The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Okorocha

  • Army has improved under Buhari, says Okorocha

    Army has improved under Buhari, says Okorocha

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has said the Army has improved under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, especially in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast.

    Okorocha spoke when the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Major-General Tukur Yusufu Buratai visited him at the Government House in Owerri. He said “we have watched with keen interest what is happening in the Northeast. We encourage you and your men in the way you have tackled Boko Haram head-on and today, Nigerians are singing a better song than what it used to be”.

    His words: “It is also on record that the soldiers have given a deadly blow to the Boko Haram terrorists. And that feat would not have been possible without the doggedness of the Chief of Army Staff who stooped low to join the troops in the bush to fight. To say the least, the Army has been well represented.”

    Okorocha, however, appealed to the COAS to approve the establishment of a Military school in the state, promising that the government would provide the land and other logistics.

    He also appealed to Buratai to send more operational vehicles and other logistics to the 34 Field Artillery Brigade in Obinze to enable them perform their role effectively “especially now that Imo has become the fastest growing city in the country outside Lagos and Abuja”.

    The governor also observed that Imolites were not equitably represented in the Army, noting that “something must have gone wrong with the quota allocated to the state over the years”.

    Buratai said he was on a familiarisation visit to the Army Brigade in the state with a view to knowing their challenges.

    He thanked the government for the support given to the Army which had contributed to the stable security situation in the state, stressing that the Army is winning the fight against the Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast.

  • Okorocha to launch Igbo teaching in schools

    Okorocha to launch Igbo teaching in schools

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha will today launch the Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Igbo in Imo schools. He will also present the maiden edition of Igbo language newspaper Ikoro.

    Okorocha’s pecial Adviser on Igbo Affairs, Chief Samfo Nwankwo, described the launch as “a bold initiative to stimulate and rediscover our common heritage, the Igbo language, which is fast going extinct.”

    He lauded Okorocha for the initiative and noted that as a grassroots politician, the governor reads the pulse of the people, hence, the introduction of the free education scheme, now the toast of sister states.

    Nwankwo noted that instructional materials, software’s, Igbo language teachers and other necessary infrastructure, coupled with meeting of stakeholders, have been arranged to ensure a smooth take-off of the scheme.

    Apart from cultural dances and public presentation of the Ikoro newspaper, a summit, “Globalisation of the Igbo Language: That the world will hear us”, will hold as part of activities lined up for the programme.

    The summit paper will be delivered by Prof. Jerome Okonkwo while former Chief of General Staff Ebitu Ukiwe, Second Republic Vice President Alex Ekwueme, foremost banker Pascal Dozie and Dr. ABC Orjiako, will be special guests.

  • Imo govt condemns IPOB’s attack on Okorocha 

    Imo govt condemns IPOB’s attack on Okorocha 

    The Imo State Government has condemned the attack on Governor Rochas Okorocha by the London-based members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    A statement by Okorocha’s Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo said Okorocha was at the Chatham house to deliver a lecture when he was attacked because of his refusal to support the pro- Biafra agitations.

    The statement reads: “The government and people of Imo State have noted with disdain, the embarrassing action of the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Wednesday, March 9, when they disrupted Governor Rochas Okorocha’s speech at the Chatham House in London.

    “The protesters said they acted so because Governor Okorocha has not supported their actions or the actions of any other pro-Biafra group. That was their only reason for throwing caution to the wind and invading the Chatham House to disrupt the outing.

    “Indeed, if IPOB apostles would undertake to embarrass an Igbo leader of Governor Okorocha’s status in London, then, their claim of fighting in the interest of Ndi Igbo should be taken with a pinch of salt.

    “It was very unreasonable on the part of IPOB to think that Okorocha would support IPOB or any other pro-Biafra group campaigning for sovereignty. All over the world, groups fighting for one reason or the other presumably for their people, do not lose sight of what certain leaders in the areas represent and accord them the needed respect no matter what they hold against such leaders.

    “At this juncture, we appropriate the liberty to take exception to the action at Chatham House. Igbo are wise people and do not act anyhow. The IPOB action at Chatham House was not only embarrassing to Governor Okorocha as an Igbo leader, but also to Ndigbo, both at home and in Diaspora, and indeed to all men and women of goodwill.”

  • I regret collecting bailout fund, says Okorocha

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday regretted collecting the N26 billion bailout funds from the federal government.

    He said the monthly deductions, which will run for the next twenty years, have drastically affected the allocation of the state.

    Stating that the state was in dire financial strait, Okorocha explained after implementation of agreement with Labour, which left the state with 30 percent of the allocation, the salaries and entitlements of senior functionaries were slashed by 35%.

