Ndigbo Unity Forum, an Igbo socio-cultural group, has given Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo an ultimatum of 60 days to pay workers outstanding salaries and allowances.
This is contained in a statement signed by the President of the forum, Mr Augustine Chukwudum, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Sunday.
It described as unfortunate that after receiving bailout funds from the Federal Government, which the governors and their cabinet agreed was enough to settle workers, would divert such money.
The statement said such action was the height of insensitivity in a democratic setting that holds a lot of good promises for the people.
“On South East, we observed that the Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo state notwithstanding bailout funds that runs into billions that he received from the Federal Government that he still owes workers in the state many months salary.
“We demand that Gov. Rochas Okorocha should pay workers in Imo state their salary within sixty days,’’ it said.
The statement warned that coalition of civil societies would soon mobilise for the mother of all demonstration in Imo, if the governor failed to heed to the advice.
Tag: Imo
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Group gives Okorocha ultimatum to pay Imo workers
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Imo denies misapplying bailout fund
•State faults ICPC’s claim
The Imo State Government yesterday faulted the claim by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that it misapplied the bailout funds collected from the Federal Government for the payment of workers’ salary arrears.
The government said the bailout fund was judiciously applied for the purpose it was meant.
ICPC, in a statement by Mustapha Hussain, on behalf of the agency’s Commissioner for Public Enlightenment, accused Imo, Benue and Enugu states of misapplying their bailout funds.
But a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Rochas Okorocha, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “The commission did not, however, disclose how it arrived at that conclusion but only stated that some transfers were made into certain accounts not related to salaries and emoluments including, ‘N2 billion paid into a Government Account; N2 billion paid into an Imo State Project Account and N2 billion transferred into a Microfinance Bank’.”
The statement added: “The ICPC was right that such funds were paid into the mentioned accounts and we had expected the commission to go further to tell the public what such funds paid into those accounts were used for. The commission became stingy with facts at that point.
“Again, before the bailout fund, were there no existing accounts the government was using to pay salaries? While giving out the bailout funds, was there any specified account that was given that the salaries must be paid from? These are questions that needed to be answered since the commission never claimed that the money was paid into private accounts or that the ones paid into the government’s accounts were used for other reasons except paying salaries.
“From the mentioned government’s account, personnel of Imo Security Network, Imo Community Watch, Youth Must Work Teachers, Community Government Councils and Imo Civil Guards were paid their arrears last December. We stand to be contradicted on this claim.
“From the referenced Microfinance Bank Account, Imo State University, Imo Polytechnic, Imo College of Nursing and Health Sciences Staff, and so on, collected their salaries, also in arrears last December. We also want the ICPC to prove us wrong on this claim.
“In the case of Imo State Project Account, the truth is that the government was drawing money from the account to ensure full payment of workers’ salaries when the financial fortunes of the state began to dwindle, like most other states’. So, when the bailout fund finally came, the government had no option than to pay back the fund it had borrowed from that account.
“And the truth of the matter became glaring when Labour in the state decided to be collecting 70 per cent of the total income of the state at the end of every month for salaries and pensions, leaving only 30 per cent for government, for capital projects; since January, they have not been able to pay workers full salary.
“Last December, the state government paid all arrears of workers’ salaries, including workers of corporations, agencies and health outfits the government had issues to settle with and also paid pensions, which were not part of the bailout fund. We want to be faulted on all these claims.
“When the national leadership of NLC led a protest in the state, it was not on the issue of salary but over the suspension of certain workers of corporations and agencies who remained unproductive over the years. And it was the 70 per cent to 30 per cent revenue sharing formula between the government and Labour that ended the misunderstanding, and the affected personnel were recalled.
“As we write, the payment of the February salary has begun. Which means the state is only owing the workers the March salary, since April has not ended. Let us be proved wrong in all these. Imo State has a bloated workforce and the highest number of pensioners. Yet, it is only owing the workers the March salary since the payment for February has begun. So, in what way did the state divert or misapply the bailout fund?
“The Imo State Government has unbridled regard and respect for agencies like ICPC because of the great service they have been rendering to this nation. Otherwise, we would have concluded that something was wrong somewhere.
“To say the least, the Imo State Government applied the bailout fund judiciously for the purpose it was meant: the payment of salaries. We did that and also paid pensions, which were not part of the bailout fund. We stand to be contradicted. That is why the issue of salary arrears does not exist in the state at the moment.”
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Imo women counter cultists, kidnappers
Imo State women have joined the battle against cultists and kidnappers who have besieged several communities in the state.
