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Tag: Imo

  • Imo’s magnificent roundabouts, city gates

    Imo’s magnificent roundabouts, city gates

    Owerri, the Imo State capital in recent times, is undergoing massive reconstruction and renovation. It is currently wearing a new look with magnificent and unique roundabouts that have distinguished it as one of the most beautiful state capitals in the country.

    The Imo State capital, a rather small city with heavy population density has over five higher institutions with its attendant challenges. As a result of this, the available infrastructures were strained and gradually the city lost its spark, grandeur, beauty and allure due to years of reckless abandon by successive administrations.

    The few existing roads were dilapidated and vehicular and human movements within the capital city became a nightmare as a result of traffic gridlock. The situation was further worsened by the activities of touts and street traders who defied all established laws to carry out their illegal activities.

    But today, a visitor to Owerri will confirm that the famous Eastern Heartland has fully bounced back and regained its lost glory, thanks to the Rochas Okorocha-led administration which immediately on assumption of office initiated the Rescue Mission Agenda.

    Now Imo State can boast of being one of the safest and cleanest capital cities. The dilapidated roads have been fixed and strategic new ones constructed to decongest traffic gridlock and ease movement and commerce in the city.

    Touting and street trading have also been stamped out and the abandoned green parks have received adequate attention and now add to the beauty and serenity of Owerri.

    But some unique features that have given the Imo State capital entire new look and edge are the beautifully-constructed roundabouts that have sprouted all over the metropolis. The most conspicuous ones are the Okigwe Roundabout, Control Roundabout, IMSU Roundabout, Fire Service Roundabout and Wethedral Roundabout.

    Other dazzling features are the street lights that illuminate the entire city at night making it impossible for one to believe that such a beautiful city exists in the Southeast states.

    The state government has also, through the Owerri City Development Authority (OCDA) recaptured and implemented the Master Plan of the capital city.

    In so doing, however, a lot of illegal and unauthorized structures were demolished resulting in temporary hardship and challenges. But, the pains had given way to gains and unimagined beauty that is cherished by residents of the capital city and visitors alike.

    Describing the beauty of the city, a resident, Mr. Ugo Okemiri, said Owerri is now entirely a new city. “Although I am not from Imo State, I have lived and worked in Owerri for the past 29 years and I can tell you today that in the last 12 years, no one thought that the city could be what it is today.”

    He added further that, “when the state government was constructing the roundabouts and opening up the city, most people termed it a waste of time and resources but today everyone is happy to live in Owerri. The roundabouts and the city gates are quite beautiful and at night one cannot believe that you are in anywhere in Nigeria, its beauty is better imagined, especially at night.”

    Mr. Declan Uzoaru, a Lagos-based legal practitioner who was in Owerri during the last Yuletide with his family, had this to say: “You know having spent most of my life in Lagos, I have always seen Owerri my state capital as a glorified village but when I came home for the Christmas break with my family, I was dumbfounded by the beauty that greeted us immediately we drove into the city.

    “The whole streets were tarred, there were functional street lights everywhere and the roundabouts were sort of tourist sites. I drove my children round the city and it was just amazing. I returned to Lagos after the holiday with a promise to return soon to savour the beauty of my great state.”

    Miss Kelechi Ejerenwa, an undergraduate of the Federal University of Technology (FUTO), commended the state government for the efforts to transform the city. “We are happy because we can now stay in Owerri and feel like we are in any great city anywhere in the world. And when we snap pictures especially at the roundabouts, people think we took the pictures abroad.”

    Apart from beautifying the capital city, efforts of the state government have also given a boost to commerce and tourism. Today, Owerri plays host to over 70 per cent of local and international seminars in the Southeast and South-South states.

    However, the state government has been fiercely criticised by the opposition for constructing the roundabouts and parks in the capital city, which they insisted had worsened the traffic situation in the city.

    Chief Temple Onyejiuwa, a retired civil servant said: “What we expect from this administration is far more than window dressing the state capital. We need industries and other infrastructures that will create employment and buoy the economy of the state. If the people are unemployed and hungry, how can they appreciate the beauty of the city? So, even though you build the streets with gold and the people are hungry, you have done nothing.”

     

  • Senator decries use of Imo as opposition headquarters

    The lawmaker representing Imo West, Senator Hope Uzodinma, yesterday accused Governor Rochas Okorocha of turning Imo State into the headquarters of the opposition against the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

    Briefing reporters at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Owerri, Uzodinma alleged that Okorocha did not only turn Imo into an opposition state, but also made it the hotbed of anti-Federal Government activities.

