It is unfortunate that Imo State, endowed with abundant human and natural resources, including crude oil in commercial quantity, sustaining Nigeria’s economy, has been unlucky in terms of leadership. The state has not had the leader that can harness its endowment to shoot it to the top. For instance, other oil producing states like Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, among others are utilising the proceeds of their endowment for the betterment of the people.
The last one year or so in Imo has been challenging, owing to leadership tussle by different political gladiators within and outside their party leaning. The drama, intrigues, litigations and counter litigations have denied the state good governance. The gladiators have been flexing muscles to the detriment of the people in order to control the soul of the state.
While the power tussle played out, the citizens suffer, infrastructural deficiency is evident, and its image continues to deteriorate. What the state has gone through in the hands of charlatans who call themselves leaders before now is unimaginable. Some, instead of improving the economy of the state, went about planting flowers and erecting statues of dead people. It is pathetic. It is sad that past leaders lacked vision and creativity to uplift the state to an enviable height. It is a pity that while citizens of other states like Anambra, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, etc, have had steady infrastructural improvement, Imo state suffers bad governance and is held down by leaders who are either parochial or confused. While resources of the state were plundered by these previous leaders, their families and cronies, the place is left in ruins. Imo indigenes and their leaders are mocked by other Nigerians for not enjoying good governance in the state. It is highly embarrassing. Sometimes, I wonder why our leaders are not abreast of infrastructural revolutions going on in other states like Akwa Ibom state with an airline, which is fast becoming popular, generating additional income and employment opportunities for their citizens.
With the ascension of Senator Hope Uzodinma as governor of the state, there seems to be an array of hope for Ndi Imo, having distinguished himself in the senate as Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs and Marine Transport. He brought candour, transparency and sanity to that sector. I believe he can replicate same in Imo state. He is a humble man, who knows the yearnings of his people. I believe he can turn things around for good in the state. I will therefore implore Ndi Imo to rally round and support Senator Hope Uzodinma to enable him fix and take the state to the promised land. The beauty is that he is mature and independent-minded, which past leaders lacked.
My advice for him is to convene a gathering of Imo stakeholders across party lines as well as professionals from all sectors to brainmstorm on how best to move the state forward. He should formulate policies and programmes that will drive the economy of the state to enviable position. He should try to avoid controversies or ‘war’ with oppositions, because doing so will distract him and have adverse financial consequences. He should try to reconcile all the aggrieved members of the society and avoid blame game with a view to entrenching peace and prosperity in the state. The governor should also embark on massive infrastructural development, in addition to dangling mouth-watering tax incentive to investors, which will attract investments to the state. Such incentive will boost the Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR) of the state, as well as help to create more employment opportunities for the teeming youths.
Furthermore, he should tackle insecurity head-on, knowing fully that investors will delight a crime-free environment to make investment. The governor should make effective use of the media in order to showcase the programmes and policies in the state.
Peter Ogbuokwa,
Lagos. via: [email protected].