The outlaws, along with armed robbers and other hoodlums, have caused unspeakable atrocities and made life miserable for residents of Ohaji-Egbema and Oguta council areas despite the spirited efforts of security agencies.
Awara, Ohuba, Oguta, Ilile and several other communities were turned into killing fields by rival cult groups fighting for supremacy in the oil-rich communities. Some of the villages have consequently been deserted, others completely razed down.
That was why Women of Divine Destiny Initiative (WODDI), a pet project of the Imo State governor’s wife, joined the security efforts, but only from the spiritual flank.
The initiative is seeking divine intervention in the riverside communities.
To many, the initiative by WODDI will certainly bring a turnaround in the communities and help to restore the confidence of the indigenes and residents who had to flee the crisis-torn communities in the wake of the violence.
In his short sermon, during the prayer meeting with the theme, “Heal our Land O! God”, which attracted Christian women from within and outside the state, a Lagos-based preacher Timothy Ofoegbu decried the upsurge in cultism and fetish practices by politicians desperately seeking power.
He warned that such power-hungry politicians, who incite idle youths to perpetrate heinous crimes against innocent people, will face the wrath of God.
The cleric also condemned the indiscriminate conferment of chieftaincy titles on individuals with questionable means of wealth by traditional rulers, noting that this trend also contributes to the inordinate ambition to acquire wealth through criminal means.
He advised the people above other things, to embrace Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Saviour for speedy resolution of their problems and healing of their land.
Also in his sermon, Bishop David Shekwolo of the Kingdom Church of God Inc. Minna, regretted that immorality has become the order of the day in the society and called for total repentance as the only antidote to the rising criminal activities.
He said, “When the Israelites were in bondage, they cried to God and God sent Moses to deliver them. God is ready to set us free by His mercy but the prayer of a sinner is an abomination before God”.
Bishop Shekwolo advised Christians to shun idol worship, stressing that neither demon nor man-made gods have the capacity to provide solutions for their problems.
The initiator of the programme, Nneoma Rochas Okorocha, said that the prayer meeting was meant to strengthen the state government’s reliance on divine protection, guidance and direction at the grassroots.
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Customs seizes N663m contraband in Imo
The Zone C of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Owerri, the Imo State capital, has said it made 70 seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N663,089,296 in the quarter of this year (January to March).
NCS Unit Comptroller, Mr. Haruna Mamudu, addressed reporters yesterday in Owerri, where he displayed the impounded items and the trucks used for conveying the suspected contraband.
He said the underpayment from the seizure was N214,959,353.
Mamudu said 34 suspects were arrested for the alleged crime within the period under review, adding that 18 cases from the seizures were pending in the court.
The Unit Comptroller listed the contraband as: 44 vehicles, 380 cartons of article of plastics, 1,656 pieces of used tyres; 3,614 cartons of imported frozen poultry products as well as 818 cartons of foreign soap and detergent.
Others include 181 bales of fabrics, 737 pieces of bags and suitcases, 85 bundles of footwear as well as 120 packages of furniture and 906 cartons of unregistered drugs.
He said the contraband were seized on the Benin axis, Agbor, Onitsha-Asaba, Owerri, Calabar and Aba-Eleme axis.
The Unit Comptroller said over 19 trucks comprising 50 kilogrammes of rice, which were also impounded by his men, had been detained for further investigation.
He warned that there were no more hiding places for smugglers because the NCS would flush them out.
Mamudu said: “Our men are now better trained, well equipped and motivated to deal with the nefarious activities of smugglers who have continued to inflict a devastating blow on the nation’s economy.”
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Skills centre takes off in Imo
It was a day of joy for the over 95 pioneer students of the Nneoma Skills Acquisition Centre, another pet project of the wife of the Imo State governor Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, as they took the matriculation oath.
The matriculating students filed out in a long procession dressed in academic gowns, followed by members of the Board of Directors of the centre and the founder. You could have mistaken them for university freshmen, rather than students of a vocational skills acquisition centre.
The students, majority of who could not acquire higher education, either as a result of financial difficulties or other social factors, savoured every second of the moment of the event, which also served as the formal commissioning of the centre.
Their mission to acquire basic skills that will guarantee their future has started.
At the centre, the students will be trained in computer operation, fashion and designing, hair-dressing, catering, photography and cosmetology, among other economic empowering skills.
The administrator of the centre, Mr. Christian Onuoha, said it is a place where students who had no previous vocational skills are turned into professionals in a short period of time.
He said the instructors are well-trained and versed in skill acquisition training and will definitely impact on the students.
Onuoha encouraged more youths to enroll in the centre.
He commended the wife of the governor for initiating the programme, which he said will drastically reduce employment by giving the youths skills that we make them self-reliant.
