Charles Odibo
In the lead-up to his inauguration and swearing in on May 29, 2019, as the sixth democratically elected governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha invited a number of dignitaries, business, political, religious, activists, to Imo State to participate in the series of events heralding a new dawn for Imo, over a four-day period.
Six of them, captains of industry, who collectively lead businesses that employ over 20,000 Nigerians, and who did not associate with the immediate past administration because of the hostile environment then, caught my attention. Two of them who are not from Imo State lead a flourishing airline and a quoted indigenous upstream oil and gas company. The other four from Imo State are key players in upstream and downstream petroleum, information communication technology (ICT), e-commerce, telecommunications, and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). Beyond these six titans, the Imo State capital, during this transition period, was awash with an overflow of the nation’s business leaders and advisors.
What changed? The reality of perception, because our view of the world is shaped by communication, which means that perception being a function of communication is a reality.
In his over 20 years in public service, mainly as a legislator, Governor Emeka Ihedioha has been projected and identified as a man who is faithful to his word. He has consistently advocated due process, openness, transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business, attributes that appeal to the business community, and this perception has defined his persona in the public space and influenced how people relate with and respond to him.
Little wonder his four-point agenda to rebuild Imo State is laden with a commitment to good governance, revitalise the Imo economy by thinking and acting like a business driven by premium talent, cutting-edge strategy, and operating process; effective and efficient service delivery leading to better resource use and value for money, which will ultimately promote economic growth, employment generation and poverty reduction.
Other components of the economic blueprint as articulated by Governor Ihedioha in his four-year action plan to transform Imo State include growing the economy through functional education, rapid industrialisation, entrepreneurship/skill development and innovative technologies; reform and increase investment in agriculture for sustainable wealth creation and food security; facilitate integrated infrastructural development across the state; and guarantee the security of lives and properties of citizens and residents. Other actionable plans of the “my word is my bond” governor include revamp of tourism and entertainment as key contributors to the economy; launch a four-year N10 billion Employment Trust Fund to give access to entrepreneurial ventures in the state; ensure strict observance of the principle of separation of powers with the legislature and respect the autonomy of the judiciary in order to promote the rule of law; and establish Imo State Investment Promotion Council to act as a one-stop shop to implement government policies on private investment and public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements.
No doubt these are indeed laudable plans on paper whose success is dependent on the discipline of execution.
Referred to as “tested and trusted” based on his strings of identifiable accomplishments as a legislator, too numerous to outline here, Ihedioha has already hit the ground running in selecting people, articulating strategy guided by due process. So far, he has approved the appointment of more than 10 technical and special advisers, among others. But one of these appointments stands out in framing the evolving Ihedioha governorship that places premium on exceptional talents and will go to great lengths to attract them.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, whose appointment was announced on June 8, 2019, is not from Imo State but from the neighbouring Abia State because it is a talent hunt to recruit the best to rebuild Imo. The safety of life and property ranks high in the social contract between the government and the people, and is a sine qua non to attract durable investments. During the tenure of the out-gone administration, Imo State was not regarded as a secure state and insecurity deteriorated to the point that the United States of America, through its embassy, in 2017, included Imo State in its security advisory notice as one of the states in Nigeria that its citizens should be wary of visiting.
It is against this background that the governor sought out Mr. Raymond Nkemdirim, an experienced security intelligence administrator and expert who served in the nation’s security service for 35 years, rising to the position of director of operations in the Department of State Service (SSS), to be his adviser on security matters. In terms of strategy, the plan of action is to achieve the overall “rebuild agenda.”
The governor, in a process-driven manner, has set up simultaneous activities that are developing the frameworks for action. These include the financial advisor; committee for the review of appointments, recruitments and retirement; and an interim management committee for Imo Transport Company.
To put his words and promises to action and assure Imo people and potential investors that truly his word is his bond, infrastructural development has already kicked off. True to his commitment not to use the state’s paucity of funds as excuse for non-performance, it is obvious to the discerning constituents and stakeholders that Ihedioha is reaching out to do the needful.
For the first time in over three years, Imo State civil servants have received their May 2019 salary, which, was paid in full as against previous practices of owing full months or paying paltry percentages under the out-gone administration. Recall that the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association had been on strike until Ihedioha in his first week in office prevailed on them to call off the strike.
The early, quick, and sure-footed steps of the governor are an affirmation of his resolute commitment to Imo people and his strong desire for them to own and control their resources and key means of production, as he promised before being elected governor.
Because the morning shows the day, the new Imo State led by Ihedioha is steadily assuming a positive brand association that Ndi Imo can proudly relate to. Ndi Imo can now identify with such noble attributes of a governor who speaks in characteristic measured tones, with candour and decorum befitting of the office; a governor who thinks before he speaks; a governor who does not frivolously make promises that he hardly keeps, but one whose word is his bond; and, over all, a leader who is guided by rule of law.
Above all, to deepen the evolving amity between government and Ndi Imo, the government as a brand has to entrench the new-found connection with the people, which ensures that they will defend the government vigorously even in the face of obvious weakness against opposition and detractors; the administration should communicate effectively by framing its issues properly and telling its story proactively; and ensure that the state lives up to and consistently delivers on its promise to the people.
•Odibo is a marketing and communications professional