Imo at 50: Poor leadership hindering the state’s efforts to attain full potential-Offor

Rt. Hon Chinedu Offor is a leading governorship aspirant in Imo state and was a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly. 

In this exclusive interview with our correspondent, Chijindu Emeruwa in Owerri, Hon. Offor, who was a former state Commissioner of Information and Strategy, evaluated the efforts of Imo to attain greatness since creation in 1976 as it recently clocked 50 years.

Excerpts

You are a worthy son of imo state and a prominent stakeholder in imo project. What’s your assessments of the state and her effort to attain a full-fledged democratic state as it recently turned 50 years of creation by the then military government of General Murtala Mohammed?

I am disappointed that Imo at 50, has not attained its full potential. At 50, I am disappointed at the level of infrastructural developments in imo state despite the excellent jobs Governor Hope Uzodinma has done. He has laid some solid foundations for the growth of imo. But that is not enough for 50 years. Imo is a state of arrested development. Imo is a state of charter expectations. There’s no reason why imo should be poor at the level that it is. Imo is an oil producing state. It has abundant human resources. It has very smart intelligent, and hardworking people. So, imo state should be even better than Lagos with all due respect. Because, we have everything that it requires to become a great state. But we are not able to do that because of poor leadership. I’m sure you know that i am running the coming imo governorship seat in 2027. I want to be the Governor of imo state. So, it’s people like us who have been around, and people like us who have gone around, who knows what it takes to take imo to the next level. For instance, if i become the Governor of Imo state, i will turn imo a multi-city state. Let me explain what I mean by that. For fifty years, owerri is the only city in imo state. Owerri is not even a full-fledged city, it is a half city in terms of infrastructure. But if i become governor of imo state, each of the twenty-seven local government areas will be a city. I will turn imo into a multi-city state unlike what it is now, a unilateral one city state. We can do better than that. I think, fifty years, yes, there is something to be proud of, but there is still a lot more to be done. Imo has not attained its full potential. Imo needs to go higher and further. And i’m the best person to take imo to the next level.

You stated earlier that Imo state has not attained its full potential after creation. Can you identify the major challenges impeding the efforts of the state to attain economic greatness?

Poor leadership is bane of imo’s underdevelopment. Everything is leadership. No one in the world works harder than imo people. No one is smarter than imo people. Imo state produces oil and gas. Imo people are enterprising. They can survive on their own. My motto is, show the people the light and they will find their way. And i mean that literally and figuratively. If you provide an enabling environment for the people of imo, they are not going to request a lot of things from the government. If you go to all the villages in imo state, you will see very rich people. They are providing their own electricity, providing their own water and security. They are training their brothers and sisters. They are giving loans to alot of people. So, they don’t need the government to help them out. What they need is for the government of imo state to provide an enabling environment to thrive. And what i mean by that is infrastructure. One thing Governor Hope Uzodinma is doing that i am excited about is his plans to provide 24/7 electricity power, just like they are doing in Abia state. But it goes beyond that. He has also done some federal roads. But if you go to the local government areas, the roads are terrible. I was home this Christmas, and i went round some local government areas, those people cannot leave their homes to come to the city. So, if i become governor, the local government will be my center of priority. Each local government area will be a city. And what constitutes a city? Good roads, good infrastructures and good health facilities. And i will make sure that all local government areas in imo state are connected to the internet, so you can stay in your house in the village and do whatever business you need to do online. You don’t have to be on the road to do business all the time. Farmers can even sell their goods online, because they can connect to their partners online. These days, you don’t have to physically go to where businesses are or physically go to people if you have reliable fast internet. That’s how you grow. You don’t need to rent a shop. You don’t need to spend much money. It will put more money into those pockets. So, it’s quite simple. It’s just poor leadership that is hindering imo from attaining its full potential. Imo is in taunted growth. Imo is in an arrested development. Governor Uzodinma is trying his best, but imo state needs somebody who can push developments higher. And that is me. Because, i have been all over the world. I have seen how things are done. Quite simple to do. We can provide an enabling environment, internet facilities, and and good roads. People in China who are cultivating groundnuts, peanuts, tomatoes and whatever, they go online and sell their goods. Why can’t we do it in imo state? Our people are hardworking. All they need is good leadership and infrastructure. And that i will provide when elected as governor . And that’s what is lacking in imo state in the last 50 years.

Sir, it seems there’s no end to the current debates on the much-talked about imo charter of equity or which section of the state among the three zones of imo state should produce Governor Hope Uzodinma’s successor in 2027. Do you still maintain your earlier stand that Governor Hope Uzodinma’s successor should come from Okigwe zone? And what would be your kind advice to the incumbent Governor who is of the All Progressives Congress (APC) towards handling this critical state matter?

