Why I want to be Abia State governor – Prof Ibe (part 2)

Many researchers have written several theses blaming the upsurge in social vices on the failure of the social institutions – family, government, economy, religion and education – to live up to their social responsibilities to regulate and control social behaviours.

To a large extent, we can agree with them because social institutions are multifaceted, cohesive set of social norms organised around the protection of basic societal values -mores and folkways-

We were taught in the university that social control is implemented through persons and institutions, alternating from the family to peers, and government, religious bodies, schools, and the place of work.

The institutions have the fundamental duties to unite people and groups, uphold unity in society by providing unified forms of behaviour that are followed by all members notwithstanding diversities.

In other words, they exist to prescribe norms of behaviour. However, unlike in the past, these social institutions that instilled discipline into the people have nowadays placed a premium on wealth regardless of its source.

The result is the get rich quick syndrome that pervades our society. The one time disciplinarians – parents, religious leaders, government and teachers/lecturers – teach and encourage corruption instead of moral standard.

It explains why we have politicians who see public offices as means to enrich themselves and not service to humanity. Men of God who see their pulpits as casinos instead of a place of worship and moral behaviour. Parents who encourage/aid their children to make money quick regardless of the source.

These contributed vastly to the disparity and depravity in our society. The emergence of the chancellor of Gregory University, Professor Greg Ikechukwu Ibe (OFR) will tackle them. His manifesto is designed to stimulate egalitarianism, moral values, infrastructural and human development.

“Unfortunately, the only thing people respect is the wrong vices,” Prof. Ibe said when asked by journalists to identify societal challenges and solutions.

“The youth of today, though the system and institutions failed them, don’t want to do anything other than making money and they don’t want to know where the money is coming from. They want to drive big cars and build houses.

“It is good to live a good life but not by indulging in crimes. My government will develop Abians using the United Nations (UN) approved human development index,” Prof. Ibe said.

Before he explained how he intends to use the human development index to restore parity and put Abia State and her people on the threshold of economic recovery, discovery and unprecedented human/infrastructural development, the Professor of entrepreneurship told a little story that got everyone in the building reflected on the good old days.

“During Shagari time, one small boy from Uturu went to learn mechanic in Lagos. There’s a traditional law here that if you don’t plant, you’ll never reap. So this boy stole 306 and drove it from Lagos to Uturu.

“He came to their compound, the mother asked who owns the car and he said he bought it. The mother refused to allow him to park the car and started shouting and threatening to kill herself if the son didn’t remove the car from her compound.

“So he took the car to another friend of his. When police started investigating and came to Uturu to arrest the woman, the entire community stopped the police from taking her away because the woman stood her ground.”

Prof. Ibe said it is sad to see our young intelligent boys, some of them lawyers, being paraded on television by anti-graft agencies over financial crime-related matters. According to him, most of them are in Malaysia and some in Ghana.

“Nobody wants to know what they do. All we are interested in is the money. The majority of our boys are languishing in foreign and local jails because of drugs and fraud, but my administration will address all these utilising the human development index,” he assured.

What is the Human Development Index and how does it work? The answer is in the next edition.

To be continued next week.ProGIMA-Prof Gregory Ibe Media Associates