The position of a state governor comes with a lot of responsibilities and considerable national and global influences. This is understandablegiven that the bulk of developmental strides that shape the overall economy of the over 160 million-strong nation lies squarely with how well these 36 state-governors are able to pilot the affairs of their respective states, which under the extant Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, are afforded lots of independent and interdependent privileges and federalist powers to determine what programmes and projects to embark upon. The position of a state governor, to a large extent, is a major platform for such a holder to put in place measures to ameliorate the sufferings of the majority of Nigerians who are impoverished and economically weak.

Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha’s administration in more ways than one, has given way to an atmosphere of uncertainty, hopelessness and gloomy future; deviating from its developmental roadmap for the state along the line of ‘Imo Rescue Mission’. His succession calls for a prudent manager of resources, an administrator of proven track record and a level headed politician.

Undoubtedly, Imo State has had more than its fair share of political controversies and litigations that should not continue in the future. There is, indeed, a big and urgent task to be accomplished for a greater Imo State. Therefore, the focus at this critical juncture should be on how the electoral process can throw up the best kind of leader for the task of putting the people first in the resource mobilisation and allocation for enhanced development of the state.

In a few months, political parties will begin the process of nominating governorship candidates. Whoever becomes governor of Imo State in 2019 will face unimaginable and unbelievable challenges and responsibilities. It will require great administrative skills and the necessary leverage to bring the state out of doldrums. It will require one with a thinking head and a huge appetite to bring genuine reforms and development to the state. It will require a rational human being who understands the difference between being a selfless leader and a selfish leader. It requires a person with the vision to lead and the courage to deliver on leadership.

It requires one who understands and respects the institutions of government and who has the ability to find and engage the best hands and brains to man different departments of government. It requires one who respects the rule of law and follows due process in administration and execution. It requires one who will neither deceive nor take the people for granted and who will keep his promises to the people. It will require an organised person so that the state will become once more organised and prosperous.

This is where Dr Ikechukwu C Ibe comes in. He brings a progressive ideology and agenda to Imo in 2019, because it will only take a social reforms’advocates and a bridge-builder to navigate through our experience to offer a viable promise. It is here experience counts - a blend of the public, cum private matrix is enough experiment to provide the proper and fit dose for our ailment.

Ibe is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, politician and administrator. He has a wide range of experience as a lawyer and politician, spanning over 30 years. More so, his service to the state as the youngest Speaker of Imo House of Assembly is a true reflection of his versatility; with huge coverage, exposure and experience in corporate governance.

At the heart of his governance, strategy of development is wealth creation. Government, if handled with the right attitude and purposeful leadership, will perform optimally. His development narrative is premised on the tenets that an efficient government is possible and can provide an industrialised economy with full employment, price stability, high output and net export. It cannot be gainsaid nor overemphasised that industrialisation is fundamental to the quest of the ‘Imo Liberation’ philosophy. Thus, Ike has assured the ability of a functional local government as paramount to sustaining development.

Ibe will rely on the deployment of agricultural revolution, the creation and merger of an industrial base to serve as catalyst for an African economic hub in Imo State and take-off point for the Nigerian project. His inclusive economic development model is a platform that seeks to reinvent government as critical site and realm in production, distribution, exchange and consumption in the economic sphere. His governance development strategy is positioned to make government as fountain of mobilising resource towards effective competition and building of a comparative advantage economy.

The thrust of his developmental and infrastructural model is anchored on the principle of public-private-partnership (PPP), with a vision to create a deliberate distribution and redistribution of projects that are inclusive, comprehensive and entrenches its core foundation on mass participation, grassroots involvement and passionate commitment. On the one hand, his economic model is built as a bottom-up approach from the grassroots to get communities economically viable to increase internally generated revenue (IGR) and stimulate the economy.

This is a hybrid cluster of home-grown community economic model that will mobilise equal opportunity for all to create an import substitution framework in conserving and generating wealth. The community will own the process and gains of the model with the state acting as facilitator. This brand of development will only focus on developing and articulating all sectors of the economy, in order to harmonise and promote circular flow of income to significantly multiply within the economy, leaving little or no opportunity for wastages.

Technology incubation centres will be created along each sector of the economy to allow for the growth and development of human capability to contribute enormously to their wellbeing. The financial and stabilising funds for each sector development will be created to provide for a robust and unhindered participation of all. Mentorship programme shall be created for all incubation centres and followed up with entrepreneur build-up agenda.

Incidentally, miscalculation on the part of any political party would be the investment of its ticket on a politician who has been known to serially abuse the public trust and collective confidence bestowed on him/her. Ndi-Imo, as democrats, will have several ways of kicking against any form of imposition of unpopular leadership that will owe its legitimacy to any other power source outside the people.

The time has come for Imo State to make a resounding statement to the rest of the country on a democratic process of leadership emergence. Imposition is out of it, while character and content of aspiration are critical for public evaluation. Ibe has a history of untainted credibility.

It is, therefore, another defining historical moment of political realism, of realignments and bridge-building to secure a greater Imo State for the coming generation. Today’s decisions have got far-reaching implications for our future, both as a people and as a state.

•Gbados heads Ken-Gbados Concepts Limited;engbadosconcepts@yahoo.com