Imagine The Future Of Imo State With The BIG PICTURE? Martin Luther King Jnrs legendary speech, I have a dream, vividly captures the eternal import and essence of a BIG PICTURE. The BIG PICTURE metaphorically underscores the mental imagery that signpost the realisation of dream, capture the destination of a vision, the dream, the essence, the material basis of a venture. The allure the picture provides, fires the zeal, the passion, the drive to reach, feel and touch it. Big dreamers have mental pictures playing in their head, that picture reside in the ought be domains, gives them the kick that drives an ambition to reach the ultimate end. Leaders, true leaders, the ones that worth the name, in their visioning, thinking of a destination where they would take their people to. To Martin Luther King Jr.; he looked forward to a time when his children would be judged by the content of their character, thats a BIG PICTURE for a man wedging a revolutionary war against racial segregation. In Imo state, Governor Ikedi Ohakim had an issue with the provincial status of the state, the level of poverty; mental, psychological and material, the parlous state of the economy, the large and material resources lying waste in want of harnessing for greater good, the leadership evolution process that is tied to the apron strings and manipulation of political big men. These issues needed to be addressed. The large army of unemployed youths and idle hands that were ready pawns on the chessboard of power seekers and hate merchants, the level of despondency and despair and general poor perception of government and its place, presented handful of challenges that must be dealt with. A critical review of his campaign manifesto clearly revealed the inner workings of his mind on what the problems are and how best to come around them. In that document which formed the terms of contract with the people, he presented an economic transformation blueprint that point to the quality and character of the BIG PICTURE. Transforming Imo state to a model modern state was the BIG PICTURE and he went further to stir the imagination and tickle the fancy of the people by allowing them a glimpse of what the modern state represents. The state with strong diversified manufacturing based economy, anchored on the emerging skill midwifed by science and technology with guaranteed employment opportunities. The completeness of this vision statement may have informed the overwhelming endorsement the campaign manifesto received from the 167 member transition committee Governor Ohakim set upon assumption of office, to review his blueprint and make further inputs to show consistency with the wishes and aspirations of the people and the definite do list to transform the state. The primary steps were carefully taken and subjected to necessary stress evaluation to ensure that the government was on track to realising the goals of the transformation initiative. The corollary to raising the ante by setting high goals, was for the government to challenge its capacity through a concert of effort to ensure that whole components that would engender efficient and effective service delivery were properly positioned to set up performance Confidence. Certain basic fundamental issues must be carefully examined as they are determining factors. What are the strategic pathways, how can one navigate through the thorny path, what would be the level of support and what quantity of sacrifice can be extracted? This journey, how long would it take, what form of transportation would be most suitable, how long it will take, would people be patient in a political environment to get to the destination, do we have enough fuel, would the passengers survive the endurance test, what would be the likely hiccups? These are the assurance indicators that can guarantee the attainment of those heights that can bring the BIG PICTURE nearer to the people. In simple terms, for a closed economy that we have in Imo State to be opened up, the productive sector both in products and services must be vibrant, positioned to satisfy market needs, be competitive and respond to the demands of twenty first century. This product sector would be powered by investments from within and outside the state. And for the investments to be attracted, the environment must be made friendly though provision of basic infrastructure, environmental sanitization, guarantee of security of life and property, policies and institutional framework that would reduce the stress of doing business in the state, preparing the people to be good hosts and ensuring that the labour force is skilled, knowledgeable and employable. The BIG PICTURE signposts a quantum leap, a giant stride from where we are, to where we ought to be, A system that promotes self-reliance, stakehodership, level playing ground for all, access to quality education, health care and other basic necessities of life. There are basic needs that when met by a responsible government reinforces the humanity in us and draw the people away from the hobesian state. The needs are psychological, safety, social, esteem, self-actualization, the desires to know and understand aesthetic needs and coping and expensive behaviour. These basics are embedded in the BIG PICTURE of the New Face Of Imo Agenda. Its trite that what motivates the people and indeed any visionary leader is the realisation that a genuine effort can be rewarded with results that satisfy the needs of the people and the