By Chidiebube Okeoma
One of the major problems that have bedevilled Imo State since the return of democratic rule in 1999, is the inability of the state to produce astute wealth creators as governors.
I mean persons who are experts in creation of wealth, and who have track record of exceeding exploits in the private sector; people who have built empires independently by managing people and resources.
Being governor of Imo State is not about collecting monthly federal allocations from Abuja and waiting on the Internal Revenue Board to present the state monthly income generation. It goes beyond that. It requires astute thinking that produces excellent results.
In doing that, one must have the technical know-how, the reach, experience, history of delivery, ability to manage men and resources and the contacts to deliver.
As the call for the next governor of Imo State rings repeatedly, there is a young man with proven and verifiable record of delivery in the private sector. His is a wealth creator with outstanding record of successes in Nigeria’s wealth creation sector. He has proved his mettle in the county’s hospitality and tourism industry, real estate and the other sectors of the economy.
His name is High Chief Mike Ejiogu. He is the Chairman and Group Managing Director of Citygate Group, a multi-billion Naira business expire with interests in Real Estate, Tourism and Hospitality sectors of the economy, respectively.
The billionaire business tycoon was born 51 years ago in Anara community in the Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of imo state. Ejiogu has proved that hardwork mixed with focus and ideas are good result indices. Building from the scratch and now on the top, the University of Abuja graduate of Business Administration has left no one in doubt about his capacities and capabilities in turning nothing into something.
Ejiogu, exhibiting the true Igbo spirit of resilience, had a rough and humble beginning but has risen to the pinnacle of his dreams and chosen line of commitment. With over 25 years of wealth creation practice, Ejiogu who is currently the Traditional Prime Minister of Anara Ancient Kingdom, has built businesses that have created wealth for thousands of households across the country.
Chief Ejiogu had his elementary education at Holy Ghost Primary School, Makurdi in Benue State, where he was enrolled in 1981. In 1987, he was awarded his First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC). In 1988, he proceeded to the renowned Government College, Makurdi, Benue State, and completed his junior secondary school in 1990.
Chief Ejiogu temporarily pulsed the pursuit for western education after the completion of his junior secondary education. This was a properly orchestrated plan to establish a business that could train him in school, employ many young Nigerians and contribute to the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
Now he has conglomerate of businesses. You see what strategic thinking does?.
After a period of nine years, having firmly established his business empire, Chief Ejiogu dusted his books, picked up his pen and was back to the classroom – this time at Amuwo Odofin Boys Secondary School where he began and completed his Senior Secondary School education from 1999 to 2001.
In 2010, the distinguished entrepreneur was admitted into the prestigious University of Abuja for a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree in Public Administration and graduated with a very sound degree in 2016.
He has managed his business conglomerate which include Western Travels & Tours Ltd, Lagos, where he was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer from 1999 to 2008. In 2002, he also established the Snow Water Production Ltd, Surelere, Lagos, and was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer until 2008.
In 2014, the astute entrepreneur fully diversified into the real estate and hospitality business with the establishment of the Mbano Royal Suites, Imo; Abuja Royal Suites, Wuse 2, among other signature hospitality brands in Lagos which gave birth to Citygate Group. Chief Ejiogu as of today has employed thousands of youths in his business empire, directly and indirectly, contributing his quota to the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
Imo needs a governor like Ejiogu that will tackle the myraid of problems confronting it. The major issue tearing this state apart today is insecurity, and statistics has it that the perpetrators are young people. Events have also shown that the major cause of insecurity is lack of employment for the youths who are unemployed and or hypnotized.
Chief Ejiogu who spent the larger part of his life creating wealth and establishing young men into millionaires, fits into this perspective. The business of governing Imo State requires reburst private sector approach which intails maximizing the things we have here in the state to run the state, not to wait for the monthly allocations from Abuja. Ejiogu fits into this category of men capable of transforming Imo State with his private sector wealth creation ideas.
Imo State must not continue to be cash field for Abuja based career politicians who have no idea of wealth creation indices; who have no record of private sector success. Those who have not created wealth in Imo State and who have no youths and families in the state making living from their conglomerate and establishments, are no match for the governorship of the state anymore.
Not only that Chief Ejiogu is successful in business but true to the Igbo spirit and philosophy of Aku Ruo Ulo, Ejiogu has businesses in Imo State with many families and individuals gainfully employed. Ejiogu has demonstrated without doubt that he is committed to the prosperity, well-being and economy of the state. His signature projects and business investments are visible in the state.
As the race for the 2028 Imo governorship election hots up, Ejiogu’s personality, trajectory, communal impacts, business buildups reflect indices capable of turning Imo’s monolithic economy to a diverse one. Imo State has abundant potentials capable of uplifting the state and it is men who know the yardstick in wealth creation that can effectively maximize the potentials.
We must be very deliberate this time in electing the next governor of the state. Political parties are advised to lookout for wealth creation mangers and experts who have imprints in the state’s economy and human empowerment indices like Chief Ejiogu to concede their tickets to. Ejiogu has what it takes to lead Imo to the part of economic prosperity, through youth empowerment approach, exploring his wealth creation indices.
(Okeoma, a journalist writes from Owerri, the Imo State capital).