By Ogu Bundu Nwadike
Since his convincingly winning of the gubernatorial election on March 9, 2019, the residence of the governor-elect, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON, KSC has turned into a combined Mecca and Jerusalem for innumerable visitors and tourists.
Many of them are those that remind you of how the winner is their son, their brother, their half-brother, their uncle, their nephew, their in-law, their friend, their associate and indeed one level of relation or the another.
There are those who remind you how the governor-elect is son of the sister of their father’s mother or the son of the brother of their mother’s father. Some remind you that Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha was their classmate in University of Lagos in the 1980s but that he may have forgotten them because it has been a long time since they met last! Hence, they came to felicitate with him!
All of such claims to being a relation, friend or associate of the Imo governor-elect is a natural phenomenon. It’s allowed! That’s why the English say “Success has numerous relations but failure is an unfortunate orphan.”
While the residence of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha has expectedly turned into a very busy rendezvous for tourists and visitors, the homes and residences of those who lost their election bids have become deserted by numerous people who before and during the election thronged there to pay regular homages.
But, as already stated, that’s the way of human relations. That’s part of why in the keen rivalry and competition of political elections, the contest is characteristically fierce and vicious. Nobody wants to be a loser just as no normal person wants to be an orphan.
That’s why the celebration has sustainably continued on a high tempo at individual and group levels even weeks after the declaration of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as winner and governor-elect.
National and local media, newspapers, radio stations, social media and new media are awash with messages of felicitations and congratulations, creating an increase in media traffic and economic activities across the State.
That’s why I totally agreed that the victory of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is a victory for Imo State and Imo people. It’s a win-win situation for the good people of Imo State. Multiple-millions of naira of goods and services have been transacted since Imo people were liberated by God from the bondage of the expiring governor.
Believe it, somebody, somewhere in Imo State, must have raked in a million naira profit in his business since the celebration of Ihedioha’s victory and success in the governorship election began on Monday, March 11, 2019!
Now, that the aura of victory and success of the concluded general elections is still in the air, everybody is standing on the right side of the governor-elect. However, the question that deserves to be asked now is “after the reggae that these numerous real and emergency relations, friends and associates are dancing to, will they continue dancing with the same vigour and verve when Mr. DJ begins to play the blues?
That question may be presented in the language of the Jews. After the current “Hossana, Hossana”, will there be “Crucify him, crucify him”? Better still, after the current showers of felicitations and congratulations, will there be showers of curses, insults and abuses? Those posers are better received as thought for food! May God ever remain in perfect control!
The point I am making is that there is the need for Imo people to listen to the lyrics of the music they are dancing to now, rather than vivaciously gyrating only to the rhythm. This has become very necessary to adumbrate upon because many people may not have heard the repeated guide by the governor-elect that Imo State has been so physically, socially and economically vandalized and devastated by the expiring rogue regime, such that rebuilding it cannot be reserved for the governor-elect and his cabinet alone to do.
In his latest reference to that on Sunday, March 24, 2019 at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Mbutu, Aboh Mbaise, Governor-elect, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, inter alia, said and I quote: “Only God can protect and guide us towards achieving the rebuilding of our state.”
“Let me pledge, that as a soldier of Christ, I will dedicate my tenure as Governor to the service of God, promoting Him and humanity because it is only God that can protect and enable us to accomplish our desire to make Imo, a greater state.”
“I am very committed to liberating our state. I will strive to correct the ills in our state and make things work for the better. And in the course of it, I will step on some toes. I want to appeal to those that may be hurt, not to take it to heart but rather bear with us and accept it as a sacrifice in the rebuilding process. Our primary purpose is to get our state working again and I want to assure you that our government will give every Imolite, reasons to smile again.”
“What we want to achieve is to institute a procedure, a due process by which activities will run smoothly, where we can practice democracy in the true sense of it. So much damage has been done to the state and so the expectations are very high.”
“Rather than condemn for condemning sake, I urge our people to please feel free to tell me those things they think we can do to get things right. I assure you that I will be a listening governor.”
From experience, I know that many that are rumbling and tumbling among themselves today in celebration of the champion are not in the mood yet to think about tomorrow. But Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is already on tomorrow’s lane whereby he has solicited the continued support, cooperation and encouragement of the multitude that are pouring encomiums upon him and celebrating him today after he assumes office on May 29.
Good government and good governance delivery is a process. It doesn’t just manifest like the Midas touch prowess of Alice in Wonderland. It was very wrong for Gov. Rochas Okorocha to say along the lines in his failed rogue regime to declare that he was in a hurry to develop Imo.
Government and governance have a life of their own. They pass through rigorous gestational process. Any violation of the process results in various unexpected unpleasant consequences.
Therefore, rebuilding Imo State requires a combination of the governor’s will and resolve to serve the State and the people as well as the citizens will and resolve to support, cooperate and encourage him with constructive criticism, useful ideas, payment of normal taxes, rates and fees, preservation and protection of public property, display of goodwill for the Ihedioha administration etc.
Instructively, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha has given a prior notice that some policies, programmes and projects that will be introduced to usher in the rebuilding of Imo State may hurt some people. But in his humble, human and humane nature, he has tender his apologies in advance. Imo people should brace up to play their parts in the RebuildImo Project! That’s the way to go!
Let me end this short essay on the more serious note of encouragement by praying that the Almighty God that used the Imo governor-elect, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha to liberate Imo people, will use him to rebuild Imo State. I pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen!
*Nwadike is a journalist, author and public affairs analyst.