In her speech, the founder said that she established the centre for the purpose of skill acquisition and economic empowerment for not just the indigent people but for all those who are grappling with the challenges of sustainable means of livelihood.
She said, “I established this centre for the purpose of skill acquisition and economic empowerment. My target is that in no distant time, the students would become self reliant, independent and great entrepreneurs who I believe will eventually become captains of industries and employers of labour. By so doing, they would hopefully become partners in progress with government, particularly in the area of economic development”.
Speaking further, she said, “In the light of the present-day global economic recession, you will agree with me that it is no longer ideal to depend entirely on white collar jobs…
“I hope to build more centres and expand the already existing ones in order to empower a great number of people. I therefore call on you, men and women of goodwill to support this noble initiative so that together we shall build up our society and help in promoting human development.”
In his speech, Governor Rochas Okorocha, represented by the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, maintained that the ‘Rescue Mission Administration’ can boast of holistic policy and programmes that touch every facet of life.
He stated that although the state government has made an indelible mark in the area of infrastructural development, it has also impacted on the life of the people.
The Deputy Governor stressed that the free and qualitative education policy of his administration is one of such holistic policies that has an unparalleled impact ain every home in the state.
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Imo raises committee to check illegal adoption, trafficking
The government of Imo State has inaugurated a committee on Modification of Child Adoption Procedure to stem the anomalies in child adoption and trafficking.
Inaugurating the 10-man committee on behalf of Governor Okorocha, Deputy Governor Prince Eze Madumere averred that the committee is to ensure an absolute respect of the dignity of human life and promotion of a responsible society.
The deputy governor said the committee was set up following complaints about the irregularities in the child adoption process. He said the complaints became even more worrisome following the global trend of human trafficking and slavery.
Madumere urged the committee to pay attention to the terms of reference which bordered on; ascertaining the root cause of the widespread anomalies associated with adoption and proffer solutions; reviewing of the subsisting applications and determine their genuineness or otherwise; make recommendations on the best methods to ensure that adoption laws are not violated; to make recommendations on ways to strengthen existing legal framework on adoption, among other recommendations.
He said the committee was free to co-opt other persons deemed necessary to ther assingment.
The committee memebers include: Bishop Stanford Nwogu (Chairman), Mrs Ngozi Njoku (Secretary), Prince Keke Chima, Taiwo Frederick Lakanu, among others.
Bishop Nwogu, who accepted the appointment on behalf of others, appreciated Governor Okorocha and his Prince Madumere for finding them worthy to serve, especially to deliver on such a sensitive responsibility. He lauded the government for being responsive and rising to the challenge to curb the anomalies in adoption process. He pledged the resolution of the committee to deliver to the expectation and happiness of the people.
Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday opened the Owerri Mall. The mall, situated along Egbu Road, was started in 2014.
Okorocha said the realisation of the project was in line with his industrialisation policy, adding that it will bring back business to the state. He assured the people that his administration will continue to create enabling environment that will attract investment and create employment opportunities.
Centre Manager Bayo Anifowoshe described the mMall as a dream come true, adding that it will raise the living standard of the people.
According to him, the mall will not only give the people the opportunity of buying world class products at considerable prices, but will impact on the economy.
“This is a business that will give return to all stakeholders. It has created 2,000 direct jobs, aside from other secondary businesses that will be created along the value chain. It will also boost the Internally Generated Revenue of the State.”
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Four women held for child theft in Jos
2 men held for kidnapping
The Plateau State Police command has paraded four women for allegedly stealing a one month-old child while the child was asleep.
The suspect criminals, Rukaya Abdulahi, Nancy Ezekiel, Tongret Amos and Jeniffer Sati Sabo were among 26 other criminals paraded at the Jos police headquaters on Monday by the State Commissioner Mr. Adekunle Oladunjoye.
According to the commissioner, “One Talatu Abdulahi of new Abuja, Dadin Kowa Jos left her one month-old baby on bed in her room and left to visit a neighbor. The mother of the baby returned to the room in ten minutes to discover her baby had disappeared from her room.
“The mother promptly reported the missing baby to the police and the police immediately sprung into action in a short while and recovered the baby from the suspects” he said
While explaining her involvement in the crime, One of the suspects, Nancy Ezekiel, who trades in palm oil between Jos and Imo claimed that she took the baby after the mother of the baby agreed to sell the baby.
According to Nancy Ezekiel “We both agreed to carry out the deal, we also vowed never to disclosed the deal to anyone while the baby remains with me. I was shocked to hear the mother report her baby was stolen after she agreed to sell the baby.
