No Excuses for Failure As New As Ihedioha takes Mantel of Leadership in Imo State

Engr Achibiri Nnadozie Stanley (B. Eng, MSc)

Few days ago begins a new era of governance in our dear State Imo and other States across the Nigerian federation...

To Imo citizens it marks the end of IBERIBERISM, AKPUOLA GI. It brings to an end the era of familiocracy, greed, selfishness, deceits, lies, fraud, lack of accountability and jamboree in governance of our State. It brings to closure the era of half baked, substandard, unstructured and the nick-named China projects in our State. It marks the downfall of self enthroned emperor who ran the state down to its current sorry and shameful conditions.

There is no doubt the people of Imo State are so excited and happy that this fraudulent and deceptive government have come to an end. It is without any atom of doubt that the task before the new administration is huge and expectations of the Imolights are above the sky. Everyone is expecting miracles and magic from His Excellency Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha given the shameful and horrible conditions the immediate past government left the State.

However, the questions that require answers are how did we get to where we are today in our State? How did one man and his family steal the wealth of the State and the citizens did nothing to stop them? Why did Imo people allow a man to run the State like a personal property without any resistance from Masses? 

Why did the people of the State refused to take action against their elected Representatives who were supposed to perform oversight function to the Executive and stop illegal actions and activities of the Executive? Why did the people fail to raise alarm or stop any contractor executing a substandard project in their area? The out-gone Governor could not have succeeded in his fraudulent governance without the collaboration of some Imo citizens which was evidence in the number of sycophants and praise singers which surrounded his government.

Now let us look at ways the new administration of Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha can succeed and meet the yearnings, expectation and desires of Imo citizens

1. Citizens and Government partnership and collaboration: It is important to recognize the role of the Masses in governance. Without citizens knowing their rights and responsibilities, governance becomes responsibility of the political class alone and they govern as it pleases without rendering accounts to the people. Therefore it is imperative that Imo citizens recognize their rights as a people by ensuring that the new administration is answerable and accountable to them. They should not wait until next election to put the government on their toes to deliver good governance. A synergy between the government and the people must be created to foster collaboration and partnership between the people and government to take the State to a great level. It is therefore important that His Excellency Rt Hon. Emeka Ihedioha recognizes that his government is elected to serve the interest of the people not to be served by the people. The people should be properly carried along for the success of his government. Imo citizens should support the new administration by ensuring those who abuse public offices and funds are exposed, removed and punished. Our people should stop celebrating and tolerating those who steal public funds and come back to share pea nuts to them. Our people should frown at unexplained acquisition of wealth without clear source of income. Our people should resist any contractor building a substandard or death trap projects in their area, it is the duty of the citizens to raise alarm and resist such activities. Our people should wake up from their slumber and rise up their individual responsibilities to ensure that the new administration delivers on its electioneering promises. 

2. Men/Women of Character and Integrity of common vision: To be able to achieve his vision to rebuild Imo State back to its glory days when the people experienced and felt the impact of good governance under our Late Sam Onunaka Mbakwe, the Governor must look inwards and appoint men and women with proven integrity and track record of good character and desired capacity into his cabinet in order to deliver his vision for the State. It is important to note that it took late Governor Sam Mbakwe less than 4 years to set up multiple functional factories across the old imo state which includes present day Abia state and some parts of Ebonyi state. He constructed several roads and built pipe born water in many Rural communities. These massive developmental projects which were initiated and completed in a short space of time during Late Governor Mbakwe was as a result of team effort of his administration. Every member of his cabinet was up and doing, working tirelessly to deliver expected results from office. The hunger and zeal to discharge duties and responsibilities in order to deliver good governance to the people was a big priority. Those legacies left behind are still visible in many communities across the state till date. Unfortunately subsequent government could not build on those legacies and sustain them. We expect the new administration to bring us back to those good governance  era when the citizens felt the positive impact of governance even down to rural areas.

