A Structured Series on Leadership, Reforms, and Sustainable Development in Imo State (2007–2011)
Part 6: Record of Legacies That Cannot Be Erased
By Capt Bishop C. Johnson (SW/AW) US Army rtd and the Director General BBO 2027
The Psychological Issues in Driving Change
Human history has shown that man is often a prisoner of stereotypes. The status quo provides a comfort zone that people embrace with passion and defend with a stubborn determination. This incurable pessimism exposes human weakness and makes many resist or reject fresh ideas and new paradigms. In simple terms, it is the “fear of the unknown.”
Martin Luther King Jr., in his reflections on Understanding Human Nature, observed that: “The soft-minded man always fears change. He feels secure in the status quo and has an almost morbid fear of the new. For him, the greatest pain is the pain of a new idea.”
It is therefore a fundamental human tendency to resist change. This becomes the heavy burden of every genuine change agent. Driven by a vision to infuse fresh ideas and improve society, such leaders are often confronted with frustration arising from this ingrained allergy to new thinking.
Societies that have experienced quantum leaps in history are those that found the courage to drop psychological fixations that promote fear of the unknown. Leadership experts have identified certain key attributes every change agent must embrace in overcoming this resistance:
Having the courage of conviction and remaining focused on long-term goals.
Refusing to be captive to fear, which drains energy and resources, often leading to paranoia and missteps.
Remembering the people, the purpose of the change, and its future place in history.
Resolving dilemmas inherent in driving change without compromising core values.
Maintaining calm in the face of provocation and doubt, reassuring supporters while taking measured steps to disprove critics.
Communicating ideas effectively, presenting a clear picture of the short, medium, and long-term gains.
Adjusting strategies with flexibility in response to time and circumstance.
In environments where political leaders share a common vision of development, these measures can make change less disruptive. But in Imo State, the Ohakim administration faced a peculiar challenge: respected political and opinion leaders incited citizens to view government programmes with suspicion. Their opposition was less about the policies themselves, and more about undermining any initiative that could generate goodwill for an opponent in the future.
Thus, while government sought acceptance and buy-in, these detractors exploited the temporary pains of reform to paint a picture of gloom and futility. For a people long accustomed to disappointment from successive governments, clinging to the familiar seemed safer than investing in an uncertain future.
Against this psychological backdrop, Governor Ikedi Ohakim’s administration primed itself with vision, courage, and uncommon determination. It was through these qualities that his government transformed Imo State. While many appreciated the wisdom and direction of his reforms, others remained irredeemably pessimistic. Yet, in spite of cynicism and misrepresentation, the government left behind legacies that history continues to acknowledge.
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Legacies That Speak
Legacies are like toothpaste—once out of the tube, they cannot be forced back. They stare everyone in the face.
No matter what cynics and political opponents may argue, the Ohakim administration redefined development in Imo State. Legacies are not merely goals, but the enduring measure of quality service delivered through policies and programmes. From inception, opponents sought to stigmatize the government. As John Buchan once asked: “Have you ever considered what a diabolical weapon that can be—using all the channels of modern publicity to poison and warp men’s minds? It’s the most dangerous thing on earth.”
Indeed, barefaced lies were peddled in the media, in pulpits, and at public gatherings. Yet, the truth has since prevailed. Many who once opposed the administration’s reforms now admit to the destructive role they played. As scripture admonishes: “Go and sin no more.”
That the Ohakim government stayed focused, refusing to be derailed by cynical voices, demonstrated a firm grip on the demands of governance. This resilience produced monumental achievements despite financial constraints and a hostile political environment. Today, the legacies speak for themselves—in infrastructure, education, healthcare, environment, job creation, and governance reforms.
What follows is a structured account of those legacies.
Political Legacy
Reduced the influence of godfatherism and returned power to the people through the stakeholder system.
Opened the political space for fair competition based on merit and popular acceptance.
Discouraged thuggery by refusing to patronize violent actors.
For the first time in Imo’s history, political party primaries were not monetized—many candidates spent less than ₦1 million, including nomination forms, to secure tickets.
Fostered trust and reduced cynicism in government, restoring faith in rule of law and due process.
Infrastructure Development
Roads:
420 km of roads asphalted across the state; 325 km under construction.