However, mother of the stolen baby Talatu Abdullahi who earlier reported the alleged missing child to the Police denied any agreement to sell her baby. She however said, “I decided to sell the child because my father threatened to kill me if have a child out of wedlock.” The police commissioner said the suspects will be taken to court as soon as the processes are completed.
The command also paraded suspected kidnappers who lured a 3 year old boy from Jos and took him to Bauchi from where the criminals called the family to demand N250,000 ransom.
According to the police boss, “the 3 year old boy, Ahmed Hanif Abubakar was sent on errand by his mother when he was abducted by the suspect Umar Isa. The suspect took the boy to Bauchi, hid him in costudy of one Islamic teacher and returned to Jos.
“The same suspect sent a phone number to the parents of the boy asking them to call the phone if they want to know the whereabouts of their son. He also directed the parents to go and pay the demanded ransom in Zaria.
The parents of the boy however negotiated the ransom down to N150,000.00 which the suspect agreed to collect in a bush along Kaduna road, but unknown to the suspect, the police laid ambush near the point where the payment was to be made. The suspect was apprehended while trying to pick the money from the point it was dropped.
The suspect led the police to arrest the Islamic teacher Jibrin Musa from Soro village in Bauchi state where the abducted boy was eventually rescued. The boy has been returned to his parent while the police prepare to arraign the suspects in court.
The police commissioner, Mr. Adekunle maintained that the landmark successes recorded within the first quarter of the year by the Command is as a result of the security mechanism and robust strategies put in place against criminal elements in the state.
He appealed to citizens to be vigilant and report any criminal elements aimed at causing mischief in the state.
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Succession battle in Imo
The next governorship election may be three years away in Imo State, nicknamed the Eastern Heartland. But, the race to succeed Governor Rochas Okorocha appears to have started. Correspondent OKODILI NDIDI examines the phenomenon and the chances of the frontrunners.
There are strong indications that the race to succeed Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State when his tenure expires in 2019 may have started in earnest. The battle for the plum job started earlier than anticipated, after the governor listed the names of 11 persons as his likely successor. The aspirants are from the three senatorial zones of the state. The governor has advised the shortlisted persons to begin to sell their agenda to the people. Okorocha emphasised that their fate will be decided by the people.
The governor listed the criteria for the nominations. According to him, these include age, competence and the ability to continue with his Rescue Mission Agenda. On age, he disclosed that those above 50 years are not likely to emerge as the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019.
However, Okorocha dismissed the idea of zoning the ticket to any of the three districts — a factor that many aspirants had hinged their hopes on to emerge as the candidate. Going by the controversial Charter of Equity signed by political leaders in the three zones of Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe, it is the turn of Owerri zone, which had never produced a governor. The governor is from Orlu zone, while his predecessor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, is from the Okigwe axis.
Okorocha had indicated during his chat with reporters that the motive was to avoid the mistakes of his predecessors, which made it impossible for them to produce their successors.
From Owerri zone, he tipped Deputy Governor Eze Madumere, Hon. Uche Onyeaguocha, Chief Jerry Chukwueke and the Secretary to Government, Sir Jude Ejiogu. In Okigwe zone, the names that came up are: Senator Ifeanyi Ararume; former Speaker of House of Assembly Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu; House of Representatives member from Okigwe South Constituency Deacon Chike Okafor; and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon Acho Ihim.
Aspirants from Orlu zone are: the current Chief of Staff, Chief Uche Nwosu; the APC National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso; the Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Kingsley Uju.
Madumere
Prince Madumere is from Mbaitoli Local Government Area and he is unarguably one of the aspirants with the greatest chance of succeeding Okorocha. This is so because, apart from being the deputy governor, Madumere has a long standing cordial relationship with Okorocha. This explains the seamless working relationship between them, which is particularly remarkable, given the cat and dog relationship between Nigerian governors and their deputies.
Another factor that makes Madumere the man to beat in the race is his unrivalled sense of loyalty and humility, which has earned him the governor’s trust and the people’s admiration.
Also, the emergence of Madumere, according to major stakeholders, will guarantee a seamless transition and continuity of Okorocha’s programme.
Consequently, the governor at different fora had openly described the deputy governor as his begotten son in whom he is well pleased; a statement that has been decoded within the political circle to mean a subtle endorsement of Madumere as his likely successor.
Another selling point for the deputy governor is the fact that his zone, Owerri, is favoured by the public opinion to produce the next governor, irrespective of the fact that the governor may not to be swayed by such sentiment. The Nation’s investigations suggest that there are subterranean moves by stakeholders to ensure that only one person emerges as governorship aspirant from the zone, irrespective of the party affiliation.
