Ohaa is symbol of moral over money –Okpara

By Uche Okobi

Convener of Ihe Abia, Ichie (Dr.) Emeka Okpara, has described administrator, author and philanthropist Sir Chineyeaka Ohaa as a symbol of moral over money and people over profit.

Speaking in an interview with journalists on the occasion of Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa’s 65th birthday, Okpara said that the former Accountant General of Enugu State and permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Office of the Head of Service, Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory and Ministry of Power, left a legacy that would be difficult to match by generations to come.

He also spoke on Sir Ohaa’s dedication to public service, leadership, as well the need for proactive governance in Enugu State.

Excerpts:

What do you think stands Sir Ohaa out in his service years, both in Enugu and at the federal level?

It will be difficult to summarise the personality of Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa in a matter of bullet points, as it were. But let me attempt to highlight a few of the many things that stand him out as a person. He is an encyclopedia of public service, what someone would call a policy wonk. At the state level, he peaked as Accountant General of Enugu State, commissioner for agriculture, before he transferred his service to the central government. I am sure you understand what that means in the public sector. At the centre, Ohaa served as a permanent secretary in four critical and important ministries of Youth and Sports, the engine room of the much touted population asset at our disposal; Office of the Head of Service, the brain box of the civil service; Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory, the beacon of Nigeria’s unity; and the all-important Ministry of Power, the base of our industrial growth. With these stints, one would easily understand the calibre of the person we are talking about. At the social and community level, his philanthropy speaks loudly for him and, at the religious level, he is a soldier of Christ. If one puts all these together, one would understand Sir Ohaa’s journey and probably why he has not rested on his oars, and keeps thriving day and night to ensure that society gets better.

What lessons can you say you have learned from your association with him?

Again, you have asked a difficult question about the personality and impact of Sir Ohaa, but let me tell you two things you can walk away with: compassion and humility. A man that has compassion would at all times place society above self, a man with a sense of modesty and humility would not go out of his way to acquire what he does not need. These are the true hallmarks of a true leader, a man who ordinarily would not sacrifice the wellbeing of his people for a piece of popularity burnished on the altar of fame. And to speak directly to what I have learned from him, I have learned from him that peoples’ lives matter, that you should not take from society what you cannot give back, that education is the bedrock of growth and survival, that it is possible to make sacrifices today so that we can live tomorrow. If I were to summarise him, I will say I have learned leadership from him because he is a born leader, a mobiliser and a giver of hope, based on his actions and projections.

Let’s turn to Enugu State and assess the impact of governance in the present dispensation. How would you assess the impact of this administration of the people of Enugu State?

Enugu is just there, has always been just there and would continue to be just there if nothing is done to change the basic foundation that has left it to be just there. What do I mean? I mean that we need a government that is proactive, people-oriented, responsive and responsible. Enugu needs a government that is compassionate through and through, a government that can make sacrifices alongside the people, and not one that will be feeding fat and turn around and ask citizens to make sacrifices. If you look around Enugu, you might see what looks like small important steps, but under those steps one sees a hollow underneath that speaks to the bereft future thinking of previous governments. Unfortunately, this government does not seem to be doing anything differently; unfortunately, that is what it is.

A lot of people would disagree with your assessment of the present government. Many believe that the present government is doing its best…

People are entitled to their opinions, especially in the democracy we practice, and I won’t take it away from them. I have also not said the governor has not done his best, but my position is that his best is not good enough for Enugu. If you walk through the streets of Enugu and capital cities of other First Republic regions, no one would tell you that there is a difference. There is a lot of room for improvement, and I won’t ordinarily blame the present governor but they say that the morning shows the day…and from what I have seen in the past two and half years, I don’t expect any magic in the next two years. So, we have to make hay while the sun shines.

Looking at the politics of 2027, Enugu State’s Governor Peter Mbah has ported to the APC. How do you react to that?

My reaction is very simple. He is entitled to freedom of association. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, guarantees him that right. The whole issue of the legal and constitutional appropriateness of governors and legislators being elected on one platform and defecting to another without having to lose their seats is a debate that rages, and I wouldn’t want to get into that. But the big question we should ask at this moment is: did the whole people of Enugu State that elected governor Peter Mbah on the platform of the PDP move to APC with him? Have these people seen the good governance at the centre that drew the governor to the APC? Would the good people of Enugu vote for the man that promised them a soaked slice of bread if he won the election and ended up giving them even less than he promised? These are the questions the governor should answer himself.

Do you have any words for Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa as he enters into another year of his life?

What I have is words of prayer. I pray that God keeps him safe, in good health and prosperity. I also pray to God to continue to provide for him so that his philanthropy would not cease. I encourage him to be the good man he has always been, and continue to do more for the good people of Enugu State, Nigeria and humanity in any position he finds himself in the future.