The Unusual Politician

Cerebral, diligent, thorough and fastidious about details, the Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, is fast changing the face of Abia politics and this is evident in some of the intrigues already preceding his re-election, writes Olawale Olaleye

In discussing leadership in Nigeria, two issues cannot be thrown overboard: a non-existent leadership recruitment process and a zero penchant for planning. With these two nearly permanently present in the artery of the nation’s body polity, what is left thereof is the fire-brigade approach to development and leadership, which unfortunately is not failsafe but certainly bereft of the total make-up of a properly situated initiative, comparative anywhere in the world.

However, not all Nigerian leaders slip into this all-time trap. Those whose worldviews are shaped by their enviable background, education, exposure and thoughtful philosophy have always tried to sidestep this trap. One of such persons is the Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.

With a background in Biochemical Pharmacology up to doctorate, it is known to all that Ikpeazu bestrode the political firmament of Abia with a lot of panache, often predicated on the precision of science and the sociology of human relations. In practically every development ideology, he is able to identify the science angle and fittingly so.

The last three years or less have been challenging for the Abia State governor. With a disputed victory, Ikpeazu landed into a multi-dimensional crisis, which stood astride between the validity of his mandate and the challenge of taking the state to an all-new level. That he would fight to retrieve his mandate in court for another two years was the one thing he didn’t see coming let alone prepare for. Thus, it was a major distraction that almost undid his government in those beginner years.

But, not only did he pull and grow through the legal fireworks that would later become messy by the time it degenerated into a character debate, he took the challenge of development very seriously and that was the distinguishing bit in his entire fight for survival and affirmation.

It is no wonder, when sometime in January this year he said he would only seek re-election in 2019, after he must have successfully completed all the projects initiated by his administration. Always ahead of time in terms of capacity to think, he knew with the time wasted in court trying to defend the mandate handed him by his people that his only path to 2019, would be to ride on his record. Excuses might be valid, but certainly untenable to a people, who may not comprehend the politics of the distractions.

Speaking on a programme “Osinachi”, at the state’s Broadcasting Corporation, the governor said, “There are a few things, which I am saying if we are able to finish by the grace of God, in the future I would think that we can answer the call to seek re-election in 2019.”

Of course, he identified some of those projects believed to be dear to him, which included the construction of Ifeobara basin, the reconstruction of Arochukwu road, the Osisioma interchange and the revival of the School of Nursing, Aba.

His belief is that since leadership is directly connected to achievements in office, he would be sure to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with any other candidate if he was able to complete the projects since he would be expected to run on his record.

Talking about his disposition for paying attention to details and making sure all ends are clinically situated – the governor corroborated this position recently, when he said all the roads constructed by his administration were products of careful and thorough research.

“We run a research-based government. All our projects, especially roads, are products of thorough research. After a careful research, we resolve to construct a cement-based technology roads leading to most of our economic hubs. We are partnering Council of Registered Engineers in this direction,” Ikpeazu said.

It was from that point, he started to ‘take the 2019 walk’, having rest assured that all was well. But he didn’t go that far without scoring a resounding political goal. And what was it? He facilitated the reconciliation of the political leaders of Umuahia South Local Government Area of the state. This, he reckoned, would make the road to 2019 much easier.

When he received stakeholders from the local government area, who had paid him a solidarity visit at the Government House, Umuahia, recently, he told them the result of their action was for greater achievements, which is only feasible in an atmosphere peace.

“Now that you have come together, the sky will be the limit for Umuahia South. I want to assure you that I will be your ally. You should continue to hold together and I want you to continue in this trajectory and path…I give God the glory for the maturity shown by the leadership. It is the spirit to attract political harmony and other incentives in a place.”

Soon after this, endorsements started to pour in for Ikpeazu, a development which has eventually set the stage for 2019 without any equivocation.

First was the endorsement by the Ukwa-Ngwa people, who make up nine of the 17 local government areas of the state. These crucial local governments are Aba North, Aba South, Isialangwa North, Isialangwa South, Osisioma, Obingwa, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa West and Ukwa East. They hinged their endorsement on Ikpeazu’s performance in office, and called on all sons and daughters of the area to work for his 2019 victory.

