Governance is like a marriage of two people. Each marriage has its own modus oprarendi. In some families, a man is the breadwinner, while in some it is the woman. In another the woman sleeps and drinks outside as she likes, while in some, the man would not condone such from the wife.
However, in the end, what is important is that the family is living in peace, despite what outside observers may say or think about such marriages.
In governance, there is no regime that is the same, even if when the same political party is succeeded in office with a fellow member.
In the case of Imo State, Governor Rochas Okorocha is the elected Governor of the State for a second term, no matter what anybody or group may say on how he emerged.
It is usually said that a people get the kind of Leader they want. Therefore, in the case of Okorocha Imo people wanted him, and it is the Ogboko, Ideato South LGA born they have got.
For over four years now, Okorocha has bestridden the Imo political environment like a colossus. He came into power in 2011, when nearly all the political heavy weights in the State threw their weights behind the incumbent ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
Therefore, Okorocha emerged as Governor without the proverbial “god father”. He was man alone, and alone he has ruled Imo since then. He in the process has unleashed his own style of leadership on the masses, in the content he perceived best, whether it appeals to you or not.
However, when Okorocha assumed office in 2011, the euphoria that ushered him in was earth-shaking.
Not that Imo people had tested his leadership pedigree before then. But only that the masses wanted a change by all means, no matter who that fellow was. And the slot fitted Okorocha then, because of the long list of imaginery promises he doled out to Imo people, who were in search of a Messiah.
Four years after, it looks like the chicken has come home to roost. It seems like the angry Imo voters had thrown away the Baby with the birth water in 2011.
Regrets seem to fill the air.
As a follow up, Okorocha now is facing ugly reactions from the Imo populace because of his own type of leadership style, which was part of the problems his immediate precedeccor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim faced.
In every regime, there must be changing factors that must be addressed by the Leader to meet the dynamic nature of human behaviour and natural courses, coupled with the elastic character of human existence which is the reason he or she was put there in the first place.
Therefore, every day, the Leader encounters different challenges, which make or mar such administrations. And importantly, no Leader can remain in office without wringing changes to march the present situation of things as they unfold.
In the case of Imo State, De Sam Mbakwe faced it, so did Senator Evan Enwerem, Achike Udenwa, Ikedi Ohakim and now it is the turn of Rochas Okorocha.
As the names of these former Imo State Governors differ, so also was the level of problems they met in office, and also the solutions they devised to confront them.
In the case of Okorocha presently, the Governor is facing a herculean task on how to put the State on good stead, since every Leader would wish to be remembered in the positive after leaving office. But the problem is the methodology of confronting such tasks.
In 2011, Imo people rose up against Ohakim from accusation of dislocating people from their means of livelihood, to talking to Imo people without respect. Today, Okorocha’s list of sins as itemised by the same Imo people, who accused Ohakim of various allegations, as long as a scroll.
Even De Sam Mbakwe who was seen as one of the finest Governors that ever came out of Igboland had traducers. Enwerem who spent just a few months on the saddle was not short of enemies. Same to Udenwa.
This feeling by people comes as a result of the fact that they believe they are no more consulted in the affairs that concern their State, because every born of Imo State is a stakeholder, even though there must be one person handed over the collective wealth and destiny of Imo in trust for the rest who must not be Governor or Deputy at the same time.
The Okorocha administration is gradually losing “contact” with the masses because the regime usually assumes that every policy it wrought on the populace is good and acceptable hook, line and sinker, provided the ruling clique approves of it. Such Leadership style is not in tandem with democratic norms, especially in state like Imo, where more than half of the population are intellectuals, with a teeming army of Graduate youths. It alienates the masses from the Leader.
For instance, the issue of concessioning of Imo State owned Parastatals and Agencies no doubt must have been a long thought out remedy by the Okorocha administration to develop the state, but how it was unleashed on the masses was what may have led to its repulsive acceptance by the people.
