By Gabriel Atumeyi
365Daily – One of the leading contenders for the governorship of Anambra State, Dr Obiora Okonkwo, has pledged to enthrone a visionary, purposeful and people oriented leadership if elected on November 6.
He said this while speaking during the centenary celebration of the former Premier of the Eastern region, Dr Michael Okpara, at Sheraton hotel, Abuja on Thursday, June 3, 2021.
Okonkwo lamented the current state of governance where leaders get away with anything and citizens demand little from them.
Stressing that he could not be Michael Okpara, he said he was inspired by the tremendous achievements recorded under his six year premiership of the Eastern region during the first republic.
He said: “Like Okpara, mine is a humanistic, people – centered economic vision anchored on the twin pillars of wealth creation and poverty eradication, an all – inclusive economy that offers quality jobs to all who are willing to work and a basic safety net for those manifestly unable to, including the elderly.
“My vision, to paraphrase the late writer, Obi Egbuna, is a society where success is not measured solely by the presence of the rich but also by the absence of the poor.
“My quest to lead Anambra into a new future is backed by leadership ideology to run an open, consultative and all – inclusive government. It shall be a government that is transparent, creative and accountable, respect rules, procedures and observe the separation of powers and responsibilities of the different arms of government.”
Also speaking during the occasion, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu extolled Okpara as a man of exceptional quality that deserves to be remembered.
He said the youths of today could make proud reference to him as a symbol of greatness, especially at a time when Nigeria is in search of heroes.
Onu said: “Dr Michael Okpara was a great man and a gift of God to Nigeria.
“For those who knew him when he was alive, despite his high political stature, he was a simple man. He did not think highly of himself, even when he was the second most powerful man in the Eastern region.
“That selflessness is what makes a country great. We have seen it in Singapore, in Japan and even in Germany after the second world war. So what we are doing today is important. We are here to honour him. We need people we can celebrate. So we can bring up our young ones, to know that not only Europeans are selfless but in this country we have had people like Dr Michael Okpara.
“I have maintained a relationship with the Okpara family. Through my father, I met Dr Okpara when he returned from exile and I met him from time to time thereafter. During the NPN administration, Okpara recommended me for ambassador and when I decided to run for the Senate, I got his blessing.
“When I was elected the first civilian governor, he was very helpful to our administration.
So I owe so much to the family of Dr Michael Okpara. He is a man of great vision. The present administration is also on such a path, it does not matter the state of the economy today.
“The administration is working very hard to lay the foundation for a great economy by building infrastructures. So it should give us great encouragement that the future of our country his hopeful,” Onu stated.
The highpoint of the event was the unveiling of two books on Michael Okpara, which are: ‘Lessons in Leadership and Okparanomics: Economic and Social philosophy of Michael Okpara,’ and ‘The blueprint for a proposed Secretariat complex for Dr Michael Okpara Leadership Institute’