By Godwin Adindu
The transition man. I borrow the title of this piece from my readings of Steven Covey, particularly his book, the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey constructed a transition man. He defined and profiled him. He characterized him and gave us a picture of his personality trait, his inner drives and his expected destination. The great inspirational writer described the transition man as the one who “breaks the flow of bad”…. One who “breaks unhealthy, harmful, abusive or unfortunate learned behaviours and replaces them with proactive, helpful, effective behaviours. The person models positive behaviour and passes on effective habits that strengthen and build others in positive ways”
As the anxiety rages over the action of Governor Otti in reversing some old policies as it relates to command promotion, and breaking the flow of some old traditions, what flashes in my mind is the picture of the transition man as constructed by Steven Covey …. “one who breaks the flow of bad”. Transition men are change agents. Governor Otti is sincerely bent on reversing some old norms, changing some adverse precedence and setting up new standards. He is simply righting the wrongs and this surely must raise some dust.
But one would ask: what is command promotion? This is the prerogative of the Chief Executive and it is usually given as a reward or incentive for an outstanding and excellent performance record and not for favouritism. The case of Abia smacks of favouritism. The argument that it has been done since the time of Orji Uzor Kalu cannot justify it as a fair tradition given its inherent contradictions. It breeds bad blood within the hierarchy of the civil service. In Abia, command promotion has been used to grant undue favour to friends and families. There comes a time when society begins to re-examine and re-evaluate itself. There comes a time when a leader emerges with a genuine intent to right the wrongs.
I have followed the argument of those opposing the Governor’s action and I am happy that their emphasis is on the time-range situated in the policy action and not the rightness of the policy. For them, every action of Governor Otti is an exercise of vendetta against his predecessor and by situating the policy within the period of the last administration, the Governor is at his usual war path again. I beg to disagree. My check shows that many of the people given this priviledge by former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and TA Orji have retired from the service. Again, transition men stand up and draw the line, not minding time and location. They rise above sentiments to rewind the hand of the clock of history. They have the audacity of hope. By this policy, the Governor has also tied his own hands. Going forward, society will bring him to judgement if he dares to apply the prerogative to gratify favouritism.
Stephen Covey would further describe the transition men as “people who, despite the negative noise in the world, still somehow find ways to step up and do their part to make a positive contribution”. This principle, precisely, highlights the timeless principles of fairness, integrity, honesty and human dignity. Thus, amidst the whirlwind of misinterpretation and opposition, Governor Otti has stepped up to provide great leadership by bringing to an end – “a flow of bad”. A precedence that breeds bad blood and distorts the civil service structure.
I don’t know whether he is inspired by Steven Covey, but I see his actions following after the timeless ideas of this inspirational writer. I see a transition man in Otti. Since he mounted the saddle, it has not been about a new government but about an intentional and calculated action of orchestrating a paradigm shift. The Governor has engaged in a planned and deliberate action of overhauling the state with the aim of fostering a new political culture. Thus, an exact description of Abia State under him is a state in the mills, a state undergoing through the crucible of refinement. Change is the only thing that is permanent and Abians are experiencing a change process, an innovation procedure and a kind of historical progression under the new government.
Indeed, Governor otti has been intentional in creating a polity that is clearly a departure from the status quo. It has been an overhauling and re-engineering process. There is a rebuilding process that has manifested in the sanitizing of the civil service structure through a recertification process and bio metrics. There has been an emergency action in the educational sector. Politics has been taken away from the hands of the traditional stakeholders to technocrats. The governor has also restored order in critical areas like waste disposal, especially in the two cities of Aba and Umuahia. He embarked on immediate rehabilitation of the public health facilities with the rehabilitation of three major secondary health facilities in the three zones of the state.
Transition men are emergency executioners. One way to understand and appreciate the radical maneuverings of Otti in Abia State is to explore the principle of State of Emergency. A State of Emergency is not only declared in a situation of war, national danger or disaster, It could also be declared when there is actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the federation or any part thereof to such extent as to require extraordinary measures to restore peace and security. Otti has approached governance in Abia from the framework of an emergency situation. He has in his hands a state in need of the necessary intervention.
Transition men are image and perception managers. Their intervention changes the outlook and the orientation. Governor Otti has, perhaps inadvertently, rebuilt the public image and public perception of Abia. There is a new story about the state and outsiders can see a silver lining in the skyline. There is a renewed emotional connection and Abia is no more being displayed as an exhibit of backwardness but a place of reviving hope.
Transition men are indeed men of action and men with the will to create a way.
Adindu writes from Umuahia
