By Ubani Ubani

Democracy as defined by Abraham Lincoln is a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

This definition brings to the fore the inalienable rights of the ruled to participate fully and even have first-hand knowledge of how they are governed. But in our own clime, some of our elected leaders and representatives have not recognized or come to terms with fact that they are servants to the electorate as they were voted to represent their people and not to act as demi-gods.

It is praise worthy and commendable that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State is threading a different path. Rather than assuming the position of a ruler, he has taken the posture of a shepherd leader and a servant to the masses thus redefining governance in Nigeria using Abia as a template.

The recent Town-Hall Meetings organized by this present Abia State government is a first of its kind in Abia political firmament and an avenue to engender citizens to participate in governance, creating room for appraisals, criticisms and pertinent questions from all strata of Abians on the modus-operandi of Governor Ikpeazu’s administration in the last one year.

From Abia-North to Abia-Central and Abia-South where the Town-Hall Meetings were convened, the people’s governor, Okezie Ikpeazu PhD, attracted a mammoth crowd and received rousing welcome as the people rolled out their drums for their August visitor.

The Governor used the occasions to explain to Abians the policy thrust of his administration, the feats accomplished in the last one year, even in the face of nosedived Federal allocations and reaffirmed that he was equal to the task he is saddled with by Abians.

One striking feature of the meetings was the fact that it was a jaw-jaw in our local dialect as the Governor Ikpeazu was using Igbo proverbs intermittently to drive his points home, unlike some uninformed, Abians rejected, unbaked, pseudo and fair-weather politicians who would have used the gathering as a forum to showcase their wealth and opulence, intimidate and bamboozle their audience with their Anglophonic prowess and ambiguous expressions thereby inciting disunity, hatred, hopelessness and frustration among Abians.

It was really a remarkable event as at the end of each meeting the people were all chanting “OKE EZUOLA ABIA” – a testimony that the Governor has carried everybody along in the last one year.

Other representatives of the people of Abia State at different levels of government should take a cue from Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s all inclusive, exemplary leadership approach, as this is the established ideal democracy world over.

Also, other governors of the states of the federation would do well to emulate this populist administrative initiative of Governor Ikpeazu as what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

Glory be to God as that “God’s own State” has a “God’s son” on the saddle. Dr. Ikpeazu’s theme song of “obughi mu ji onwe m, amara ya ji m aka ka m hara i da” seems to be prophetically motivated as proven by the one year scorecard of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as the Governor of Abia State.

I am a witness!

Ubani Newman Ubani is the SSA to the Abia State Governor on New Media