By Correspondent in Awka
Dr Nkem Okeke, immediate past Deputy Governor of Anambra state, has congratulated the new governor of the state, Prof. Charles Soludo with an urge in him to be very pragmatic in leadership.
Okene told a press conference at his country home, Enugwu-Ukwu, in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anmabra on Sunday, that being pragmatic in leadership, coupled with being a seasoned leader would enable him to draw the line between sycophancy and true words or reports from the people around him for optimal service delivery.
Okeke added that only a hard-headed leader with listening ears to his lieutenants and associates that would achieve a leadership legacy for upcoming leaders to look up to.
“There must be a line limit between family members, friends, relatives and associates in leadership, egg heads 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 with sentiment.
“I am also impressed with the list of commissioner nominees which have being sent to the state House of Assembly for consideration and approval and the principal officers appointed so far.
“I believe they are right pegs in the right holes and I urge them to advise the governor on the exact needs and aspirations of the people without fear or favour and expect the governor to listen too,” he said.
He also advised Soludo to pick up ideas from former Governo Obiano’s 2014 security template and build on it to effectively handle insecurity issues, saying at that time,the 2014 strategic worked.
“Let’s have a revisit and sustain the tempo,” he said.
Okeke said that there was the need to identify the true cause of the security challenges and tackle them from the root with diplomacy.
He said re-orientation of the mindset of the people needed to be massively done to change the idea of burning down facilities built with tax payers’ money at a slightest provocation and leading to avoidable killings.
Okeke said that awareness on social behaviour regarding leadership and followership needed to be created in the state for genuine concerns to sustain economic developments and shun any act capable of dwindling the state economy.
He also urged Soludo to enlighten the public that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu issues needed to be handled with every carefulness, adding that “it is a federal case, it is only a dialogue that can restore lasting peace and secure his release.
“Locking up down our businesses, closing down schools, burning down government facilities and killing of our brothers is not the trade mark of Igbo race and cannot ameliorate the situation.
“We do not need to kill ourselves or destroy the hard-earned facilities built 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 with the state to create jobs for the people and make our businesses grow too,” he stressed.
He advised the people in power to always remember that power is transient and as such, should work as servants that would be accountable to the people and one that will leave posterity to judge them.
He said that service to the public is not time to amass wealth through sharp practices but serve to leave lasting legacy and make the upcoming generation to have something to lean on.
Okeke said that he owed a show of gratitude to his former boss, Obiano, whom during the cause their service,he noted, gave him the opportunity to serve the state in various capacities.
“I am most thankful for he made me to be the first deputy governor in the state to have served two tenures,” he added.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.