    He debunked insinuations that the bailout funds were diverted or misappropriated.

    The governor restated that the funds were used for payment of salaries.

    According to him: “Before we got the bailout funds, the workers have started shouting about their salaries and we had to borrow money from Zenith bank to pay the salaries.

    “So when the fund hit our bank, it was disbursed to several other bank accounts including the Government House Account to pay those that were not captured in the civil service”.

    Reacting to the recent invitation of his Principal Secretary, Dr Pascal Obi, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged misappropriation of the bailout fund, Okorocha said there was no big deal about it.

    “EFCC is free to investigate any allegation of fraud against anyone but that does not mean that the person in question is guilty.”

  • Okorocha to float Igbo language newspaper

    Okorocha to float Igbo language newspaper

    The government of Imo State will float an Igbo language newspaper to revive the language, Governor Rochas Okorocha’s aide, Samfo Nwankwo, said yesterday.

    Nwankwo, who is Okorocha’s Special Adviser on Igbo Affairs, spoke yesterday when he visited the headquarters of Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation, in Lagos.

    According to him, the newspaper will be named Ikoro and will be circulated throughout the Igbo-speaking areas.

    Apart from the newspaper, there are plans to make Igbo language a compulsory subject in secondary schools in Imo, both private and government-owned.

    The special adviser said the government will inaugurate the compulsory teaching of the language in primary and post-primary schools at an event to be chaired by Former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, on March 15.

    He explained that children will receive compulsory lessons in Igbo language under a new government blueprint for the primary and secondary schools curriculum.

    The idea, according to him, is to train children to study the language until the end of secondary school and to achieve this, the government has employed qualified Igbo teachers to teach the language.

    Nwankwo, who regretted that the language is on the verge of extinction, urged Ndigbo at home and abroad to preach Igbo unity and togetherness wherever they are.

    “Igbos are losing their identity; many are ignorant of our culture, which is the way of life of a people. Many of our children can’t even speak the language and without language, people can’t have cohesion, not to talk of unity-that is our dilemma.

    “Our greatest problem is the erosion of our core values and, regrettably, our language is about to vanish. If you want to wipe out a people, you first of all wipe their language.

    “We have set out March 15, on the governor’s directive, to launch a compulsory study of Igbo language in schools in Imo State,” Nwankwo said.

    Leader of The Nation team, Mr. Abimbola Olakunle, a member of the Editorial Board, pledged the organisation’s support to programmes that promote good governance and improve the lot of the common people

  • Okorocha: Imo resource sharing initiative in order

    Okorocha: Imo resource sharing initiative in order

    IMO State Governor Rochas Okorocha has lauded the resource sharing agreement he entered into with workers, saying sharing the state’s monthly revenue will solve the problem of growing recurrent expenditure.

    Speaking in an interview with The Nation yesterday, Governor Okorocha said it was ironical that the workforce of about 40,000 would corner 70 per cent of the state’s resources, leaving only 30 per cent for the population of about five million, but admitted it was a relief nevertheless.

    Okorocha said the agreement was a win-win situation for both sides, noting that the development will give the government a leeway to continue to prosecute development projects.

    He said: “I think this may perhaps be a way out for many states weighed down with the burden of growing recurrent expenditure, not just Imo State. There was no dispute really; we merely suspended those non-productive workers to get them agitated so as to take their job serious.

    “What we did was to introduce the concession policy into the healthcare sector, having tried it at the Imo Concorde Hotel, water board, the Imo Palm Plantation and the new diagnostic hospitals.

    “We belief 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 things 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.”

    The governor noted that the matter got out of hand because union leaders felt the policy was leading to workers’ sack. “That is why they invited national union leaders here. My problem is that I did not want to use tax payers’ money to continue to pay people who are unproductive. But since they fell under the category of civil and public servants, we can now share our resources to cater for recurrent and capital expenditure.”

  • Okorocha wades into Ohanaeze crisis

    Okorocha wades into Ohanaeze crisis

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has waded into the lingering leadership tussle that had bedeviled the Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

    The governor yesterday held a closed-door meeting with the Gary Enwo-Igariwey-led faction at the Government House in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

    The meeting, which lasted for hours, was attended by the group’s Secretary-General, Dr Joe Nwaogu and other leaders.

    Addressing reporters after the parley, Igariwey said: “We are here to find solutions to the leadership crisis rocking the group. We have come here in search of peace because when there is peace in Ohanaeze, there will be peace in Igboland. Governor Okorocha is our friend and he has mediated and we are hopeful that peace has returned.”

    The governor, however, declined to speak on the outcome of the meeting.

