by Dr. Onyema Nkwocha
As his 100 Days in Office speech and broadcast to the people of Imo State revealed, Governor Ihedioha, his able Deputy Governor, Hon. Irona, and the team of untold supporters of Imolites from across the Globe, in 100 days in office, have thus far moved mountains in the State and have, unquestionably, repositioned Imo State.
Recall that in my previous open letter to Governor Ihedioha, when I only dwelt on his 8 page-Manifesto, I only saw the contents then as the summation of the governance program from that elevation lenses. Half the entire story was not told me! In summary in that open-lettered article, I had posited that the Governor’s 8-page-Manifesto fell short of pontificating the vital and high importance of Science and Technology in the rebuilding and development of Imo State.
In fact, I had urged the Governor to revise his 8-page-Manifesto. I urged the Governor to
accord Science and Technology the outstanding importance it deserves in the development of the economy of Imo State. To help garner and coral together in one melting pot, the variously and wild embers of various technological creativities periodically sprouting from among our budding youth, we need to impress on them, the importance of science and technology, I argued! And when we do and sustain this, we can watch in amazement, the wonders of technological development in the State, I concluded or rather, advised!
But wait a minute, when the lasers beamed on the Governor’s stellar and meteorically spectacular accomplishments in only 100 days in office, this writer was mesmerized and overcome with astonishment – (astounded, if you will, to say the least,) by what Governor Ihedioha and his Deputy, Hon. Engr. Gerald Irona have been able to accomplish in just only 100 days of being sworn into offices as was revealed in his “100 Days in Office – A Time to Rebuild” Address and speech to Imo people.
But of course, it’s good, for once in more than 8-long, drab, lackluster, backwardly devasting years to once again, “whoa” the people of Imo in amazement and great pleasure by a real servant-leader-of the people: Governor Ihedioha! Governor Ihedioha’s speech highlighted a laundry list of spectacular projects – road construction, pension payments, agriculture, education revampments, revamping of four technical education training institutes, hospitals, local mid-size manufacturing ventures, rural electrification projects across the state, a dogged- penchantncy in the legal recovery of Imo State’s illegally looted properties from across the State etc., only in just a short 100 days in office.
Without a doubt, Governor Ihedioha has done marvelously, exceedingly well considering the odds he and his administration are faced with!
Given the mountains of issue problems in Imo State prior to his arrival, Governor Emeka Ihedioha has done what Napoleon could not, in Imo State for Imo people! The governor and the State Assembly have been able, so far to deliberate, and sign into law more than 8 forward moving legal bills that will see justice done in the areas these bills (laws) are targeted.
Above all, on the immediacy and urgency of the moment, the arduous task of “The Nagging Question of Accountability…,” the Governor has constituted three-high powered panels to review three most critical areas of pension payment, land acquisition and awards of contracts.
These are the signs and evidences of a transparent governance and governing process that the people deserved but lacked in the previous 8 years and beyond!
Although previous governors of Imo State were not confronted with the present level of
decrepit state of the State in the first 100 days when they arrived and were sworn into office, I can arguable say that none, or all of the previous governors put together were able to surmount the level of challenges that Governor Ihedioha have been able to wrestle with and conquer in a short period of 100 days! (Save of course Governor Sam Mbakwe, whose
governance issues he met in his first 100 days in office, definitely, pales in comparison!)
Cycling back to this author’s earlier position and urge to the governor to place emphasis on the vital role and importance of science and technology in the development of Imo State’s economy, Governor Ihedioha, in deed, did heed and already addressed my plea on his First 100 Days in Office Address to the people of Imo State thus, (and please permit me to refer to the relevant parts: “13.0 Rebuilding Technical & Vocational Education/ Creating ICT Hub as a Catalysts for Industrial growth.13.2 My good people of Imo State, … in my inaugural address, I promised that we would resuscitate technical and vocational education in the State. The need to create a pool of highly skilled youths that would be the pride of the State in the coming years, cannot be over-emphasized.
Consequently, on June 2nd, 2019, we inaugurated a Taskforce on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) under my office….The resuscitation of TVET …a priority of the Rebuild Imo Project is anchored on our firm belief that the acquisition of critical technical and vocational skills by majority of our youths has the capacity to stimulate sustainable industrial development, job and wealth creation and ultimately rapid improvement in the socio-economic life of our people…, to inform you …, we flagged-off
the rebuilding and equipping of four technical colleges in the State namely; Government Technical College Owerri, Ahiara Technical College, Government Technical College Okporo, Orlu and Government Technical College Osu.
