THE EXPECTED HOPE OF IMO

By Lawrence Agbasoga.

The name Chief Hope Uzodinma, the Senator from Orlu zone of Imo State has gone down in the history of Imo State as the leader who rescued Imo State at this time from the iron grip of an Emperor who had cowed virtually everyone in the state into submission to his insistence on running a dynasty here in the eastern heartland. Like Moses of ancient Israel, God had sent him to deliver His people of Imo State who had been subjected to extreme poverty, deprivation and inhuman treatment in the hands of an emperor who had found it unnecessary to partner with them in the task of developing the state or in the business of governance.

According to Woodrow Wilson, the 28^th American president, "the ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people". That is Chief Hope Uzodinma! As a leader his ears had been saturated with the voices of his people and he could not help but respond.

The "deliverance" of our dear state from the tight grip of Governor Rochas Okorocha whose insistence on succeeding himself by proxy through Uche Nwosu is an indictment on our so-called leaders who, at the most critical time in the life of this state, preferred to do nothing but only complain, Complain alone could not achieve much. Action was needed and the man of action came on board and the result is the joy across the state in all homes. As a result of the acceptance of Chief Hope Uzodinma's governorship bid, a royal father I met last December told me he was not a member of APC but that he would vote for the senator, just for being able to confront and engage Okorocha squarely and defeat him, setting the state free from the injuries inflicted on it by the present administration.

The politics of Imo State today is of individuals and not of political parties or zone of origin. It is a weak and infantile argument for anyone to say that Orlu zone should not produce a governor again. Where were the so-called astute, dogged politicians from Owerri, Okigwe and even Orlu zones when Chief Hope Uzodinma took on Okorocha for the sake of Imolites? Why did they just look on when Okorocha was carefully perfecting his plans to succeed himself through his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu? The intervention of Senator Uzodinma proved his love for the state. Materially, he is comfortable. But like our saviour Jesus Christ who left his comfortable abode in heaven and became human, just for humanity's sake, to save us, even so chief Hope Uzodinma counted his personal comfort as nothing when the generality of his people of Imo State were crying and in pains as a result of injuries inflected on them by bad governance. He could not isolate himself from our excruciating pain, hence his intervention!

The argument of zone of origin remains weak. Chief Sam Mbakwe of blessed memory still holds |he record of achievements in the governance of this state. He hailed from Obowo in Okigwe Zone.

Today, when Chief Sam Mbakwe is mentioned, Obowo or Okigwe zone is not mentioned or remembered. This is because Mbakwe did not consider himself as coming from Obowo or Okigwe zone. He saw the entire state as his constituency and regarded everyone in it as brothers and sisters. He did not run a family government, neither did he treat Obowo or Okigwe zone as special. He is remembered today for his good works which were possible due to his leadership skills that made him place the best brains around into positions of responsibility. That is good leadership. The opposite of this is Governor Okorocha's style of considering members of his family first, associates, and then people from Ideato nation. This is wrong and leads to poor performance as in the case of Okorocha. From the same Okigwe zone as Chief Mbakwe came Ikedi Ohakim as governor. He didn't do well and in 2011 even people from his own Isiala Mbano joined forces with other Imolites to sack him. It is not about zone of origin, but about a leader's heart. Hope Uzodinma is not materialistic. I was once told that since he became Senator in 2011, this Oru East born "deliverer" has never bought any piece of land or house, but has committed himself to serving humanity. Imo needs such a leader who is not sectional. We need someone who will allow the people's common wealth to spread across board. Imolites don't need a leader who will stockpile their commonwealth for the purpose of financing the next election and deceive them with sub-standard infrastructure. We need a true servant -leader who will see the entire state as his immediate constituency. Hope Uzodinma represents what this state needs at this time, hence everyone sees him as the expected Hope of this state.

The choice of Prof. Piacid Njoku as running mate and the recent Imo Stakeholders meeting facilitated by Senator Hope Uzoinma depict a leader eager to deliver on his electoral promise.

At the stakeholders meeting, Senator Uzodinma required of Imo people themselves to articulate a way forward for the State. He is not a man that claims to know it all. The expected governor of the State believes that no person is a repository of knowledge. Senator Uzodinma has on many occasions- by words and action -agreed with former president George W.H. Bush who said thus: ^uuse power to help people. For we are give power not to advance our own purposes nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one use of power and it is to serve people".

Imolites must get it right this time. Out-fashioned sentiments like zoning must be abandoned, especially now that our dear state is in a critical situation. We must not toy with our lives today and in the future. This state needs a true patriot in the class of Chief Sam Mbakwe to re-position the state after years of plunder and mismanagement. Hope can be trusted. He loves our state. He is an Imolite who hates injustice, man's inhumanity to man and greed. As an individual he has touched lives<cross the state. Igbos believes that certain names have something divine associated with them. When the parents of Senator Hope Uzodinma named him, they had no thought he would one day be the expected Hope of a great state like ours. There is really something divine in Senator Uzodinma's intervention in the governorship affairs of our state and we must not lose sight of that. Imo needs him now. He listens, fears God, cares, not materialistic, and he is one of us.