By Solomon Ayado
Nothing can be arguable whenever reality is portrayed in facts and figures, therefore, making things empirical, and quite difficult to cast doubts and aspersions. When truth prevails, blatant lies, distortion of facts and barefaced falsehood and blackmail disappear like puffed smoke in the air. It often becomes tangibly difficult to fault what is obviously ideal and just, even as machination to deliberately dim a shine becomes unachievable.
In this life, honest people are scarce; and dishonest people are plenty, but everyone is looking for that one honest person, both to transact business with and or to deliver a duty.
In our homes and even in offices, those who can deliver creditably are always sought. By appearance, some persons looks better than others but in deeds, it is only character that defines a person. Whether good or bad, nature has a way of scaling and assessing people.
Considerably, when someone is bestowed with any position of authority, qualified or politically connected to it, there must be certain group of persons who botched, form cleavages to protest, antagonize, undermine and downgrade the reality of such persons’ appointment.
Politically, whenever an elected office holder is voted into office, by the majority, some persons – the see-no-good, must question the emergence of such a leader. But frankly, in all, only God has an inexplicable way of rewarding or putting people in positions of authority.
Since the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia was inaugurated, a lot of persons, especially members of the opposition political parties, were alert on criticizing the caliber of appointees the reverend governor would assemble. Especially, because the governor is a clergy, pessimism was sure in the minds of those who felt he could not arrange a good team.
Somehow, it is true that not all things a governor or leader does are right, including inability to assemble competent and publicly acceptable appointees. But when the right persons are put in right places and positions, it dives to fame that good results can be achieved.
Of course, even the Holy book of the Bible has stated in Ecclesiastes 10:2 that, “It is natural for the wise to do the right thing and for fools to do the wrong thing.” It means that from the world go, there are right and wrong persons, same way some leaders are qualified and or not qualified to hold certain positions in the society.
Conversely, there is dynamism in activity and inactivity. Some people deliver, others even when equipped with all the necessities, they can still fail woefully and go further to blame the master who had given them the opportunity. So to notice an appointee who can deliver, and does satisfactorily too, it is a big thing of commendation.
Let me narrate to you the tenacity of someone who is naturally a mover. I got this story from my readings of Mohammed Adamu, a powerful columnist in The Nation newspapers. He had told me a story on dynamic activity and inactivity. This story relates to me how one appointee can perform and also spur the rest of colleagues to learn performance the hard way. Here it is.
Proverbially, it is said a new born millipede, seeing its multi-legged body for the first time, had asked mother millipede which leg to move first. And rather than telling the poor, innocently confused lad to move either of its ‘fore’, ‘middle’ or ‘hind’ legs first, the mother had screamed: ‘move baby, just move!’ And the baby moved; and in no time the lesson of a life time was learnt the hard way. Yes, the ‘hard way’ is always the better way. Because to have taught a poor creepy thing with limbs numbering into the hundreds, to move only ‘one leg at a time’ would simply have been teaching it to wait for the predators. But if it is any consolation, at least in the wild, animals littered on the first day may know at once the ‘whys’ and the ‘wherefores’ of life, and the necessity of ‘hitting the ground running.’
Having narrated the episode of moving, let me say and conclude in my estimation that Sir James Aondoakaa Iorpuu, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) is a mover, and one who has hit the ground running. He is a round peg in round hole.
Before he (Iorpuu) came to BSEMA, the staff of the agency had complained so many irregularities and especially impartiality and lack of proper attention to their plights, from the previous heads of the agency. At the moment, all staff are in jubilant, giving out varied good testimonies since assumption of duty by Iorpuu. Also, all IDPs are delighted that they now have an humanitarian who delivers the goods and is at the same time conscious of the interest of persons of concern.
Ordinarily, Iorpuu in Tiv parlance can mean ‘people criticize.’ But going by the encomiums being poured on the new BSEMA boss due to his delivery, I am tempted to propose a name change to ‘Iorwuese’ meaning ‘people praise’. Funnily, my proposal can only be a mere wish because Iorpuu has since proven naysayers wrong and has also silenced the criticizers.
Recently, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, Sir James Iorpuu did what government appointees rarely do.
He had familiarization meeting with journalists in Benue State, held in Makurdi. This was first of its kind since the administration of Governor Alia came on board, apart from regular briefings from the governor.
At the meeting, he emphasized that the media have a vantage position for efficient management of humanitarian challenges. The ES said the support of the media is key to effective approach to emergency and disaster management in the state and country. He noted that, the meeting was basically to have a robust relationship that will pave way for a cordial working relationship between the administration of Fr Hyacinth Alia and SEMA in particular to make informed decisions.
Going by this show of humility and dexterity, one is pricked to seek some major achievements the Acting Executive Secretary has recorded in a short time in office. To proffer answers, he had explained during the meeting that on assumption of office, few months ago, he restructured the Agency into departments of Administration, Planning, Research and Statistics, Relief and Rehabilitation, Health and welfare and that of Account, and all geared towards enhancing productivity.
According to the ES, under his watch, the agency created a website to enhance accurate information sharing and visibility of operations of the agency for humanitarian response globally, while more personnel were engaged and will soon be trained on disaster management.
However, he assured that the process of safe return of IDPs to their ancestral homes has commenced in earnest with biometric capturing of the persons of concerned by International Organization for Migrants (IOM) to get a verifiable data of IDPs in the state. He further appealed to the public to cooperate with the team that is already carrying out the exercise.
Also, Iorpuu disclosed that he approved six more official IDPs camps in the state including Agagbe in Gwer West, Ichwa, Baka, and NEPA quarters in Makurdi, Ortese in Guma and Ugba in Logo LGAs.
As usual, he vouched to continue being transparent in all his dealings. While assuring, he called on the public to complement the efforts of government in providing relief for the displaced persons, rather than mounting pressure on SEMA to share to the public, food that is meant for IDPs.
Like Zig Ziglar, a renowned philosopher would state, “you can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” This is exactly the disposition of the ES. He wants not just Governor Alia to get what he wants but also the IDPs.
Seriously, it is factual that a dream becomes a goal when action is taken towards its achievement. Hence, Sir James Iorpuu, the acting ES has dreamt, and has hit the ground running, certainly, both the Alia administration and generality of people, especially the IDPs, would surely get what they want, in good and in progress!