    The senator, who is also the chairman of the Central Organising Committee for the President’s visit, said he would not inaugurate any project during his visit because there was none to be inaugurated, as the state government had not completed any project.

    He said a rally would be held for the President at the Dan Anyiam Stadium.

    Uzodinma said President Jonathan would receive the returnee-members of the party like Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, former governor Achike Udenwa, Senator Chris Anyanwu, Chief Alex Obi, former state chairman of the party, among others, who defected after the 2011 elections.

    The lawmaker, who also said the purpose of the rally was to reposition the party in the state, alleged that Okorocha was against the President’s visit.

  • Transforming Imo health sector

    Transforming Imo health sector

    The Imo State government will make healthcare accessible to all, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Edward Ihejirika, has said. He told reporters in Owerri, the state capital, that the Okorocha-led administration adopted policies and programmes to realise its health objective in order to rejuvenate the sector.

    The government, he said, had put facilities and structures in place to take care of all citizens, especially expectant mothers and children.

    Noting that government is aware of the plight of mothers and pregnant women, Dr Ihejirika said government has resolved to make maternal care free in the state, adding that all healthcare centres across the state have commenced full implementation of the programme.

    However, the people are clamouring for action on the part of government to improve the health sector in the state. Majority of those who spoke with our correspondent said the health system in the state has gone awry.

    Most complaints came from expectant mothers who told our correspondent that pregnant women in the state are going through unsavoury situation.

    To understand their complaints, our correspondent visited the maternity wing of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri, the Imo State capital. Investigation reveals the shocking ordeal of expectant mothers in the state, as they scale through hurdles to access low quality healthcare at exorbitant rates.

    The women who are crowded in a stuffy ‘waiting’ room are made to wait endlessly for the few doctors and nurses available to attend to them. There are instances of women who were delivered of their babies in the waiting rooms and balcony after hours of labour without any form of attention.

    As early as 5:30 a.m. everyday, hundreds of pregnant women across the state converge at the maternity wing of the hospital. They will spend the whole day there. Though the few available doctors work tirelessly to attend to the women, the ratio of expectant mothers per doctor far outweighs what can allow for efficiency.

    To further compound the challenges of the expectant mothers, is the imposition of exorbitant and illegal charges by the hospital authority. For example, an expectant mother pays as much as N20,000 on her first registration and deposits as much as N50,000 on the day of delivery.

    Although in most states across the country, maternal care for expectant mothers is free, Imo State is yet to kick off the free maternal programme even after Governor Rochas Okorocha announced it in a public event.

    The poor state of public hospitals and health centres in the state, has not helped the plight of expectant mothers in the state, some of who are forced to patronise quacks and uncertified hospitals.

    Narrating her ordeal, Mrs. Ujunwa Uzowuru, one of the expectant mothers said that ”at the FMC, expectant mothers are treated with utter disdain and reckless abandon. You can imagine where an expectant mother has to wait from morning till evening to see a doctor under very unsatisfactory conditions. Most times, doctors run out of patience as a result of the number of women they have to attend to.”

    She further said: ”I am scared each day of my appointment due to the harrowing experience. No matter how early you get to the hospital, the number of expectant mothers are so much that you can’t even find a place to sit down. And any office you enter, you are asked to pay one fee or another.”

    Another expectant mother who didn’t want her name mentioned, lamented that, ”for two weeks now I have been coming to get the result of the tests I did. But in other places, it takes less than an hour to get such result. At a point, I was told that they have missed the sample and my fear is that it is possible that the samples for the test can be mixed up and one could be given the wrong diagnosis.”

    At the delivery ward, the story is the same. Some of the women who have been delivered of their babies but could not afford the exorbitant bills are detained by the hospital authority.

    A senior member of the hospital management who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that the influx of expectant mothers in the hospital is straining the available facilities and staff capacity, adding that the near collapse of the public healthcare system in the state is responsible for the situation.

    He said: ”We are trying our best to cope with the challenges. Imagine on a daily basis we attend to between 450 to 500 expectant mothers and the figure is almost the same with delivery cases. I think the reason is that government-owned hospitals are not working because if the public health institutions are functioning as they should, they will take away the burden from the FMC.”

    Meanwhile, the few public hospitals in the state are poorly equipped and managed; a situation that eroded public confidence in the ability of the hospitals to deliver quality healthcare services.

