-Dr Etofolam Felix Osuji mni
The corridors of power in Owerri stand at a historic crossroads where the choice of leadership for Douglas House can no longer be a matter of mere political rotation or patronage. Look around the landscape and you will be inundated with freeloaders justling to be governors without any idea of what governance is all about.
For decades, the landscape has been dominated by career politicians whose primary resume is the navigation of party structures, often lacking a verifiable professional footprint outside the public coffers. No. Not in Imo State again. Abia has opened our eyes.
However, the contemporary reality of governance in the 21st century demands a radical shift in perspective. The governance of a state is, in many ways, the management of a massive corporation where the citizens are shareholders and the dividends are infrastructure, security, and economic stability.
To achieve this, the occupant of the seat of power must possess a depth of financial literacy and administrative discipline that transcends the rhetoric of the campaign trail.The recent transformation witnessed in neighboring Abia State or even Enugu State serves as a compelling case study for this necessity.
The emergence of a leadership rooted in the banking sector and global finance has demonstrated that when a technocrat takes the helm, the “speed of light” development is not a miracle but the result of methodical planning and fiscal prudence. This model replaces the “politics of survival” with the “politics of production.” While a traditional politician might view a budget as a cake to be shared among loyalists, a technocrat—particularly one seasoned in the rigors of the financial world—views it as a tool for capital allocation and wealth creation.
The state needs architects of systems, not just winners of elections and rent seekers. We have suffered enough and enough is enough!!! Imo State, with its vast intellectual and commercial potential, requires a leader who understands the complexities of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), debt-to-GDP ratios, and the nuances of attracting foreign direct investment without mortgaging the future.
A background in banking or high-level technocracy provides a unique shield against the pressures of “stomach infrastructure” politics. Someone who has successfully managed billions in the private sector brings a level of personal financial independence and professional ethics that makes the state treasury less of a personal piggy bank and more of a sacred trust.
Ultimately, the argument is not that politicians have no place in a democracy, but rather that the specialized task of executive governance in a struggling economy requires a specific toolkit and ethical determination. The era of the “professional politician” with no visible means of income outside of office must give way to the era of the “governor-as-manager.”
By prioritizing technocrats who possess a proven track record of institutional building, Imo State can move from the shadows of political stagnation into a new dawn of meritocracy, where the development of the state is driven by data, discipline, and a deep-seated knowledge of how wealth is truly created and economy, providing a blueprint for what is possible when professional expertise meets governance.
Mazi Etofolam Felix Osuji mni fca
Chairman, Maranatha Group of Companies Writes
