The projects carried out by a politician when he was in office that bettered the people will motivate the people to support him for future elections. One of the factors that helps a politician get into office is his antecedent, record of previous performance, how the politician hasthrough honest services, projects and programmes affected his constituency positively in the past. Such a politician must have thecapacity, competence and character to serve the people. He must alsohave a strong grass root political structure. A Politician orrepresentative that is not accessible to his people, that cannot bereached, that does not pick his calls , that is always busy in
meetings, that cannot grant audience or interact with his people is not qualify to be elected. I hardly say good things about politicians. I do more of criticizing. You must be good for me to say good things about you. Saying good things about a non-performing politician or representative is endorsing criminality, corruption, inept leadership
and failure.
One politician worthy of praise is Rt Hon Goodluck Nanah Opiah. He is aman who has been working like a divine agent and putting smiles on the faces of the people of the oil kingdom of the State. He is good. Through Opiah so many persons from the oil kingdom have received politicalappointments, contracts, jobs and scholarships. He has attracted so manystate and federal government projects to his constituency. He iscounted among men who have occupied leadership positions with genuine
intentions to serve their fatherland, with loads of enviable and unmatched credentials. This man has indicated interest to run for the Orlu Zone Senatorial seat under the APC.
That he has indicated interest to represent the zone at the senate has brought hope to the people. He is a cynosure of all eyes in a political topography devoid of leadership and clarity of political vision, a model deserving of widespread replication. He deserves all the credit he is getting. His Leadership philosophy and his ability to grow
his ideas from paper to service-delivery outcome make him a champion in this segment of our democracy. In this era of leadership deficit of Orlu
zone at the Senate , we must look to the margins to locate and support such effective, disciplined, compassionate, and result-orientedleader. When he was at the Imo state House of Assembly as Speaker and at the Federal House of Reps, he gave a good account of himself. He also gave good account of himself as Special Adviser to the Governor of Imo State and Coordinator of Oil and Gas Matters as well as Imo State Commissioner for Petroleum Resources. His Political structure at the
grass root is second to none. He is loved by his people, with high followership. With Opiah at the Senate many of our youths will getfederal jobs. He will bring the much-needed quality and purposeful representation by way of economic empowerment, poverty alleviation and infrastructural development of our constituency.
With Opiah at the Senate it surely will be a goodbye to too much talk and less action, good bye to total ignorance of legislative duties, goodbye to ignorance of committee work, goodbye to neglect of Imo West constituency, goodbye to ineffective consultation with leaders. This man finds joy more in seeing smiles on the faces of those whose mandate he exercised rather than in caressing his personal ego on the faces ofnewspapers and strut the walkways of political adulation. He knows the
tedium of subsistence agrarian life and understands the frustrations of the man on the street because he has been there. He feels an inner glow when he sees young men of his constituency engaged in productive ventures, and strives to reduce the trauma by broadening their investment options rather than recline on the couch of ease .
Next week I will talk about the physical transformation of Ohaji/Egbema when Opiah was at the Imo State House of Assembly from 2003-2011 and what he did for Ohaji/Egbema /Oguta/Oru West when he was at the Federal House of Reps from 2015 -2019 which are adequately documented though he has on numerous occasions reiterated his desire to be judged by the people rather than by media analysts and political commentators. This 2023 Senatorial election provides another platform
for the people to echo their conviction and confidence in his leadership style. The beauty of democracy rests in the multiplicity of viewpoints, but where there is unanimity of opinion, democracy truly transforms into a mandate from the gods. Come 2023, the people of Orlu zone will speak for peace, progress of the zone and will breath in change and fresh air with Opiah at the driver’s seat. The people are in a vantage position to know which option will best serve theirinterest. In the light of this, people of the zone have said yes to Opiah for Imo West Senate . Our conviction is well-founded on resolve iron-clad. Hands of fellowship have been extended to progressiveforces in every hamlet, villages, communities and LGA’s in Imo Westto stand and be counted in this clarion to entrench visionary
leadership, accountability and, above all, peace in our Senatorial Zone . On Opiah we stand come Imo West 2023.
-Kenneth Uwadi lives in Mmahu-Egbema, Imo State, Nigeria.