    At the Specialist Hospital Umuguma, the doctors and other health workers are constantly agitating for improved remunerations, resulting in frequent strike actions, which had further paralysed its operations.

    The government hospitals, according to Chief Paul Ezihe, a retired health worker, became comatose after the state government leased them out to private operators, a decision he said, was strongly resisted by experts and stakeholders.

    He said: ”Public healthcare delivery in the state is at the verge of total collapse. Except something drastic is done urgently, the drift may continue. You can imagine a situation where the only functional public health institution in the state is the FMC. Granted that the government is building new hospitals, swifter measures should be taken to revive the existing ones.”

    Although the Imo State government is building new general hospitals in each of the 27 local government areas of the state, experts are of the opinion that interim measures should be taken to provide quality healthcare to the people of the state.

    We appreciate the state government’s efforts in that direction, but the people should be provided with affordable and quality healthcare delivery. In Imo State today maternal mortality rate is on the increase because  most pregnant women, especially those in the rural areas cannot access medical services.

    “There should be functional health centres in every community and that will bring healthcare to the door step of the people and increase life expectancy which had dropped drastically in the state”.

    When contacted, the commissioner for health Dr Edward Ihejirika said the state government have put facilities and structures in place to take care of pregnant women and children.

    He said the government is aware of the plight of mothers and pregnant, thus, the government result to make maternal care free, adding that all health care centres across the state have commenced full implementation of the programme.

  • Imo NDDC commissioner warns against project duplication

    The Imo State Commissioner in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Kyrian Uchegbu, has warned against the waste of resources through project duplication.

    The warning was contained in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Commission, Mr Tony Omah, and released in Owerri on Tuesday.

    It noted that avoiding such waste would fast track the achievement of sustainable development in the Niger Delta area.

    According to the statement, Imo residents should take advantage of some of the programmes of the commission to improve on their living standards.

    It listed such programmes to include women and youth empowerment and the free healthcare delivery services.

    The statement warned contractors handling NDDC’s projects against doing substandard jobs as the commission was determined to encourage international best practices.

    It called on the youth in the Niger Delta to shun violence and refrain from negative activities to embrace peace for quicker development.

     

  • Imo chapter targets one million members

    Imo chapter targets one million members

    The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is targeting at least one million members in the registration. Governor Rochas Okorocha urged the registration officials to prevent the manipulation of the exercise.

    The governor spoke in Owerri, when he opened the registration at the Ahiajioku Convention Centre.

    He said the exercise, which began on February 5, was the beginning of better future for Ndigbo and Nigerians.

    Okorocha stressed the need for Imo residents to identify with APC.

    The governor promised “to ensure continuity of free education with 305 modern primary schools, massive road construction/rehabilitation, improved health care delivery, youth/women empowerment, tight security and other dividends of the Rescue Mission Government in the state”.

    He added: “We should support the APC.”

    Okorocha assured prospective members that APC would be free and fair, especially in the election of candidates for elections.

    The governor was optimistic that over one million members would be registered into the APC in Imo State.

    He warned members against dual registration.

    The Chairman of APC Registration Committee, Dr. Alex Ibe, promised that members would be provided with temporary identity cards before the state congress in March.

    Dr Ibe added that only card-carrying members would participate in the congress and convention.

  • Imo tills the land again

    Imo tills the land again

    IT made a big splash when it tilled the soil. Its people were well-fed. There were jobs and a lot of cash from the export of some of its produce.

    That was the profile of Imo State’s agriculture programme of which AdaPalm was the flagship. But, then, all was lost.

    Thankfully, the state is finding its way back to the farm, and the people have the Rochas Okorocha administration to thank for that.

    In the last two and half years, the administration has breathed life into the state’s abandoned agro-based industries. Palms are coming alive and you can now see large expanse of land devoted to comprehensive farming. Again, AdaPalm leads in the revival plan.

    The palm plantation, unarguably one of the largest in Africa, was established by the then Premier of the Eastern Region, Dr Michael Okpara.

    A sprawling 4,310 hectares of fully grown palms, it started as a farm settlement in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area, but was later incorporated in 1976 into the Agricultural Development Authority (ADA). It was run by the Europeans until 1987 when it was indigenised.

    The plantation, apart from having the capacity of milling and processing very large quantities of palm oil for sale, also engaged in soap making and production of all kinds of industrial oil and animal feed, among others.

    During the Sam Mbakwe administration, the industry witnessed a massive transformation and enhanced productivity as it adequately created employment for the teeming population of the state and gave a boost to its economy.

