IMO STATE: TIME TO GET BACK TO WORK
Few states in Nigeria have had more misfortune in choosing leaders than Imo state since 1999. While its neighbor Anambra started on a very rocky note with the self-inflicted crisis by the government at the center, it quickly corrected itself. First with the election of Chris Ngige and then Peter Obi. Today, Anambra is a case study on how choosing good leaders can transform a state. And so long the state maintains or keeps improving on the competence of the chief executive it elects, you will be sure that the level of governance and quality of life in the state will jeep being above the national average.
Imo state on the other hand started a bit better, with a first governor that was an accountant. The state trudged on for the first eight years of post 1999 with neither vision nor scandal. And then it went downhill from there. For the past twelve years its been pain for the state. Worst being the last eight years of the outgoing government of Rochas Okorocha. The state has gone from a time in the past when Sam Mbakwe, its Governor in the 80s built a vision of the then young state around productivity and enterprise to one today built around a vision of how a single family will capture the common wealth.The full story of the years of the locust years of Rochas will unfold as his government leaves office in May.
I don’t envy those who angled to become the governor after the current one. All 70 of them who were on the ballot and the several others who failed to reach the ballot.
Neither do I envy the winner that emerged. I congratulate him and I am happy for the outcome. But there is nothing to celebrate. Unless he does not know the amount of work awaiting him. Politicians are good at glossing over the real problems of their domain and focusing on the non-consequential. It could happen in Imo state in the next four years.
But it need not happen. There is work to do.
RECOVER THE STATE FROM OKOROCHA
The first thing is to get back the state from Rochas and his family. Rochas left no one in doubt that the state belonged to him and his family. For as long as he could ride it like a horse. And he was a hard rider. The state voted for a governor and got an emperor. But democracy ensures that time limits the ambitions of men who want to lord and reign instead of governing for common good. Imo state wanted a state owned by the people. Built by the people. The new government must take control of the finances of the state/ And the assets the Okorocha government has confiscated and converted. They do not belong to him and his people. They belong to all the citizens of the state.
He must account for his financial stewardship. And if found guilty of financial crimes, the state must ensure that there is consequence for that. No one has the right of creating poverty in the state by plundering what’s meant for common good.
DETERMINE THE STATE OF LIABILITY
Next is to calculate the state’s liability. Only after May 29, when a new government is in power will we know the hole Rochas has dug for Imo citizens. Figures of the state debt are being bandied about. But no one knows exactly how much. Rochas did not particularly run a transparent government. The new government must bring in as first hires, people who can unravel the state of Imo finances. How much does the state owe financial institutions? And contractors? Do we know legal encumbrances on the state’s finances and assets? Other than the federal government allocations, where does the state generate revenue from? How much monthly revenue does the state generate? Does this money come into the states purse or into that of dubious agents? The new government must find answers fast. Its success depends on it.
BRING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR
Imo state finances are in the red. We know. Its possible Rochas has mortgaged the state up to the next generation. So, the next administration will have little money to throw about. But Imo state is a commercially viable state. It may not have the entrepreneurship of Anambra. Or the Commercial acumen of Aba. Neither does it have oil like River state. But it’s in the middle of all these states and can use its location to build an economy that will rival any of the states. Imo state has been one of the most educated states in Nigeria in the past decade and before. It has enough entrepreneurs and business men scattered all over Nigeria and beyond who will be happy to come and invest in the state.
Hospitality is already an existing business that grew from nothing. Think of what it will be if the state puts energy behind it. Imo state has oil and gas. But has lacked the ambition of regional neighbors like River and Akwa Ibom.
Let the government provide a framework to bring in private business into the state. And quickly change perceived hostility to private business the state is currently known for. This framework must include structures to lobby businesses to come into the state. And incentives for those that want to set up a base there. The old practice of making investors feel that they are being done a favor is detrimental to any state in Nigeria today that wants to make progress.
BUILD UP THE INTERNALLY GENERATED REVENUE
The state is a laggard in revenue collection. Mostly because its riddled with corruption. It can double or triple its internal revenue base by improving collection. But on the long term, this can only keep rising if the state improves on its ease of doing business rating. For a state whose people are scattered all over Nigeria doing business and yearning to come and invest at home, Imo state should aspire to be in the top5 in ease of doing business in Nigeria. Nigeria as a whole is a very bad place to do business. Any state that is at the bottom of Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria is really a hellish place for business. Imo is not far from bottom.Working on this alone and reaching the top 5 will bring in investment in the state and raise the IGR. The government must avoid punitive tax practices like locking up offices and seizing vehicles in the name of collecting taxes
BUILD A NEW LEADERSHIP
The quality of leadership in the state government is very poor. The structure of governance has been captured by politicians. It’s unfair to the state that a chief executive circumvents the civil service and runs a parallel administration. With only political appointees. The government must first build a leadership that can run the state by appointing good hands from the multitude of people available to the state. Why would a state that keeps excelling in academics (JAMB, WAEC) have people with questionable competence at the helm of affairs in the state? It’s time to change this. We must have people who will be comfortable with the state bureaucracy and improve it for effective administration of the state. We cannot have an effective state administration that run on politics. With civil servants made to be unproductive and yet draining the state lean resources.
We also need to have the state’s technocrats with industry experience come into the state and work with the government. Yes, we need politicians because they campaigned and won in elections. But no where in the world do politicians become the experts that will run every aspect of government.
NO BOGUS PROJECTS. NO BOGUS PROMISES
This is not a time for white elephant projects in the state. We don’t need highways to nowhere. We don’t need industries owned by government. With right incentives, industries will establish in the state. We don’t need government owned higher institutions, I believe we have enough we cannot fund. We don’t need government building or owning hotels when Owerri has the highest hotel density in Nigeria. We need government focusing on creating the environment for Imo state citizens and investors to come into the state, build businesses, create wealth and employment and make the state a better place. Rochas awarded 400 roads in the first few months of his administration. What happened to the roads? Where was the money to fund the roads?
AND LASTLY
This could be a new beginning for Imo state or a farther decent into helplessness. The consequences of failure will be unemployment, poverty, criminality and strife. The state and its citizens cannot afford that.
I advise that people give the government time to settle down. And the government should avoid making promises the state treasury cannot support. The state is an educated state. The people will understand if they are carried along by a sincere government.
But people should look out for warning signs in the first few months. When Rochas awarded road contracts by word of mouth in his early days and turned the state into a construction site for ill-advised projects, the signs were clear that he was heading to failure. We don’t need such showmanship anymore. We need a serious government that has a plan instead of one that plays to the gallery. We need the next four years to rebuilt and lay the foundation for the growth of the state.
It is enough work,in fact, more work than a politician should be saddled with. But the incoming Governor campaigned for the job with his eyes open. It’s soon time to settle down and do the work for which we have congratulated him. Again, I don’t envy him. But I wish him the best. And wish Imo state people the best of luck. They need it.More than him.
