It is most interesting watching the political drama playing out in Imo State today as both the citizenry and the local tabloids engage in unscientific guessing games as to who would replace Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha as Governor of Imo State. All sorts of “Youth” groups “NGO’s”, clubs, associations and even “churches”, sponsored by so-called governorship aspirants, are mushrooming in the state with the dawn of each day. And the pity of it all is that the real gubernatorial contenders are not yet ready to emerge. For now, it is either current political office holders or those who had held some political office in the past that have been seen showing the flag of interest to be in Imo State Douglas House. Governor Okorocha has a right to vie for a second term, since the one-tenure constitutional amendment proposal has not been approved. But if one is to take Rochas by his words and reflexes, it can be asserted that he would not wish to run for a second term.
Right from his campaign days in 2011, he has repeatedly said that being a Governor was to him a “descent” in his political ambition. He only agreed to run for the single purpose of “rescuing” Imo State from the pervasive fangs and clutches of “Ikiri”.
Secondly, Rochas considered state governorship as “WAEC” and, like every good student, he still had his aims at “JAMB”. So, going by Rochas imagery, he has truly succeeded in his “descent” to wrest Imo State from former Governor Ikedi Ohakim. He therefore passed his WAEC. If he decides to come back for a second term, he would have admitted failing to make the JAMB scores to get into a tertiary institution.
Well, people actually don’t fail in JAMB; they only fail to meet up the “Cut off mark”, Nigeria’s re-invention of the law of averages in which JAMB and post-JAMB scores are divided by two to give you your “cut-off” which then is used to assess your “departmental” predetermined benchmark.
If Rochas Okorocha and his supporters sincerely believe he has not made the grade to enter the “University” or “Polytechnic” of higher national politics, then there is a good reason for a desire to “repeat JAMB” and go for a second term of office. The self-assessment his and his alone to make.
But meanwhile, a crowd of pretenders is already out flapping their wings in the direction of the Government House, Owerri. It is the contention of this writer that the Governor that will replace Rochas has not announced his intention yet.
In other words, none of the gun-beaters on the track right now will “smell” Douglas House in 2015.
One must however commend some of the forerunner masquerades for their realistic postures on the otherwise non-issue of zoning of the office of the Governor of Imo State. They have agreed that Imo State does not need a “zonal Governor” but a tested and trusted thinker to rule this state of highly enlightened intellectuals.
We in Imo State do not need contractor rulers whose loyalty resides outside Imo State. Our future governor will not depend on paying homages to Abuja, Abeokuta and Kaduna overlords to be relevant. Indeed Imo State ought to have a Governor who will attract to Owerri, great names from up north and across the Niger to be seen to pose for press photographs with him.
In simple terms, we must discover and showcase a charismatic, level-headed professional who has paid his dues in his professional calling and therefore has a stake and name to protect. Such a Governor will not steal while in office. Such a Governor will not seek to curry favour of any visitor by wasting state funds painting the electric poles and road medians.
Such a Governor will not allow himself to be bamboozled by security functionaries to block all major roads and streets in Owerri because a visiting President will be overflying Owerri town with a helicopter. We need a Governor who is so confident of himself and so trusting of Imo State people that he does not need intimidating and howling sirens and gun-totting soldiers of alien culture and religion to clear the streets for him and his entourage to get by.
We need a “home boy” who knows the state and its people intimately. We shall accept no more “visiting” Imolites to come home at election time and grab the mandate and begin to learn about the state after being sworn-in. Such Governors, as we all know, have always messed up the state. Contracts petty and major would go to their friends where they came from. Appointments are equally reserved for their club associates residing outside Imo State who have no iota of loyalty to the state. Can we truly say that any of the so-called “front runners” meet up these requirements? There is no doubt that Imo state has men and women, resident and doing business in Imo State, who will do us proud as Governor and Commissioners. They may not be money bags because they do not feed by hanging around government or drug or oil barons. Their political godfathers are the aggregation of Imo people. They are no tails to any big kites at Abuja. Imo State is anxiously waiting for such men and women.
