Governor Okorocha: 100 Days in Office assesment
By the 5th of September 2011, all elected Executives sworn in on the 29th of May 2011 including our own Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha will be recording 100 days in office. From the United States where we copied democracy, a culture of marking this period over the achievement of the elected executives since the days of Franklin Roosevelt in 1933 has come to stay. Serious governments have often taking this period as a of litmus test challenge case for their regime.
To the best of my knowledge, the expectations of people within this period is not to see massive infrastructure but a pragmatic and realistic clear cut program or blue print of the government so as to enable the people to key into the mission and vision of the government.
I learnt our Governor, Rochas Okorocha has declared that his administration will not mark 100 days in office, for reason’s best known to him.
This development is unfortunate of a government that said it is in a hurry to deliver and likened her operation in Imo State with the popular Israeli 90 minutes in Antebe operation.
A comparison show may not be necessary between the previous government and the
present but it is still fresh in our memory that by the first 100 days of Ohakim’s administration whom Imo people rejected in preference to the present government had clearly made known her Clean and Green policy and the New face of Imo program which within the 100 days transformed Owerri into an admirably clean city.
In Enugu state the Sullivan Chime administration transcended beyond showcasing a well understood program to achieving great feats in road construction in his first 100 days in office. The achievements of Governor’s Fashola of Lagos State and Amaechi of Rivers state in their first 100 days in office are open knowledge. Therefore, to shy away from this assessment by any government simply depicts lack of direction in program and that is what I feel Owelle’s administration is about doing.
As a grass root man who lives amongst the people in the state I have observed strong apprehension, confusion and gradual build up of indignationon the part of the people in understanding the program and direction of this government. It appears the Governor tells us what we want to hear and does what he wants to do as one angry citizen told me. People are particularly worried that he promises one thing and does another. The latest of this non keeping to promise is the decision to appoint care taker committees at the local government.
During his swearing in, the Governor promised that he will not appoint Sole administrators or Caretaker any more at the local government councils but in just less than three months he has reneged from this promise. I may not go far on failed promises by the government but would rather remain on the 100 days in office assessment issue.
The bottom line is that Imo citizens are yet to understand the direction of this government. There should be cohesion between the governor’s pronouncements and his programs. There should be a well defined and understandable road map on how the government intends to rescue Imo. We expect the government to present us with a performance report of its first 100 days in office and where we intend to go from there.
All the departments of government should tell us what they are doing in their areas to rescue Imo. I also call on civil society and non governmental organizations in the state to conduct their independent assessments of the government performance in her first 100 days in office.
Aku Obidinma
(Social crusader)