By Chuks Osuji
I had serious temptation of not writing on Uzodimma’s one hundred days in office. On the other hand, as a public opinion analyst, I equally had deep temptation to write, if only as a senior citizen whom many people look up to for my contributions in matters of public interests.
My fellow readers, I considered it inevitable to write on one hundred days in office as a matter of public interest, because it has become my literary culture and a societal imperative to write on one hundred days of every passing Governor since Achike Udenwa.
Before I progress, I want to advise members of the public, to the best of my knowledge to be open-minded, less they misunderstand the basic objectives which I bring into my writings on those concerning politics in Imo State, nay Nigeria.
It is important to say that writing on Uzodimma’s one hundred days in office will be in the best interest of members of the public. Because in this article as I always do, I will strike a balance between a negative and positive assessment of his one hundred days in office.
Therefore, those who are Uzodimma or Ihedioha apologies must make up their minds one way or the other that they will be disappointed. Because I am not a praise singer or obdurate critic.
But if you are one of those who have written Uzodimma off for one reason or the other, not even giving him a chance to try then you will be disappointed with this article.
After all, I do not write to please people of different device, but I write from the perspectives of objectivity of the truth.
Taking an objective view at Uzodimma’s one hundred days, it will be preposterous to take a position one way or the other in assessing him because the circumstances surrounding his emergence as Governor have so many embedded public opinion misgivings.
After all, there is one Igbo proverb which says, “Chicken does not lay eggs while something is blocking her view.”
It is too late now to talk about those circumstances which preceded his emergence as the Governor. To me as a responsible citizen, I have since accepted the realities of such unbelievable legal scenario. No matter how much we may complain, according to Lyndon Johnson, a formal American president, “what you cannot avoid or prevent you must try to endure it.”
In one of my past articles entitled, “The supremacy of rule of law”, “this case has become supreme and must be accepted no matter how bitter or uncomfortable.”
I strongly posited that all we can do now is to give him support and good advice to move forward in the best interest of the Imo people.
If during the past one hundred days in office he has held the Imo State and the people together, without the state turning into anarchy, in spite of the prospects of anarchy, happening then, it must be seen as an achievement.
Initially, the backbone of Imo civil service was almost in disarray and down cast. Although a few are still look worm towards his Government, they must be told that they are probably crying for a wrong reason. Gradually but steadily, he is knitting together to move the state forward.
Importantly, from 14th January when the Supreme Court affirmed its decision, the political aspect in Imo has not been rosy. After all, after a civil war, both the victors and the vanquished must join together to remove ruins of such civil war. Because, they would not join together to destroy the place.
Added to his political predicaments was the natural phenomenon of Covid-19 which has consigned every government matter to the back seat to secure the health of the people before securing their political concomitants. Life first. And in this regard, his government, has not been found wanting.
Furthermore, in his broadcast to commemorate his one hundred days in the office, sincerely speaking, what were listed as achievements could be regarded as anticipatory achievements, scripted by zealous aides and officials who wish to impress the governor.
Even at that, nobody in his right thinking mind could say that the governor has wasted one hundred days for nothing. And equally it is wrong to compare Ihedioha’s one hundred days with those of Uzodimma. Those doing so are not being reasonable because Ihedioha knew where he was coming from and where he was going. Besides, both Uzodimma and Ihedioha are two different individuals with different political balance sheet.
People must not guide him (Uzodimma) to be like Ihedioha because in all aspects, they are different personalities.
But Uzodinma will plan his own style of governance to suit his own orientation. It is not the question of how far but how well and not issue of expression of political jingoism but results of substance in terms of concrete achievements.
All he (Uzodimma) can do now once the Covid-19 is over is to take a holistic appraisal of his journey. And be able to do internal assessment with those whose perspectives are for his success and not those who want to clap for him in error. In all things considered, in my view, he is not likely to be a failed governor.
I remember that when I was a pupil in St. Mary’s Catholic School, Port-Harcourt, I used to ride a commuter bus with the inscription “Hope rising”. Few years on, the entire Diobu vicinity with shanties and slum became a developed modern area that today became the pride of Garden City.
Without joining the fray of (he will not succeed) why not pull together to help him succeed? That is the bottom line now.
Because irrespective of mudslinging going on now between Uzodimma or Ihedioha apologists, before long, the state will be calm.
But as a senior citizen, I want to share with Hope Uzodimma the quotations from Walter Bagehot, a British philosopher, that says, “the banner of every leader must be not to tell the citizenry lies and also to prevent others telling lies on his behalf. A government built on the platform of truth; honour and justice will always have a citizenry on its side.”
After all, truth has no alternative. And according to Michael Stewart, “A leader who is on a shaky ground can only consolidate such a ground with fundamental of truth, honesty and good public policies.” This is a word from a concerned senior citizen.
We wish the Governor the best of wisdom to succeed.
.Osuji, is a Public opinion Analyst and contributed this piece from his Mbaise home.