…Before we came in, Imo was hell
By Zika Bobby
IMO State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, has said the coming of the All Progressives Congress (APC), brought back power to the people and ended the reign of empowered miscreants who believed governance was a family business. In this interview, the former Chief of Staff to Governor Rochas Okorocha said his relationship with the governor spanned over two decades, adding that constitutionally, deputy governors are not in anyway spare tyres.
You have been deputy governor for barely three years. How would you describe the journey so far?
Being a deputy governor for the past three years has been a worthwhile experience. I have been operating based on the constitutional provisions and descriptions as to how the Deputy Governor of a state should conduct himself and abide by the responsibilities therein. I believe that what is more important is the partnership that exists between my principal and me.
It is that partnership and understanding that have given us so much harmony and peace to achieve. I enjoy the confidence of my leader and I understand him to the extent that he does not need to utter a word for me to take a decision. Again, you just have to be proactive to be appreciated by your boss or your principal.
Many are of the opinion that deputy governors are just spare tyres that are at the beck and call of their principal. Is it the same with you here?
Spare tyre? When what happens? No, deputy governors ought not to be seen from such perspective. Deputy governors are supposedly partners and team players.
Spare tyre is only important when the main tyre is too weak and must have been rendered dysfunctional. This ought not to be the case. Truly, it is only death that you could begin to define the position of a
deputy governor in such manner. We are all candidates of death. If death is indiscriminate in its effect in relation to age, sex and class, then the concept of spare tyre should be confined to a political dustbin.
I am a partner to my leader and boss. We work together. If you understand the protocol of office and adhere to it, you will discover that where the governor is unable to cover in the course of administering the state, his deputy will naturally stand-in for him. Constitutionally, deputy governors are majorly and statutorily commissioned to handle boundary issues and few other areas. Any other commission in relation to administering the state is based on the delegation of the governor.
In my experience, I have enjoyed the comfort of working with my leader not because I am the best but because it is the nature of Owelle Rochas Okorocha to naturally delegate duties. It is only when you are not delivering that he complains.
If you know what you are doing, my governor will naturally be your best friend and will give you enough tasks. I am very visible by God’s grace and by the magnanimity of His Excellency, the people’s governor
and leader, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
As the then Chief of Staff to Governor Okorocha, what kind of Imo State did your administration inherit?
Like I was thought by one of my lecturers, brain is a membrane that forgets. Within 21 days, if you have no direct interaction or need to recall or interact with an object, event or even an issue, you are likely to
forget except a related issue crops up sometime in the future. When we came on board, Imo was a model state of nature where life was at the mercy of empowered miscreants.
Imo was one hell of a kingdom where Kidnappers and hooligans reigned while the people trembled. Imo people lost their freedom as no one could speak for fear of being molested, intimidated or attacked.
In terms of infrastructure, it was a tale of dilapidation, as Owerri city had no escape the moment there
was traffic. The rural dwellers knew nothing about governance other than radio adverts. Today, Imo is the freest state in Nigeria where its people and residents are free to criticize the government without fear of
intimidation. It was in a bid to create that atmosphere of freedom that led to the construction of “Freedom Square” with a giant sculpture of a man with a broken chain symbolizing emancipation. Ever since, Governor Okorocha has been consistent in our belief in freedom and enthronement
of the ethos of democracy.
Today, people have forgotten so quick that before, once it was 5:30 pm, you would not see anybody in the streets of Owerri. The first charge of any serious government is security of life and property. We were able to tackle that. It was a hard nut to crack but it was a challenge too important to the survival of the state. We armed ourselves with good conscience and fought that war and we came out victorious.
Our people have forgotten and we have to find a way to remind them. In the area of infrastructure, we embarked on total rehabilitation of the state, where we built more roads than any other administration.
We have touched the lives of the people at the rural areas like no other. We have elevated the status of the three major urban areas of Imo State – Orlu, Owerri and Okigwe.
Can you highlight some of the achievements of this government?
In our bid to create a near egalitarian society where everyone will have equal opportunity, Owelle Rochas
Okorocha declared free education from primary to secondary and to tertiary level in state-owned
schools. To carry the envisaged geometric increase in school enrollment, he embarked on massive structural renovation and building of over 305 one-storey building 12 classroom pre-cast buildings. We have created a free Imo State where people’s voices are not only heard but are considered a civic responsibility.
We have transformed the city of Owerri with state-of-the-art facilities to encourage our hospitality
and tourism sector. In recent time, we have had harvests of best entertainment front-liners come to Imo State and these events have economic relevance because we have most of our attendees coming from
the neighbouring states.
Still in the hospitality industry, Concorde Hotel that was left to rot is back, beaming with people and full of activities. We have renovated Imo Blue Lake of Leisure Motel and built an International Conference
Centre there. We have a world class International Convention Centre with Heroes Square that has the capacity of about 10, 000 persons. This is just to mention a few. In the area of roads, we constructed an average of 20 kilometers of roads in every local government.
Still in the area of infrastructure, the government is building two flyover motorways with a tunnel to reduce traffic. I am sure that Owerri has got its alluring effect with aesthetics and fountains. People have only appreciated well re-modelled Owerri city with less interest to their economic relevance.
That is why we feel betrayed when people sound funny and try to deride the government. I am also surprised that newsmen do not take notice of these developments or even do little investigation on the activities that
took place in those areas. Again, we have laid a solid foundation waiting for harvest in the nearby future with the “Plant a Palm” agricultural programme.
Issue of skill acquisition remains paramount in our agenda so as to drive the SMEs. This is the hindsight for citing up Imo College of Advanced Professional Studies, which also houses Film Academy. The truth is that these are just few of the visible inputs in our effort to develop Imo.
Recently, the First Lady of Imo State, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha commissioned Skill Acquisition Centre, which is built in the Senatorial Zones of Imo State. It is a citadel of vocational studies with computers and other technical studies. Our policyplan for this dispensation is industrialization and employment creation. We are making every effort to ensure that we achieve this so as to make white-collar jobs less attractive.