I was at the Ahiajoku convention centre, New Owerri, last Tuesday where Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha unveiled the Imo My Pride Project.
According to the Imo State Governor who also used the unveiling of the project to interact with aggrieved Imolites, the project is aimed at restoring orderliness, sanity and decency in the State.
The new found gospel of the Rescue Missioner is aimed at riding the city of filth. The programme is anchored on restoring cleanliness in the three geo political zones of the State such as Owerri, Okigwe and Orlu zones. It is also intended to change the attitude and perception of Imolites who have stuck to the old order and indecent ways for decades.
The old order include lack of orderliness, absence of sanity and disappearance of moral values among a large chunk of the Imo citizenry. This has culminated to the return of illegal structures, return of touts who mesmerize and intimidate residents and other indiscriminate acts and actions that puts a question mark on the depth of moral decadence among the citizenry.
Some measures adopted by previous administrations in the State geared towards arresting this gradual slide to anarchy cannot be said to have achieved desired results and expectations.
Even, the introduction of keke in place of motorcycles by the Ikedi Ohakim administration has turned out to become a curse than a blessing.
While the past administration to an extent successfully initiated the campaign to rid the city of filth and illegal structures, the vendetta dimension applied by Willie Amadi to drive initiated the campaign will continue to remain a sore talking for many years to come. Then, we saw how some structures of those perceived to be enemies of the then govenrment were pulled down without genuine reason.
I must not fail to explain that whatever success ascribed to the Clean And Green initiative to restore orderliness in Imo, it paled into insignificance when the Chief crusader of the campaign applied unconventional methods in carrying out the task.
While I must admit that the exercise achieved some success, the gains of that initiative has waned in leaps and bounds.
The Rochas Okorocha administration came in with lots of expectation. It choose infrastructural renewal as a focal point of his administration. There were concerns that the task of restoring decency, sanity and cleanliness in the State had no place in the priority list of the government of the day. This led to the return of filth and other unsavoury acts that made law and order to take a flight.
The monthly Clean Up exercise was relegated to the background, though the present administration pointed at the fact that the excise was used as a conduit pipe to siphon public funds not commensurate with the exercise.
However, the launch of the Imo My Pride Project is the right step in the right direction to address issues concerning restoring sanity and decency in the State. Indeed, Imo has degenerated to a state of lawlessness. A colleague who resides in one of the populous South South cities who visited Owerri for a three day event reckoned that Imo State has become a place where there is absolute lawlessness, where the act of decency has taken a flight.
As a bonafide Imolite who has lived in Owerri for decades in addition to the fact that I am a son of soil, I was bound to put up a spirited defence for my dear State and counter his percpetion.
Much as I agreed with him, though quietly on the basis that his postulation was not far from the truth, I feigned disapproval on the premise that I did not want him to leave Owerri with an erroneous impression about the easternheartland.
However, the bitter truth is that disorderliness and indecency reign supreme in the State.
The menace of touts on major streets and roads of Owerri is a source of concern. Most residents had put up complains lamenting that touts whose activities were seriously curtailed in the past have reared their ugly heads again, terrorising both motorists and residents in the city without any fear.
Keke operators who played a pivotal role in ensuring the emergence of the Rescue Mission administration have elevated themselves to mini gods whose word has become law and whose conduct is so irriatting and unpardonable.
We have also seen in recent times the return of bad elements among the genuine keke riders who have resorted to acts of brigindage and impunity that has compelled yours sincerely to quiver.
Most keke operators conscious of their role in enthroning the Okorocha adminstartion into power have resorted to irresponsible behaviours that should compel any sane adminstration to checkmate their activities before they get out of control.
The long term effect of these gross acts of misconduct and disordeliness in a growing State, especially in Owerri city places an enormous burden on the government of the day.
This is why I hail the Imo My Pride Initiative which the Okorocha administration says is a long term measure to sanitize the State which has become a haven for disorderliness in recent times.
The burden of this crusade lies on the Mayor of Owerri Zone, Chief Gibson Achonwa Njemanze (Oyiga) who by his portfolio is to drive the task of ensuring the sucess of the initiative especially in Owerri zone. And I entertain no fear or worries over the ability of the newly appointed Mayor to succeed. Aside his political sagacity and competence, the new Mayor has the required expertise to truly drive to sucess the expected benefits of the policy thrust of the programme.
I only pray that His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha provides the required tools and political will for the Owerri Zone mayor to ensure the success of the project and at same time, dismantle the big heads and unseen forces in high places who are behind the prevalence of perpetrators of these illegalities in Owerri.
The Three Mayors have the political will to actualize this noble vision and it is only a concerted effort and a strong back up by the state authorities that can lead to the realisation of this noble initiative. To God be the glory.