    But The Nation gathered that he berated the group’s leadership for allowing the crisis to escalate and become an embarrassment to Ndigbo. He was quoted to have urged the Igariwey faction to close ranks with other members and harmonise the leadership positions in the interest of peace.

  • Okorocha wants NLC to shelve protest over workers’ suspension

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has appealed to the state and National Leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to shelve the protest against the suspension of parastatal workers in the state.

    A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, read, “His Excellency has wished that instead of embarking on the protest that might end up not benefitting anyone, the National Leadership of the NLC should be patriotic enough to advise the leadership of the NLC in the state to honour their invitations to participate in the high-powered 18 – member committee set up by the state governor to review the cases of the staff affected by the suspension in question, so that the matter can be resolved amicably in the spirit of no victor, no vanquished.

    “The committee would have been inaugurated last Tuesday, but it could not take place because the labour representatives did not come for the exercise.

    “The committee has the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) chairman in the state, chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), chairman Nigeria Medical Association, Imo State chapter, chairman National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Representative of Magistrates Association, Representative of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) IMSU, Imo Polytechnic, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), chairman of  Imo State branch of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and Representative of the Judiciary Service Union of Nigeria, (JUSUN) as members.

    “On the part of the Government, the Head of Service, Principal Secretary to the Governor, the Attorney General, the Accountant General, Commissioner of Finance, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Principal Secretary to the Deputy Governor are also members of the committee. The chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Eze Samuel Ohiri is equally a member.

    “This is a high-profiled committee and the governor believes that with this calibre of people in the committee whatever is the bone of contention between the government and the labour union in the state over the suspension issue can be resolved.

    “The government has repeatedly explained that the suspension of the parastatal workers was not an outright sack or dismissal. The suspension was to enable the new managements of the establishments involved to take off in earnest.

    “So, the essence of the 18-member committee is to look at the cases of these workers and decide whether to post all of them out to other government ministries and establishments or to even ask some of them to go back to the parastatals. And until the committee sits and takes decision on the suspended workers, nobody could accuse the government of any wrong doing.”

  • Okorocha to complete abandoned Oak Refinery

    Okorocha to complete abandoned Oak Refinery

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, Wednesday assured that his administration will complete the abandoned Oak Refinery started by his predecessor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim as part of the industrial drive of the state government.

    The Governor, who gave the assurance during an interactive session with journalists at the Government House, said that he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese experts concerning the construction of the Refinery, as a continuation of his discussions with the Federal Government on the need to build a refinery in the state.

    Meanwhile the Governor, who just returned from an overseas trip, justified the recent suspension of workers, stating that the decision may be unpopular but in the best interest of the state.

    He noted that the amount paid by the state as salary every month is far in excess of what accrues to the state from the Federation Account.

    According to him Imo collects the smallest Federal Allocation among the states in the Southeast but has the highest salary structure, adding that, “in December Imo get N1.9 billion and our monthly wage bill was N4.2 billion and we cannot continue to operate with this deficit. Our five oils wells are shutdown, I have been managing this situation for long time because I don’t want outsiders to know our true financial position. The decision we took to suspend indolent and lazy workers is in the best interest of the state.

    “The Governor warned that no worker will frustrate the state government anymore, stressing that, “this bogus salary scale was smuggled in by the civil servants shortly before I took over. If salary payment is for compensation then we should share the Allocation among all Imo people monthly. We cannot continue to source for N3 billion monthly to pay salaries every month. The only saving grace is the Local Government Allocation.”

     

  • More attention coming for youths, says Okorocha

    More attention coming for youths, says Okorocha

    The Imo State government will this year, pay special attention to youth employment and empowerment to check the rising incidence of youth-related crimes, especially kidnapping and armed robbery.

    Governor Rochas Okorocha gave the assurance during the dedication of his grandson, Master Jidenna Anthony Anwuka, at the Saint Joseph Catholic Chaplain, Imo State University, Owerri.

    He hinted that the interests of the youths will henceforth, be placed above that of the older ones to give them the needed platform to achieve their potentials, even as he noted that engaging the youths meaningfully would check crimes.

    “It cannot be explained why people, who are over 50 would be in the system working while those between 20 and 35 are idle, roaming the streets, even with the required qualifications. The situation does not call for celebration at all.

    “When you check those being arrested for crimes, they are always between 18 and 35. You can hardly get a man above 40 years. So we must act now to secure the future of these young ones,” Okorocha said.

    The governor noted that the “factory, factory, factory and job, job, job,” crusade and the Young Millionaires Club initiative of his administration were all targeted at getting the youths meaningfully engaged in the overall interest of the society, adding that his government would take radical steps this year to ensure that the government’s dream for the youths are realised.