The Nation Newspaper

Tag: results

  • Re: Varsity applicants battle institute for results

    Permit me a space in your widely read newspaper to respond to the above story which appeared on page 23 of Thursday, October 6, 2016 edition of The Nation written by one Abdulsalam Mahmud, who though, for reasons best known to him, is used to writing frivolous and unsubstantiated stories about the institute. The said story is characterised by subjective and unverified claims by the writer as against objectivity which is an important tenet of journalism. The institute, therefore, felt the need to put the records straight in order to correct the possible erroneous impressions that may have been created in the minds of the public by the story in question.

    First, the story is dominated by subjective claims, statements and opinions because of the writer’s failure to indicate his sources. Some of the subjective claims made include among others: that “the fate of thousands of diploma graduates of the Fati Lami Abubakar Institute of Legal and Administrative Studies (FLAILAS) in Minna…” when in reality the total number of graduating students (i.e. if all are successful) is less than 1,500 and the number that indicated that they have registered for Direct Entry (D.E) admission into Universities is less than 300. Also, the claim that “the applicants have been shuttling between their homes and the institute since their graduation in June” and that “Majority of them travel from Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi and other distant places to the institution weekly to check their results” are both untrue and only intended to create unnecessary alarming impressions.

    Let it be known that no institution would ever ask its fresh graduates to come for results immediately after examinations are written and if the majority of the students of a state-owned institution are from distant places what then is the comparative population of its indigenes, the minority?. These and many more are instances of the frivolous claims by the writer. It is important to note that results usually go through several processes that include marking by lecturers; submission to the Deans of schools for computation; presentation of the results to the Academic Committee for verification; and finally to the Academic Board for moderation and approval. These explain the reasons for the assumed delay. Besides, the results were released in the week of the publication. It is therefore assumed that the writer did not verify his claims before going to the press.

    Again, the story is dominated by the use of vague and unspecified sources such that even where he mentioned names such names are suspected to be fictitious. Instances of the use of vague and unspecified sources include ‘a top academic staff member of the institute’, ‘another lecturer’, ’a top administrative staff member of the school’, ‘parents who spoke to me’ e.t.c. It is also surprising that the writer has mentioned names and claimed that they are names of parents and could not state clearly when and where he met with the parents. Was it in the institute or outside of it? If some of these questions amongst others are not answered in the story lines then, it can be assumed that the writer chose to write along fantasy lines.

    It is unfortunate that the writer of the article did not verify his claims/information when he claimed that the institute’s management asked interested applicants to pay N6,000 for the D. E form when the institute is neither JAMB nor  an agent of JAMB.  Also, the claim that the school invited an on-line registration expert to register the final year students is not true as the school did not send an invitation to any on-line registration expert to do D. E. registration as claimed by the writer of the article. Similarly, the parents that he claimed to have expressed their ‘frustrations over the delay in releasing the diploma results’ and accused ‘the school management of “gross incompetence” saying it was unfair to collect N6,000 from students to put in for D.E…’ did not verify their claims as the management did not at any time tell or compel students to pay any amount of money to it for DE registration. It is again common knowledge that D.E registration by JAMB was never done for free.

    Above all, the assumed students that the writer claims are accusing or battling the institute for delay in releasing results meant to be used by them for Direct Entry admission into the universities have failed to realise that the academic calendar of tertiary institutions in Nigeria do not usually rhyme. Therefore, it would be quite unfair for students who have not been issued with their results to presume that such results must be made ready for them to meet up with the calendar of other institutions the issuing institution has no control over.

    The management and staff of the institute have always been sensitive to the objective for which the institute was established. In the like manner, it has always been doing all that is humanly possible to ensure that its students get what is rightly due to them in terms of the obligations it has to the students. While doing all of these, it also holds dearly its responsibility to safeguard the integrity of the institute. Consequently, we call on the general public to disregard the claims made by the writer of that article as they are frivolous, malicious and unfounded. We equally wish to advise the publisher of this widely circulated newspaper to always encourage their reporters who may not want to stick to the tenets of journalism profession to always do so and be objective in their reportage.

    Signed: Babadoko is Dean, Student Affairs, FLAILAS.

  • Re: Varsity applicants battle institute for results

    Permit me a space in your widely read newspaper to respond to the above story which appeared on page 23 of Thursday, October 6, 2016 edition of The Nation written by one Abdulsalam Mahmud who though, for reasons best known to him, is used to writing frivolous and unsubstantiated stories about the institute. The said story is characterised by subjective and unverified claims by the writer as against objectivity which is an important tenet of journalism. The institute therefore felt the need to put the records straight in order to correct the possible erroneous impressions that may have been created in the minds of the public by the story in question.

