Okorocha’s dynastic ambitions in Imo

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state loves and relishes controversy. He is at once ambitious, energetic, egoistic, self-conceited and unconventional. For instance, while preaching power rotation and Igbo presidency in far away Abuja, at home, he feels the Imo governorship is his family’s preserve. He feels he is a genius and a global icon and Imo state is too small a place for him to operate. Therefore, he wants to be president, Senate president, African Union Chairman and an Icon like Mandela. Perhaps, it is that desire that informed his decision to erect statues of old and expired politicians/presidents in Imo state to seek endorsement while refusing to pay salaries and pension of workers in the state. He would also spend huge sums to erect Christmas trees while workers celebrate Christmas without salaries. But that is understandable since his sister will handle the contract for the decorations.
It would have been better if in the midst of all these, he provided good and visionary leadership to the state. No, he acts compulsively and disregards rules and his policies and programmes have thus far not benefited the state. For instance, during the campaigns, he promised to build hospitals in all the local governments of the state. He delivered on that promise, but the sad reality is that virtually all those hospitals have become abandoned buildings. The government couldn’t equip them and most of them have been locked away. While roads are being constructed in all nooks and crannies of the state, there is no regard for quality. The emphasis is more on the quantity rather than the quality.
Fresh from erecting the statues, he is now on a project to install his son-in-law as his successor. “Uche Nwosu can place his hands on the handle, he can drive the state and he is humble. He’s not vindictive, he’s young and has age on his side so he can inspect projects without getting arthritis,” Okorocha rationalised his choice. On why it has to be his son-in-law, he gave examples with the US:
“Look at American history, some times in the history of America, it was the Kennedys, the Kennedy Dynasty and hegemony, if not for death and perhaps some other factors, maybe they may have ruled America for a very long time…Look at the Bush family. Bush Senior was the President of America and his two sons were governors of two states in America. After Bill Clinton came, Bush junior became president of America.
“If it was in Nigeria, people will shout blue murder. After Clinton, his wife wanted to become president of America and almost defeated Obama. She later contested against the present American president and won the popular vote in the election. If America where we borrow our democracy from are wise in doing this, why are we being pedestrian to be talking about son-in-law?” he queried.
But the worry isn’t just about supporting his son-in-law to succeed him. No governor in Nigeria has appointed more relatives into top government positions like Okorocha. His son-in-law is chief of staff while his sister is deputy chief of staff and commissioner. The ministerial position allocated to the state was ceded to his in-law, his daughter’s father-in-law. Stories emanating from Imo state have it that governance in Imo state is now a family affair as the Okorocha family controls virtually all government machinery in the state.
Besides the shocking level of impunity and bad governance on display, the happenings in Imo state present an interesting case in Nigeria’s democratic development. Are we about to witness a shift of the loci of political power from interest groups, godfathers and daring politicians to the family/dynastic level? How successful can such changes be in a region famed for its republican tradition? Will the people of the state or more appropriately, the voters allow it?