Mark Okoye, An Imperative For Sound Legislative Presence

CHIKE MABENE

Mark my thesis! At critical moments in the evolving history of human communities, Providence throws up select individuals whose phenomenal response to the needs of their people often serves as panacea for the communities’ ills. Leadership demands taking responsibilities for others’ wellbeing, and a people are often judged by the quality of leaders they produce. The political leadership in a defined democracy determines the spate of development or under-development the geopolitical enclave experiences. This presupposes that whereas sound and purposeful leadership births development, its absence impedes advancement. Evidently, the cause of the disconcerting backwardness our sociopolitical clime has suffered over time is readily attributable to the poverty or at best mediocrity of our leadership stock. Our people have been enmeshed in poor leadership rigmarole upon their lackadaisical attitude towards identifying inimitable change agents whose professional expertise, global exposure, functional outreach and passion to serve are glaring core prerequisites for positive systemic change. Poor appreciation of the relevant indices for leadership recruitment is therefore implicated in the maze of underdevelopment that torments our people. It is high time our people got shocked out of this sustained encumbered attitude that entraps us behind civilisation. 

It is in absolute acknowledgement of the veracity of the above, and in recognition of the radiant emergence of a compelling modern age agent of change, who hails from Ifitedunu in Dunukofia Local Council, Anambra State, that this piece is made. Mark Okoye is an amazingly brilliant young man, whose choice training and sterling successes in his field of investment/development economics and prime economic policy formulation and implementation would easily have enabled limitless grandstanding in public space, but for his conscious efforts not to lose focus in the glamour of adulations that could soon infect the ingenious disposition to serve his people and mankind. Mark would rather concentrate on advancing the cause of lifting the populace from the pains of obsolete economic policies and practices to the gains of modern progressive economic precepts of wealth creation and wealth grooming. 

Little wonder the Anambra State Government anxiously waited for him to turn the tenable age of 30 to confirm him the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget while he surefootedly superintended over the affairs of the Ministry as Senior Special Assistant to the State Governor. Thusly, Mark became the youngest Commissioner in the cabinet of any state government across Nigeria. His stellar performance as the Commissioner for Budget and Planning yielded the transformational state economy that effectively cushioned the harsh effects of two successive national economic recessions that ruined majority of states in Nigeria. Mark’s deftness in discharging his primary responsibilities of facilitating the execution of the state economic blueprint, designing medium-term strategic economic plan and preparing annual budgets for the state, attracted numerous recognitions and awards from a wide range of major state, national and global bodies. 

Leveraging on the enormous trust Mark’s expertise had earned him before his principal, Governor Willie Obiano, he assiduously drove the Tax Relief/Reduction Scheme and the Stimulus Funding Programme for SMEs, MSMEs and large enterprises. He facilitated the Social Intervention Programme for Low Income Households and the intervention in instituting infrastructure for jobs. These initiatives were instrumental in cushioning the hazards of 2016 recession and the economic downturn following Covid-19 advent in 2020. 

Mark’s resourcefulness begot the Anambra Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), a World Bank supervised scheme that attracted USD4m to community development. It might just be pertinent to note that the flagship investment agency of Governor Willie Obiano’s administration, the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA) which provided one-stop-shop services to the throng of investors into Anambra economic space, was Mark Okoye’s brainchild. It soon became the cynosure of the administration’s commitment to ease of doing business in the country. This earned Anambra State national and international accolades, with the attendant inflow of investment capital.

Before then, Mark Okoye had distinguished himself as a high-octane professional in the execution of the functions of his offices and in other ancillary responsibilities that his prized expertise commended. As an award winning public policy expert in a leading investment bank that advises nations and blue-chip organisations on economic matters, Mark’s emergence and strong presence in the realms of policy making and drive on matters of Anambra State economy was no mere happenstance. He went through thorough training that prepared him for his very impactful service to Anambra State Government and Ndi Anambra. His Harvard training groomed him for critical interrogation of the challenges of economies of countries, states and corporate organisations across the globe while still in his early 20’s. His interest in grooming vibrant economies got him involved in public policy formulation on economic matters which prepared him for the Anambra assignment.   

Of the three recognised arms of executive, legislature and judiciary that seat democracy, the legislature more defines the system than the rest. No gainsaying the imperative of a sound grooming for legislative hands that envision a livable polity and go ahead to make legislations towards attaining it. It is without doubt that the bedrock of democracy is the legislature which institutes and legitimatises it. Being the arm of government where laws are made, the Legislature demands sound minds with resourceful mental faculties who have the capability of promulgating laws that will make for even development and stability in the polity, measurable with what obtains in developed climes. It is upon these demands and the proven rare intellectual and pragmatic attributes of Mark Okoye that this piece advises the good people of Dunukofia-Njikoka-Anaocha Federal Constituency (DNA) to send the brilliant, youthful, resourceful, dedicated, sagacious and courageous Mark as a change agent their vibrant and irrepressible voice in the Green Chambers come 2023.

Mabene works at Ozion Limited, Perception Managers & Political Stategists.