Seven months ago, things were at a stand-still in Isiala Mbano local government area of Imo State, before Hon. Chika Okoroike was appointed the interim management committee chairman of the local government. Knowing how things were at the time and what it would take to make anything meaningful come to fruition, he found himself in the headlights, like a deer before the hunter at night.
Considering the age of the chairman and the fact that the local government is known for its many political heavyweights, the announcement of his name as a member of the interim committee was greeted with mixed feelings. Everyone thought it was one of those appointments.
Imbued with a knack for uprightness and pragmatic approach to issues, he swung into action to douse the incessant problem plaguing Orie Amaraku Park. He set a committee to look into the immediate and remote causes of the problems with a view to finding lasting solutions. Today, elusive peace has returned to the market community.
To fight the Covid-19 pandemic from all departments, he constituted a Covid-19 intervention committee headed by the erudite Professor Ogbuji. Combining government palliatives and the ones his goodwill attracted, the local government witnessed the distribution of palliatives more often than not.
Related to the above was his setting up a 12-man ward-to-ward Covid-19 monitoring media team to report all matters relating to the pandemic. It was a huge feet as the local government recorded no death in all these turbulent days of the spread of the scourge.
His ‘Back to Farm’ replication, an off-shoot of the project of the governor, is more felt than imagined. He capped his dream by appointing an experienced agriculturist to the helm. One of the demonstration farmers, Mrs Peculiar Onyebuchi, went public after she raked in N50,000, from her first water melon harvest.
In a surprising departure from the norm, he embarked on a very ambitious project for the youths, inviting ex-Arsenal and Super Eagles player Kanu Nwankwo to kick-start a football talent hunt. This singular act opened the young talents in the local government to soccer scouts. A soccer fiesta in the works, thanks to one of his aides, who is a sport-lover.
He went a step further to commence the rehabilitation of the badly damaged Mbeke Road. Thanks to his thoughtful leadership, the road is now motorable.
Security, which was a nightmare before he ascended the seat, recorded a major improvement. While the people of Osuh area of the local government once slept with one eye open, the efforts of the chairman and security operatives paid off and many of the notorious kidnappers have long been apprehended.
The secretariat of the local government is now wearing a new face. Okoroike is busy giving the local government a facelift. Work is ongoing and uninterrupted.
The role of ICT cannot be overemphasised. This is why the IMC chairman authorised the completion of the perimeter fencing of the ICT centre for its smooth take-off.
Recently, Okoroike embarked on a working visit to all the wards to hobnob with the elders and youth leaders. He welcomed them as part and parcel of government. This is a bold step to take governance to the grassroots.
Just a few streamlined and many more in the bag, one can simply conclude that the man is truly God-sent.
Let him live longer to allow God’s work through him manifest. Happy birthday Hon Chika Okoroike.
Enemaku, a media practitioner and social commentator, wrote in from Owerri, Imo State.