    But thereafter, successive administrations abandoned the industry and relied heavily on the derivations from oil, which resulted in the comatose state of the only agro-based industry in the state. This resulted in thousands of workers losing their means of livelihood.

    The industry was totally grounded, while the management took the advantage of government’s seeming lack of interest to enrich themselves.

    Piqued by this awful state of the industry, Governor Okorocha declared his determination to revive it. To actualise the dream, he leased it out to Roche, an Irish investor for 15 years at the sum of N3.2 billion.

    The decision of the governor to re-engineer the industry was part of his promises to the people of the state during his electioneering campaigns.

    The Okorocha administration is targeted 4,000 jobs upon full rehabilitation of the company. Although this is yet to be achieved, available indices indicate that the company has gradually bounced back to full capacity.

    The Managing Director of the company, Neil Andrew Danby regretted that such huge investments were abandoned for the past 20 years, even as he assured that with the new management on board, the company will soon regain its past glory.

    He said the production level has dropped drastically as a result of poor state of the mill which resulted from years of neglect. He added that the palm trees are at the end of their lifespan and would continue to reduce in volume and quality in the next five years.

    He further revealed that the company has commenced an aggressive replanting programme which must be completed within a three-year period. He added that the company has six years from now to replace the aged trees, noting that over 84,000 improved seedlings have been imported from Costa Rica.

    On the area of employment, he said over 600 youths from the host community have been employed, assuring that more jobs through the micro-economic programmes would be initiated by the company.

    The chairman of State House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Luke Chukwu confirmed that serious transformation has taken place within the short period of take-over of the industry by the foreign firm.

    He said the establishment of basket and broom making departments and other small- scale industries, has opened up more employment opportunities for the people of the state.

    The Corporate Affairs Manager of the Industry, Mr. Asobieni Benjamin said despite the tremendous changes that have been experienced since the take-over of the plantation by the foreign firm, one major challenge facing the industry is the 18 months salary arrears owed workers by the previous management.

    In a bid to encourage oil palm cultivation in the state, the governor recently flagged off the ikuana nkwu programme (meaning have you planted a palm). The programme which was conceived to ensure that every family in the state owns a palm plantation, according to the state government is to alleviate poverty in the state.

    The Governor, while disbursing a take-off grant of N3.3 million to traditional rulers in each of the 637 communities of Imo State for cultivation of the new palm seedlings provided by government, urged all communities to cultivate at least 150 seedlings in every hectare of land and to establish oil mills in their localities to aid the harnessing of the palm fruits.

  •  Fresh hurdle for Imo flood victims

     Fresh hurdle for Imo flood victims

    Not again! That has been the general cry of residents of coastline communities in Imo State as they face another threat of ocean surge.

    Nearly two years after the devastating flood that swept across many states in the country, victims of the disaster in the state are still grappling with its challenges.

    But to worsen their ordeal, there are fresh concerns that what happened before could happen again if nothing urgent is done to avert it.

    Although the state government has consistently claimed to have put palliative measures in place to cushion the effects of the flood, the victims are still battling to pick up the fragments of their lives after losing everything to the rampaging flood.

    Some of the villages along the popular Oguta Lake in Oguta Local Government Area are in imminent danger as it gradually overflows its bank. The lake was once a tourist attraction, but now the residents view it as a potential source of anguish.

    Recall that the entire riverside communities of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta local government areas were submerged by last year’s flood disaster which washed away their homes and farmlands.

    Findings revealed that the flood victims who had earlier returned to their dilapidated homes are currently experiencing fresh challenges as the water has risen to an alarming level and may flood the communities any moment.

    One of the victims, Nze Mathias Ahanna, who spoke with our reporter, lamented, saying: “We are yet to recover from last year’s disaster and it is obvious that we may suffer the same fate again this year. We don’t have any other place to go to. We will continue to wait until something is done to assist us.”

    The father of eight, who lost his house and crops in last year’s disaster, decried what he called government’s indifference to the plight of the victims.

    He said: “During last year’s flood disaster, it was turned into a political affair where politicians fought to outwit one another in scoring political points with the misfortunes of the people. They abandoned them thereafter.”

    He noted that the state government did not put anything in place to check a re-occurrence even after collecting the intervention fund from the Federal Government.

    “Our major problem now is that we don’t know where to relocate to,”Ahanna said. “We have raised the alarm several times but no response has come from any quarters.”

    Also bemoaning the situation, a petty trader, Mrs. Carolina Azubuike, a widow, said, “After we lost our means of livelihood, we were given paltry sums of money. Now we are experiencing another challenge.

