Introduction
It is interesting to raise an
important question on the state of the State. The question is rather an
admission of a disconnect between the rhetoric and substance of the current
administration in Owerri. There is also a subtext in a grand narrative of Igbo
nationalism which situates its raison d’etre on marginalisation by the Federal
government of Nigeria. While there may be legitimacy on the grand narrative,
evidence on the ground indicates rather bankruptcy of leadership of the current
administration which is masked with great degree of competence.
Post-Ikiri Regime
One of the significant developments
in Imo State politics post-Mbakwe is the difficulty of having an administration
in Owerri that makes the effort to perceive the whole of the State as her constituency.
It is no gimmick to conclude that even
from the grave, Chief Sam Mbakwe PhD, remains the man to beat in leadership of
Imo State. Fast forward to the current administration of Owelle Rochas
Okorocha, a few issues refused to be addressed in the euphoria that brought him
to the fore of leadership.
By now it is no longer denied
that his honeymoon is over. Nevertheless it is crucial to reverse back to how
he emerged to occupy Owerri. In the
climate of abysmal performance, alleged malfeasance and incompetence of Mr
Ikedi Ohakim; the zeal for his replacement by the population by anyone from
another party foreclosed any attempt to critically review potential
options. Owelle Rochas Okoracha has no
pedigree in democratic tradition and public administration however he had the convergence
of time, connection and place to elevate him to realise his ‘aspiration’. Of course
he was duly (s)elected with all the pregnant expectations in the world and he didn’t
fail the rhetoric test with hyperbolic Restoration Agenda.
One must situate his emergence in the
socio-economic context to begin to delineate some realities. He may have
started as a common man but prior to vying for the top seat; his association with
common man/woman has turned into using them as tools. He is one of the power
elites via powerful connections. Secondly,
while Imo State population ran wild in expectation, masked underneath is raw ambition for greater things of which the same population are excluded.
Power Corrupts
A few years into office one
beginnings to wonder what it takes to transforms a State that receives its full
share of the Federal allocation. For one who claims to know and understand intergenerational
pain of Ndi Imo, there is no evidence of policy implementation that indicates a
strategic vision, production-oriented strategies and capacity development even
with infrastructural investment. What we
are unpleasantly confronted with is consistent expansion of consumption
economy, poorly implemented infrastructural contracts and potential for
extending abandoned project syndrome. No credible production firm have been completed
and signed off. While the noise of foreign investment is litany, even efforts
of well-meaning domestic capability are not encouraged.
For all the foreign
travels, there is little to show for it. What do you expect from a visit to
Kovoso, the basket case of Europe? Why would an Imo State governor visit a
beggar for investment in the guise of Kosovo, whose top officials including
Prime Minister, have been accused of
among others of drug running, human organ trafficking and all sort?
While Nnewi is less than 150km
from Owerri as a template for serious minded development, I doubt if her
significance mean much to the new power elites in Owerri. Rather air miles are
accumulated probably for miscellaneous accumulation. In summary Restoration Agenda
has failed to fly and may not fly after all.
Project Igbo President
Fast forward to the last few
months, you wonder why Imo State with so much potential only remains a
potential. The governor (s)elected on sympathy has abandoned the sympathy to project
his grand geopolitical aspiration for Nigeria. Whether real or imagined, he has
joined the ongoing reconfiguration of national political platforms for 2015
before he completed a term in office. I would
have expected someone in that capacity to maintain a positive relationship with
Abuja in other to attract various resources and investment to the State as a
measure of leadership dividend to consolidate his capacity to run for second
term. There are a number of federal projects in the state including dualisation
of Owerri-Aba road which can be switched off by the Fed but saved if GEJ
calculating for second term under PDP banner. A political leader takes his/her chance but
patience and hard calculation marks out the boys from the men.
Now I am very much aware that the
fig leaf of such ill-fated aspiration will be the old mantra of Igbo
marginalisation in the leaking umbrella called Nigeria. Who will buy such expired product? The truth
is that Ndigbo are holding themselves down. If Igbo leadership at State and Local
levels fail miserably to invest strategically with their share of the national
cake, forget about blaming others/outsiders.
This farce peddled by among others the top-echelon of non-elected branch
of power elites called Ohaneze has failed badly to whip up expected
concern. Therefore it is very sad that
Owelle Rochas Okorocha has joined the long list of failing leaders in Igboland
who refuse to credibility lift their people up when they had the chance. In
any case his Restoration Agenda is a personal project masked with
public/collective legitimacy.
Conclusion
In final analysis it goes back to
the primary problem of Igbo (political) leaders at various level within and
beyond Igboland; identity crisis. The consistency at proclaiming confusion as
identity is now pushing into an intergenerational patrimony with little or no positive
dividend. The elevated understanding of everyone/neighbours but oneself is gradually
becoming pathological because while self-preservation motivates both personal and
collective aspiration, the absence of nuanced objective and clear ontology is a
problematic. In this crisis, Owelle
Rochas Okorocha has a gilded seat. This is the burden of the Igbo nation.
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