…Is he running out of ideas or looking into the future?
By Jacqui IWU
Wed, JANUARY 31 2018-theG&BJournal-Since Governor Rochas Okorocha abandoned the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA ) party and migrated into APC , a lot of people who felt he was a force that could help solidify APGA and taken the party to greater heights has not been happy with him. Every move he has made since his migration attracted all kinds of backlash from those who feel he has lost his political bearing and sold out his birth right due to his ambition to become the President of Nigeria someday.
The Governor as if to piss his critics off keep coming up with all kinds of outrageous projects and activities in his state swinging and twisting the brains of his critics more and more.
Last year 2017, he got caught up in the controversy of turning Imo State into a state of unreasonable statues erections of two African Presidents- Jacob Zuma of South Africa and Serlief Johnson of Liberia. These two Presidential statues are not the only statues in the state but they sparked a huge outcry from his critics who felt he has nothing reasonable to offer the state but only wasting Imo state funds and resources.
You see, each time writers like me pick to write on a personality like Gov. Okorocha, most people who read such articles focus more to know the writers stand. Sorry to disappoint you guys on this one….I am neither here to butter him or paint him like a devil. I am just voicing out my sincere observations as a concerned citizen and mouth piece of most people who have no such avenue like me to add their voice.
Each time I think of this man called Rochas Anayochukwu Okorocha and his political ambition, I get rattled and I am sure I am not the only one who feel that way. He is a man you need to watch closely, drill him intellectually for you to understand where his political compass/radar is focused. I grew up in Imo state by the way and I knew what that state looked like before Okorocha came on board. The last time I went to that state, I loved what I saw. The only places I wondered why he still left to deteriorate more and more were Douglas road which links Mbaise road roundabout as well as the highly clustered Ekeonunwa market which happened to be the most popular if not the only major market inside the center of Owerri, capital of Imo state. There were too much ‘keke’ and transporters who disorganized everywhere you look. The keke transport business was not well structured and they constituted the clustering of the city.
This year, most of you reading this must have heard what happened when he closed down this same market and relocated it somewhere else. As a matter of decency, this popular market has been there for ages and kept polluting the decency of the city due to lack of proper planning when it was established.
As always expected from traders in any market, they protested, said all kinds of ugly things about the Governor. I pretty much understand their anger and pains because this is typical of Nigerians when such act is being carried out in any part of this country. The question is, did Okorocha’s bulldozers tear and chase out these traders without them being given notice to relocate prior to the demolition? If he never informed them earlier on where to relocate before demolition, then that is cruel and insensitive but I can’t imagine him not informing them and just taking them unawares. I would like to hear from any accurate eye witness(s) present when this demolition happened. Do leave a comment after reading this.
If you know Owerri like I do years back you will agree that this particular market should not have been there up till this age considering how small Owerri is. Yes, the capital of Imo State in geographical land scape (not inhabitants) is one of the smallest capitals in Nigeria. You cannot compare Owerri with Lagos. So if you have such a small congested city, to make it look attractive and decent is to rid it of activities that can clutter and congest it the more.
As we speak, those who were displaced from this market have not seen anything good coming from Rochas Okorocha. I guess some day, they will look back and thank him for this just like the people living in the FCT Abuja remembers Kaduna Governor, mallam El Rufai during his demolition when he was the Minister of the FCT years back. This particular action gave him the name-‘ Mr. bulldozer’. Recently, Governor El Rufai has sacked teachers in Kaduna state and this was sad news to everyone. Let’s face it folks, there are no jobs anywhere and you just fired those who have. It’s not a good news! Believe me, if these teachers are competent, he will not fire them. Again he is also replacing them with new competent ones. Years after, most people who are calling for his head will appreciate this. El Rufai is a man that shoots hard and hardly misses. He takes very hard decisions and actions but they do turn out well in the long run.
So I think people who have been calling for Gov. Okorocha’s head for demolishing this market, should watch the outcome in years ahead. He meant well by doing so…if you ask me.
As if Okorocha’s style of leadership has not had enough criticism, the recent trend about him and Imo state is his creating a new ministry never heard of in the history of Nigeria- Ministry of Happiness. He not only created this confusing ministry but he also appointed his blood sister as the commissioner. Done deal huh? Has he run out of ideas? Some people has been asking.
I have been following the criticism on his latest action especially on social media and no one seem to be happy about this. I have been looking at it in a different angle because I do not know what is making Nigerians angrier- The creation of this Ministry or appointing his sister to be in charge? Would it have been better if he just created this and appointed someone else rather than the family member? Or this Ministry is just nonsense-an indirect avenue to keep his political ambition streaming valuable resources back to him? What exactly do you think this man was thinking alongside the people that concocted this idea with him?
I think if Okorocha wanted so much to make Imo state people more happier, and needed to create a new Ministry in the state, it would have been the –‘Ministry of Youth employment and technological Empowerment’. Even if he appoints his wife to head this, no one will get angry. Such a ministry will at least make some sense to everyone.
The question is still – Has Governor Okorocha ran out of credible Ideas to pilot the affairs of Imo State citizens?
Jacqui IWU is a Media Communications & PR strategist|A Life &Business Coach with passion for youth and women Economic/Social Empowerment. |Twitter- |@vivantjacqui|@Jacquiworld| #talkbacktobwj