    “We are appealing to the state and Federal Government to come to our aid. It is even necessary that they should dredge the lake or construct embankment along the bank of the river to stop it from running over the communities.”

    She noted that the relevant authorities had enough time and warning to have swung into action to forestall a re-occurrence of the flood disaster. Rather, they preferred to wait for the disaster to happen.

    She said: “This case is unlike when the flood occurred without prior warning. But even at that, the government has remained adamant to our complaints.”

    Meanwhile, controversy has continued to trail the disbursement of the N400 million Federal Government’s intervention fund for victims in the state. While the communities accuse the state government of misappropriating the funds, government agencies have continued to insist that the fund was put to use in the best and overall interest of the victims.

    The coastline communities in Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta local government areas which were areas affected by the flood disaster, accused the Imo State Flood Relief Management Committee of diverting the intervention fund to personal purposes after disbursing a paltry N67 million.

    Speaking on behalf of the victims from Oguta council area, a community leader, Mr. Ozor Chimuanya disclosed that the committee set up by the state government to manage the fund, did not consult with the affected communities to find out how best to assist in cushioning the effects of the flood.

    He observed that one year after the flood devastation that rendered most of the people homeless, with their means of livelihood submerged, “the government is yet to come up with a comprehensive action plan that will address the immediate challenges or proactive measures to forestall a possible re-occurrence.”

    The embittered community leader also lamented that the little money released to the communities through government officials have torn the communities apart. “Some of the communities, as we speak, are at war over how to share the little money given to them. The aides of senior government officials in whose names the cheques were issued have insisted on taking a certain percentage from the money. This is not what the money was meant for.”

    Giving a detailed account of how the money was disbursed in Oguta Local Government Area, Chimuanya listed the benefitting communities to include: Mgbele (N2m), Osuobodo (N3m), Oguta (5m), Osemoto (N2m), Eziogu (N3m) and Egwe (N3m).

    Others are Egbuoma (N3m), Mkpesi (N2m) while Mmekuku got N2 million.

    Corroborating Chimuanya’s claims, former chairman of Oguta Local Government Area, Hon. Emma Mazi, added said: “The money, as we were told, was meant to alleviate the sufferings of the flood victims. But the Imo State government diverted it to other uses which have not reflected on the well-being of the suffering victims.”

    Mazi noted that the proposal by the government to build town halls in the communities was not only amusing but a deliberate misuse of public funds. “How can they build town halls in the communities? How does that assist the flood victims? In all these communities, there are existing town halls. For instance, in Oguta community, we have two town halls already,” he said.

    However, the Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Obi Njoku, had dismissed the allegations as unfounded and frivolous.

    He said: “Every kobo of the intervention fund is accounted for. Apart from the N67 million earlier disbursed to the affected communities, which we are monitoring, the state government is currently building farm settlements in the 16 communities at the cost of N25 million each. This will serve as rehabilitation centres.”

    He further explained that before the receipt of the intervention fund, the state government had swung into action to assist the victims by resettling them and providing relief materials running into several millions of Naira. These included medications and food items.

    “The state government augmented the intervention fund with about N129 million. That is why we are able to build the farm settlements which will be delivered soon. I think the cause of these controversies is our blunt refusal to hand over the fund to certain individuals in these communities who had thought it was another windfall.

    “Our insistence that the money will be invested in the welfare of the victims did not go down well with some people, especially the community heads who are bent on appropriating the funds without giving the flood victims priority in their sharing plan,” he stated.

    However, when our correspondent visited one of the temporary camps in Oguta, the victims had deserted the decrepit camp as many of them were said to be forced out by poor living conditions occasioned by negligence by government.

    A victim, who pleaded anonymity, told our reporter that, “we were exposed to all forms of danger in that camp and the government abandoned us immediately they resettled us there. So, we were left with no alternative than to leave the place and continue with our lives.”

    But the chairman of the committee debunked the claim, explaining that “we provided medication, feeding and clothing for all the victims at the various camps. But you know our people; they are not used to staying in one place and waiting for help. So, they moved away voluntarily to join their kinsmen rather than be seen as refugees.”

  • Imo PDP: Ararume’s guber ambition alters calculation

    Imo PDP: Ararume’s guber ambition alters calculation

    Senator Ifeanyi Ararume’s interest in the governorship ticket of Imo State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party is causing ripples within the party, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan

    With the return of Senator Ifeanyi Ararume into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) early in the year and his interest in the 2015 Imo State governorship race, political calculations within the party in the state appear to have been significantly altered.