    First, the story is dominated by subjective claims, statements and opinions because of the writer’s failure to indicate his sources. Some of the subjective claims made include among others: that “the fate of thousands of diploma graduates of the Fati Lami Abubakar Institute of Legal and Administrative Studies (FLAILAS) in Minna…” when in reality the total number of graduating students (i.e. if all are successful) is less than 1,500 and the number that indicated that they have registered for Direct Entry (D.E) admission into Universities is less than 300. Also, the claim that “the applicants have been shuttling between their homes and the institute since their graduation in June” and that “Majority of them travel from Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi and other distant places to the institution weekly to check their results” are both untrue and only intended to create unnecessary alarming impressions.

    Let it be known that no institution would ever ask its fresh graduates to come for results immediately after examinations are written and if the majority of the students of a state-owned institution are from distant places what then is the comparative population of its indigenes, the minority?. These and many more are instances of the frivolous claims by the writer. It is important to note that results usually go through several processes that include marking by lecturers; submission to the Deans of schools for computation; presentation of the results to the Academic Committee for verification; and finally to the Academic Board for moderation and approval. These explain the reasons for the assumed delay. Besides, the results were released in the week of the publication. It is therefore assumed that the writer did not verify his claims before going to the press.

    Again, the story is dominated by the use of vague and unspecified sources such that even where he mentioned names such names are suspected to be fictitious. Instances of the use of vague and unspecified sources include ‘a top academic staff member of the institute’, ‘another lecturer’, ’a top administrative staff member of the school’, ‘parents who spoke to me’ e.t.c. It is also surprising that the writer has mentioned names and claimed that they are names of parents and could not state clearly when and where he met with the parents. Was it in the institute or outside of it? If some of these questions amongst others are not answered in the story lines then, it can be assumed that the writer chose to write along fantasy lines.

    It is unfortunate that the writer of the article did not verify his claims/information when he claimed that the institute’s management asked interested applicants to pay N6,000 for the D. E form when the institute is neither JAMB nor  an agent of JAMB.  Also, the claim that the school invited an on-line registration expert to register the final year students is not true as the school did not send an invitation to any on-line registration expert to do D. E. registration as claimed by the writer of the article. Similarly, the parents that he claimed to have expressed their ‘frustrations over the delay in releasing the diploma results’ and accused ‘the school management of “gross incompetence” saying it was unfair to collect N6,000 from students to put in for D.E…’ did not verify their claims as the management did not at any time tell or compel students to pay any amount of money to it for DE registration. It is again common knowledge that D.E registration by JAMB was never done for free.

    Above all, the assumed students that the writer claims are accusing or battling the institute for delay in releasing results meant to be used by them for Direct Entry admission into the universities have failed to realise that the academic calendar of tertiary institutions in Nigeria do not usually rhyme. Therefore, it would be quite unfair for students who have not been issued with their results to presume that such results must be made ready for them to meet up with the calendar of other institutions the issuing institution has no control over.

    The management and staff of the institute have always been sensitive to the objective for which the institute was established. In the like manner, it has always been doing all that is humanly possible to ensure that its students get what is rightly due to them in terms of the obligations it has to the students. While doing all of these, it also holds dearly its responsibility to safeguard the integrity of the institute. Consequently, we call on the general public to disregard the claims made by the writer of that article as they are frivolous, malicious and unfounded. We equally wish to advise the publisher of this widely circulated newspaper to always encourage their reporters who may not want to stick to the tenets of journalism profession to always do so and be objective in their reportage.

    Signed: Babadoko is Dean, Student Affairs, FLAILAS.

  • Re: Varsity applicants battle institute for results

    Permit me a space in your widely read newspaper to respond to the above story which appeared on page 23 of Thursday, October 6, 2016 edition of The Nation written by one Abdulsalam Mahmud who though, for reasons best known to him, is used to writing frivolous and unsubstantiated stories about the institute. The said story is characterised by subjective and unverified claims by the writer as against objectivity which is an important tenet of journalism. The institute therefore felt the need to put the records straight in order to correct the possible erroneous impressions that may have been created in the minds of the public by the story in question.

    First, the story is dominated by subjective claims, statements and opinions because of the writer’s failure to indicate his sources. Some of the subjective claims made include among others: that “the fate of thousands of diploma graduates of the Fati Lami Abubakar Institute of Legal and Administrative Studies (FLAILAS) in Minna…” when in reality the total number of graduating students (i.e. if all are successful) is less than 1,500 and the number that indicated that they have registered for Direct Entry (D.E) admission into Universities is less than 300. Also, the claim that “the applicants have been shuttling between their homes and the institute since their graduation in June” and that “Majority of them travel from Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi and other distant places to the institution weekly to check their results” are both untrue and only intended to create unnecessary alarming impressions.