3. Chosen competence ahead of compensation: As it is commonly seen in our present day governments in Nigeria, appointments into government positions are made to compensate supporters in contrast to what was obtainable in past when appointments into any office were based on merit and competence. Governor Ihedioha should resist the temptation of using his government to compensate his supporters. If he does,he will be laying foundation for failure. Let those who will make it to his cabinet be purely on merit, competence and capacity to deliver expected results. Election is over what the State desires is good governance. If he finds people with desired character and competence in opposition party he should bring them on board to achieve his vision for the State. The major reason the immediate past government failed the people is because people who have no business in government were appointed into positions they have no understanding of their duties and responsibilities. 

4. Do away with Sycophants and Praise Singers: Most times an Elected Leader will have good vision with clear ideas and plans on on how to lead to deliver expected results but fails when he surrounds himself with sycophants and praise singers. These crop of individuals are only after their selfish interest. They are good at manipulating the mind of a Governor into believing that his government is doing well even when the situation on ground is completely the opposite. These group of people are experts in taking advantage of the poverty in the land to coarse the poor Masses into singing praises to the government in the mixed of their sufferings and hardships instead of protesting to demand for a better life. The new administration should not give room for sycophants and praise singers. Governor Ihedioha should come in with clear mindset of serving the people and not to expect being praised. Serving the people well off-course at the end will earn a genuine praise and celebration. In order to get a sincere and honest feedback on the feelings of people during his administration Rt Hon. Emeka Ihedioha should put plans in place to embark on unscheduled visits to different communities across the State from time to time. That way he will be able get first hand impression on how the people feel about his government and identify things his government will have to do better, improve or change to meet up with the needs of the people.

5. Setting Project Standard And Completion Deadline in Contractual Terms and Conditions: It is a common practice in Nigeria which is against international practices, government contracts are awarded in secrets without a well defined terms and conditions which gives strict adherence to projects specifications, standard and execution deadlines as well as consequences for any breach of contract terms. In other to excel in the area of project quality and execution, the new administration led by Rt Hon. Emeka Ihedioha  should adopt transparency and open bidding in the award of contracts. This will ensure the best qualified contractor is selected. Furthermore, setting project standard and specifications on projects will ensure qualitative project delivery. For example on road construction the new administration should have a defined standard and specification on which any road construction in the state should be built on. Every contractor working on any road construction must adhere to these standard and specifications. In addition to setting up standard and specifications, there should be a clearly defined project completion timeline captured in the contractual terms and conditions. There should be serious consequences for failure by contractor to adhere to the project specifications and deadlines. For example if the contractor delivers substandard project the contract should be revoked with immediate effect. If contractor fails to meet project deadlines he will loose certain percentage of the project fee. These consequences must be clearly captured in the contractual terms and conditions. Again State contracts should not be used to compensate party members or politicians.

6. Project Technical Supervisory Committee/Team: In other to be sure projects are executed in accordance to the agreed standard and specifications, the new administration should set up a committee/team comprising experts in different projects fields who will be charged with the responsibility to oversee, supervise and ensure that projects are carried out in accordance to standard and specifications as defined in the project contract. This team will comprise of men or women of integrity who will not compromise on quality and standards of the project. People who will not accept form of financial inducement to compromise their responsibilities.

7. Transparent, Responsible and Accountable Government: The culture of running an opaque government where people of the State do not know how much fund is generated in the State, where and how those funds are spent should be rejected completely by the new government. The government of Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha should embrace the culture of transparency, openness and accountability. His government should make public regularly to the people of the State, how much fund the State earns and how these funds are spent while ensuring prudence management of these funds by rendering accounts for every kobo of the State.

8. Taking Strong Stand Against Corruption: Governor Ihedioha should issue a strong warning to those who will serve in his government on the consequences that will befall anyone who will engage in wastage or diversion of public fund. He should make it clear to members of his government that his government has the mandate to deliver good governance to the people of Imo State without excuse as result anyone in position of trust in the state that mismanages or divert public funds will be removed immediately and punished accordingly in accordance to the law to deter others. This stand has to be decisive irrespective of who is involved whether friends or family or relative. Zero tolerance to wastage of public resources and fund.

