Politics Today: ‘I want to industrialise Imo state’

Ken Ojiri, one of the front runners for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket in the 2015 governorship election in Imo State was upbeat as he picked the form to formally throw his heart into the ring for the primaries coming up later in November.

He has never hidden his desire to introduce creativity and dynamism into the governance of the state. He says Imo is one of the producers of graduates in the country and the least in industries making it an unviable paradox. He spoke exclusively to Daily Sun soon after picking his form.
What do you think is the greatest Challenge facing Imo State?
The major challenge with Imo State is lack of employment which is due to lack of industries which in itself is lack of planning by past administrations. I refuse to see it as a problem because when something is a problem, the solution may be far, but when it is a challenge, it requires confrontation. When you confront a challenge, it goes away, but if you fail to confront a challenge, it confronts you. The unemployment in Imo State has been confronting the state because no one has deemed it fit to confront it. While each administration tries its best within the scope of its capacity, lack of understanding of the actual need of Imo people and a master plan on the short and long term means of solving them has been a hamstring.
I strongly believe that understanding the peculiarities of our problem is the first step to solving it and using time tested strategy is the key to overcoming the challenge of unemployment and by extension, poverty in Imo state. Every area has its peculiar problem. What provides succour for someone in Lagos may not be what will give someone in Imo state joy. It is therefore important to identify those things that will add value to the lives of the people of the state, things that will prolong the citizen’s life. What will return the cultural values of the people and the pride of the people of the state? When you identify all these, it becomes easy to connect with the people.
Imo State has suffered the highest amount of urban migration in all its ramifications. This has affected not only the economy of the state, it has affected the aged who are left alone in the villages, it has affected the younger generations most of whom are born and bred outside Igbo land. They grow up in foreign environment, foreign culture and language. The implication is that Imo culture and traditions are fast fading away while Igbo language has become foreign to these children.
How would you initiate creative governance in Imo State?
This is the reason everyone who aspires to govern any state in the country must set out his or her agenda, have a study of his state and its critical needs and come close enough to the people to connect with them. If you ask me, the biggest problem of my people in Imo State is lack of employment. Most Imo people are not happy in most cities where they reside, but unfortunately, they have no choice. It is difficult to imagine a state that has almost the highest number of graduates annually without a single multinational company in the state let alone, industrial park or estate.
Is it that Imo does not have enough land for industrial estates or that it can not design an industrial estate, or that it is a taboo for industries to flourish in the state. There is no rocket science in it. Once you make the environment attractive for industrialists, they naturally come to invest. It is my desire to develop industrial estates in Imo, attract major industries that will attract ancillary industries.
I don’t want to believe that most of the graduates riding Keke cannot go into agriculture and excel if it is well packaged, or into small scale productions if well oriented. Even welders, electricians, brick layers etc. who are working hard outside the state but leaving like ants will rather come back home and work. Graduates who leave from hands to mouth because what they earn is too meager to take care of their accommodation, high cost of city life and the hassles of the city will find succor in coming closer home to work. Others who have aged parents and desolate compounds will be too glad to relocate back home. Most people who are three to five sharing a room in cities across the country have comfortable homes in their father’s compound. If given the opportunity, they would be happier working from home.
Again when industries come and businesses thrive in Imo, property values will naturally raise, tenement houses become an investment. Unfortunately, this is what our people are providing for other cities that have the foresight to develop their industrial capacities. In places like Lagos, Rivers, Ogun, Anambra etc., what they are reaping today is deliberate long term industrial plan which was sustained. Chief Sam Mbakwe of blessed memory started it but no one sustained it and unfortunately, no one has been able to study Mbakwe’s master plan for Imo state.
Let me tell, you, if I follow Mbakwe’s master plan alone even as old as it was, Imo State will never be the same again. It is time to think of Imo state as an industrial state rather than a leisure state. I don’t think Imo people are that lazy to equate them with only leisure. It’s ironical that a people whose hands power the industrial capacities of other states have only hotels and restaurants to show as their industry. Imo state must change, it is long over due. It is time to reverse the trend of urban migration to rural migration and believe me, it is possible.
Much of what the federal government is suffering today has its root on non performing governors that hold sway in the states. A state governor that collects allocation and invest it on jamboree will turn round to blame the federal government for flooding in his state. He turns round to blame the federal government for high turn over of area boys, turn criminals or graduates turn kidnappers.
When a governor uses his money to purchase votes, buys himself into office and spends the whole time in his office trying to recoup investments, you don’t really blame him.
The state radio stations are propaganda machines that turn the faces of the masses to the federal government and away from the state governors who owe them larger responsibilities untill the states become creative in their governance, until those who have vision and plan for their time in office take over the government at the state, so shall the federal government continue to bear the brunt of the ineptitude of the state governments.post by expdonaloaded