    Let it be known that no institution would ever ask its fresh graduates to come for results immediately after examinations are written and if the majority of the students of a state-owned institution are from distant places what then is the comparative population of its indigenes, the minority?. These and many more are instances of the frivolous claims by the writer. It is important to note that results usually go through several processes that include marking by lecturers; submission to the Deans of schools for computation; presentation of the results to the Academic Committee for verification; and finally to the Academic Board for moderation and approval. These explain the reasons for the assumed delay. Besides, the results were released in the week of the publication. It is therefore assumed that the writer did not verify his claims before going to the press.

    Again, the story is dominated by the use of vague and unspecified sources such that even where he mentioned names such names are suspected to be fictitious. Instances of the use of vague and unspecified sources include ‘a top academic staff member of the institute’, ‘another lecturer’, ’a top administrative staff member of the school’, ‘parents who spoke to me’ e.t.c. It is also surprising that the writer has mentioned names and claimed that they are names of parents and could not state clearly when and where he met with the parents. Was it in the institute or outside of it? If some of these questions amongst others are not answered in the story lines then, it can be assumed that the writer chose to write along fantasy lines.

    It is unfortunate that the writer of the article did not verify his claims/information when he claimed that the institute’s management asked interested applicants to pay N6,000 for the D. E form when the institute is neither JAMB nor  an agent of JAMB.  Also, the claim that the school invited an on-line registration expert to register the final year students is not true as the school did not send an invitation to any on-line registration expert to do D. E. registration as claimed by the writer of the article. Similarly, the parents that he claimed to have expressed their ‘frustrations over the delay in releasing the diploma results’ and accused ‘the school management of “gross incompetence” saying it was unfair to collect N6,000 from students to put in for D.E…’ did not verify their claims as the management did not at any time tell or compel students to pay any amount of money to it for DE registration. It is again common knowledge that D.E registration by JAMB was never done for free.

    Above all, the assumed students that the writer claims are accusing or battling the institute for delay in releasing results meant to be used by them for Direct Entry admission into the universities have failed to realise that the academic calendar of tertiary institutions in Nigeria do not usually rhyme. Therefore, it would be quite unfair for students who have not been issued with their results to presume that such results must be made ready for them to meet up with the calendar of other institutions the issuing institution has no control over.

    The management and staff of the institute have always been sensitive to the objective for which the institute was established. In the like manner, it has always been doing all that is humanly possible to ensure that its students get what is rightly due to them in terms of the obligations it has to the students. While doing all of these, it also holds dearly its responsibility to safeguard the integrity of the institute. Consequently, we call on the general public to disregard the claims made by the writer of that article as they are frivolous, malicious and unfounded. We equally wish to advise the publisher of this widely circulated newspaper to always encourage their reporters who may not want to stick to the tenets of journalism profession to always do so and be objective in their reportage.

    Signed: Babadoko is Dean, Student Affairs, FLAILAS.

  • Varsity applicants battle institute for results

    Varsity applicants battle institute for results

    Universities have started screening prospective students to meet the November 30 deadline of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for admissions. But for the Diploma graduates of the Fati Lami Abubakar Institute of Legal and Administrative Studies (FLAILAS) in Minna, the Niger State capital, their dreams of going to the university may remain just that. Reason: the institute’s alleged failure to release their results. They are worried that they may lose their admission if the institution does not release their results before the expiration of JAMB deadline, reports ABDULSALAM MAHMUD.

    They bought the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Direct Entry (DE) forms some months ago, in their quest to further their studies after completing their diploma courses. But except for divine  intervention, their dreams to become university undergraduates may be dashed. Reason: their final results are yet to be computed.

    This is the fate of thousands of diploma graduates of the Fati Lami Abubakar Institute of Legal and Administrative Studies (FLAILAS) in Minna, the Niger State capital, who have been battling the school management over their results. Admission and screening are ongoing in many universities, but their hope of gaining admission this year for degree courses is faint, months after they submitted their forms.

    The applicants, CAMPUSLIFE gathered, have been shuttling between their homes and the institute since their graduation in June.  Majority of them, our correspondent learnt, travel from Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi and other distant places to the insitution weekly to check their results.

    They flock their lecturers’offices to know when their results will be released. But, no one is ready to give them an answer, heightening their anxiety.

    Findings by CAMPUSLIFE revealed that most of the FLAILAS graduates, who applied to study in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Federal University, Gusau (FUG), Zamfara State, Kaduna State University (KSU) and Umar Musa Yar’adua University (UMYU) in Katsina State, were barred from partaking in screenings because they could not produce their diploma results.

    But, some of them who applied to study at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU) in Lapai, Niger State, University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) and Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) may be allowed to undergo screening, if they upload or present their diploma results before the screening window closes.

