Open letter to Gov Ihedioha on non-inclusion of ‘Science & Tech’ in 8-pages Manifesto

A native of Imo State, Nigeria based in USA, Onyema Nkwocha, have penned down an open letter to Governor Emeka Ihedioha over non-inclusion of Science and Technology in his 8-pages Good Governance manifesto.

It should be recalled that Gov Ihedioha, few months ago unveiled his manifesto to govern Imo State, out of his manifesto, he seem to have excluded “Science and Tech”, despite he added the name “ICT”, which also stands for Tech.

But in this article by Mr. Onyema Nkwocha, he faulted the name “ICT”, noting that the acronym could be something else, hence the need to add “Science and Tech” in the list to help the governor achieve his aim of developing the state to a desirable height.

The article reads below…

Dear Governor Ihedioha:

Let’s get it right from this humble beginning.

First, Let’s give credit to whom its due.
My Dear Governor Ihedioha, you are in deed out to make Imo State standout “special” among the family of States in the current federated Nigerian System.

However, my Governor, please forgive me if I erred on the side of misreading and understanding your Manifesto. That is, you may have provided for this but somehow, I failed to take cognizance of it. If so, it is my grievous fault and so, Your Excellency, please I crave for your forgiveness.

Having said the above, as laudable as Governor Ihedioha’s 8-page Good Governance Manifesto appears, however, it appears it fell short of categorically addressing the cornerstone of any nation’s driving force and catalyst to Development and industrialization, which is the obvious omission of mentioning and categorizing the field and impactful role of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY in your bid to rebuilding and developing Imo State.

Science and the Development or transfer of Technology is the fulcrum, the “Raw-Material,” the bedrock and essentially the fundamental moving wheels upon which any developed country’s Secret to its Development lies.

Neglect the Strategic role of science and technology, you can forget about how much billions of Naira that is poured into all other sectors of the State’s economy.

In this fundamental and New beginnings to rebuild, re-charting the economic road map and repositioning and re-branding Imo State, it is imperative that Governor Ihedioha and his new Administration get it right – ab initio, by placing noticeable and categorical emphasis and impetus on status of SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY or the Transfer thereof n Imo State.

Let’s face it, Imo State does not have strong Technological Base. Granted there is the FUTO and the Imo State University, yet these two institutions have not formed or built enough Technological base to support the Governor’s Ambitious goal of Developing Imo State into a First-Class State in a third World country, Nigeria.

For the Governor to realize this laudable ambition, the Governor has to make strategic decisions to Showcase and put the light of importance on “TECHNOLOGY!” Science and Technology, that is.

So far, the Governor’s current 8-page Manifesto did not do that and so, fell short of putting and laying emphasis on the strategic importance of science and Technology.

Telling me that the Governor accommodated Science and Technology in what he termed Imo State “ICT,” whatever that acronym stands for or in the integrated infrastructural development, is nothing but being myopic on the dominant role Science and Technology have played before our very eyes in the massive and dominantly, quantum industrial development of The United States of America; China, Germany, Japan, Russia, France and Israel, to name but these.

To be clear, Science and Technology is not the same as Computers or information technology per se.

By simple definition, science is the systematic and organized structure of articulating body of knowledge in the nature of explanations, observations, experiments, analyses and prediction about the nature of things and the entire universe and its constellations as we know it. Technology on the other hand is the development and collection of the methods, the step by step processes and techniques of the production of goods and services- tangible and intangible or any other things that the people, organizations, Governments etc. benefits from as consumers by way of demands. Technology leads to the development of computers which in turn, is driven by science and the knowledge of developing the software and harnessing the core machine via or by technology. So, science is the vehicle that drives technological development.

Science does this by generating the new knowledge demands for goods and services- such as a new artificial heart, a new oil turbine, new cars that can run 25 miles per gallon of gas, new roofing shingles, new building codes, new road Construction, to mention but these, and with technological skills available at the time, these scientific demands are built into technological miracles that we see today in the name of tangible and intangible goods and services!

This is the realistic connection between science and technology. Abd this should not be left to chance on the bid to revamp, re build revamp and develop Imo State.

The Governor’s 8-page Manifesto did not make room for this all-important role of the faculty of Science and Technology to the Development of Imo. And so, I urge the Governor and his advisors to please reconsider a Revised Manifesto that pontificates SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY and accord it an outstanding and comparable place and importance on the Governor’s Ambitious governance agenda/Program.

The Governor’s Manifesto did not take cognizance of the variously emerging Imolite’s innate technological abilities, discoveries, developments, emergent technologies, CREATIVE SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES based off of designed or serendipitous Research endeavors never before thought about, nor existing in our current economies but from time to time, emerges as POTENTIAL technologies – SUCH as the famous “RADIO MBAISE,” the GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY BY FUSION WATER, etc. that should have been gathered from across Imo State and HARNESSED into possible and promising technological “goldmines” to be explored and developed for the ultimate development of Imo State.

We cannot continue to wait on or for the transfer of Foreign Technology when we are already blessed with innate natural skills and abilities at every corner of this God-blessed State!

That’s how America of today’s most advanced, developed and richest country in the World started.

Americans did not wait for their Colonial Master, Britain to transfer Technology to them before they could pick up Technology and launched themselves at the center stage of World’s technological advancements. Take for instance the American Airplanes we see today; it was started by two brothers- Wilbur and Wright Orville. On December 17, 1903, the Orville brothers, in their parents’ backyard and with support from people and the American Government, discovered, built and tested the first American Airplanes and the rest was history as we can see the fleet of America’s air planes today, some 100 years plus ago!! All through the natural technological ingenuity of two naturally gifted brothers!!
IMO STATE HAVE SUCH NATURALLY TECHNOLOGICALLY GIFTED PEOPLE IN IMO STATE AND BEYOND!

GOVERNOR IHEDIOHA, GIVE THEM A CHANCE AND WATCH THE MIRACLE OF YOUR REVISED BUT AMBITIOUS 8-PAGE MANIFESTO Bloosm!!!

Yet, because previous Administrations did not understand the connection between science and technology, and thus paid no attention to the independent area of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Imo State became one of the most backward States in the federation, technologically.

Governor Ihedioha, you are in a very great historical moment to right the wrongs of the past. And you are doing it! But there is more: Give Imo State the Technological Development and Advancement it naturally deserves
by reviewing and revising your current 8-page Manifesto, and showcasing the importance of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, and according it a clear and prominent place in the rebuilding of Imo State that this arm of the State’s economic development deserves.

Thank you, Governor Ihedioha!!

Dr. Onyema Nkwocha. EJD, Ed.D.
USA.