– Says Imo Political Elites Are Dormant, Subservient, Behaving Like People Under A Spell
Dr. Sam Amadi, a Policy Strategist, Law and Governance Expert, Director of Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts and a Visiting Professor at the Emerald Energy Institute, University of Port Harcourt, has hampered on the urgent need for active citizenship participation in the governance of Imo State.
Amadi stated this in Owerri on 6th January, 2025 during the Imo Development Outlook 2025, convened by Imo Good Governance Guild with the theme charting the pathway for prosperity in Imo state.
The Convener of Imo Good Governance Guild, Dr. Igboanusi Chinemerem, emphasized that the event was geared towards charting the way forward for prosperity in Imo state with concentration on economic growth, security, tax reforms, local government autonomy and governance, unemployment and youth protection.
One of Imo finest political consultants Dr. Sam Amadi who was a speaker at the event stated that Imo is our collective responsibility, hence we have to engage the government and our elected officers to produce results, not by fighting or protesting against government but by playing effective citizenship roles.
He said that since the governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma proposed 700 billion naira 2025 budget and the House of Assembly proposed 800 billion naira budget, the Citizens must engage to know what can be done through the budget to create jobs and tackle the unemployment in Imo which unfortunately is today the highest state with unemployed people in Nigeria.
According to him, the idea of local government elections is to ensure that the LGAs are funded to bring about developments at the grassroot level, adding that LGAs should function as government on its own and improve economic activity to guarantee rural areas independence in generating IGRs. He demanded to know what good policies have been made so far by the elected LGA chairmen in the state to enhance grassroot developments.
Amadi expressed worry that Imo political elites are dormant, subservient and behaving like people who are under a spell which he said has resulted to a crippling silence on suppression and lawlessness which are obvious threats to our democracy.
He insisted that there is no way to create true governance than through effective citizenship, adding that as citizens we must make the legislators proactive, skillful and vigilant to ensure that the executive carries out their functions effectively.
Furthermore, he noted that WhatsApp platforms should be used to mobilize tools to bring solutions to unemployment and economic deficit not to praise legislators who are not delivering and condemned the fact that youths are only interested in shouting and praising politicians; wearing T-shirts and shouting “capacity!” “capacity!” instead of prioritizing wealth creation and human capital development.
He argued that palliatives should be banned because many elected officers are sampling palliatives as intervention projects carried out by them instead of using their offices to carry out functions they are constitutionally mandated to do.
Amadi called on patriotic Imolites to come together and create a community of people who are concerned with the development of Imo State. He elaborate the need to mobilize for economic growth, accountability, freedom and playing effective citizenship roles including being the watchdogs of the society, stressing that those in leadership positions will be more productive when the citizens insist on accountability, transparency and sense of responsibility.
Prof. Kenneth Amaeshi, the chief Economic Adviser to Imo State Governor who was present at the event revealed several methods adopted by the governor of Imo State to address unemployment in Imo state which one of them is the Imo Industrial Policy launched on the 2nd of November, 2022 popularly known as Okobi, a one kindred, one business initiative aimed at helping one another and solving our economic problems. He stated that so far 360 small and medium size enterprises have been set up through the Okobi initiative.
He also revealed that the government of Imo State has trained more than 4000 youths with digital skills acquisition which have today made many of them financially independent.
Amaeshi advised Imolites to utilize the “Okobi” initiative which is apolitical and very much accessible to all irrespective of political affiliations, to improve their economy.
He argued that Imo people are not able to hold the government to account because they feed from the government, adding that stomach infrastructure is limiting them from effective citizenship participation and urged Imo people to seek for liberation and economic empowerment in order to resist anything thrown at them.
