Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has advised both the Federal and other state governments to follow suit by creating a Ministry of Happiness as he recently did because 89 per cent of Nigerians are unhappy “in the real sense of the word happiness”.
According to him, only 4 per cent could really be happy to some extent, while 7 per cent might claim to be happy. He added that the vital aspect of human existence, which is happiness, must be addressed.
Okorocha spoke at the weekend when Airmen, led by the Air Officer Commanding Ground Training Command, AVM Sampson Akpasa, visited him at the Government House in Owerri.
He noted that agitations, insurgence, hate-speeches and the likes, come up when people are unhappy.
His words: “I thank you for your efforts in bringing Regiment 211 to Imo State. In appreciation, we have donated a 200-bed hospital to the force. This morning I spoke to the Chief of Air Force, about our intention to also donate the school to train electricians and artisans; you are doing a wonderful job.
“But if you can observe recently, the level of crisis and agitations are on the increase. While we fight insurgence, I would want to advise that we also should go deep down to find the root cause of this agitation.
“Agitation comes up when people are not happy, and the whole essence of life is to be happy. For this reason, I will advice that the Air Force too, just like I did recently, which most people didn’t understand, should create a department for Happiness and Purpose Fulfilment. This will help to address the need of even junior officers, who may have some forms of dissatisfaction in the discharge of their duties. Sometimes, you may think they are happy when they are not, and this sabotages the efforts of the Federal Government.
“Mentorship is another aspect which can help people achieve their purpose in life. If people are happy, there will be less agitation. The amount of money we spend on aircrafts and in the purchase of arms would have reduced by 50 per cent. This could also end issues of restructuring, Niger Delta and all other forms of agitations…”
AVM Sampson hailed Okorocha for the tremendous transformation his administration has recorded in the state. He said they had come on a familiarisation tour of the constituent security outfits established on July 3, 2017, adding that Enugu was carved out of other commands due to clumsy administration, and that their new training ground has helped handle insurgency in the Northeast.
He asked for collaboration and synergy as key in all security challenges, and craved for more cooperation in Imo and other Southeast states, saying the command needs every form of support to blossom into maturity and global excellence.
