IT is leadership that defines a people. A people, nation or state draws its inspiration from its leader. Thus, a state is invariably a reflection of the quality of its leadership. On meeting the former governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, I was definitely taken by his coolness, humility, patience, willingness to listen and tolerance for alternative and even opposing views.

I was deeply impressed by his brilliance, versatility and incisive mind. Earlier, I was surprised by the ease with which we breezed through the main gate to the governor’s office. That was significantly different from other states where gaining entrance into the governor’s office, demands rigorous security scrutiny.

My friend explained that the relaxed security at the governor’s office and the easy access to the governor were reflective of the nature of the governor. He runs an open government and is very accessible to his people. Also, unlike most state governors whose siren-blaring motorcades send road users scampering out of the way, or risk being run over or severely punished by the governor’s security deals, Liyel Imoke, as governor, did not use siren. His motorcade joined in with the regular traffic flow. And he insisted that the drivers stop at every red light and obey all traffic rules.

His style of leadership and commitment to the service his people translated his many innovative and trailblazing policies and programmes. These, combined with the people’s love for him and trust of his leadership explained the success story that Cross River had been in the last eight years. A detailed discussion of the successes of the programmes and policies of the Imoke administration is beyond the scope of this writing. The point however is that Imoke left an imprint on Cross River State; among his other successes, he brought peace and social stability to the state.

A visitor to the city of Calabar will be struck by the receptivity of the inhabitants of the city. Unlike many Nigerian cities where people are wary of strangers, the people of the city, even at odd hours of the night, readily warm up to strangers. It is fear bred by crime that makes people apprehensive of strangers. Understandably, in Calabar, a virtually crime- free city, the residents are readily receptive to outsiders. During the eight years of Imoke’s administration, Calabar was continually rated the most peaceful city in Nigeria by the Nigerian Police High Command based on the fact that it had the lowest crime rate in the country. A report by an international organization wrote, “Its (Calabar) relative peace and tranquility, coupled with low crime rate, clean and natural environment, choice tourist attractions and second to none hospitality nature of the people has made it a tourism haven with vast potentials and opportunities”.

That the state has the lowest crime rate in Nigeria did not come about by chance. It was the consequence of a deliberate and conscientious effort of the former governor of the state, Liyel Imoke. Before Imoke became governor in 2007, the crime rate in the state was considerably high. And at the inception of his administration, he promised to “transform the state into a peaceful, secure, economically viable, politically stable and culturally diverse society, where social harmony and the rule of law are strongly established”. And he undoubtedly made good on his promise.

Another legacy of Governor Imoke is political stability. He superintended a peaceful transition of power in the state. This is a rare accomplishment in a state with complex and volatile ethnic mix. First, he refused to be a sit-tight political operator. And thus, unlike many other governors, he chose not to run for the Senate. With a style of governance that transcends ethnicity and godfatherism, and respects dissenting views, he ensured that power was transferred to the Northern Senatorial District, a district that had not for once produced a governor.

This gave the generality of the people of the state a sense of belonging, as they now know that irrespective of what part of the state they come from, they can aspire to the highest political office in the state.

He made the party primaries open to every aspirant and ensured a level playing field for all the candidates. He encouraged a power shift to more youthful leaders, and the emergence of capable and committed hands to stir the affairs of the state for the next four years. The most notable of these is the new governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, a professor and distinguished lawmaker that is very popular with young voters. He also encouraged the election of vibrant men and women as the representatives of the people at the National Assembly.

A number of political godfathers and old style political operators in the state who are used to quick-fixes and imposition of their preferred candidates on the party and the people were irked by Imoke’s more equitable and egalitarian approach to the party primaries. But the generality of the people of the state applauded it. Over all, it reinforced the political stability in the state.

In an earlier speech, Imoke summed it all up, “Indeed, the political stability and social cohesion which is now natural to us here in Cross River is a great luxury yet to be attained in various parts of Nigeria and even across the country as a whole”.

Lloyd Ukwu, a lawyer, writes from Port Harcourt, Nigeria