PLAYING TO THE GALLERY - We are tired of being taken for a ride. By: Prince Eze Ugochukwu.

IMO STATE PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT 

PLAYING TO THE GALLERY - We are tired of being taken for a ride.

By: Prince Eze Ugochukwu.

Election for a new governor is here again and some candidates are behaving exaggeratedly just to attract attention. They are saying those things they think will be popular among the people knowing fully well that they are taking the people for a ride. But Imo people don't want to get sucked into a scheme that will cost them dearly. They don't want to get suckered, or swindled by unconscionable power seekers.

The road to Douglas House, Owerri which is the seat of power for would-be governors of Imo State is quite long. It's a long road. That you are a candidate of a political party is only the beginning. Persuading the voters that you deserve their votes is a different ball game altogether.

By the calendar of events, the Imo State governorship election is scheduled to hold on the 11th of November 2023. Already, candidates have emerged in all the political parties.

What is surprising and worrisome is that apart from the incumbent Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma who has a litany of projects to present as his scorecard, non of the other candidates have been able to present coherent campaign promises so far. Nobody has heard anything that is inspiring from the opponents of the governor.

John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address inspired children and adults to rally around his presidency with his historic words, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country". Following his inaugural address, nearly seventy-five per cent of Americans expressed approval of President Kennedy. By the same token, Imo people are asking the opposition candidates to come forward and showcase the solid ideas they have in stock for the people not merely for us to hand over our votes to them. After all, would you set out on a major journey with no real idea of your destination? Probably not!

In a forum discussion held in Owerri last week, most participants who came from the academia, business, students, and women groups publicly exclaimed that they have not heard any concrete plans, policy statements, or any technically sound strategic objectives from those angling to win power from Governor Hope Uzodimma.

As they say, sometimes the truth can be bitter, and the truth is that Imo people are tired of being taken for a ride by political actors who spew out lies in the name of promises in their desperation to garner votes. What we have seen is a lot of playing to the gallery about insecurity while other basic but important issues are ignored.

Every election period is a time to consider the issues that citizens care about. The citizens themselves want to see the leadership qualities plus the knowledge those who want to lead them will bring to the office.

What Imo people are looking for are the policy objectives of the candidates, the feasibility of the said objectives and the steps they will take to achieve them.

The lack of any known, and clearly understood guiding principles point to one conclusion, which is; that the opposition candidates lack initiative and are unprepared for the rigours of the office of the governor.

Persuading voters is the essence of a political campaign and to persuade people to vote for you, they must have confidence in your policies, and believe that you're the best person for the job.

What has been very difficult for the ordinary Imo citizen to appraise are the leadership qualities that make the opposition candidates capable of the job of a governor. The question is; do we look at their intelligence, honesty, humility, and ability to communicate? Are they in any way better than the incumbent Governor in any of these categories?

The governor of a state is the first citizen and leader of the state and makes important decisions that directly impact the day-to-day life of the citizens, so a vote for a governor is a very critical venture that must be taken seriously.

Governor Hope Uzodimma came with an agenda of reconstruction, rehabilitation and recovery. The 3Rs.
Here is a man that was confronted by a myriad of difficulties ranging from the covid19 pandemic, the Endsars protests, the unknown gunmen saga and dwindling national financial resources.

Yet, Uzodimma rose like a Phoenix to withstand, confront, and overcome these challenges boldly without quivering. Imo people have X-rayed his intelligence; they have seen his honesty; humility; and ability to communicate. Truth be told, he was not found wanting in any of these indexes of good leadership.

Under his supervision, Imo State has witnessed a re-awakening never seen in decades. We are now beginning to enjoy good roads, quality and free access to healthcare by the weak and vulnerable, revamping of abandoned agricultural estates, rebuilding of dilapidated government-owned establishments, digital skills training for youths, the defeat of bandits and criminals, and recovery of stolen assets. Not ignoring the payment of salaries and pensions as at when due.

So what we are looking for in Sokoto is already under our "shokoto", and we must look no further. What Imo State need now is the consolidation of the goals already attained by Governor Hope Uzodimma and not to start all over again or switch to a new experiment that we are not even sure of. Moreover, and in all sincerity, and bearing in mind that Imo people know themselves, the Governor is miles ahead better than his opponents.

With the rapid development we have seen in Imo State over three and half years, one thing is certain; - Governor Uzodimma means well for the people as captured in this his quote, "My administration will continue to vigorously pursue policies and projects that would create wealth for the ordinary people. The 3Rs - Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery policy is to promote shared prosperity in Imo State. Government will therefore, continue to put the well-being of the citizenry at the centre of governance through the ongoing reconstruction of our dilapidated infrastructure both in the urban and rural areas as well as the provision of adequate security to protect the lives and property of our people.”