President Elect Barack Obama
Imoukhuede, first African-born elected official set to become Mayor of MattesonImoukhuede, first African-born elected official set to become Mayor of Matteson
By Joseph Omoremi/editor
Trustee Emmanuel Ayo Imoukhuede, engineer, CEO of a construction management company is a visionary man. No reason is strong enough to stop him from accompanying his mission. Twice, the first African- born immigrant to be elected into political office in the United States, narrowly missed becoming a mayor of the affluent South West village of Matteson with less than 300 votes.
In June this year, it was a draw when the Board of Trustees voted for an interim Mayor after the sudden death of the incumbent from heart attack. Imoukhuede was unperturbed. ?I?m running to win this time around,? ? he told Joseph Omoremi, Editor of the Chicago Inquirer in this exclusive interview.
Excerpts:
Inquirer: Why are you running again after missing the position twice with less than 300 votes?
Imoukhuede: I'm running this time to win. This is my 14th year as a village Trustee. Although there was a break in my tenure, the people are the one pushing me to run.
Inquirer: What makes you attractive to the people?
Imoukhuede: My continuing commitment to the village. They respect me. I tried to live a life of very high integrity. I represent the people's interest. I look at things objectively, analyze them without any political bias. They believed in my honesty. I've served them in many areas, which they all cherished. That is why they liked me.
Inquirer: Things have changed since the time you first became a village Trustee. The economy is unstable. What are you promising the people?
Imoukhuede: Things evolved. I'm not a man of old age. This time around I'm bringing about economic development. I believe in positive economic development and a better quality of life for our people. I'm a dynamic person. That is what people realized about me.
I tend to bring new things all the time. I've always been a watchdog for fiscal responsibility. I bring up innovative economic issues. Some may say you don't have contact in the state or beyond the village, I do. I don't like dropping names. In the business world, yes, I do. I'm a businessman and I can do a lot to attract very good businesses to the village.
There are lots of things I can do to move the village to the next level. I've been in the village for a long time. There are lots of good things that we've done. We've made our mistakes and in most of the mistakes that were made, I've always cautioned the village ahead of the actions that were taken.
Inquirer: Can you give instances?
Imoukhuede: The Lincoln Mall is one of the mistakes. I called the attention of the people that we were taking the wrong move when we created that Tax Increment Finance (TIF). We created that TIF for the mall when we gave it to someone that may not be able to build it.
I made that very clear. And I've been very vocal about it because I don't see it coming to fruition. The only thing that has happened there was to cannibalize Target Store from one side of the street and put it on the Mall side. They brought back J.C. Penny that wanted to come back to the village. Going over to the Mall today, it is not the same Mall that we had envisaged. I knew that the people who bought the Mall, to re-develop it were not developers.
They are realtors. As a matter of fact they came here to sell it on behalf of their client in Texas and they saw an opportunity and they decided to buy it and decided to become Mall developers.
In Mall development business, if you are not already in it, it is tough to break the ice. I said that, but nobody listened. It is now six year.
I am a visionary man. I look at things economically. I look at myself as a visionary leader, and a voice for the voiceless. That is why people like me. That is the difference.
Inquirer: Why do you think you will win this time around bearing in mind the tactics used against you in the past?
Imoukhuede: I always run to win. A few may say Imoukhuede give it up, and walk into the sunset. To them, I say NO! There is something call belief. Once you believe in yourself, you can move mountains. There have been people who have ran before. They ran three times. They made it at the third time. There is a mayor serving in Hazel Crest (Mayor Donaldson) that made it in its forth run. When someone believes in something, you don't give up. It is a message to all our younger ones.
When you have a conviction, you don't give up. When you have great ideas, you don't give up. Mayor Donaldson is doing a good job in Hazel Crest. (He is a friend of mine) And I will do a better job in Matteson when I win in my third run.
Inquirer: Have you broaden your base. In the past, it was alleged that an African-American was sponsored to run against you to neutralize your votes. Have you taken care of that this time around?
Imoukhuede: I do not like looking too much at the past. I look at the present and the future.
Inquirer: Does that broaden your base?
Imoukhuede: My base has been broadened. The mistakes of the past have been identified. This time I hope it is a two-man race. But if it is more than two, I say, the more the merrier. Inquirer: Two former mayors of Matteson died of heart attack in office. Are you not worried about your life given the pressure associated with the job?
