Before Rochas Okorocha became governor of Imo State; I watched a film showing him feeding the underprivileged sickly-sweet people as well as seeing his tuition free, unity school in Jos, Plateau State. A school bereft of creed and ethnicity, and set up for financially depressed people. I appreciated him for his giant stride in charitable works.
But is my assessment of the man Rochas without merit? Isn’t he fit to be known as a statesman, at least, owing to his past history, experience, qualification or exposure? It was awful to see the Omuapu community people of Imo State jeer at him and his entourage recently whilst on a trip to Owerri, the state capital. The governor, like the rest of us, was trapped at the decrepit road of the federal expressway in that community for over one hour. Why is there a disconnect between political office-holders and the electorate and how come elected officials every time abandon them and select travellers in aristocratic circles?
The late Sam Mbakwe (governor of old Imo State) is still being talked about in that state these days because, they say his projects favoured the poor and he worked untiringly to advance their standard of living, and led a modest life. Also, he made sure that the existing roads in Imo State were maintained, by the relevant agencies and again, many new access roads constructed to link other road network.
If Mbakwe were governor of Imo State today he might not have been involved in a Federal-State-government road deadlock to the disadvantage of his people. A situation today, which makes travelers to spend hours every now and then due to the dilapidated road at the Omuapu community end of the federal highway on the way to the capital from Rivers State. Heavy-duty lorries have tumbled now and again, giving all travelers nightmares.
It is implausible to think that the community will support his administration when they know that their interests are not protected but are flagrantly undercut, and worse, when they know that the interests of a coterie of other communities’ in the state are sheltered and celebrated.
Can Okorocha buck the trend and become another Sam Mbakwe? I will like to see Okorocha appreciate governance as a call to duty, the same way he took his benevolent projects seriously before he became governor and who, like Mbakwe, will be in the consciousness of Imo indigenes for good causes.
Simon Abah,
Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.