself as “the better alternative “ I was further convinced of what I already know that the current occupier of the seat is Mr. showman. He is indeed what one journalist wrote about him last year, “soon many Mr. actor and Mr. too much style without concretes.“
What this means is that we must not allow ourselves to be cajoled into making another foolish choice based on what “the mighty tells us from the pulpit. Because we now know it is difficult for the mighty preacher to make a true choice for the people. We must not be cajoled into another foolish choice through a solid hatched hatred, dislike or discrimination of a candidate by called authors of “template” which is nothing but a bunch of undemocratic nonesensity. The next governor must not be chosen in the streets of Owerri by Keke riders, artisans, mechanics in Nekede, carpenters in their ogbosisi sheds, second hand motor dealers at Somachi Mixture lots, not by just few NUT officials, who after collecting huge sums of money from candidates, feed the ordinary grassroots teachers with false information as to wrong choice and not by ocho passenger and other ‘agboros’ who are located at various make-shift motor packs or by few student leaders who would soon constitute themselves into campaign coordinators just to deceive other students to look at the wrong way for certainly ephemeral mundane selfish gain to the long suffering of the entire people of Imo State.
I read what was written in one of the local tabloids recently in which catalogued countless disservice to the people was numerated were ordeals of hardship for which they did not bargain when they were over zealously voting in the current administration two years ago. After two good and solid years, we know that governance is more than being an actor or reckless and fast talking tongue. It means a governor that listens to the views of advisers, the people, reads newspaper, listen to radio and above all feels the pulse of the majority of the people he is ruling. Certainly not a governance that is Mr. I know it all. It must be a governor that lives in Imo, works in Imo and not one that is doubtful whether he lives in Abuja and only coming to Owerri when he wants to address crowds for cheers and clapping.
Rather, we want a governor that should be drafted by the people from aong downtrodden people and not one who is hungry of power in order to use it to push down their huts, shops and houses thereby increasing the hardship and hunger in the state. A governor that would not sack already employed youths but would provide employment opportunities for the unemployed.
We need a governor that would serve the needs of the down trodden at the grassroots and not one that would form a football team for mechanics, carpenters in the state capitals while Heartland FC, trekked to Gabon to lose a continental match without kicking a ball. Any candidate who is the choice of the down trodden at the grassroots would know how he becomes the governor and can never forget. Provided such a person by virtues of his conduct has the good feelings of the people and indeed a man of the people by nature, a man with compassion, approachable, accommodating, kind, possesses Christian virtues of love for the people, charity for the poor and the deprived and responsive to the yearnings of the millions of Imo citizens who are today virtually sentenced to a four years of tormentation and above all impoverishment, hardship, lack of food to eat, lack of something to do to make money, people who have been given stone in place of bread, scorpion in place of fish a population deceived out of Ohakim’s practical governance who which we were feeling the impact of good and liberal governance. The people have indeed seen hell. Many today are no longer people calling Ohakim Ikiri but Mr. Did I not tell you people?
A couple of years ago, a journalist was lamenting over the sorry story of the raw deals which the people of Imo State are receiving from the current crop of leaders. He recounted the Mbakwe era saying that Mbakwe had told some people that Imo State was the easiest State to govern. According to him, the people are not greedy in their expectations from the leaders. They simple need, security, peace, good roads, food to eat, stable school for their children to give them education because education was the most thriving Industry in the State.
Paradoxically, the current leadership at the beginning of its term boasted that it will perform twelve times more than Mbakwe. What an elephantine boast! Seeing is believing. Two years on, where is the leadership in terms of real achievements? I mean real achievements and not simulated achievements that are only in the eyes of few members of the inner circle. Roads, yes, so many roads have been initiated but how many have been completed? Education, yes , free education in tertiary Institutions but it is a Greek gift, giving the people segmented free tuition yet asking the University authority to heighten acceptance fee and other sundry fees which tantamount to robbing Paul to pay Peter. Primary education, only many feels that the current administration is giving the primary school children in the State free education. The truth is that free education has been on in this country for Primary Pupils since nineteen ninety nine hence the creation of State Basic Universal Basic Education Boards to oversee the implementation of the free education at both Primary and Junior Secondary School which are being financed by the Federal Government. But people have been led to believe that the current Imo government is giving free education from primary to tertiary level. What a deceit!
Perhaps, according to the understanding of the current regime, standing before AIT Cameraman to distribute one hundred naira occasionally to pupils is their own understanding of free education. Where are the promised uniforms, chairs and boards? In the next two years the regime would be gone by the decree of the people. When will these fabulous promises be met? Mbakwe built visible Industries such as golden guinea, Abutu Poultry Farm, ceramics Industry, Aba glass Industry, Concorde hotel, Resin and Paint Industry etc. These establishments employed several Imo sons and daughters for economic and social satisfaction. Can the regime mention one, I mean one industry it has proposed let alone starting it?
Does construction of gates and buildings employ people? The gimmicks of the current administration are well understood by the people, simply just undertaking the projects that would met in billions of unaccounted revenue, awarding contract road construction without proper procedure, knocking down buildings and other structures belonging to the poor people. Does a good fence make a good neighbour? In all honesty, the current regime is not on rescue mission but on a mission of personal and parochial accumulation of wealth for itself, family members and extended family members, inlaws and just for the few. It is democracy by many for few and of the few.
That is why the people need as their next Governor, a patriot, a Godly man of charity, love, peace, humility a man who would care for the people, treat them with respect, hurt them not and cheat them not.