Our target is that by 2020 we should have hit 60 percent mark of post-Basic students as enrollees in the TVET system. 13.4 Similarly, we recognize the place of Information & Communication Technology- ICT, as the bridge to the future.
Consequently, … we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a major technology incubation company in the United States to harness the budding technology potentials of our youths. We are also in contact with Google Inc. on how we can invest in the capacity of our young ones.
In essence, Governor Ihedioha already, not only is he thinking about the vital role science and technology can play , in the development of any nation, society or country, and no less at this critical and dire stage in the case of Imo State, Governor Ihedioha has made more than substantive and emphatic statement concerning the importance his Governing administration places on science and technology, the acquisition, and development of relevant and comparable skills in our youth population – the leaders and developers of tomorrow’s society and economy.
The most encouraging thing about the giant, positive and rightful strides Governor Ihedioha is taking in repositioning Imo State is that, slowly but surely his honest and proactive steps to restore Imo State to her original glories and beyond is now becoming efficaciously and virulently, infectious in other parts of the 36 States and the Abuja Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria.
A great many people of Nigeria from the various coalition of States have been speaking
out and extolling the great political and governance foibles with which Governor Ihedioha has already lined the state up with.
Many citizens from other states are now using Governor Ihedioha as the bench mark, a beacon and model reference point while advising their governors to aspire and look up to. It’s by no means a ting of chance or luck. What governor Ihedioha is doing is nothing short of the natural way the relationship should be, between the governor and the governed, between the leader and the people/followers.
The role of effective, good governance is to morally, deliberatively choose to assist the people in transforming their state of affairs from that which they lack and need or want, to that which they desire and hope to be or to have.
It is the honest and effective leader in a transformative system, who resolves to make the kind of choice Governor Ihedioha currently, is making to do the right thing and give the people the right thing they want, and simply to alleviate the sufferings prevalent in all corners of the State.
It is not luck or chance! It’s a moral choice to do the right thing! And yes, simply put, that’s what Governor Ihedioha is doing – a conscientious, transformative choice to listen to the people, understand their plights, make conscientious effort to put up a wise and sensible strategic goal, structural plan of action toward implementation, under the guided and watchful eye of the rule of law, the separation of powers, and of politics and religion.
The goal is to alleviate years of heaped up injustices, and problems, and by not paying
attention to pocketful of deprecating critics, but absolutely, resolutely, and unswervingly
moving forward to the pre-conceived better governance approach for the good of all!
What Governor Ihedioha is doing simply, is applying good governance systems and techniques which require sensible, tested leadership practices including well-structured and functioning organizational system to effectuate efficiently, projects, resources, talents, and services to the people by the use of legally practicable or pragmatic means and avenues that the people are familiar with.
These and beyond, are the art of good governance that Governor Ihedioha conscientiously chose or resolved to lead by. Any of the other 35 Governors in the federation are welcome to apply the same system and principle. And under ideal situations, it should work when honestly approached, planned, and executed.
And just a wild dream, in the event that all 36 Governors resolve to apply the system and principles of “good and excellent governance” in leading the people of their respective states, there then goes the rapid development of Nigeria in all of her four corners of the 36 States including the federal Capital territory!
And so, my people, it’s beginning to feel like “good morning again” in Imo State! Likewise, there is a vindication to all who supported Governor Ihedioha and his Deputy, Hon. Irona during their erstwhile days of gubernatorial campaigns and electioneering as revealed by the Governor’s First 100 Days in Office with a battery of rapid accomplishments. Amidst untold levels of herculean challenges, your decision to cast your votes and support the team of Ihedioha and Hon. Engr. Irona, then is now vindicated by these laudable performances of the governor’s!
In summation, visiting Governor Ihedioha’s recent “A 100 Days In Office: A Time to Rebuild” speech and address to the people of Imo State, one can only simply conclude one thing: Governor Ihedioha: The game changer is here, moving mountains, and repositioning Imo State and her people to once again, assume her natural leadership among the comity of States in the nation. And so, my fellow Imolites, if you have been seating on the fence all these while, I challenge you, it’s time to support Governor Ihedioha and his Team: The Game Changers are here!
With this tempo and pulse, there is no iota of a doubt in my mind that Governor Ihedioha, with his able Deputy Governor, Hon. Irona, and team of untold supporters of Imolites at home, in Diaspora, and from across the Globe, in no distant time will take Imo State to that technologically developed leadership status, albeit, one day at a time! That, I am confident about! Finally, I believe, Governor Ihedioha is the Game Changer!
– by Dr. Onyema Nkwocha
USA
