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To some people, being inconsistent when situation rather demands steadfastness, or cutting corners in order to have undue advantage over other people, are regarded as proof of one’s smartness or ability to maneuver things, not minding the repulsive public image it might end up attracting to the person. To this group of persons, the Machiavellian philosophy of the end justifying the means is what really matters.
However, drawing inference from the ignoble down fall of the out-going Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, can any rational mind actually subscribe to this Machiavellian philosophy? Has the end (as regards to Okorocha) actually justified the disdainful and inconsistent approach he adopted in governing Imo for the past eight years?
Okorocha ascended the seat of governance in Imo in fan-fare but is now exiting in absolute ignominy. His public image and profile so waned abysmally such that he now adorns a pariah status and is so hated by the same Imo people and even his close allies who hitherto cheered and clapped at everything he did.
His down fall by all parameters of assessment was largely attributed to his inconsistent nature and approach to governance. He considered himself a compendium of knowledge and the smartest politician in Imo. Even his reasoning capacity was intolerably inconsistent and this led to his hocus-pocus and hotchpotch style of administration. His conducts as a governor was also a complete hog-wash. Because of his inconsistent disposition, he hibernated between taking government business seriously whenever it pleases him and indulging in comic reliefs as a State Chief Executive. In fact, the inconsistent toga he wore erroneously made him become mendacious and to regard Imo people as hillbillies until March 9, 2019, when the people reminded him that they are neither medieval in reasoning nor mendicants whom he can toss about at will. The result is the sorry state he now finds himself.
Comparatively, His Excellency, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha, is a complete oppositr of his out-going predecessor. An administrator and legislator per excellence, Ihedioha could be said to possess the natural idiosyncrasy of a man whose consistency in words and actions have attracted him national and international accolades.
Ihedioha is firm, resolute and never compromises standards. He believes in calling a spade a spade and not just an agricultural tool in other to remove any form of ambiguity in comprehension. He is a man tested and proven to have the capacity to keep to his words hence his mantra “my word, my bond”.
Rt. Hon Ihedioha is an establishment man, who believes tenaciously in sticking to any ideology that is populist and tailored towards the welfare and well-being of the people especially, the average and the down trodden. Erroneously, some people see him as elitist, but that is wrong assumption probably because he is being appraised from afar. From a close appraisal, the story is different. He is known to be meticulous, believes in hard work and excellence, and abhors gossip and sycophancy.
Because of his belief in the people-oriented philosophy of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he had remained firm with the party despite the turbulent period it passed through. From being the Director of Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), the major political block which later metamorphosed into PDP, he joined the PDP as a foundation member.
Since that time till date, he has stayed put in PDP. When PDP lost power in 2015, the All Progressives Congress (APC) came to poach him as Juventus FC of Italy poached Christiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid of FC Spain, but he rejected their mouth watering offers. Instead, he opted to challenge the incumbent APC governor in Imo in the 2015 governorship election. He did so not for his selfish gains but in order to ensure PDP does not go into extinction in Imo, after all having just left office as Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, after twelve consistent and uninterrupted years in the House , what would he have lost? Nothing at all.
Unfortunately, under questionable circumstances aided by an obviously compromised judiciary then, he lost the election. Despite this, he still kept faith with the party. Then came the Ali Modu Sheriff/Ahmed Makarfi feud which almost ruined the PDP. As an intelligent and fore-sighted politician, Rt. Hon Ihedioha aligned with the Marakifi group which enjoyed the support of 95% of the PDP members nation-wide. He was among the Makarfi’s “Think-Tank” group. This clearly underscores how his intelligence and wisdom are respected nationally. To be more succinct, Ihedioha is never a bench warmer or passive observer wherever he is. He is a goal getter of immense proportion. Imo is indeed lucky and blessed that he has come to clean the Augean stable left behind by the greedy and gluttonous Okorocha administration.
Back to our story line. Rt Hon. Ihedioha traversed all the nook and cranny of the nation, preaching the gospel of unity among PDP members, just to save the soul of the party. Within this period, some gullible members of the party had already jumped ship and started dinning with the APC. Alas, Sheriff fell, courtesy of the Supreme Court judgement and sanity was finally restored in PDP.
Rt. Hon. Ihedioha also made sure PDP, Imo State had a peaceful and seamless State Congress which brought Chief Charles Ezekwem led State Working Committee.
Again, sponsored enemies of the party both within and external struck with frivolous litigations to destabilize the party. Ihedioha stood firmly, like the Rock of Gibraltar behind the Ezkwem led Exco. As a fighter that he is, he made sure all the fifth columnists and their external cohorts together with their frivolous litigations, collapsed like a pack of cards. Ihedioha never loses any political fight because he always fights a just cause. Today, Imo PDP enjoys unparalleled stability, peace and tranquility. The rest of this pleasant story is known to everybody in Imo.
I have taken time to studiously go down memory lane though concisely, to elucidate on the consistent character and nature of Imo’s in-coming governor, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. I considered this exposition imperative in view of the fact that “if you ask somebody to go and excavate a corpse he was not part of the burial process, there is the tendency he might start from where the corpse’s legs are laid” such situation is abhorred in Igbo cultural world view and must therefore, be avoided.
My point is that a good leader must be a consistent fellow. Any leader who prevaricates or changes colours impromptly like a chameleon is not worth being trusted with leadership or power. This was Okorocha’s greatest albatross. He speaks before he thinks like a man with diahorrea of the mouth. His level of rashness is astounding and this has manifested in lack of due process and policy summersaults in all did as governor of Imo State.
Some people even said that the man was a plague on Imo people from God for not allowing Him (God) choose a leader by Himself for them in 2011. But whatever Okorocha symbolizes or was, thank God, the Almighty Himself has reversed His punishment and now given Imo people a true leader with consistency, human face, milk of human kindness and the burning desire to serve the State honestly. Thank God for Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.
For a leader to be virtuous, he must be consistent, known to always exhibit very good and high moral ways or standards of doing things. In other words, such a leader must live by exemplary behaviours or attitudes and not by mere precepts; such a person must be an embodiment of useful qualities. Ihedioha unarguably epitomizes all these qualities.
Frankly speaking, the emergence of Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha as governor will sooner than later, make Imo the envy of other neighbouring States because of the stuff he is made of and the panache he is equally bringing into governance.
His consistent nature is a rare virtue nobody can deny him. With Rt. Hon Ihedioha on the saddle as the Governor of Imo State, Imo people both at home and in the Diapora indeed, have every reason to look forward to a brighter and more prosperous State because of the virtuous circle approach Ihedioha would bring to governance.
