By Maduakonam Achuama
It was the Holy Book which states that when the righteous are in authority, people will rejoice. This has been evident in Imo state where the negative forces that held power in the state have been overthrown with the emergence of the people’s Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
It has been joy and gladness in the lives of Imo indigenes both home and in diasporas.
Imo state has once again begun to realize real service-oriented leadership. The resources of Imo state are once more used to better the lives of Imo people. It is no longer business as usual as was the case in the past administrations. It is no longer governance in the media and pages of newspapers as witnessed in the past.
The real dividends of democracy are now being felt by the common man in Imo state.
What a great administration by Owelle Rochas Okorocha who has within 10 months of taking the helm of affairs in the state ‘dwarfed’ the accomplishments of the past administrations almost put together. He has declared free education in Imo state as well as provision of bursary to Imo students, when other states across the nation are increasing school fees for their students. Owelle is building at least 15 km roads in each of all the 27 local government areas in Imo state. He has built an ultra modern football stadium in Orlu, relocated Imo state University to a befitting site, built modern classrooms in schools all the wards in Imo state, cleared the arrears owed to and pays civil servants and pensioners promptly. He has renovated the lapidated Concorde hotel in Owerri and has made it again a source of income for the state.
He has used his security vote in securing the present and future lives of Imolites unlike other past and present governors who consider this money as their share of the national cake. One can rightly argue that all the indigenes and residents of Imo state have felt the blessings of good leadership emanating from Governor Owelle Rocha Okorocha.
No wonder Imo brethren in the United States of America are proud to celebrate their state and Governor on July 15th 2012 in far away Houston, Texas. The event which is being organized by Prince Noel productions and other good people of Imo state will be hosted by the Mayor of Houston, Annie Parker. Sons and daughters of Imo state are eagerly waiting to celebrate their state and Governor as models for others to follow and as symbols of hope that all hope is not lost in our country Nigeria.
The kind of governance His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is providing is worthy of emulation. His decentralization of power in which he carved the 4th tier of government which is made up of volunteers who render free services to the state should be adopted by other leaders as a model for good governance.
These volunteers are working within the vision of the Governor to transform Imo state and create a future for the younger generation. The Governor has shown that when an honest man is in leadership that the good people of Imo state as seen in these volunteers will be all out to work selflessly for the good of the masses. With Owelle Rochas in power, the era of ‘come and chop’ enthroned by the past administrations have been shot down and buried. The lieutenants he has chosen to work with him are accomplished and respected individuals who have love for and are interested in what they can do for the state and not what the state can do for them. His Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso, for example, left the luxuries of the United States of America to return and serve in Imo state. The chief of staff to the Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, has rightly turned that office from being a kitchen cabinet of the governor as was in the past administrations, to a service-oriented office in tune with the transformational vision of the present Governor. The Commissioner for Information Dr Obinna Duruji and Senior Special Adviser on media, Mr Chinedu Offor, are honourable men who are not ‘milling’ out lies and deceits to the citizens as was in the past. One can now once again believe in the information coming from the leadership of the state and be confident that the Governor is also getting correct information about the citizens of the state. One other area the Governor has excelled is the work of generating internal revenue which is headed by his Senior Special Adviser on revenue generation, Sir Jude Ejiogu. This office is once again functional in collecting remitting internal generated revenue to the coffers of the state instead of private pockets as was in the past. This money has become very useful in provision of good governance in the state. The men and many others in His Excellency’s cabinet are either people attracted back home by Owelle or people who were educated and trained in the United States and UK whom the Governor has brought in to assist in his transformational agenda in Imo state.
The Imo day USA 2012 will be a time to celebrate and display the rich cultural heritage of Imo State. One of the organisers, Prince Emmanuel Tochukwu Unegbu, a US-based entertainment Czar and psychologist from Imo state who was educated in Universities of Houston, Texas Southern University as well as Urbaniana Universtas.
Roma and who is the CEO of Prince Noel Productions USA; stated that the day will among other things showcase the huge investment opportunities in Imo state as well as serve as a moral booster to the youth and Ndigbo that all hope is not lost in our country Nigeria. The interaction with the Governor will give the good people of Imo state resident in the USA an opportunity to dialogue and get a first hand insight into the vision and mission which Owelle Rochas Okorocha has and is vigorously pursuing in Imo state.
This kind of leadership presently in Imo state assures Ndigbo as a whole that we have someone who when the time calls, can represent us altruistically and effectively in any national and international assignments; and we can be very sure that he will make us proud.
Maduakonam Achuama, an IT expert and writer is based in Glasgow, UK.
