Awaited Imo LG Polls

AWAITED IMO LG POLLS ON MY MIND

     
Greetings brethren. If a veteran hunter forgot his den gun while embarking on a hunt, I wonder how he would perform in the process. In the same vein; as a talented writer, if I intend to ignore my pen while carrying out an analytical task, I wonder how I would perform. Similarly, as an activist by calling, if my tongue is eventually sealed, what would be my fate?

      It would also interest you to know that I’m an engineer or a technologist by profession; so as a practicing engineer, if I misplaced the screwdriver in my workshop, how would I render my services? I humbly implore you to give it a deep thought and kindly get back to me with a tangible response. Please, I can’t wait to have the reply to any of these enquiries.

      
The summary of it all is that, in any thing you do or you are into, there must be something or an item you are not meant to joke with or take for granted. For instance, a politician who takes his/her team mates or party colleagues for granted is definitely headed for doom; there are no two ways about it. Any politician who truly wishes to excel or strive to the next level must always carry his or her associates along, else he would no doubt finds him/herself in an unforeseen sorry state.

      However, that is not my business for today’s edition. Today, my interest lies solely in the awaited Imo State Local Government election, which is apparently long overdue. The 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended thereafter, clearly and frankly stipulates that the country shall be made up of the federal, state and local governments, and shall respectively be headed by an Executive President, Executive Governor as well as an Executive Chairman.

    
The aforesaid mandate implies that any state across the federation that is yet to have Executive Chairmen in its various Local Government Councils is not existing/acting in accordance to the rule of law, thus it’s expected to do everything possible toward ensuring that such anomaly is duly addressed.

      One major thing the former governor of Imo State – Chief Achike Udenwa did during his reign as the governor of the state from 1999 to 2007, which was applaudable and worthy of emulation though his administration never favoured the masses, was that he ensured that each of the twenty-seven (27) Local Government Areas in the state had an Executive Chairman. Subsequently, the man that succeeded him – Chief Ikedi Ohakim who seemed very smart managed to conduct what appeared like an election barely few months to the expiration of his tenure.

     
Now, His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha is on board and since his inception, Imo likewise few other states in Nigeria is yet to experience what is constitutionally referred to as “LG polls” although the teeming electorate have been coming across series of promises as regards the awaited polls. I tell you unequivocally that any rational being or anyone who thinks good of the state would say that one of the greatest things he expects the esteemed governor to do is to candidly conduct the long awaited LG election regardless of the political party he or she belongs/affiliated to.       

     Owing to the fact that many Nigerian politicians are sycophants and those of Imo state are not exceptional, most of the governor’s associates whom are aggrieved in respect to this ordeal wouldn’t intend to disclose their grievances to his hearing; rather, they would prefer to remain praise singers even when the governor is erring.

     
My colleagues of like minds who have the interest of the state at heart had been patient enough due to the fact that the Imo governor Chief Rochas Okorocha has been preoccupied with several developmental projects since he assumed duty ranging from the establishment of free education policy to infrastructure, road networks, among many others, with the hope that the said election would surely be conducted someday; but the last time I checked, it appeared the persons in question were fast losing their patience.

      The Local Government Council enables governance to be holistically felt by the ordinary people irrespective of the locality they are resident in. the local government is in a good position to duly x-ray the true need of the people at all levels especially the rural/remote areas of any given state. A local government chairman is invariably the only one that possesses the capacity to ascertain if any of the local markets or roads within his/her jurisdiction requires an urgent rehabilitation. Hence, the function of the Local Government Councils in any state cannot be overemphasized.

      And, “Transition Committee or Caretaker” Chairmen whose stay in office is obviously temporarily would not be able to render the needed services to the people because they may be asked to leave their various offices at any time; funny enough, sometimes they are even taken unawares in regard to termination of duty, and such practice is not wholesome for the growth of any state. A substantive or elected chairman who is regarded as an “Executive Chairman” has a stipulated period of time to spend in office, thus would have a tangible time to execute his/her agenda and most importantly, he/she would concentrate fully while carrying out the task before him/her.

     As one who is determined to render good governance to the entire Imolites as promised ab initio, maybe the governor is afraid of seeing unscrupulous elements occupying the positions of the Executive Chairmen or Councillors of the various LGs and Wards in the state. As a focused governor, he may be of the view that the various LGs may end up having men of underworlds as their Executive Chairmen if elections were conducted, and such scenario wouldn’t augur well with his Rescue Mission Agenda.

      If the aforementioned perception is the governor’s fear, I’ve a suggestion or candid advice for his Excellency. First and foremost; prior to the election, he should endeavour to involve the various concerned security outfits in the state towards ensuring that every aspirant is duly screened without any fear or favour; by so doing, any prospective LG Chairman or Ward Councillor with questionable character or with any trace of stained antecedents would be shown the way out.

      More so, rigorous seminars ought to be organized for the electorate in order to create a platform through which they would be thoroughly sensitized on the need for them to cast their votes for whom they have explicit confidence in or whomsoever that would bring nothing but good governance to them, without being biased. The electorate should be meant to realize that the awaited polls would determine their future/fate.

     
Lastly but not the least, the state’s Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) must be warned to take the election very seriously; they must be notified severely that whosoever violates any of the electoral Acts would be meant to face the wrath of the law without much ado. As an astute administrator, I strongly believe the impeccable governor has all it takes to make the polls in question yield nothing but unalloyed success.

     
Nevertheless, all I want the governor to acknowledge is that the people cannot wait to witness the said polls, thus he ought to do everything humanly possible and within his reach to ensure he complies with the yearning of the teeming Imolites especially the masses whom I’m aware remain his priority. Thus, he is expected to see the election in question as a tool synonymous with his targeted success just as a veteran hunter sees his den gun. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

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Follow: @fred_nwaozor