Dear Imolites,
WE WILL NO LONGER STAND ASIDE AND WATCH:TIME TO TAKE ACTION IS NOW
Let me start by congratulating you on being alive to witness this long-awaited day: The Election Day 2023! I am told that in saner climes than ours the planning for the next Election Day commences from the day the first ballot is cast,which for us is today!
Again,for the benefit of more elucidation, those who plan for the famous Olympic Games and the World Cup,both of which are sporting activities that are hosted once every four years,have also said that the successful planning for any of the two events starts from the day a preceding event ends. This includes the naming of a venue for the next event and, sometimes,the ultimate appointment of members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the event.
It is that serious,and you can imagine having meetings spanning many hours for four good years! These are meetings by men of high standing in society,highly- accomplished people, who have proven their mettle in many a field of endeavour,men and women upon whose laps the trust to host the world by their nations has been thrust! Here there is no alternative to success and mistakes are never allowed. Such has been the planning for the event in which you are a participant today.
So,if you are here today to join other Nigerians to decide who leads you in the next four years as President, Senator and Member,House of Representatives at your Federal Constituency,you must not take the task before you for granted or as a mere civic duty that comes once every four years. This task is the life or death of our dear country and everyone who qualifies for it must execute its solemn requirements with a solemn thought in their breasts and determined fingers on their palms.I would, therefore,urge that you give your best shot today to the issue of making various choices in today’s elections; especially,since the choices you make today will make or mar our country in the next four years.
As some of you may be aware or may have heard,in the past few weeks, or so,I have been inundated from several angles and sides by Nigerian youth groups of every hue and spread,Imo professionals in the Diaspora as well as friends and high school colleagues from way back in Uboma Secondary School , Ikperejere, Etiti, to present myself for Imo Governorship later this year.
Much as these calls continue to re-inforce similar calls I had received some years back to make a strong bid for a public office in my native Imo State, given their beliefs and conviction in my ability to deliver on any project entrusted to me,I have had time to ask myself some pertinent questions,which I will rather choose to leave out at this stage of this letter. But,as one who is , certainly,at the twilight of my long years of service in the Oil and Gas sector during which I have held several forts as team lead on issues of Environment, Safety Assurance and Control, Corporate Communications,Training/Instruction,as well as having risen to the apogee of academic attainments and excellence as Professor, will I again shy away from these constant calls to serve my fatherland?
For several days,I had gone down on my knees to make the greatest consultations of this period. I have,also,in the intervening period since my heavenly appeal, sought the opinion,counsel and consent of my dear wife,Lolo (Ambassador) Dr Ngozi Gift Okeke(Nee Njoku .of Naze, Owere Nchi Ise),a bosom friend, partner and confidante with whom I have shared the vicissitudes of life in almost the last four decades,and those of other members of the larger Okeke Iwuchukwu family,friends, work colleagues and other associates,the verdict remains the same: Run Prof.,Run for the Office!
I have been told that there comes a time in the life of a when he has to answer to calls not entirely calculated for his personal well-being or benefits,but for the benefits of those around him, of the larger society, humanity,mankind and others. This altruistic answer,I am told, must be borne by something stronger than just one man,it must be driven by an inner feeling and push to rise and to do whatever he can and whatever he knows how to do in order to meet needs,to provide solutions and to minister hope to a despondent people and to,by so doing, demonstrate to them the reality of the new life that exists beyond the sad boundaries of their current disenchantment!
The above is akin to the responsibilities placed on the shoulders of the Judges and prophets of old as chronicled in Biblical old Israeli eras. I have in mind men like Samuel,Gideon, Sampson,Saul as well as many others like David,Jehu, Solomon, Jehoshaphat and other prophet-kings and priests of those eras,whose remarkable performance in their different offices commends today for both our adulation and emulation. In their service and activities we learn such virtues and noble qualities like courage, selflessness,holiness, perseverance, strength in moments of trials and even repentance from mistakes and other consequences of disobedience,sin and failure to toe a preordained path.
