Beyond the feast and eye-catching cakes, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha’s 55th birthday anniversary was equally memorable for his philanthropy and vision, writes OKODILI NDIDI
With the huge crowd surging and humming, security agents and officials of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had no time to fall asleep at a corner. For two weeks, Imo State was agog, caught up in festivity. From the city centres to the village squares, celebration was in the air. While it lasted, people seemed to forget their differences, daily struggles and even secessionist tendencies elsewhere; all that mattered was the 55th birthday anniversary of their governor Rochas Okorocha.
Various enthusiastic groups competed to outdo each other to impress their gratitude and felicitation. They looked happy with their governor. Dancing groups and artistes were on hand to entertain at the carnival-like event, which some hoped would go on a little longer.
It was a harvest of tributes and praises as people from all tribes and tongues, and from all walks of life converged on Imo to celebrate the governor.
The event attracted a mammoth crowd from the first day, among whom were women and students especially beneficiaries of the state’s free education programme. Traders, civil servants and politicians held a colourful procession, adding to its grandeur.
Leaders from the 27 local government areas of the state, as well as various political camps and opinion groups took turns to felicitate with the governor, presenting him with gifts in addition to goodwill orations.
Most remarkable about the birthday anniversary was the magnanimity of the governor and founder of the Rochas Foundation College, which offers free tuition in its schools across the country.
During the birthday anniversary celebrations, Okorocha announced a scholarship award for no fewer than five children from each 55 African countries.
Codenamed 55. 5. 55, an acronym for fifty five years, scholarship for five children each from fifty five African countries, the birthday celebration afforded politicians, business associates, family, friends and the common people the opportunity to extol the virtues of the governor.
Leading the flurry of activities was the solidarity rally by Imo women which grounded vehicular and human movement in Owerri, the state capital.
Thousands of colourfully adorned women from across the state took on a procession across major streets displaying placards with various inscriptions such as, ‘we thank God for the gift of Owelle’, ‘Owelle is a gift to humanity’, ‘Imo women celebrate the people’s Governor’, ‘Hurray our icon is 55’, ‘Imo women celebrate a selfless leader’ and ‘join us celebrate the architect of the new Imo’, among other beautiful appellations.
Most prominent among the different women groups that participated were the market women, beneficiaries of the state’s free education programme and female professionals from various disciplines who lauded the Imo governor for initiating projects and policies that have impacted positively on socio-economic status of women in the state.
Coordinator of the women and former Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Getrude Oduka said the women decided to celebrate the governor for running a gender-friendly administration that has improved the lot of women and children in the state.
According to her, the massive turnout of women for the procession was a confirmation that the women of the state are happy and grateful to the governor, adding that none of them were induced or coerced to attend.
She said, “We are here to celebrate a man that need to be celebrated, we are to celebrate an icon. For instance, he has given the entire children of Imo state an access to education, knowing full well that education is the key to life. To celebrate the architect of the new Imo, a man that has brought a lot of transformation to Imo State both in the areas of infrastructure and social development.
Speaking further, she said, “We are also celebrating a man that has the fear of God. So what Imo women are doing today is a triumphant entry into the birthday of the governor”.
Receiving the women at the Government House, wife of the governor, Nkechi Okorocha, commended the women for appreciating the governor’s efforts, adding that he has always prioritised issues that affect women and children.
She further thanked them for “being the pillar behind the success” of the Rescue Mission government and asked them to sustain it as the state “government will continue to better their lives and that of their children”.
She also thanked them for wishing her husband well as he celebrates his 55 birthday anniversary, adding that the huge show of goodwill and solidarity by Imo women will certainly spur the governor to do more in his service to not only the women of the state but to the entire humanity.
Governor Okorocha said he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love by the women of the state, pledging to continue strive to build a better society for the people of the state.
He said the occasion of his 55 birthday anniversary has given him the opportunity to reflect on God’s blessings, which he said propelled him to the height he has attained today.
He said, “I will continue with helping the less privileged, there is no slowing down. The free education programme of the Rochas Foundation has just been expanded to cover the whole Africa, where we are giving scholarship to five children each in fifty five African countries.