But, one major challenge that may mar his chances is the growing in-fighting among Okorocha’s men. Many of them are not favourably disposed to the idea of Madumere succeeding Okorocha, because according to them, he has had more than a fair share; having served as the Chief of Staff and the deputy governor for six years so far.
This group is believed to have engaged the support of the First Lady to prevail on the governor to adopt their preferred candidate.
Ejiogu
The Secretary to Government, Sir Jude Ejiogu, may not have openly indicated interest, but his body language speaks volume about his veiled ambition. One of his greatest strength is his growing popularity among the traditional rulers from the three zones. Past records have shown that the traditional institution, to a large extent, plays a prominent role in deciding who governs the state.
Another strong point that may work in favour of Ejiogu is his closeness to the First Lady, who openly fraternises with a group of young and upcoming politicians.
Besides, the fact that he is also from Owerri zone, like the deputy governor, puts him in the frontline of those that may likely succeed Okorocha. The grand reception held in his honour recently attracted renowned politicians from various political platforms. Their presence at the gathering, according to observers, was a sign of solidarity and a tacit endorsement of his ambition.
However, going by Okorocha’s criteria, Ejiogu may not get by the governor’s nod; he is far above the 50-years benchmark.
Besides, given the fact that many political leaders in Owerri zone have bought into the Madumere project, they may prevail on Ejiogu to drop his ambition in the overall interest of the zone.
Nwosu
Another strong contender is the Chief of Staff and the governor’s son-in-law, Chief Uche Nwosu, who is fondly called Ugwumba. The youthful politician from Okigwe zone has continued to gain acceptance in the political sphere. According to political observers, he is a rising star that may soon become a formidable political power to reckon with.
His popularity among the people, especially the youths and women groups who have benefited immensely from his generosity, appears to be his major strength. This is coupled with the fact that most politicians, especially political appointees, are indebted to him; having gotten one favour or the other from him, as the Commissioner for Lands and now Chief of Staff. So, they may support his ambition as a way of showing gratitude.
Already, his main political structure, the Ugwumba Movement, which cuts across the state, has commenced widespread consultations with major political leaders to support his governorship ambition in 2019. Most of the leaders have been wooed with huge amounts of money and promises of prime positions if he emerges governor.
Nwosu is also one of the few aspirants that have the financial muscle to challenge any contender for the position and his age is another added advantage.
However, the fact that Nwosu is the son in-law to the current governor is one of the things that may work against his ambition. Already majority of the political leaders and other powerful stakeholders are seeing the governor’s mere mentioning of his name among his likely successors as an affront and insult to the sensibility of the people.
To them, it is not only unthinkable but morally wrong for the governor to nurse the idea of handing power over to his son in-law, after governing the state for eight years.
Moreso, the fact that the zoning arrangement does not favour Okigwe zone where he comes from, coupled with the fact that a section of the elder statesmen consider him too young and fragile to govern a state as delicate like Imo.
Hon. Chike Okafor
The member representing Okigwe South Federal Constituency and former Commissioner of Finance is one of those touted to likely replace the incumbent governor, due to his growing political fortunes and cult-like followership among the young politicians in the state.
Okafor from Obowo Local Government Area in Okigwe zone, may not have voiced any intention to join the race, but it was reliably gathered that he has been picked for the job by the First Lady’s camp.
One of his strongest selling points is his seeming acceptability among the people as a result of his philanthropic dispositions, having donated many school buildings and healthcare centres to some communities.
However, one of his greatest challenges is the fact that, although he was among those named by the governor as his likely successors, he has been pencilled down as a running mate to anyone that may emerge as the candidate.
Besides, he is generally considered too inexperienced to govern the state by majority of political leaders. The banker-turned politician has been asked by critics to give an account as the former Finance Commissioner.
Senator Ifeanyi Ararume
Another politician to watch is the senator that represented Okigwe zone. Ararume is one of the frontline politicians that determine the political equation in the state. Having started his governorship ambition in 2007 and remained committed to the course till 2015, Ararume has one of the most formidable political followership and structures in the state.
The advantages he have over others are his wealth of experience and rich contacts, which are invaluable in the game of politics.
Another fact that stands him out is his role in Governor Okorocha’s re-election, which made people to think that the governor owed him a debt of gratitude. Ararume was a governorship aspirant in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and was tipped to win the primaries before it was given to former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.
Out of anger, Ararume pulled out his supporters and directed them to vote for Okorocha to teach the PDP a lesson for manipulating the primary election against him. He vowed to use everything within his disposal to ensure that the PDP candidate failed the election. True to his threat, Ararume aided Okorocha to a resounding victory in Okigwe zone, despite the strength of the PDP in that zone.