    Before the return of the frontline politician, spin doctors in the party had thought the race for the governorship will be a race among interested aspirants from Owerri zone chiefs among who are the current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha and National Women Leader of the party, Dr. Kema Chikwe.

    This, according to party sources, was because of perceived absence of any strong aspirant from the Okigwe zone of the state in spite of the zone’s clamour that one of its own should be allowed to return to the Government House and complete its second term of four years.

    The zone’s argument, sources said, is premised on the assumption that the inability of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim to win his re-election bid in 2011 short-changed the zone by preventing it from governing the state for eight years that would have equated the two four-year terms spent in office by Orlu zone when Chief Achike Udenwa ruled the state between 1999 and 2003.

    Senator Sylvester Anyanwu, Ohakim and Senator Mathew Nwagwu are some of the names that has been propping up as aspirants from the zone for the 2015 governorship election within the PDP. But political pundits, as well as opinion leaders within the party, have written most of them off as too weak politically to confront Governor Rochas Okorocha.

    Also, quite a number of party leaders in the state are of the opinion that the people of Okigwe zone blew their chance in 2011 by allowing Okorocha from Orlu zone to snatch power from them. It is also a popular opinion within the party that it will be unfair to the Owerri zone that has been waiting in the wings for nearly two decades to wait for another four years while Okigwe goes again.

    Consequently, politicians from Owerri zone were encouraged to come all out for the position with a near assurance that the party will zone its governorship ticket to the zone without much ado.

    And notable politicians from the zone were seen as the front runners in the race for the PDP 2015 governorship ticket. Aside Ihedioha and Chikwe, other notable PDP chieftains from the zone being fingered as governorship aspirants include former Interior Minister, Emmanuel Iheanacho and a frontline financier of the party in the state, Chief Jerry Chukwueke.

    But with the recent return of Ararume to the party three years after he defected to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), party chieftains are once again looking in the direction of Okigwe zone in their bid to decide where the PDP guber ticket should go in 2015.

    Ararume, who announced his return to the party with a ceremony that was witnessed by the likes of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, Senator Arthur Nzeribe and his wife, Senate Committee Chairman on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodiimma, Hon. Bethel Amadi, National Women Leader of the party, Dr. Kema Chikwe, South-East zonal chairman of the PDP, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd), outgoing State Chairman of the party, Chief Eze Duruiheoma (SAN), state Secretary, George Uzoma Eguh, a former Managing Director of the Daily Times, Chief Innocent Okparadike, former Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Chief Kelechi Nwagwu, among others, has not left anyone in doubt that his coming to the party is to contest the governorship election in 2015.

    While saying he returned to the party to contribute his part to building the party at all levels, he expressed optimism that with his re-entry, the feat the party recorded during elections between 1999 and 2007 would be repeated. He then asked for the support of all party chieftains and members to enable him achieve his desires for the party.

    And it appears the prominent chieftains of the party are fast catching the Ararume bug, creating a fast spreading impression within the party that he may get the governorship ticket in 2015 as a compensation for the many injustices he allegedly suffered in the hands of the party leadership before his defection.

    A leader of the party, who spoke to The Nation on condition of anonymity, said Ararume’s return to the party was a product of efforts by party leaders to reposition the PDP in Imo State back to its election winning ways.

    “His return to the PDP is not by chance. Ararume is a politician with a big weight in Imo politics. Having him outside the party was a big loss all these years and we all knew that. What has been the lot of the PDP since he left? We lost our wining magic and that is what we want back.

    “The insinuations that he may be given the party’s guber ticket in 2015 are not all lies. Apart from the fact that he deserves it as a politician who can deliver electoral victory, it is also important to note that the party cannot ignore the agitation of Okigwe zone for an opportunity to complete our own second term.

    “You recall that Ararume left the party as a result of the injustice meted out to him in the 2007 Governorship Election in Imo State. What happened was the height of injustice and a barefaced act of anti-party activity against a fellow member of the party. That injustice must be redressed. A situation where the then President, Chief Obasanjo, arrived Imo State with the National Executives and declared that the PDP did not have a candidate in the election was a barefaced act of anti-party activity.

    “This obnoxious decision was handed out on the party, in spite of the judgment of the Supreme Court that Ararume was the governorship candidate of the PDP in that election. A situation where members of a political party were asked to vote against a member of the party is very absurd and reeks of dictatorship. This kind of imposition is not known to democracy; it’s the height of anti-party act and the party must take cognizance of all these now that Ararume has returned to the party,” our source, a state executive member of the party, said.

