By Fabian Ayuba
In 2019 guber election, Imo people are looking for men and women with three (3) qualifications to govern them. The candidate, who they will elect as governor, should be young and young at heart. The candidates should be successful bureaucrats or technocrats or entrepreneurs. The candidate can come from any zone of the state, as long as he or she meets these qualifications.
Additionally, the candidate should be a green – horn; that is fresh into the political turf; not an old retiring politician, who had made so many enemies all along; who will have to spend a good time in office, settling old scores and sharing the state revenues with godfathers. Ladies and Gentlemen, Chief Collins Osuagwu, meets all these prerequisites. He is young. He is a technocrat. He is a successful entrepreneur. He is fresh into the governorship race. Therefore, in all indices, he is qualified to contest and be elected as the governor of Imo state in 2019.
The reason for this submission are legion. All over the world, citizens are looking for youths with fresh ideas and vision to govern. The people of France, chose and elected the 39 year old Emmanuel Macron to become their president. It is amazing that president Macron did not contest the election on the platform of any political party. He contested as an independent candidate. Therefore, when the time comes in 2019 guber In Imo state, party affiliation may not necessarily count. What will count is the character, integrity and popularity of a candidate; and the presence of the humanitarian activities and charity of the candidate in his or her immediate community and the state in general.
Chief Collins Osuagwu, is a humble, intelligent; creative and people-oriental character. He is interested in the welfare of his home town, community, local Government Area, zone, which is Okigwe, and the state in general. He has empowered so many citizens of his community; men, women and youths, with various sums of money to establish businesses to cater for themselves and their families. Therefore, he is a man of the people any day. The qualification of success in business and entrepreneurship as yardsticks for competence to govern Imo State in 2019, is instructive. The electorates prefer men and women, who are successful in businesses to govern them because they will not come into government to loot the state treasury. They are already wealthy, so they will not begin to corner the revenue accruing to the state to run their private business. Rather, as the experience of the past has shown, wealthy people, who find themselves in government houses, end up spending a large chunk of their personal wealth for the state and citizens.
Chief Collins Osuagwu is wealthy. So when he is elected as Governor of Imo State in 2019, he will surely make available his wealth and international contacts at the disposal of Imo State. Another advantage for electing a business man in government, is that he will bring his experience and success in private business, to run his government.
He is already an entrepreneur; he is a human and material resources manager; he knows about money and how to manage it. Therefore, when Chief Collins Osuagwu is elected Governor of Imo State in 2019, he will run the state like a business venture. Rather than depend solely on the monthly Federal Allocations from Abuja, he will deploy his business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit, to generate revenue internally, so as to augment the federal allocation. He will look into the chances of setting up industries and factories, by creating the right and conducive atmosphere for foreign and local investors to come to Imo State to invest. He will become another Dee Sam Mbakwe, who within only a period of four years in office established no less than 15 industries in Imo State. Some of them are still functioning.
As an employer of Labour himself, Chief Osuagwu, as governor of Imo State, will look into the unemployment challenges facing Imo State. By setting up industries and factories, he will have to provide employment to so many youths and graduates, presently roaming the streets, with distinguished certificates; but nowhere to work! He will ensure that Imo citizens in trades, professions; market women; farmers and artisans are gainfully employed and they will receive Government grants to expand and develop their businesses and trades.
Finally, education. The free education of the present government will continue. Chief Collins Osuagwu, is wise enough to know that free Education is in the heart beat of Imo State citizens. But Chief Collins Osuagwu, will make sure that the programme is well funded and that the output of public schools in Imo state are of high standard and quality. In 2019, a public opinion poll was conducted recently on the voting habits and intentions of Imo citizens, reveals that zone or equity argument will not count. All the three zones of Orlu, Owerri and Okigwe have had their respective turns at Douglas House, Owerri. Besides these arguments are sentiments. The danger is that such arguments will throw up unqualified and incompetent candidates that come to mess-up what the state has achieved so far.
The opinion poll result also indicates that Chief Collins Osuagwu, is likely to govern Imo State in 2019; no matter the party platform he contests.