Shortly after the elections, the bond between the governor and the senator grew in leaps and bounds and they have become political allies since then. To further cement their reported accord, Ararume defected to the APC with thousands of his followers and since his exit from the PDP, the party has been grappling with crisis.
It is believed that the governor may be favourably disposed to Ararume getting the APC ticket as a way of showing gratitude to him. However, his major challenge is his perceived inconsistency. Based on his antecedents, at each point whenever he fails to get what he wants, he had always defected and worked against the same party, only to return after he has destroyed the party. So, political observers have predicted that he will fall out with Okorocha and the APC, if he is denied the ticket in the 2019.
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Imo North rerun: Tracing origin of the riddle
The indefinite postponement of Imo-North rerun election in February 19, 2016, after it was disrupted in very controversial circumstances, has further raised the political intrigues in the zone as the candidates, their supporters, INEC and political parties continue to exchange blames. Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, in this report, attempts to trace the origin of the riddle
When the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Friday, February 19, 2016, announced an indefinite suspension of the Saturday, February 20, 2016 rerun election in Imo North Senatorial District, keen observers said the intrigues in the politics of the area and that of Imo State as a whole will become even more complicated.
INEC’s Administrative Secretary, Chinedu Oburunobi, who announced the postponement, had told newsmen then that his commission suspended the rerun in the wake of some protests, disturbances and security threat.
Citing some demonstrations and alleged blockage of the entrance of INEC office in Owerri with some heavy duty vehicle, he said, “In view of the foregoing, the members of the inter-agency consultative committee on election security were invited. After due assessment of the security situation on ground, they advised that the safety of men and materials cannot be guaranteed without casualties.”
It would be recalled that verbal exchanges and desperate politicking, which trailed the initial National Assembly election in the area before the suspended rerun election, had peaked before February 19, 2016, when youths alleged to be members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and angry women took over the streets and the INEC state headquarters in Owerri, the state capital, demanding the removal of some officers of the electoral commission who they alleged belonged to the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
For example, Comrade Jeff Nwoha, who was identified as APC Youth Leader, had allegedly told the crowd at INEC office’s gate that morning that one INEC official, an indigene of the state, was “a longtime and habitual election rigger for the PDP. He was quoted as alleging that the said INEC official was brought as the Head of Operations in INEC office, Owerri, to rig the rerun election for PDP.
This allegation and counter allegation did not begin that day. PDP and APC in particular had for months accused each other of perfecting plans to rig the election.
After the PDP first accused APC of planning to rig the re-run election in the state, APC candidate, Benjamin Uwajumogu, denied the allegation and alleged instead that it was PDP that had plans to rig the election.
Addressing reporters in Owerri, Uwajumogu said the rumour that APC wanted to rig the election was untrue. He did not stop there but made a counter allegation that the PDP and its senatorial candidate have been conniving with the staff of INEC to rig the election in their favour.
At that point, it became clear that the atmosphere was too tensed for a violent-free and fair election. This was somehow confirmed when the senatorial candidate of the PDP, Athan Achonu, responded by assuring that his party and the entire people of Okigwe zone would resist any form of imposition, intimidation and Godfatherism by the ruling party in the state.
Also before the demonstration on the eve of the rerun, the South-East APC zonal caucus had also alleged that PDP had perfected a plot to rig the rerun with the use of the Manual Voters Register.
The spokesman of APC Leadership Caucus in the zone, Osita Okechukwu, who raised the alarm in Enugu, said he spent a week in Okigwe and found out that the APC candidate, Benjamin Uwajumogu, was leading and that the camp of the PDP candidate, Senator Athan Achonu, was panicky because some of his party’s State House of Assembly candidates blamed him openly for their failure in the last election. Based on this, Okechukwu alleged that Achonu wanted “to truncate free poll.”
On the wider implication of the election for the zone, the APC and Ndigbo as a whole, Okechukwu said that a vote for APC’s Uwajumogu will further the interest of Ndigbo in Muhammadu Buhari-led APC federal government. According to him, the rerun election “is a golden opportunity, as no Igbo Senator, even our revered Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, is currently a member of the elite APC Senate Caucus.”
As he explained: “This is the ruling party’s Caucus which meets bi-weekly with the Secretary to Government of the Federation, the Vice President and the President; a conclave where major policies, programmes and projects are fine tuned.
“Okigwe has this rare privilege to fill this embarrassing void for Ndigbo. Senator Athan Achor of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yes is qualified, and has the wherewithal to spread, yet he cannot make the APC Senate Caucus because he is not a member of the ruling party.
