By Prof Nathan Protus Uzorma
The scorpion being a poor swimmer, asked a turtle to carry him on his back across a river. “Are you mad?” exclaimed the turtle. “You will sting me while I’m swimming and I’ll drown.” “My dear turtle”, laughed the scorpion. “If I were to sting you, you would drown and I would go down with you. Now, where is the logic in that?” “You’re right,” cried the turtle. “Hop on!” The scorpion climbed aboard and halfway across the river gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the turtle said, “Do you mind if I ask you something? You said there’d be no logic in your stinging me. Why then did you do it?” “It has nothing to do with logic,” the drowning scorpion sadly replied. “It’s just my character.”
Following the above fable, one can conclude that character is in the ability of an individual to act in line with what is buried in him. We are what we repeatedly do according to Aristotle. Gov. Rochas has proved that he is a man of himself by following the details of his nature. He has never failed himself at all.
Like the turtle was unaware of the nature of the scorpion decided to assist to carry the stinging scorpion across the river cried out when the scorpion stung the turtle, the scorpion did not know when the inherent energy oozed out of its body consequent upon its nature. In the same vein, Mr. Rochas in bit of doing his best, what he is in reality usually manifests. Some people are created that way no doubt.
Few weeks ago, former President of Federal Republic of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo jocularly attested to the nature of Gov. Rochas when he said, “As you may all know, Rochas was one of my advisers I had when I was president. All the bad things that happened to this country under my presidency was advised by Rochas Okorocha”. What can we say then? Though I know it is very impossible for Gov. Rochas to be responsible for all the bad things that happened during Obasanjo’s era, but the point is that Obasanjo has made his stand known that Imo people are in dungeon based on the nature of leadership they have chosen.
In line with what Gov. Rochas is up to in Imo state, he publicly made Imolites realized that he influenced INEC in the Okigwe senatorial election that saw Rt. Hon. Ben Uwajumogu through to the senate. In his reaction to why he has been abandoned by his close friends and allies, Gov Rochas said, “I allowed Uwajumogu to enjoy…I made him a Senator when his main opponent had all it takes to win him out rightly.” Here Gov Rochas has told us that he singlehandedly made Uwajumogu Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, this being that he influenced INEC to do the magic. If Okorocha made Uwajumogu Senator, when his opponent had all that was required to win him, it then means that INEC has a lot of questions to answer. How did Gov. Rochas do the magic? Who assisted him? What and what exchanged hands? Who gave what and who received what to be able to manipulate electoral results? Gov Rochas and INEC should tell us what happened.
On the other hand, ever since Gov Rochas became governor of Imo State, he has refused to be accountable to Imolites. He has ignored the principles of accountability which is the mark of a good leader. Accountability is too necessary if any leader wishes to succeed.
Accountability should be the watchword of any government that wants to succeed. Yes, the success of any government is his emphasis and practical action on transparency and accountability. Accountability is the product of trust for non can trust, any government whose watch word is bereft of the oil that lubricates success in any given administration-accountability
For any administrator to be successful, such must have planned to be real and sincere with everyone. His plan which is a method of action, procedure or arrangement must be in tandem with his ideas and thoughts which are concrete means of achieving his dreams. As a matter of fact, one of the major problems that have hitherto bedeviled Gov. Rochas admintration could be lack of transparency and accountability.
It takes humility to be transparent and virtue to be accountable. What humility is to virtue is what chain is to rosary. The same applies to transparency and accountability. Remove the chain and the entire bead in the rosary escape. When you take away humility from anybody, all the virtues disappear. At the same time, when transparency is removed from any administration, accountability becomes a problem.
Virtue is a great word which must be allowed to play its part in our political environment. No one can legislate for virtue it comes from within. It was the above that made Socrates to infer, ‘’the shortest and surest way to give with honour in the world, is to be in reality what we would appear to be, and if we observe, we shall find that all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice and experience of them’’. When Agesilaus the great was asked ‘’Why is it that Sparta is not surrounded by walls?’’ he replied ‘’What makes a city strong is not timber and stone, but its citizen’s virtues.’’
I wish to add that what also makes a city great are good policies put in place by the leader. The virtue of any leader determines how secured the city would be. In the words of Lao Tze, “I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness, the second is frugality the third is humility which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold, be frugal and you can be liberal, avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.”
The above is a serious matter as the case of Imo is on the opposite. We have a governor that is not gentle but bold whose words do not radiate reality on ground. In fact, the so called rescue mission of Mr. Rochas has failed Imolites.
Each time I profoundly reflect on the rescue mission of Gov. Rochas Okoroach, one question comes in mind, has Gov. Rochas truly rescued Imo from his assumed bondage in the spirit of honesty, transparency and accountability? The answer I usually get is the result of my series of criticism aimed at giving him proper sense direction. Gov. Rochas has failed in many of his promises to Imolites. He has refused to be humbled to the leadership principles that would have enabled him achieve success and I mean laudable and appreciable success. In the words of Jack Mcalister, “humility is pure honesty.”
To carry a passport of universal esteem, one must be honest. An honest man must be a man of strict integrity. Honesty is to be responsible, transparent and reliable. When you are reliable then what you say to others must be a reality. When you promise a thing, it must be done no matter how hard it may seem. This is integrity in no small measure! When this happens the issue of accountability won’t be a problem if you are a leader. The case of Gov Rochas in not fulfilling his promises is a bugaboo. Dear Gov. Rochas pause a minute if you are reading this article and ask yourself a question of conscience, where are the job, job, job, industry, industry, industry, and factory, factory, factory you promised Imo people in 2015?
It is very unfortunate today that we all live in a society where an honest man suffers most. But there is no doubt honesty pays a lot good. Justice is the very basis of honesty. An honest man has no problem with accountability and transparency if he finds himself in power. King Edward iii (1312-’77) wanted a governess for his children. A Scottish lady of integrity was recommended to him. The king offered her the position. She did not accept his offer. “Royal children need a much more learned person than I am,” she said. The king, however, overruled her saying, “madam, I wish you to accept the position because you are an honest good woman. I can employ others who are possibly better prepared scholastically than you, but I cannot buy honesty”.
Nobody can buy honesty because it is inherent.