2023 Imo Guber: “Imolites Need a Clean Break From What It Had In The Past” –Sam Amadi… as he declares for Guber race

By Chika Uju…

Recently, the massive clamor for good governance by younger generations and progressive elders of Imo state and beyond have placed a sincerity call to Associate Prof. Sam Iheanyichukwu Amadi to run for the governorship race of the State.

The clarion call was based on the situation of things in the State that have kept Imolites in pains and sorrow, and as well require a technocrat to handle in order to restore hope to the people.

These patriots are asking him to step-up to become the next elected governor in November 2023 guber election in Imo believing Amadi has the capacity, competence and ideas to reverse the course of failure in Imo and make it the secured State in Nigeria.

We could recall, that in 2018, Amadi answered a similar call based on a vision of transformative governance in Imo State and that year, the clamor was under APGA party as a vehicle to change the trajectory of politics in the State.

Sam Amadi joined APGA governorship primary to be elected as its candidate for the 2019 election but it ended in a tragic betrayal of the faith and confidence of Imo people as the primary election did not hold and some party leaders auctioned the ticket to the highest bidder in monetary terms. This singular betrayal threw Imo State back to the age of politics of banditry that we are living in now. It destroyed the hope of the people to exit the tragic era of poverty, insecurity and bad governance that have turned Imo from the very celebrated peaceful State to the most violent State as we witness today.

In his word “We should never forget that the terrible state of our dear State today is derived from the failure of governance in the past as the mother and today will be the mother of tomorrow”.

Prof. Amadi who in 2018 introduced a vision of prosperity and accountable governance based on integrity and innovation in governance, noted that the vision is comprised in the Community Action plan for prosperity (CAPP) which is based on three pronged agenda- among which include Prosperity (wealth creation) through building of cottage industries and digital innovation.

He further disclosed that human capital development -Public Health and Education that will expand productivity frontiers and enhance freedom while noting that the last is to open government that will localize decision making to community levels and enhance the prudence and accountability of public expenditure.

The Professor of Law stressed that he will run an administration that will lift the good citizens of Imo by engaging them in entrepreneurial governance and Democratic pragmatism that evolved from the leadership lesson of the three outstanding leaders of the South-East in the persons of Dr. M.I Okpara, Dr. Nnanna Ukegbu and Dr. Sam Mbakwe respectively, adding that leadership lesson is that work of government aimed at enabling the people to be more productive in improving the quality of their life.

Amadi emphasized that late Okpara through entrepreneurial governance created the fastest growing economy in the world in the Eastern Nigeria.

“He created several industrial corridors and clusters and improved both household income and public revenue, this centered on a leadership style and content that focused solely on improving the economic and social environment for enterprise and wealth creation without a demonstrated honesty of purpose and accountable leadership, these facts would not have accomplished”

Amadi also boldly declared in 2018 that if he became governor he will transfer 100% of local government allocation to the local government areas to be invested in projects that will create jobs for the local government area, citing China’s Town Village Enterprise (TVEs) and the outstanding transformation of rural economy in China to assure us we can do this.

He equally promised in 2018 that the first bill he will present to the State Assembly will be a bill to reform local government as Peter Obi did a lot in Anambra during his administration.

Sam Amadi promised to improve that model by not only recognizing the town unions but use them as drivers of democratic accountability and resources mobilization for economic and social development that builds on community values of solidarity and accountability to optimize resources towards freedom-enhancing economic growth.

Speaking further while addressing the Press in Owerri recently, Prof Sam Amadi echoed that all that have been stated have been made more difficult by the grave insecurity that bad governance has ushered in Imo.

Imo was the most peaceful State in Nigeria before Rochas Okorocha and Hope Uzodimma happened to the scene, as a result of that, Imo is now becoming the most insecure State in Nigeria.

He decried that Owerri capital of the State that used to be the most liked and visited city for tourists in Nigeria has become a ghost town. The culture and geopolitics of Owerri should make it a revenue earner as a transit economy. Oguta Lake is not left out as it should be a strategic asset for inland transportation and tourism but insecurity has made all these impossible. He noted that the insecurity in Imo is as a result of bad leadership that feeds from insecurity.

Sam Amadi stressed that with people’s oriented leadership, insecurity in the State will be a thing of the past and it will generate community resources to build trust and security in Imo.

“Imo people need a clean break from what they have in the past. They want to move away from the tragic leadership that had destroyed the land and hope of peaceful and productive life for ordinary people”

Again, in 2018, the good people of Imo expressed the same determination to escape the reign of desperadoes and 419 politicians whose desperation for power ruins the gallery of the past. Today, Imo is worse than 2018 as politically motivated killing has become the art of public leadership.

“If we don’t end this tragic trend, we will come to a point of no return”.

He opined that Peter Obi movement is the best movement to fight for the soul of Imo against the growing army of criminal politicians who neither fear God and man. Politicians who are only for their wealth and career advancement every four years and neglect the electorate.

The Professor of Law disclosed that he is ObiDient, he is obident to the vision of delivering Imo State from the grip of criminal politicians for the betterment of Imolites.

He emphasized that the battle will be hard, it will be sabotaged but he will be unrelenting.

The beloved son of Ngor Okpara says he has accepted the challenge of stepping out and working together with the army of ObiDients across the State and beyond to fight to deliver “ndi Imo” from the strong and grim grips of 419 political merchants that have ruined and continue to ruin the legacies of the State.

“As we step out, we don’t lose sight that the same 419 politicians bereft of vision and passion for the common good but buoyed by competences in criminal politics are postering as ObiDients. We will not submit our vision and commitment to any illusion no matter how high-sounding”

Prof. Amadi promised to disclose the platform to run his vision with after interacting with the ObiDients family and other progressive Imolites for once beaten, twice shy for it is time to hear the cry of suffering Imo people, he concluded.