“May we remind ourselves, that it is very easy to sit in our comfort zone and luxury bedroom shouting on top of our voices that Ndigbo are being marginalized; hallucinate that they hate Ndigbo or lament that Enugu-Port Harcourt highway is dilapidated and ironically still vote for PDP which abandoned all the federal roads in the South-East. We must think out of the box, as the time of sentiment is gone.
“Imagine, most alarmingly, how prominent Igbo sons trumpet on daily basis that the government of the day must implement the constitutional conference report, without aligning with Buhari’s government.
“They canvass that Buhari’s government must do all our wish-list, yet they vote for the wrong candidate, because of money. We must say no to money politics as this is the golden opportunity for us to elect one of us to be in the conclave where vital decisions are taken,” Mr. Okechukwu stated.
It would be recalled that the political atmosphere of the district became over charged after the election of Senator Athan Achor was challenged in court. The matter deepened when the appellate court invalidated the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate’s victory, while delivering judgement in an appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, challenging the verdict of the Elections Petition Tribunal that first nullified the said election.
Affirming the tribunal’s judgement, the Appeal Court directed that a re-run election be conducted within 90 days. It would be recalled that the tribunal, had in its judgment in the petition filed by the candidate of the Accord Party (AP) for the senatorial poll, Mrs. Rita Ibemere Okoroafor, challenging the unlawful exclusion of her party logo and symbol from the ballot paper for the election, ruled that the petitioner proved her case beyond all reasonable doubt. Justice I.B Garba, who read the judgement, said the tribunal had no option than to accede to the petitioner’s request to nullify the poll, because her witnesses and evidence before the court were consistent and established beyond all reasonable doubts that she was not only unlawfully excluded, but also that the election did not meet substantial compliance as demanded by the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended.”
The tribunal also described as totally unacceptable INEC’s claim that it rectified the omission by using the customized ballot for Imo East (Owerri zone), following its discovery two days to the election that the logo and symbol of Accord Party was missing, as the court noted that the attempt was akin to digging a new pit to fill an old one, since it would have resulted in the unlawful exclusion of parties whose logos and symbols were omitted in Imo East ballot papers.
Angry debate
The indefinite postponement of the rerun has not only provided another opportunity for the candidates and their supporters to go back to the trenches, it has exposed the depth of anger of most of the stakeholders and has, as a result elicited seemingly never-ending verbal exchanges, allegations, counter allegations and name calling.
In his first official reaction to the development, Governor Rochas Okorocha had said through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, that INEC should have listened at first to the protesting APC youths.
“The government appeals to INEC to look at the issues raised by the APC youths and address them so that we can begin to respect the rights of the people to vote in an election and their votes counted for the winner to emerge.
PDP as a party also expressed deep anger over the development. Addressing a news conference in Owerri, the leadership of the party in the state accused the state government, INEC and security agencies in the state of complicity in the aborted re-run election.
“The postponement of the scheduled polls was the handiwork of the state government, whose top officials recruited miscreants and street urchins and stormed INEC premises midday with dangerous weapons and blocked the entrance gate with a heavy duty truck,” a visibly angry State PDP Chairman, Chief Nnamdi Anyaehie, said, adding, “It beats our imagination and the minds of all right thinking individuals, how such an ugly incident could successively be accomplished in the presence of fully armed security personnel, including soldiers, and yet nobody was arrested.”
PDP candidate for Okigwe senatorial seat, Senator Athan Nneji Achonu, was also not amused over the development. Aside dismissing the postponement of the re-run election as laughable, he accused the Imo State Government for INEC’s action, warning that before now “Okigwe zone had traditionally enjoyed peace, unity and tranquility.”
Amidst the blame game, The Nation gathered that supporters of the major candidates had since returned to the villages for continuous mobilization of the electorates. But because of the prolonged campaigns and mobilization, plus resultant clashed and face-off, elders in the affected communities are expressing concern and are pleading with INEC to save the communities in the zone. For example, Chief Uche Nnaji, a community leader in Okigwe, analyzing the development, told us on Thursday that INEC has over delayed the rerun, adding that “endless campaigns and mobilization has continued to divide brothers and sisters. Politics should not be practiced in such a way as to bring needless enmity amongst blood relatives. Let them conduct this election and allow one of us represent us in Abuja,” he pleaded.
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A historic sharing formula in Imo
After a stormy face-off with Labour, the Imo State Government has agreed that its workers will take 70 per cent of all accruals, leaving it with 30 per cent, reports OKODILI NDIDI
The deal is considered momentous. It conceded a lot to workers 70 per cent of all accruals, leaving the Imo State government with 30 per cent. It however, did not come easy. The concession came after a fierce face-off.