    Also, the State Legal Adviser of PDP in Imo State, C.O.C. Akaolisa, was recently quoted as saying there is need for the party to revisit all the injustices meted out to Ararume before his defection.

    “The fact that Ararume has returned to the party in spite of that provocation shows that he is a good man. As the State Legal Adviser of the party, I will advise that this injustice meted out to Ararume should be revisited with a view to have it redressed because he who goes to equity must go with clean hands.

    “Now that Ararume is back to the party, it behooves the party to ensure that whatever rights that are due to him and his supporters are given to them in full without any reservations. The party will make further clarification on this development as events unfold,” Akaolisa reportedly said.

    But it is not all chieftains of the party that are at ease with the alleged subtle move to hand Ararume the party’s ticket. From the Owerri zone and other sections of the state, some organisations, party leaders and members are preparing to shoot down the alleged plan.

    Recently,the Owerri People’s Front (OPF) organised a programme in Owerri, the Imo State capital, to remind party leaders of the need for them to consider the agitation of the people of Owerri zone for the governorship with all seriousness.

    Speaking at the event, Ihedioha, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Mr. Ernest Ibejiako, described the agitation as noble and justifiable. He said he is committed to any move to ensure that Owerri Senatorial Zone produced the governor come 2015.

    He urged the people of the zone to be selfless and not be deterred by materialism and pressure from the enemies of progress in the pursuit of the project, pointing out that the injustice against the zone would be a thing of the past should people support the cause of OPF in actualising the mandate.

    On her part, Chikwe lamented that Imo State had been producing emergency governors since 1999 because of the inability of the people to do the right thing by supporting credible and qualified candidates because, according to her, the character of a governor was a combination of so many factors.

    The former ambassador said for the state to move forward, Owerri Zone must produce the governor of the state in 2015 in the interest of justice and fair play. She, however, urged the people of the zone to see the issue as a serious business, which required the commitment of all and sundry.

    While insisting that the group will move against any attempt to give the ticket to a candidate from another zone, the Chairman of OPF, Mr. Ebere Chukwuemeka, explained that it is time for the party to correct the imbalance in the leadership of the state since 1999. He said the group will continue to enlighten the people on why the zoning formula in the state must be respected.

  • 649 suspected kidnappers, 261 ‘baby factory’ operators arrested in Imo

    Imo State Police Command said yesterday that 649 suspected kidnappers, 261 ‘baby factory’ operators and 503 suspected armed robbers were arrested in the last 12 months.

    Commissioner of Police Muhammad Musa Katsina, who briefed reporters on the achievements of the command last year, said the suspects are standing trial. He said the command lost three of its men during the period.

    Katsina said when he assumed duty last February, the state had one of the highest rate of kidnapping, armed robbery, child trafficking and ‘baby factory’ racket, among others.

    The police boss said despite the challenges, the battle against crime had continued, adding that crime rate had reduced.

    Said he: “Today we are here to give an account of our stewardship last year. In my maiden speech after I assumed duty, I made known my determination to fight crime. To achieve this, I set up an effective network and the Command’s Ambush Squad. Today for the first time in the history of crime-fighting, Imo State is a pacesetter.”

    At the event, which attracted traditional rulers, clergymen, businessmen, among others, 23 police officers were rewarded for their gallantry and dedication to duty.

  • Monarchy redefined in Imo

    Monarchy redefined in Imo

    Traditional rulers in Imo State are no longer restricted to their palaces from where they administer their kingdoms. Why? A new role assigned to them now allows them to also participate in the day-to-day running of the government.

    Their new role encapsulated under the newly created Traditional Parliament of Imo State has given the monarchs the opportunity to collaborate with the government and the people in the process of development and improving the lots of their subjects.

    The Parliament, otherwise known as the ‘Ogbako Ndi Eze Imo,’ is structured after the State House of Assembly and its activities and procedures equally have stunning similarities with that of any other parliament. One could mistake the sitting of the Ogbako for that of the Senate except for their traditional regalia and wooden Mace that looks like an object of traditional worship.

    The membership of the Traditional Parliament is strictly restricted to traditional rulers from government recognized who holds their sittings once in every three months in the hallow chambers, known as ‘Ime Obi’.

    The Parliamentary procedures is similar to all Legislative Houses in the country even though the ‘Ogbako’  does not embrace all the rules and behaviors of the legislative Houses as a result of traditional observances.

