It is becoming increasingly clear that majority of those who have so far declared their intention for the Imo State governorship race for 2019 have no programme or manifesto. They have no socio-economic and political blueprint for the state.

The aspiration to become governor of Imo State in 2019 should not be seen as a tea party. It should be for serious-minded individuals with vision, mission and clear objectives to further develop Imo State. The ambition to become governor of Imo State, or indeed any state in Nigeria, must come by inspiration from the Holy Spirit. The vision to lead comes by inspiration. When a man or woman is inspired to lead, you see it by his or her actions and, indeed, the way he manages or handles little responsibilities, which has been assigned to him.

A leader with vision has no time for gossips, blackmails, excuses, discouragement, etc. A leader with vision and mission must have the heart and capacity to clean the economic tears, political tears and social tears of the people he is aspiring to lead. This leader must, therefore, have the module, roadmap or template through which he would use to actualise his visionary programmes for his people, if given the opportunity to emerge as governor. Unfortunately and, indeed, most unfortunately, majority of our governorship aspirants in the state have no vision, mission or even the inspiration to be governor. I mean no insult here, please. But I stand by what I am saying. Rather than tell us how the Imo economy can be improved upon, how to further create employment for our daily-increasing youth unemployment (graduates), how to move from a Federal Allocation-dependent state to a more robust and viable state, how to improve and increase our internally generated revenue (IGR), how to improve the agriculture sector, how to make life generally more meaningful for the people of the state, etc. What we see and hear from these army of aspirants are how the chief of staff to the Government of Imo State, Uche Nwosu, would not be allowed to succeed our present governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

From the way and manner these aspirants go about their campaigns, sensitisation and alignments across the state, it is becoming very obvious that they have no programme or development master-plan for the state. Their manifesto and indeed campaign tool, is Ugwumba Uche Nwosu. Not only have they made Uche Nwosu their campaign tool, they have instructed their media aides to constantly attack the development-oriented and industry passionate chief of staff.

Few days ago, I read an article written by the Chief Press Secretary to one of the governorship aspirants with the title 2019: Uche Nwosu As Pawn On The Chess Board. After going through the said article two times, I could not really make out anything tangible from the piece, except that the writer ended up proclaiming that Nwosu has become the determinant factor in the emerging new Imo politics, and who has enjoyed and still enjoying multiple endorsements from multiple political blocs across the staff.

Another governorship aspirant who declared his intention few days ago accused Okorocha of wanting a third term through Uche Nwosu. But one fact this particular aspirant (who is from Owerri West LGA) has failed to understand is that if Rochas Okorocha has failed as a governor, none of the people currently working in his government would have the audacity, temerity and courage to aspire to take over from him. It is because Okorocha has done well (depending on who is doing the assessment or evaluation), especially in infrastructure, transport, empowerment, education, urbanization, etc., that is the reason why those under him can boldly step out to show interest in the 2019 governorship position. Period!

Another governorship aspirant who is known to have been in the race since the past 14 years has reportedly deployed all his media foot soldiers against Nwosu, who he sees as a small boy of yesterday. This particular aspirant, who is my very good friend and brother, sees Uche Nwosu as the only obstacle to his dream of emerging governor in 2019; hence the propinquity of attacks the chief of staff has been receiving from this fellow through his supporters. Few days ago, this aspirants’ chief media consultant (from Ngor Okpala LGA) came out and declared in his article that Ugwumba Uche Nwosu’s crime was that he is Governor Okorocha’s son-in-law. Unu ahula-nu isi-okwu anyi nu? So it is now a crime to be an aspirant and son-in-law to a (serving) governor. Yet, this same so-called “media consultant” was a special adviser to a governor in the state who appointed his own younger brother his chief of staff, and Ndimo allowed it.

Another governorship aspirant from the respected Mbaise nation has also deployed the same tactics of attacking Uche Nwosu. Recently, he described the hard working and never-getting-tired chief of staff as an “inexperienced” aspirant in the art of governance. This particular aspirant who has no single “executive” leadership experience described himself as the “most” experienced to-be-governor in 2019.

I can go on and on to expose the Nsiko mentality of most of these governorship aspirants, who clearly see Nwosu as their campaign tool for next year’s gubernatorial election. But what they have failed to realise is that they have further succeeded in making the vision and mission of Uche Nwosu to be practically more realistic and, indeed, realisable. The story of Joseph (in the Bible) is directly proportionate to the ever admirable story of Ugwumba Uche Nwosu. And this is how:

When Joseph came up with his dreams and visions, his brothers did not believe him. Rather, they became envious of him and sought ways to destroy his life. An opportunity presented itself when Joseph on an errand from his father, Jacob, brought food for his brothers. Rather than be grateful to Joseph for the food he brought for them, his brothers plotted on how to terminate is life.

They threw him inside a pit, but later brought him out and sold him into slavery. Joseph was re-sold by his slave-master to Potiphar, an Egyptian protocol officer. Back home, his brothers made him a campaign tool for their father. Please hear them:“Oh Papa, a wild animal must have killed and eaten your son, Joseph. These are his clothes soaked with blood. Oh Papa, Oh Papa, forget Joseph, after all, you have other sons.’’ And so on and so forth.

In Potiphar’s house, Joseph was a prosperous servant. Everything he did for Potiphar progressed and prospered because the Lord God was with him. But Potiphar’s wife chose to use Joseph as a campaign tool. She seduced the young Joseph and pleaded with him to sleep with her. But Joseph refused and stood his ground because he feared Almighty God. Soon he became a campaign tool in the hand of Potiphar’s wife; who blackmailed and accused him wrongly before her husband.