projections and goals of the leader. The BIG PICTURE as encapsulated in the New Face Of Imo vision, clearly defined the quality of accomplishments that would transform the state from a provincial marginal player to a model one based on its capacity to compete creditably in the comity of modern states. How opaque or clear the BIG PICTURE is a reflection vision and drive of the leader. A long distance runner, a big dreamer and one with foresight would likely set standards different from one that seems low with a myopic vision that sees only today and cares less about tomorrow. In the New Face Of Imo Agenda of the Ohakims government, the we can do spirit was evident and it left no one in doubt that the operators were quite conversant with the turnaround requirements and were determined to put their experty, knowledge and clear understanding of the operating environment at the disposal of the state to make it work. Dr. Ikedi Ohakim, the chief driver motivated the team to excel leading to making reaching targets more likely. There was no doubt that the team was on course in breaking frontiers to make a difference. If we must change the vista of the state, all energies and efforts should be deployed towards a BIG PICTURE in our development initiative that can guarantee the state a quantum leap to greatness. The BIG PICTURE of the Ohakims government would have fully eliminated godfatherism, sanitised the polity, and opened the political space to accommodate the best and brightest no matter the local government origin. Monetization of the politics of the state with the attendance intolerance, violence and intrigues would have reduced drastically. The youths of the state would have been gainfully engaged with the expected opening of the economy, the middle class would have re-emerged. Big and small businesses would have been assured and Imo state would have started working, turning into the investment and tourism destination of choice. The hospitality industry would have sustained a positive boom because of increased patronage from visitors coming to do genuine business in the state. It was surprise that room occupancy that stood at 10% when the government of Ohakim came increased to between 85% to 90%, what remains of this figure today is left to conjecture. The state internally generated revenue (IGR) would have increased because of improved capacity of the people and business to pay tax. Most conferences, seminars and workshops that hosted in South-South states today would have had Imo State as first choice because of the comparative advantage we enjoy over the State. The BIG PICTURE would have put Imo State in a distinguished position on the map of Nigeria. LAST LINE: In the minds eye, one could imagine the BIG PICTURE that has been put in abeyance, a projection on suspension and yet has the capacity to recreate Imo State. •Picture Owerri if the flyovers and bridge projects that were ongoing and now abandoned were completed. •Picture Imo State if the clean and green programme were dutifully executed and the tempo of progress recorded under Ohakims government sustained. •Imagine the multiplier effect if the waste to wealth (Waste management) component of the initiative were to be in place today. •Picture Imo State if the Imo Free Way project with the complementary arterial roads is in place today. Imagine the allure in terms of economic benefit, transportation easement impact, the sheer aesthetics and the realisation of the one-city-state status. •Picture Imo State if the Imo refinery and Oguta wonder lake and conference center projects are in place today. The economic impact; increased IGR, huge job opportunities and unimaginable value chain to the life of the people and economic fortunes of Imo state. •Picture Imo state with a sustained water scheme project under Ohakims government that eased access to portable water to rural communities. •Picture Imo State if the empowerment programmes- Petty Traders Financial Support Scheme and Imo Youths Empowerment Programme (IYEP) is allowed to say, over 50,000 youths and women would have benefited from it and running their businesses. •Imagine many other facets of the BIG PICTURE under the New Face of Imo Agenda that is now abeyance. •The N13.25 billion Naira Okigwe stadium which was yet another Federal government project the government of Ohakim attracted which NDDC would have executed should have been nearing completion. Perhaps we would have been set to be in a position to host national and international sporting competitions. •Project 27, the industrialisation programme drawn up by ISIPA to attract investors partnering with the state and local governments to built one advanced stages of execution with its promises of increased economic activity and job creation. •Beyond all, Imo State would not have been exposed to the arm twisting of corporate fraudsters and dubious contractors that have fleeced the state of billions of Naira. •Equipped free medical services in government health institutions to pregnant women and the aged (above 60 years) With the projections in the the Imo State Development plan 2011, the financing structured, the legal frame works in place, institutions that would serve as special purpose vehicles set up and the level of conflicts made towards actualization, the government of Chief Ikedi Ohakim would have made remarkable leap as at date.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 09:28:28 +0000
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