    Also like every other Legislative House, the Traditional Parliament has eight Principal Officers made up the Chief Presiding Officer, known as ’Eze Imo/Aka-ji-ofor, who shall be the Chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, three Deputy Chairmen from the three Senatorial zones of the state, the Secretary, The Public Relations Officer(Okwuru Ndi Eze), the Chief Whip and the Deputy Chief Whip.

    The procession is also very much like that of the national and state Assemblies, except that all deliberations are done in Igbo language. The mace bearer or the Sergeant at Arms who is known as ‘Aka-bu-nkpo-Ogbako’, takes the lead followed by the ‘Eze Imo’ while chanting a slogan in the local parlance Aka-Ji-Ofor Eze Imo! Ofor Ree’, just as obtained in every other Parliament”.

    The appointment of Chairman or Eze Imo and his three deputies is done by the State Governor, while the remaining principal officers are elected by the general House through a simple majority vote.

    Every session starts by 10am, except where there is need for time change and all members shall be seated in the ‘hallowed chambers’ before the entrance of the ‘Eze Imo and the closure which is usually by 2pm commences with a motion by any of the members praying that the activities of the day be adjourned to another date. This motion shall be seconded by another member and put to voice vote.

    The Mace known as the ‘Nkpo Ogbako’ like that of other Legislative Houses, bears the Nigerian Coat of Arms but made of a wooden staff issued by the government. During the sitting of the traditional rulers, the Mace embodies the various official staff of office of all the traditional rulers and no sitting is valid without the Mace.

    Also the Gavel or ‘Ofor’ during every sitting is in the possession of the ‘Eze Imo’ or any other person presiding on his behalf and once the presiding officer strikes the ‘Ofor’ it signifies the end or conclusion of any issue.

    During sittings, the ‘Eze Imo’ allocates seats to all members with the Principal Officers, Grand Patrons and Patrons sitting in front row. A member’s seat represents his autonomous community and he can only speak from his seat. No member can seat one another’s seat.

    For every valid session of the ‘Ogbako’ to commence, a one-third of the members must be in attendance to form a quorum and the passage of a resolution is by a simple majority vote by the sitting members through a voice vote moderated by the presiding officer just like in the National or State Assemblies.

    The rules and code of conduct during sittings, stipulate that no member can use profane, offensive or abusive language in the hallowed chambers, no member is allowed to take snuff or smoke during sittings, members are also nit allowed to come into the Chambers with Firearms, machetes and any other dangerous materials and there are no clapping of hands during sessions.

    A non-member can only be allowed into the Hallowed Chambers after a motion is moved and seconded and this is also applicable to the State Governor and other government functionaries as well as traditional rulers from other states.

    The Traditional Parliament has the powers to summon any government official through the office of the State Governor to provide it with clarifications on matters of state interest.

    The members enjoy certain immunity to the extent that no member can be held responsible for statements made during sittings.

    Another unique feature of the ‘ogbako’ is the existence of standing Committees like in any other Parliament, which include the Security Committee, Communities Development/Town Union Committee, Inter-Governmental Agency Committee, Igbo Language, Culture and Traditional Sports Committee.

    Others are the Education and Core Ethical Values Committee, Health Committee, Lands, Agriculture and Foods Security Committee, Information and Strategy Committee, Legal, Justice and Public Complaints Committee and the Chieftaincy Committee.

    Although the resolutions of the Traditional Parliament if not binding on the state government but the government is morally expected to accept the good resolutions of the ‘Ogbako’ in furtherance of good governance.

    The role and importance of the Traditional Parliament in the state cannot be over emphasized. Since inauguration of the ‘Ogbako’ it has remained a strong partner with the state government especially in conflict resolution and enhancement of internal security in the state. It has also helped in no small measure in reviving the Igbo language and culture.

    Recently, the state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, announced that all political appointees must be screened by the Traditional Parliament before they would be cleared for appointment.

    The Governor pointed out that traditional rulers across the country have a major and important role to play in building a united  nation by offering their wealth of experience to the political class.

    According to him, they should be structured into government to give them the opportunity to contribute their quota in governance, ”our royal fathers should be given a place of honour where they can play their God given role of providing direction for those in authority.

    Although the aim of establishing the ’Ogbako’, was not  to duplicate the functions of the State Assembly, it provides the State Assemblies with in-depth knowledge of the norms and traditions of the people even though  its resolutions are subject to the ratifications of the State Assembly.