Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, recently visited Turkey where he held several business meetings with the government, manufacturers, and merchants, with over 145 Imo indigenes on board.
He describes it as a new course in the development of the state in this interview held in Turkey with Assistant Editor (South East), CHRISTIAN NWOKOCHA.
What would you like people to remember in this trip?
The trip has been very wonderful, and thank God Almighty that we are able to accomplish all that we set to achieve in Turkey. We are not here for a joke, but for a serious business. In industry and good businesses, you must take right decisions and in the right places.
Eighteen years ago, Turkey was nothing to write home about, Turkey was not as good as Nigeria, but leaders came and Turkey moved on industry wise and is now one of the economies of reference in the world. If Turkey can do it Imo State can also do it.
So, we are here to exchange ideas and to see what we can do to partner with them to develop our state. A time has come that we must look at Imo State not just as an integral part of Nigeria but a nation within a nation.
If other states are refusing to grow businesswise then we will never wait for them to wake up. We must lead and develop Imo for our jobless youths. As we go home, we go with Turkish industrialists and genuine businessmen.
That is why we came with so many businessmen. Each of the local government chairmen must look for companies and businesses relevant to their local government, our businessmen who are here must identify a business relevant to Imo people.
For this reason Imo State is investing $100 billion to support every businessman from Imo State wanting to do business with the Turkish government.
We are here with our teachers to see things for themselves and impact what they have seen in the lives of our children. We came here with our traditional rulers to see the relevance of culture in development.
Seventy per cent of the people in Turkey don’t speak English yet their tradition and culture have remained strong; they were able to develop with this. No nation grows beyond its culture because every culture has a relationship with God and the people.
We plead with traditional rulers to do something with our culture and make it business oriented.
We are also here with the Keke operators for a very serious orientation and to enable them reason beyond the ordinary way of doing things and look for other smaller companies that can improve their lives.
This mission will not be in vain. It is not a mission to spend government money without profit.
So, we all are primarily here to be exposed to the developed world in terms of manufacturing and good business so that when we speak of radical change, my people will understand.
At least the visit has exposed our people who now know how backward we are as a nation and state.
My mission to move all commissioners, local government chairmen and businessmen was a well thought out strategy to radically develop Imo State. This is a mission that guarantees wealth creation and jobs for our people.
All sectors in Imo economy are represented.
Explain the MoU you signed with the head of Turkish businessmen
We met with the governor of Konye, chairman of the chambers of commerce, chairman of trade, and chairman of private industrialists. We visited their factories and business premises to ascertain their claim as industrialists, which I couldn’t have done alone or with a few government officials.
It is this level of confidence that prompted my signing an agreement with the businessmen collectively, and a representative of the government of Turkey was there to also guarantee the safety of our people, investments and other genuine relationship between Turkey and our people.
It is indeed an agreement of a trust fund of $100 billion.
So, Imo people can leverage on this agreement and do genuine business in Turkey. Our people can import goods with minimal difficulties, and this line of action I believe will fast track business development in the state.
People say you are playing politics with this Turkish issue to make your government popular
My government is already popular. This is an opportunity I have been waiting for. It has always been my dream to make more people acquire good education and become rich.
As a governor, I use my position to ensure that as many people as possible visit the developed countries of the world and make reasonable contacts for themselves.
Travelling to developed countries will no longer be exclusive to the rich. My agenda is to commercialise Imo State.
If I give free education to take children out of the streets, they say I am playing politics. If all I am doing is politics, then others should join me in playing politics.
Politicians should learn to positively expose those working for them.
Justification for the huge entourage
This is an excellent trip with the crowd, and they are all Imo people. The crowd saw things themselves and are part of the negotiating team, with some of them looking for business to take home.
Imo people are fast and professional in handling things. They have really made me proud here in Turkey. It is about the people telling their own stories. So, we move personalities who can take decisions either for themselves or on behalf of the government.
People go for religious pilgrimage and the government pays huge sums for that, so why can’t the government pay for business pilgrimage to develop our thinking and industrialise our state and nation?
What we need in this country now is business pilgrimage because we have played to the gallery for too long. If we have one million Imo people exposed to the developed countries of the world, Imo will be a better place to work and live. More trips for Imo people are on the way.
Is this a new way to industrialise a state?
Yes. This is a new model and you will see how it will go. Most times our people cannot move for a lack of government backing.
If I cannot establish you, then I should expose you to establish yourself. So, it is a new business model where the government opens doors for its own people.
Over 145 people are here with me in Turkey and, God willing, we are all going back with experience. That also means Imo people can be trusted. They can now do business in Turkey in their own time, the government having opened doors for them.
So, I am with the crowd and I wish the aircraft will carry more people.
How soon will Imo reap from seed fund and MoU?
Well, in the next one month a Turkish business delegation, more than the number I travelled with, will visit Imo State to ascertain our own claim of what is on the ground in terms of raw materials and infrastructure.
It is part of the agreement we signed and we want to partner with them as we prepare to open our industrial zone.
If we can take up Turkey-made products, while other states in the federation come to buy them, Imo IGR (internally generated revenue) will improve. We add value to oil, gas and agricultural produce domiciled in Imo State.
From technical support to real manufacturing, it is part of the agreement we signed.
On promise to return to Turkey with other governors
Imo State cannot develop in isolation. The more we join hands together, the better the nation.
We can do a lot at regional or geo-political zone level solving the problems of security, power and many other issues that call for attention within Nigeria.
Turkey is chosen because it has maintained quality and its products are consumed globally.