By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Immediate past Anambra Deputy Governor, Dr Nkem Okeke, has described leadership as a responsibility for people with firm and strong character.

He said that such qualities will make a leader avoid bootlickers and family influences to guide his policies.

Okeke, while addressing journalists in his country home of Enugwu-ukwu, advised the incumbent state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to shun sycophants and family influences in policy decisions.

According to him, those were the bane of the government he served.

He said: “There must be a line limit between family members, friends, relatives and associates in leadership, eggheads 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 without sentiment”.

While expressing delight at the calibre of persons that made Soludo’s commissioner-nominees list as well as the principal officers, Okeke said: “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 I expect the governor to listen too.”

Speaking on the insecurity threatening the socioeconomic activities of the state and the South-East in general, Okeke said: “Locking down our businesses, closing down schools, burning down government facilities and killing of ourselves were not the trademark the Igbo were known for.

“We do not need to kill ourselves or destroy our hard-earned facilities, but we should strive to acquire more, not to rebuild broken facilities but 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.”

Okeke, who dumped the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the twilight of the Obiano administration, described the latter as one in the centre, noting that it has touched the lives of every geo-political zone in a unique way.

He cited the second Niger Bridge as one of the achievements of APC government in the South-East saying that once commissioned, people will see APC in different shade.

“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,” Okeke said.

He expressed gratitude to his former boss, Chief Willie Obiano, whom he said gave him the opportunity to serve the state in various capacities.

“I’m also most thankful for he made me to be the first deputy governor in the state to have served two tenures,” Okeke said.

He also hailed Senator Victor Umeh for recommending him in the first place to be given the opportunity to serve the state in the capacity of a deputy governor.