Focus on economically strategic and high-usage routes.
Water Schemes:
1,325 water schemes completed and operational; 32 rehabilitated and converted to solar power.
Ensured access to potable water, aligning with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Public Buildings:
Government House complex constructed.
High courts refurbished and equipped; Court of Appeal built.
Ahiajoku Conference Centre (70% completed).
Council of Traditional Rulers building completed.
Amphitheatre (65% completed).
Rural Roads (IROMA):
Established Imo Road Maintenance Agency (IROMA) to open up rural roads and maintain urban ones.
Equipped with graders, tippers, Hilux vans, pay loaders, rollers, motorcycles, and tools.
Health Sector
Rehabilitated primary health centres across 27 LGAs—each equipped with boreholes, incinerators, 40KVA generators, ambulances, diagnostic equipment, and drugs.
27 new doctors employed to manage these centres.
Imo State University College of Medicine accredited, producing its first medical graduates in 2009.
Increased HIV screening centres from 10 to 45.
24 Emergency Obstetric Centres (EOCs) established.
General hospitals in the three zones rehabilitated and equipped.
Education Sector
Built new classroom blocks in each of the 27 LGAs.
Constructed/renovated 350 classroom blocks in primary and secondary schools.
Founded Imo State Polytechnic (from the College of Agriculture).
Secured Federal takeover of Alvan Ikoku College of Education.
Awarded 260 post-secondary/overseas scholarships and paid bursaries, including for law school students.
Retained affordable ₦35,000 tuition at Imo State University while sustaining admission quotas for indigenes.
Rehabilitated 120 secondary schools.
Supplied exercise books and learning aids to schools.
Agriculture
Regular supply of subsidized fertilizer.
Established AGRONOVA with South African partners to promote mechanized farming.
Engaged 100+ extension workers to train farmers in modern techniques.
Established irrigated farms, fisheries, plantations, and cassava farms in 15 LGAs.
Developed 3 million palm seedlings at Nekede nursery for free distribution.
Provided tractors to all 27 LGAs.
Paid ₦250m counterpart funding for FADAMA, IFAD, and FAO projects.
Launched ₦2bn farmer loan scheme; first tranche ₦458m disbursed in February 2011.
Environment / Sanitation / Urban Renewal
Launched Clean and Green Initiative, executed by ENTRACO.
Earned national and international recognition for sanitation reforms.
Boosted hospitality and tourism, making Imo a choice destination for conferences and events.
Security
Launched Operation Festival, strengthening collaboration among security agencies.
Supplied 205 vehicles, 4 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), telecom equipment, and 27 buses for vigilantes.
Established Imo Vigilante Service for intelligence and community policing.
Job Creation and Youth Empowerment
Lifted 15-year embargo on public service employment.
Employed 10,000 graduates to strengthen the civil service.
Created jobs under IROMA, ENTRACO, health services, and vigilante schemes.
Indirectly generated 55,000 jobs via hospitality, transport, events, and construction sectors.
Established Imo Job Centre and Finishing School—the first of its kind in Nigeria—to provide employability training and data on the unemployed.
Launched ₦1bn Youth Empowerment Programme (truncated by the succeeding administration after ₦350m release).
Other Key Initiatives
Housing: Supported private-sector-driven housing, acquired land for low-cost estates, and encouraged expansion into rural communities.
Transportation: Established Imo Municipal Transport Company; phased out unsafe motorcycle transport.
Electricity: Over 200 communities connected to the national grid.
Judiciary: Attracted Court of Appeal and Federal High Court; refurbished courts and judges’ residences.
Statutory Bodies & SPVs Created: ENTRACO, IROMA, ISIPA, AGRONOVA, Imo Job Centre, Imo Industrial Cluster, Imo Enterprise Centre, Due Process & Price Intelligence Unit, among others.
Conclusion
The Ohakim administration demonstrated that governance anchored on vision, courage, and determination can deliver enduring legacies even under hostile political conditions. In critical sectors—roads, water, education, health, agriculture, environment, security, housing, and youth empowerment—the government laid down structures that continue to speak for themselves.
These legacies remain not just as monuments of history, but as proof that with sincerity of purpose, Imo State can be transformed and set on the path of sustainable development.