Firstly, i’m not qualified to advise the governor. Governor Uzodinma has a lot of advisers both within and outside imo state. And there are very smart people surrounding him. So, i am not going to be advising him, but am going to make my points very clear. Regardless of whatever advice he will get, there is something in life we call fairness. And fairness is not determined by politics. It is not determined by race. Fairness is fairness. What is good is good. What is bad is bad, regardless of political and sentiments. It is on that perspective i am going to say what i want to say. Everyone in imo state for the past 50 years, agreed that the orlu zone has had a lion share of governing imo state under Achike Udenwa for eight years. Former Governor Rochas Okorocha eight years, His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodinma eight years. Everyone knows that. That’s not the contention. That is clear. For twenty something years, proud sons of orlu zone have ruled imo state. And where is the state government house located? It is located in owerri. So, for twenty something years, all the development projects befitting of a state capital regardless of where the governor comes from, had been concentrated in owerri. And that’s why there are no other cities in imo state. Owerri is just the capital city. So, Orlu zone has had the lion share of occupancy of the Douglas house. Owerri zone has had the lion share of the resources of imo, which likely has been used to develop owerri into a city. So, what about Okigwe zone? What has okigwe gotten? It got nothing. De Sam Mbakwe who everybody including little kids read in history books, was an excellent governor. He provided the most critical infrastructure you see in imo today. When he was a Governor as okigwe man, also developed owerri. He built concord hotels and those other meaningful projects in owerri. Who started it? It was an okigwe man, De Sam Mbakwe. So, it’s only fair when you look at all the parameters, that okigwe zone should produce the next governor of imo state come 2027. As i earlier stated, i pledge if i become imo governor, a competent owerri woman would be my deputy, so that when i’m done, naturally, owerri zone will take their turn. Because right now, owerri has the lion shares of everything. Both the resources, budget allocations, all the state institutions, all federal and state ministries. All these are located in owerri. So, regardless of who becomes the governor, owerri will continue to enjoy what it is benefitting now. It is only right an okigwe son, which i want to be, become the next governor, and a competent woman from owerri will be deputy governor. So, i don’t believe in the charter of equity. Because, if there is any charter of equity as being touted, after Achike Udenwa, naturally, it wouldn’t have gone back to orlu extraction. But Rochas took over. And then, if there is any charter of equity, it shouldn’t have gone back to an orlu man after Rochas Okorocha. But Hope Uzodinma became the governor. So, where do you stand to say there is a charter of equity? Because, that has been thrown away by circumstances and history. It no longer exists. What is universal is fairness and justice. And fairness and justice dictates that okigwe zone should produce the next governor of imo state or occupant of the government house. It is me. And i pledge that my deputy, a woman would come from the owerri bloc.

There are widespread speculations in many quarters that you are being sponsored and projected to become Governor Uzodinma’s successor next year by a certain godfather from imo state belonging to the ruling APC. Can you make clarifications on this insinuation?

First and foremost, I want to thank those who are making the speculation. What that means they recognize that i have the potential to be Governor of if imo state. I am not saying that because is me. Am asking you to go and look at my records I served imo state as senior special assistant on media to the governor of imo state. From there, I rose to become the state commissioner of information and strategy. And from there, I became the commissioner of information, culture and tourism. From there also, I ran elective position, I became house member representing Onuimo state constituency. And while in that office, i became the deputy majority leader in imo house of assembly. And from there, i emerged as the speaker of the imo assembly. And in each of these positions i have excelled. I am one of the very few people ever receive a letter of commendation from the Governor of imo state. I have a copy of it, and it is on record. And that was from then Governor Rochas Okorocha who singled me out and gave me a letter. So, for those making the speculation, i thank them. It is a good thing and i recognize them. They recognized that i have the ability based on experience. And I want to state unequivocally clear that i don’t have any godfather. Almighty God in heaven and the good people of Imo are my godfathers and backbones. I am prepared to take imo state to the next level by ensuring that basic democratic dividends are provided to the doorsteps of every imolites, irrespective of ethnic and party leanings. No godfather is sponsoring my political bid in order to be dictated or teleguided when i emerge the next governor of imo state. I’m in the gubernatorial race with maximum support from majority of average citizens of imo state, and with a clear vision, which includes, building of critical infrastructure to engender developments in local areas across imo state, and implementation of development-oriented policies and programs to enhance the welfares of the people. Am also using this medium to urge the good people of imo state and indeed, the general public to disregard this very rumour that am being fronted by political godfathers to succeed Governor Uzodinma. It’s a pure lie from the pits of hell. And these speculations are being peddled round the state by political jobbers and elements who are afraid of my aspiration and my rising political profile. So, i urge imolites to keep hope alive. By special grace of God, when i become governor, all key sectors of the state economy will be improved upon to foster human empowerments and growths in imo.

Finally, what would be your advices to Imo people and all nigerians, following the daunting challenges and collective dreams to actualize a prosperous Nigerian state?

My candid advice to our people remains that they should continue to support government at all levels, while encouraging governments to redouble efforts in providing dividends of democracy to the masses. As imo state recently clocked 50 years after its creation, and coupled with the teething problems hindering the state and Nigeria’s effort to attain greatness, every citizens must play role in deepening the current democracy by encouraging socio-economic and infrastructural developments in all stratas of imo state and the Nigeria society. Again, we are going into another elections next year, we as citizens, must make good choices in the coming polls. We should ensure best brains and capable people are elected into leadership positions. In imo today, our people yearns for a competent man. A man with no unblemished records to take over from Governor Hope Uzodinma and build on the solid foundation laid by his administration in imo state. And i am the capable person for the plum job. I’m the competent man to sustain present administration’s giant strides and also provide more impactful projects to foster even development in imo local communities when supported to become the governor of imo state next year.