Imo: Ihedioha Sets The Ball Rolling

By Nwangwu Uba

 Emeka Iheadioha, for Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and governor of Imo state,  has set the ball rolling for the good governance of  Imo state after eight years of the iron rule of Rochas Okorocha, of the All Progressive Congress, APC,  in the state.

Ihedioha has left no one  in doubt that he was  well prepared to  provide good governance  for the state with the   first four  members of the kitchen Cabinet  appointed, regarded in political circles in the state as very experienced. to help steer the ship of the state. They are Uche Onyeagucha Chris  Okewulonu, Chima  Nwana and Chinemerem Madu.  The appointments were said to have been made barely four days after been sworn in as  governor by the state Chief Judge.  This is a big departure from the past where the governors had spent weeks in office before making their key appointments into the government, thus making it difficult  to effectively implement their programme.

  A  Statement  released by Chibuike Onyeukwu, the Chief Press  Secretary, CPS, to the governor, shows that the appointees , who may have passed the  state House of Assembly screening exercise have been assigned with their respective portfolios.  The good news was that Onyeguocha,  a Lawyer,  , who had  at one time represented  Owerri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between 2003 and  2007   and  had also served    as a Special Adviser  on Policy and Strategic matters to a  former governor of  the state ,, was said to have been assigned to  the sensitive portfolio of the Secretary to the government, regarded as the engine house as all Commissioners and other political appointees must always get clearance from his office  on any proposal.  Many see him as the right hand man of the governor as they  understands each other  better politically.

Okelonu, another major appointee of the governor , and who incidentally, was also a Lawyer,  and a formember of the state House of Assembly,  was said to have been assigned to the of the Chief Staff Officer.  Util his appointment, the lawyer, was  said to have  occupied various positions of trust in past People’s Democratic , PDP, government in state as  Commissioner and a former Secretary to  the state government, an indication that he was not a political neophyte.  

Note, that the Chief of Staff  had also served as a Federal Commissioner , representing  the  south east geo-political region  in  the  Federal government established Fiscal Responsibility Commission.  PDP sources disclosed that  he was  the Director General of Ikedioha Campaign Organisation  between 2013 and 2015. The Obbowo  local government born politician  has seen it all that Ikedioha needed him to stabilise his government.

 Given the demand of the office of the Chief of Staff , the CPS, disclosed   that  the governor appointed, another  experienced politician, in the person of   Nwana to assist  him in doing the job   A  fellow of  the Institute of Chartered  Mediators and Con ciliators , ICMC,  Maritime Consultant and  Chartered Mediator, he is  expected to bring to bear  his experience as a governance expert into the new government.

Recall that  he has at one time served as   Special Assistant  to the ministers of Commerce and Industry  as well as Employment, Labour and Productivity. Moreso, he had served in various  Committe set up by the Fedreal government in the past including the Committee on Maritime  Security and  ministerial Committee on National Transport Commision, which makes him one of the most exposed in the rank of the political appointees.  

Chinemerem, the governor’s Chief of Protocol,   who was   a former  Chairman of  PDP, IN Ezinnihitte local government Area, holds an MBA. He is to be assisted in doing the governor’s office Protocol job by   Madu , nother   experienced politician.  It is not surprising why Ihedioha, is very happy that with calibre of introduced into his kitchen Cabinet  he is no choice  but to deliver on his electioneering Campaign promises  in the state.

Political analysts  would want governor who have not made any appoint into their government yet to take a cue from Ihedioha, who has set the pace. Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state may not have difficulty  in making his political appointments , as he has promised  that those who had worked with  him in his first term in office would be retained in this his second term. This is  good news for easy implementation of the party programmes.