*My Great Imolites, following the calls to present myself for the Office of Governor in our dear State,the Eastern Heartland,to which I earlier referred, and in consideration of the various consultations with diverse interest groups, professional bodies, members of the traditional institutions, including students and market people,all of which/whom I have either directly or by proxy reached to feel their pulse these past few weeks,I Prof.(Dr) Gerald Ndubuisi Okeke,(a Professor of Safety & Environment,a member of ISPON, ECRMI – UK, WSO-USA & Nigeria; Member, Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers and other professional bodies), Oil and Gas Industry Professional with proficiency in diverse aspects of the industry, Environmental Safety Specialist with over three decades in practical experience at Shell Petroleum, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Brentford Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd,etc; Teacher,Trainer,Writer,Eze Kwu Eche of Umulogho, Obowo and Servant of the Most High God,officially wish to accept the call of Imolites and present myself as an aspirant to the Office of Governor of Imo State in the 2023 Governorship election on the platform of the Labour Party.*
I do the above with cautious humility, knowing full well that politics is but a new turf for me,and confidently programmed to leveraging on the experience,exposure,expertise as well as the diverse competencies and training that I have garnered in almost the last thirty-five years through which I have worked in different fields of human endeavour and participated in the highest levels of decision-making and responsibilities at various companies,blue chips, multinational bodies and multilateral institutions.I wish to draw strength and vision from all of the above to serve the good people of Imo,provide security for them and attend to their welfare,while generally holding in trust other responsibilities that pertain to the Office of Governor in the State.
Consequent on the above,my great Imolites and Leaders,I have articulated the programmes of my vision, engagement and action, including the service direction of my emerging pact with the good people of our dear State. Buoyed by the vision I have built and enunciated for the State these past months and encouraged to pursue its practical realisation by the realities on ground in my State,the comprehensive document tagged, *The Triangular Development Vision: Imo State of Our Fondest Dreams* ,will on a later date be unveiled and presented to Imolites for more inputs and your kind criticisms. When the above is eventually done,I hope to have the kind presence of all sectors of our demography, including students,market men and women, security agencies , members of the traditional institutions and other non-State actors.
I, therefore,crave your kind indulgence to offer me your gracious partnership in this new voyage for the good of our land and people.I promise to be a transformative servant-leader,who will lead from the rear and support everyone of us, including the weakest among us. This is to aim for their best and become fulfilled in the paths of life we each have chosen to undertake to our eldorado.This is the underlying vision through which I shall get Imo State to work maximmally: Develop the people of the State and the State cannot help but follow!
As I wind down on this piece,I cannot end it without challenging us all to take action on every conviction of our lives. We must choose to be part of whatever must be done to make for a better and greater Imo State or else we may lose our right to complain and to murmur when things go awry. Imo people are a great breed and we must rise and reclaim our place among other compatriots of our nation. The first step to this is to enthrone the right leadership,one that is creatively ingenious and is humble enough to own up to mistakes, apologize and take corrections.We must have in mind that participation is key in everything we do. A writer once said that choosing to do nothing is in itself a decision and another said that bad leaders hold forth in leadership positions when a few good people choose to do nothing but watch. We must rise to take the necessary action each day. This is the sacrifice it takes to stamp out every vestige of insecurity, systemic decay and the visionless circle of poor leaderships and the perpetual slow progress we currently experience in our State.
By the grace of God, Dee Mbakwe Ga Eme Ozo Na Imo…Our State Shall Be Healed and the People will Rejoice!
Please,vote wisely today; it is the beginning of new things in our land.
God bless Imo State!
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Signed.
Prof.( Dr.) Gerald N. Ndubuisi ,( Bsc Environmental Studies, Msc,Energy & Petroleum, Msc, Industrial Safety Engineering, PhD, Safety & Environment; PhD, Climate Change & Environmental Sustainability, etc;)
Governorship Aspirant
Umunnem, Umulogho in Obowo LGA, Imo State
Saturday, February 25,2023