9. Strengthening the Local Government to Function Effectively: The local governments in Imo State have gone almost into extinction over the years because previous governments could not recognize their existence as the lowest tier of Government. The administration of Rt Hon. Ihedioha should conduct local government elections as soon as possible and make available financial allocations due to the LGAs to them to ensure they function effectively. It is the duty of the local government to complement the efforts of the State government in the area of rural development and helping to identify immediate needs of the people that requires priority attention by the government. 

10. Think Smart in Job Creation: Job creation requires smart thinking and harnessing every possible opportunity to get people engaged while making earning a living from it. The new government can generate hundreds of job in the area of waste management. Instead of people going about littering the environment with home produced waste which posses health danger and pollution to the environment. Residents can be taxed little fee and people are employed with responsibility to go gather these wastes from individual households and dispose them appropriately to designated location. In addition to waste disposal the new government should seek partnership with companies that have interest in waste recycling to invest in the state. This will  create more jobs, keeping our environment clean and reduce health risk and dangers posed by pollution from public disposal of these wastes. Furthermore, looking at the deceptive general hospital buildings started by immediate past administration in all the local governments. The new administration should take advantage of these structures to ensure they are completed,fully equipped and commissioned to operate. These facilities will create hundreds if not thousands of jobs in the health sector at the same time provide effective health services to our people.

11. Digitalizing IGR Collection to Block Financial Leakages: Technology has become the bedrock of 21st century administration. The new administration should to embrace electronic collection of tax and all other government levees for effective and efficient internal generated revenue collection. This can be done in the form of mobile app which makes it possible for individuals, business owners etc to pay their tax or levees directly into designated State government account from their mobile phone. By this means the new government will eliminate undocumented renew collection, block leakages and prevention diversion of government money collected by individuals.

12. Develop State Power Infrastructure towards Industrialization of the State: It is very unfortunate the power sector in Nigeria is regarded to be in the exclusive list of the federal government. This is the major reason why the power sector has failed to achieve meaningful progress despite huge fund invested in it. The government of Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha should take urgent and immediate steps necessary either through negotiations or through the National Assembly. Get Federal government  to grant the State permission to develop its power infrastructure. Attracting independent power producers and operators will be necessary to create stable power supply in the state. The multiple effects of stable power supply in the state will resonate in every sector of the state economy thereby create millions of jobs. Without stable power in the state it is practically impossible to industrialize the state and no production and processing company can run efficiently without stable power. It is therefor very important that new government breaks away from the federal government and develop the state power sector in order to achieve its vision for the state.

13. Allow the Independence of other Arm of Government. The new government should allow separation of power which is one of the key character of democracy. The three arms of government should operate in partnership to achieve good governance while recognizing its independent function. The immediate past administration suppressed the legislative arms of government to the point that Imo State House of Assembly was none existing and could not function for 8 years. The immediate past administration interfered many times in the judiciary process and in many cases ignored court orders thereby making the State a lawless State. The new administration should allow the legislature to perform their oversight function as enshrined in the constitution without undue influence and interference. The new administration should avoid interference to any judiciary process or obstruction of justice.

14. In conclusion for the new government to succeed, the interest of the Masses should count first. Placing the interest of Imo people  ahead of personal or close friends interest will ensure the success of the new administration. Time waits for nobody and Imo people are not ready for excuses or ready to go through the pains and suffering the endured for the past 8 years. His Excellency Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, judging from the interactions we had with you during your visit in Germany I have no doubt you have what it takes to transform Imo State for good. Some points I highlighted here will help your government to succeed. 

By Engr Achibiri Nnadozie Stanley (B. Eng, MSc)Senior Energy Analyst

Eon Climate & Renewables GmbH

Essen Germany