Had the administration taken time to educate, inform and enlighten the Imo masses; the owners of the property to be concessioned, the ugly reaction that trailed its introduction would not have been that dim.
Every property that is owned by Imo State Government, belong to all Imo born, wherever they may reside, and therefore they must be consulted before anything is done about them.
Some of the Imo people’s property meant to be concessioned include; Imo Orientation Agency, Health Facilities in the State, Imo Newspapers, NEPAD, Imo ADP, Agric Loans Board, Water Corporation, Consumer Protection Council and Imo State Council for Arts and Culture.
Others are Imo State Tourism Board, Imo State Investment Protection Agency ISIPA, Imo State Zoo Garden, Imo State Directorate for Employment, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources Shop, Okigwe Cattle Market, ENTRACO, IWADA, Imo Blue Lake and others.
To the uninformed, after going through this long list, the feeling would be that Okorocha has sold everything in Imo, remaining only the Government House.
Therefore, Okorocha may mean well, but his leadership style looks draconian and puts not the masses in the scheme things when taking decisions that concern them.
Hopefully for Imo masses, they must bear in mind that some of these Government Agencies were in the hands of some people, before Okorocha introduced his own leadership style. Therefore, another regime can come in and “retrieve” these Imo owned property.
RHAS was incharge of Imo Concorade Hotel during the Udenwa era, which Ohakim followed, but now Okorocha came and sacked them, and heaven has not fallen since then, ADAPALM was also removed from the company handling it. Elected Local Government officers were sacked; 10,000 youths employed by a previous administration were sacked. It is all part of the style of a new administration.
Before the current administration came to office, the previous administration took loan to off- set severance allowances owed past appointees who served under the Udenwa regime. In Okorocha’s own leadership style, he has refused to pay those of his predecessors, even those who served under him.
So, it all dependents on leadership style. However, the only dangerous thing about leadership styles in Governance is that sometimes they live to haunt the Leaders who initiated them.
For instance, a sitting Governor who refuses to pay his predecessor his due rights, has lost the moral justification to enjoy such rights from his or her successor.
My fear with the Okorocha administration is that in its bid to get things right in its presumed style, it is touching nearly every facet of “Imo structure”, from the political to the cultural, and professional. Including the Civil Service.
Presently, the Imo Work force is facing the Okorocha leadership style via their salaries and allowances, some of which have been tampered with, or stopped completely. And these are civil service rules, some older than Sir Jerome Udorji.
In the last few weeks, Imo Civil servants had left their offices for the Government House round- about, where they converge for demonstrations to press home their anger, over owed salary arrears, or deducted allowances.
For sure, things are hard, and Imo is part of Nigeria. But a compassionate Leader and listening one can handle the masses with less ado. If they are treated as part of the system through dialogue. But the Okorocha administration sees dialogue as caving in to the demands of the masses, whose views are now seen as secondary in the management of the state’s affairs. That is a very wrong judgement.
The feeling of the masses counts and more supreme at times, because it is for the populace that Governments are put in place.
And again, every Leader is judged by his statements, body language and what happens around him or her. Therefore, if a Leader asks his or her follower to eat beans, he would be surprised how the perceived gullible followers would react when they see their Leader devouring a stewed plate of Rice with one big leg of chicken part.
For instance, it sounds ridiculous, if it is true, as alleged, that Imo State Government has mapped out Five hundred Million Naira (N500m) to decorate the streets for the Christmas festivities.
Could this be the same Imo State where workers are demonstrating every day for their salaries? In a period of famine, everybody must tighten his or her belts, including the Leaders, who should lead by example
It is on record that man hates change, even though it is for his own advantage in the long run. While Okorocha wrought the change in Imo, through his own Leadership style, the Imo masses demands sincerity and transparency in his pursuance of his policies, so that the people will line behind him, despite the hard times. But anything short of that would be seen as hypocrisy, which may not spur the masses on to bring the change.
