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Dr Nkem Okeke, Immediate past Deputy Governor of Anambra, has congratulated the new governor of the state, Prof Charles Soludo, and urged him to be very pragmatic in his style of leadership.
Okeke said it is only a hard-headed leader with listening ears to his lieutenants and associates that would achieve a leadership legacy for upcoming leaders to look up to.
He told a press conference at his country home, Enugwu-Ukwu, in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anmabra, on Friday, that only a seasoned leader would be able to draw the line between sycophancy and true words or reports from the people around him for optimal service delivery.
“There must be a line limit between family members, friends, relatives and associates in leadership, egg heads need to be engaged no matter where they have come from, because leadership is not a time of settlement.
“Once the electoral process is done with, whoever occupies the seat of power should be concerned with ideals that would better the system most with sentiment.
“I am also impressed with the list of commissioner nominees which has being sent to the state house of assembly for considerations and approval and the principal officers appointed so far.
“I believe they are right pegs in the right holes and urged them to advise the governor on the exact needs and aspirations of the people without fear or favour and expect the governor to listen too,” he said.
He advised Soludo to pick up ideals from former Gov Obiano’s 2014 security template and build on it to handle insecurity issues, saying at that time the 2014 strategic worked.
“Let’s have a revisit and sustain the tempo,” he said.
Okeke said that there is the need to identify the true cause of the security challenges and tackle them from the root diplomatically.
He said re-orientations of the mindset of the people need to be massively done to change the idea of burning down facilities built with tax payers’ money at a slightest provocation and leading to avoidable killings.
Okeke said that awareness on social behavior regarding leadership and followership needs to be created in the state for genuine concerns to sustain economic developments and shun any act capable of dwindling the state economy.
He also urged Soludo to enlighten the public that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu issues need to be handled with every carefulness as it is a federal case that it is only a dialogue that can restore lasting peace and secures his release.
“Locking up down our businesses, closing down schools, burning down government facilities and killing of our brothers is not the trade mark of Igbo race and cannot ameliorate the situation.
“We do not need to kill ourselves or destroy the hard-earned facilities built but we should strive to acquire more, not to rebuild broken facilities with fund meant for new projects,” he said.
He urged the public to support the new governor to achieve greater productivity in areas of Agriculture, power, job creation and security.
“If we make the environment friendly, the governor would be able to initiate ideas that would attract investors to partner the state to create jobs for the people and make our businesses grow too,” he said.
He advised the people in power to always remember that power is transient and as such should work as servants that would be accountable to the people and one that will leave posterity to judge them.
He said that service to the public is not time to amass wealth through sharp practices but to serve to leave lasting legacy and make the upcoming generation to have something to lean on.
Okeke said that he owes a show of gratitude to his former boss, Obiano, whom during the cause their service gave him the opportunity to serve the state in various capacities.
“I am most thankful for he made me to be the first deputy governor in the state to have served two tenures.
“I wish to thank Sen Victor Umeh for recommending me in the first place to be given the opportunity to serve the state in the capacity of a deputy governor,” he said.
Okeke apologised to anyone who may feel offended in the course of his work to let go as nothing was done in bad faith but to advance the progress of the state.
“I came from a family where integrity places high against unexceptional behaviors and I have all my life tried to live by my father’s footprint, as good name is better than gold,” he said.
He said that his defection to the APC was circumstantial though he had no regrets, saying that he could have wished he ended well with his boss. All the same, I have no grudges against him as God knows the best.
Okeke said that he is not a core politician and prayed that his new-found party may give him the opportunity to serve his country in a manner that would make a loud difference in any capacity.
“APC is a party in the centre, it has touched the lives of every Geo-political zone in a unique ways. The Niger Bridge being constructed for the South East – once it is commissioned, we will see APC in different shade.
“APC have given the state Ministers, Ambassadors, amongst others, we need to be closer to the centre to lobby for more positions, that was why I joined my other brothers to seek for our common good.
“The 2023 General election is coming, let us have a rethink and key into the party at the centre so as to get our needs and wants, we do not need to be far, let’s open up to the reality on ground and cash in for our good,” he said.