This sort of deal with Labour is rare, but in Imo it had to be reached in order to move the state forward. The deal is said to have defined how the resources of the state will be shared between the government and workers in order to end the frequent and sometimes needless Labour crisis. What becomes of governance after 70 per cent is deducted monthly from all state revenues, including allocation from the Federation Account and Internally Generated Revenue?
Questions trailed the agreement. How workable is this agreement? Can the government run efficiently on 30% allocation? What was the benchmark for the agreement? How can the workers cope during little or zero allocation and more importantly, how can government finance its capital projects, complete existing ones or initiate new ones?
The build-up to the historic agreement was not a bed of roses; it was the climax of Labour crisis that attracted the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) across the country.
They came in their numbers and shut down the state in protest of the suspension of workers in the state parastatals and concession of state institutions by the government.
But at the end of a tough deliberation between selected Union leaders led by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba and representatives of the state government led by the Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel Ohiri, an agreement that was generally accepted was signed and sealed.
Immediately after that, the news was rife that the governor had bowed to the demands of labour and outwitted by the workers. But surprisingly, Governor Rochas Okorocha felt relieved. To him, 30% from the state allocation is more than enough to drive his capital projects. His worry, though, is whether the workers will manage the 70% that will accrue to them.
The governor said, “I think this may perhaps be the only way out for many states weighed down with the burden of growing recurrent expenditures, not just Imo State. The agreement is a settlement for the imagined dispute – for there was really no dispute; we merely suspended non-productive workers to get them to take their jobs seriously. So, they were not sacked, as widely reported.
“What we did was to introduce the concession policy into the healthcare sector, having tried it at the Imo Concorde Hotel, which is now a five-star hotel; at Water Board, where it has worked successfully; at the Imo Palm Plantation, where it is working fine; and at the new diagnostic hospitals, where it is also working well. In fact, we believe the only way this state can survive is by introducing private sector spirit into the public sector. This is because in our culture, we don’t believe in government property; that is why we always want them destroyed all the time; patriotism is not in our people and it is only when people buy into it one way or the other that you achieve positive results.
“But, when Labour leaders felt that the policy was leading to the sacking of workers, they invited their leaders at the national level to come here, saying we were going to sack all the workers. It is not true. I told them that bringing back these people will not auger well for the system, because some of them do not contribute anything to the system. I am not opposed to their coming back; my problem is that I did not want to use tax payers’ money to continue to pay people who are not productive.
“Since they fell under the category of civil and public servants, we can now share the resources of our land to take care of recurrent and capital expenditure. So, we agreed that all incomes that come in – be it internally generated revenue (IGR) or subvention from the Federation Account – must be shared into two, with labour taking 70 per cent and Imo State Government will take 30 per cent. We have a total workforce of 40,000. In other words, 40,000 people will take 70 per cent of the resources, while the remaining 4,960,000 will take the outstanding 30 per cent. I will make do with the remaining 30 per cent to finish up all my projects.
“In fact, with the 30 per cent, I will make Imo State better than it is today. So, I think it is a win-win situation. But, I hope they will be satisfied with their 70 per cent. It is a challenge; it will help them to work hard. It means that there salary will no longer be fixed; because the resources fluctuates and they will have to share it to go round. So, it is not correct that labour defeated the state government and it signed the agreement under pressure”.
He continued further that, “the truth is that I am pursuing what is in the interest of our people. We must begin to readjust our priorities. In fact, I am worried that the only factory that works in this state is the stomach factory. Anywhere you see smoke rising, it must be one from pepper soup, smoke from goat meat and smoke from suya. There is no smoke from factories or industrial establishments. So, we are virtually eating up our future and the future of children yet unborn, by diverting all our resources to recurrent expenditures. We must make sacrifices now to make the future better”.
The governor insisted further that, “We have tried in our previous budgets to have 65 per cent recurrent and 35 per cent capital. But, we never achieved that ratio. In most cases, we end up with 81 per cent recurrent and 19 per cent capital. So, it has been a problem. In recent times, we did not even achieve 10 per cent capital, because the bailouts we received went into payment of salaries.
“So, with the 30 per cent, I will be able to pursue my capital projects, because I didn’t have such in the past four years. Cumulatively, the state must have earned about N285 billion in four years. Out of that amount, I could not lay my hands on N40 billion. Yet, I was able to build seven General Hospitals with 100 beds each; one thousand kilometres of rural roads; 200 kilometres of dualised roads, 205 schools being built; total transformation of the city of Owerri; and of course free education at all levels. So, you can imagine if I had N200 billion in my coffers in four years, Imo State will have been totally transformed”.