“In my 55 years on earth I have no regrets. I don’t regret any of my actions or decisions even though that people tend to misunderstand me sometimes. I am only grateful to God, there is nothing to regret in my 55 years on earth.
“I am so happy because the strength of this government lies on the massive support it enjoys from the women. That this government is been talked about positively in the world is because of women.
“One thing I tell anybody that cares to listen is that I am a special breed made by God for humility. I have never thought evil of anybody and so anybody that wants progress beyond limits must not think evil of me because I am specially made by God. People that love me, prosper beyond their expectations. This is the way God has made it to be”.
At the end, the women group made history by presenting the Governor with twenty seven birthday cakes representing the 27 council areas of the state, unarguably the highest to be received by a single individual in the state.
In one of such visits by stakeholders from Mbaitoli Council Area led by the state Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, the governor was lauded for given equal attention to all the zones in the state, irrespective of political interests and affiliations.
Madumere during the visit described Governor Okorocha as an “all-time giver who is ready to display generosity at all time when it bothers on human capital development”.
According to the Deputy Governor, the visit was to thank the governor for “the dividends of democracy on behalf the good people of Mbaitoli, Imo State at large and to celebrate with him as he turns 55”.
He said, “Your Excellency, I am here with my people to felicitate with you as you turn 55. You are like a spirit that possesses whosever that come across you because of what you are. Today, you have over thirteen thousand children. The one that is trending at the moment is the acronym 55-5-55. This time around, as you turn 55, you have raised your bar of philanthropy by adopting 5 children each from the 55 countries of Africa. This is another creation of Your Excellency in African leadership.”
Also speaking during the solidarity visit, the Chairman of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel Ohiri showered encomiums on the governor for blazing the trail in providing basic amenities to every part of Imo State.
He said, “Owerri zone where Mbaitoli LGA is situated is the chief beneficiary of the governor’s astute leadership and uncommon magnanimity”.
Responding, Governor Okorocha thanked the people of Mbaitoli for their support and for coming en mass to celebrate with him.
Responding, Governor Okorocha said, “Madumere is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. My relationship with my deputy, Prince Eze Madumere for over twenty years is like that of Christ and His disciples. I saw him in the United States of America fishing. I said to him, follow me and I will make you a fisher of men. Madumere followed without argument. In our journey in politics, we kept failing even when I ran for president. In all these, Madumere has remained steadfast and calm.”
Mbaitoli women sang moving songs to celebrate the governor.
Also in another grand rally organized by the Rochas People’s Movement at the Heroes Square, mammoth crowd gathered to witness colourful display of culture, music and artistry.
Elder statesman and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, described the governor as a good man and a visionary leader who has put the overall interest of the state above ephemeral gains.
He observed that the free education programme has distinguished Governor Okorocha from other people that had governed the state in the past.
Iwuanyanwu who spoke at one of the forum organized for the governor’s birthday at the Imo International Conference Centre (IICC), stated that the Imo governor had broken all records, adding that “anyone aspiring to govern the state must promise to sustain the free education programme”.
He added further that “the success of the free education programme had made it become a tradition to the extent that stopping it would mean dragging the state backwards. The governor had been on the right path even before he emerged winner of the 2011 governorship election in the state by helping others and investing in human beings”.
The PDP stalwart also stressed that “despite the governor’s humble background, he had shown by his style of leadership that people from poor homes can make good leaders.
That is why I see his free education as being more significant because it affects mainly the poor who ordinarily could have been out of school”.
Family members and other beneficiaries of the governor’s magnanimity also celebrated what they described as the governor’s uncommon style of leadership.
Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Acho Ihim, described the governor as a father who interested in the success of people working with him.
He said, “We have all learnt from his uncommon kindness and love for the ordinary people and this has changed the ways we think and relate with others, especially those who are not so privileged. He has also redefined politics and governance in the state and the results are there as testimony of his astute leadership”.
The Chief of State to the governor, Chief Uche Nwosu had this to say, “we all are grateful to this selfless icon for given us opportunity to rise to where we are today. So we have come to celebrate him as he turns 55 and to wish many more years of continued service to humanity.”