In anger, Potiphar put Joseph in prison with hard labour. While in prison, Joseph was exceptionally good to his fellow inmates. He became a leader and campaign tool in the hands of his fellow inmates. Soon after, he interpreted dreams for two of his fellow inmates, and it came to pass. While one of the inmates was killed, the other went back to his job in king Pharaoh’s palace. Not long after, Joseph became a campaign tool in Pharaoh’s palace and in the whole of Egypt, which eventually led to his emerging from prison to become the prime minister of that country. The lesson herein is that anytime you become a campaign tool in the hands of your detractors or even your admirers: then know that your life’s dream is about being realised.

In the case of Uche Nwosu, his political opponents and detractors are the very ones who have today made it very easy for him to be well known in the state and beyond. He is today closer to his dream of becoming the governor (deputy governor, as the case may be) of Imo state, because he has become the campaign tool of his detractors.

Today, the people of Imo now know who Nwosu is: He is the governor’s son in-law, the chief of staff, doing his work effectively and efficiently; he is the engine room of the present government, ex-commissioner, former deputy chief of staff, student leader during his days in the university, former national officer of a political party, former sssistant aide to a former president of Nigeria. He has assisted many people who came across his way, empowered many people, including youths, widows and the less privileged, etc.

It should be noted that in any of the above tasks, he encountered challenges, but God helped him to surmount them.

Conversely, one can argue that Nwosu is work-in-progress, who as an intelligent, smart young man who obviously was destined for greatness, saw an opportunity in Owelle Rochas Okorocha many years ago and grabbed it with both hands and legs, to the glory of God.

Like David, Nwosu has been viewed as an “inexperienced” fellow, but his activities and hard work has continued to endear and even shock many people, including his opponents, detractors and enemies, who are today using him as a campaign tool (1Samuel 17: 42-57; 1Samuel 18: 55). David was chosen (anointed) to rule even before the task of defeating Goliath and his marriage to King Saul’s daughter, Michal. These tasks only proved his ability and resourcefulness, even though he was a youth (1Samuel 17: 33-37; 1Samuel 16: 1-13).

Although Saul was the king, it was David that was the engine of his administration and wars. This made him to become more equipped to fulfill his destiny and calling (1Chronicles 1:1-3). The same can be said of Nwosu, for he has shown temerity, wisdom and courage to deliver and succeed in the various assignments given to him. Anytime there is socio-political crisis in the state, it is Nwosu that goes to calm the quake and turbulence, through shuttle diplomacy.

Also, most of those who are opposed to Okorocha’s leadership style, have to rely on the administrative ingenuity and indeed acumen of Uche Nwosu to see that rough edges are smoothened. For example, when the famous Eke-ukwu Owerri was demolished, there was an outcry and total condemnation of the exercise in August 2017. In fact, I was one of those who kicked against the demolition, despite my support for the Okorocha-led government. I stepped out openly to completely disagree with Governor Okorocha on his reasons for the demolition. In the confusion that followed, it was his chief of staff Nwosu who moved into action and ensured that majority of the stranded traders were relocated to the two new markets located at Naze Junction and Egbeada area of the state capital. Even at that, an ultra-modern market project is currently springing up at the defunct Eke-ukwu Owerri site. When completed, more traders would be accommodated, and it may become a crime-free and, indeed, extortion-free market, unlike what was obtainable before. This same initiative is simultaneously being executed in most of our various markets across the state. It, therefore, goes to show that in the next two years, Imo State would become an economic hub of the South-east, displacing Anambra and Abia states respectively.

The on-going urban Renewal Programme in the state is the brain child of Uche Nwosu. Okorocha has openly confessed that his chief of staff brought the idea, which the state government is currently executing. Anybody who drives along Okigwe/Bank Road will truly admit that the state government did a good job on that road. Same for Mbari Road, on-going Douglas and Wetheral roads projects, etc.

According to Okorocha, “these are initiatives of Uche Nwosu. He will perform better than me.” Little wonder Nwosu do not feel perturbed when the so-called political giants descend so low to attack him. Many of these so-called “experienced political leaders” who are also governorship aspirants see him as an insult and embarrassment to their quest to be governor in 2019, by all means. But they forgot quickly that even the Palestinian Goliath (An experienced warlord) felt same way, before his shameful defeat in the hands of the “inexperienced”. David, who eventually became Israel’s most revered king (1Samuel 17: 41-44.

In less than seven years, Nwosu has handled and lived up to the task of proving his guts and abilities. Whatever that was given to him as an assignment, no matter how challenging, he has always excelled to the shock, astonishment of his detractors and, indeed, to the admiration of his supporters. In his nature, he has become a rallying point for the young, helpless, less privileged and struggling population in our dear state, Imo. Today, Nwosu has with his abilities and ingenuity gathered believers around him. These are the major reasons why almost all the politically conscious individuals in the state are today using Uche Nwosu,FCAI, MNITP, as a campaign tool, as 2019 governorship election draws closer.

Indeed, the secret of the Lord is with Nwosu, for he fears him: that is why God has shown him his covenant (Psalm 25:14).

•Citizen Iwuoha, FCAI, MKDA, is ex-Senior Special Assistant on Media/immediate past Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties, Imo State House of Assembly. Follow him on facebook @citizenikennasamuelsoniwuoha

Update news