Imoukhuede: I don't worry about heart attack. There is one thing that makes me not to worry, I'm a Christian. I'm a man of faith. I'm healthy and strong. I pray that I don't be a victim. Others might have done that too, but when you look at all things that could have happened, nobody would do anything.
Inquirer: You are not inclined to heart attack?
Imoukhuede: Yes. I don't have heart problem at all. It is not in my family.
Inquirer: Why don't you stepped up to the plate after the death of the last president in August?
Imoukhuede: We already appointed an interim president. It is the board that votes. There is no elaborate contest. The residents don't vote.
Inquirer: Why don't you show interest?
Imoukhuede: I did show interest. It was widely publicized that there was a stalemate for some weeks. The board consists of six trustees. It was three, three during the first week and we came back and voted again. The board later voted unanimously for one of our colleagues, to serve the remaining 7 months of the late President Stricker?s term .
Inquirer: Is that not a clear signal that the odds are high against you?
Imoukhuede: Before the late President Stricker died, on the 25th of June, he declared that he would be running for reelection in April 2009. On that same day, I declared that I will be challenging him.
A week after the acting Village President was appointed to fill the remaining seven months, he declared that he was going to run. Until that time, I was the only one left.
In the process of selecting an interim President, the consensus was that interim mayor was going to maintain the status quo until the next election. Inquirer: How is life in Matteson?
Imoukhuede: Life is good in Matteson but it could be better when Imoukhuede becomes the president.
Inquirer: Why plugging yourself into politics here bearing in mind that two Mayors who held the position died in office?
Imoukhuede: As an American of Nigerian extraction, we've to be the best everywhere we are. To exclude ourselves from the political life of the society we live is self-defeating. We have to get involved. I've raised my children here.
My children were born here, raised here and they are doing fine. I've spent a reasonable part of my life, majority of my life here in America. I feel I owned it to posterity that I contribute to this environment, to pay back to this society. I've lived in this society more that I've lived in Nigeria but Nigeria is my place of heritage.
Inquirer: What is your advise to the younger generation?
Imoukhuede: They should participate. Making money is not all that make a human being. Be involved in the life of your community. If you want to led a wholesome life. You want to contribute something positive. Since we are all going through a path in life which may not walk through again.
But whatever we do, we should give it the best. We are called to serve our fellow mankind. Render service. It is not only professional service, we should contribute to make a place better than we met it. Whether you are an American of African extraction or Chinese born, our goals should be to make this world better.
Inquirer: Democracy is stabilizing in Nigeria. From your vintage position as a Trustee, what can be done to make it better?
Imoukhuede: Democracy in America has matured. It has been around for over 225 years. In Nigeria, people who are trying to be involved in the governance either at local government level, state or federal should remember that the kids are watching them. If they wish good for the country, they should always bear in mind that they are being watched.
Although they may not prosecute them, but they are setting example for posterity. We need to understand that the way we act is an example for those coming behind them .We could educate by word and by examples. What I'm reading from Nigerian newspapers, we are educating only by words not by examples.
We have to live by word and by examples. It is not my generation that will change Nigeria, I pray that my children?s generation should not falter. The next generation will make Africa what it ought to be. Look at India, it is changing rapidly. Nigeria could be faster.
Inquirer: Electricity has virtually rendered development comatose in Nigeria?
Imoukhuede: That is a very interesting issue. There are lots of problems to be solved. There has to be ways and means to get people to pay for the electricity they use. Government is not a charitable organization. The problem in Nigeria is complex.
However complex it is, it will be solved by Nigerians. We are producing University graduates without job opportunities. Nigerians are extremely intelligent people. But government cannot do everything. However, those caught (stealing) embezzling the people?s funds, That is those with assets over and above their legitimate income, should be made to refund them with interest to the Government, not just send them to jail. Inquirer: Is that the perspective you are bringing to government in Matteson?
Imoukhuede: I am resolved to run and win because I have a lot of things to do. Nigeria will make it. Nigeria will change. We should find ways to create jobs. Maybe what Nigeria is doing today is producing brains for the world. Indian did it before. It came to a point that most of the foreign exchange earnings coming to India were from those brains that left the country. You can see the result for India.
Inquirer: Is that a good justification for the brain drain in Nigeria?
Imoukhuede: It is not good in reality. The brain drain is not the right way to go. But if it is what we are in today, we just have to find a way to make it to work for the benefit of people in Africa. One thing some people fail to realize is that as Nigeria goes, so goes Africa.