Moving the motion for the endorsement, former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, said “Our son and our brother, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is a silent achiever and performer. He has performed creditably and that confers on him the right to lead once more. Our people today speak with one voice to make a proclamation in support of the governor, asking him to contest again as governor in 2019.”

Seconding the motion, a former Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Chief Chukwu Wachukwu said “Abia North was governor for eight years with Orji Uzor Kalu, Abia Central governed for eight years with Senator Theodore Orji. Abia South is completing four years with Governor Ikpeazu, therefore, we as a people unanimously, through a voice vote declare our support for the re-election of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as Governor of Abia State in 2019, because he has done well and also because he must complete the eight years tenure of Abia South people.”

On his part, Elder statesman, Emmanuel Adaelu, explained that the governor has the constitutional right to seek re-election in 2019, and as such, deserves the support of his people and the generality of Abians.
“We have seen governors in Abia State and I will boldly state that there has not been any like Governor Ikpeazu. He has done so well and the evidence of his great work are everywhere in Abia State for the world to see. So, we are boldly and eloquently declaring our support for him to re-contest in 2019”, he said.

Not long after, the chairman, Ukwa Ngwa Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Nwabiaraije Enogwe, reaffirmed the endorsement by the nine council areas of Ukwa Ngwa, when he said the endorsement was because of his performance in less than three years in office, adding that their resolve that no other Ukwa Ngwa person should contest the governorship position in 2019 remains binding.

And of course, taking the endorsement politics to another realm entirely, the Aba House Owners Association recently came out to ask Ikpeazu to re-contest in 2019. In a communique, the association, whose membership is believed to cut across people from various states in the South-east region, took theirs a notch up, when they passed a vote of confidence on Ikpeazu.

The communique was signed by the leadership of the association representing those from Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia States and they are: HRM Eze C.B.C Ajuzieogu, President; Sir Onyeso Nwachukwu, Vice President; HRM Eze S.N Njoku, Trustee; Hon. John O. Orji, Secretary; and Hon. Chinyere Goddy George-Maduagba, PRO.
“This Communique was issued after the two enlarged executive meetings of the Aba House Owners Association held on Thursday, 14 December, 2017 at the palace of HRM Eze (Dr) S.N. Njoku (JP), and on Thursday, 25th January, 2018 at the residence of Sir. Onyeso Nwachukwu (OFR), respectively.

“After a critical appraisal of the performance of the present administration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, since inception in 2015 in the face of a litany of electoral litigations, which finally came to an end on the 12th day of July 2017, the Aba House Owners Association gave the government of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu a pat on the back, and passed a vote of confidence on the administration by moving a motion for its continuity beyond 2019.”

Although it might sound somewhat immodest to infer that Abia has never had it so good with development-focused leadership, which not only boasts the temperament for the job at hand but has the intellectual capacity and the gravitas to drive the ship of state, it is however what it is. Ikpeazu has changed the tenor in terms of focus-driven leadership and has set the bar for the kind of development that can only see Abia where it should be as a federating unit.

The Abia governor is an unusual politician in office and this is evident in many ways. Not only is his style peculiar to him, his capacity for throwing up ideas not known to anyone is unmatched, how much more his ability to elevate existing initiatives to a level of envy and emulation? What about his ‘Made in Abia’ now ‘Make in Abia’? What would you say of his partnership with China, which has seen hundreds of his people trained by the Asian tigers? You have no idea his concept of personal pension, which is still in the embryo. Ikpeazu is simply in a class of his own!

With the spree of endorsements which have yet to cease, it is the belief of many that such is one smart decision to concede to the Abia people for not allowing unbridled animosity becloud their reasoning and putting their common development forward.

This is not to say, however, that 2019 is going to be a walkover for Governor Ikpeazu,; what it means is that he is one man, who would gladly run on the strength of his record and not the type usually patched into office just because his people deserve to run their full constitutional eight years of two terms like the other parts of the state.

In the finally analysis, if and when Ikpeazu finally secures his re-election, it is not going to be because of the endorsements from the different parts of the state; it would be because he earned it by sheer dint of hard work and a leadership style that sets itself apart in all the boxes of expectations.