    An affected student, Idris Ismail, who applied to study at ABU, expressed disappointment over the “unnecessary delay” in computing and releasing their final results, saying he was annoyed after spending several hours in school to inquire about his result.

    He said: “The insensitivity being displayed by the institute management towards many of us who purchased DE forms can only be imagined. If we had known our results would not be released on time, many of us would not have purchased the N6,000 form. Only some of us who sat for the last Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have hope to be admitted this year. Many rely on the diploma results. The school management should know that we are terribly discontented, to say the least.’’

    Idris added that he had been going to the school for his result, but usually returned home frustrated. He pleaded with the school management to compel their coordinators and Heads of Departments to release the diploma results in the students’interest.

    Khadija Ahmed, another DE applicant, said travelling on “death-trap” roads from Kaduna to Minna without information about her diploma result has compounded her agony.

    “I travelled to Minna on several occasions to get my results. Unfortunately, my complaints and appeals to lecturers and my HOD did not yield positive result. Even if it would take them a year to release the results, I have already missed a university screening. Honestly, I am so dejected and even regretted applying at the first instance,” she said.

    Khadija, who applied to study for Sociology at UMYU, said some were not sure if they would not get extra year at the institute because of the delay.

    A diploma graduate, who simply identified himself as Usman, wondered why it is taking the departments time to release the results.

    Another diploma graduate, Mrs Salamatu Ibrahim, who hopes to undergo online screening of IBBU, said management needed to take proactive actions to help the affected applicants.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the institute management asked interested applicants to pay N6,000 for the DE forms. The school invited an on-line registration expert to register the then final year students. The method, according to source, is to save the applicants the stress of going to queue for long hours in banks and JAMB offices.

    Reacting, a top academic staff member of the institute, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE,  said there were reasons for the delay in releasing the graduating students’ results.

    He said: “It is offensive to say lecturers are insensitive to the plight of the affected students. Even though we empathised with the students, we want to assure them that very soon their results will be released. Some factors that caused the delay include the workers’ strike last July and the on-going Niger State’s labour screening. Besides, there are many exam scripts to be marked.”

    Another lecturer, who also pledged not to be named, said the diploma graduates should forget using the results for admission this year. He said: “It is only wise and appropriate for graduating students to be patient, collect their results before applying for a direct entry. This way, they can be sure of any university’s admission.’’

    A top administrative staff member of the school said the management was not unaware of the development. He maintained that the management was making frantic effort to resolve the matter.

    His words: “Let the graduating students know that the school management is genuinely addressing the matter and will not do anything that will affect future engagement of the students. The fact that their results are still pending is highly regretted. However, we want to assure them that there is painstaking effort to resolve the issue.”

    Parents who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE expressed frustrations over the delay in releasing the diploma results. They accused the school management of “gross incompetence”, saying it was unfair to collect N6,000 from students to put in for DE without ensuring their results are released for the purpose.

    Mallam Tijjani Abdurrahman, a civil servant, said the school had no reason for not enrolling the diploma students for DE programme. He said many of the applicants would lose admission because of the school’s ineptitude.

    Another parent, Mrs Rabi Adamu, who was upset said: “It is disturbing to learn that our children’s results are not ready about four months after their graduation. This is not a good image for a school that should be an example for excellence.’’

  • Youths laud Fayemi on Ekiti NECO results

    Youths laud Fayemi on Ekiti NECO results

    A youth group, Progressive Youth League (PYL), has praised the immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, for the excellent performance of Ekiti students in the Senior Secondary School Examination results released by the National Examination Council (NECO).

    According to NECO Senior Secondary School examination released a fortnight ago, Ekiti dwarfed other states with 96.48 per cent. It was followed by Edo State with 96.31 per cent.

    The group noted that the excellent performance by the students, who were in junior secondary school, when Fayemi introduced the various education policies of his administration, has proved that sound policy in education and a conducive atmosphere for learning were sine qua non for good performance.

    The PYL, in a statement by its Southwest Coordinator, Adeoye Aribasoye, said the performance of the students vindicated Fayemi as a visionary leader whose education policies provided incentives for teachers, students and parents, and laid a solid foundation for great performances in internal and external examinations.

    Aribasoye, a lawyer, lauded Fayemi’s policy of free and compulsory education between 2010 and 2014. He said the top ranking by NECO has also proved skeptics of free education wrong. “It is reassuring to note that the brilliant results were achieved by pioneering students of the free and compulsory education policy of the immediate past administration.”

    The group, which called on the present administration to revert to some Fayemi’s policies, stated that the success recorded by the students stemmed from careful planning and incentives that had unprecedented impact on learning culture in the state.

    It listed some of the incentives instituted by Fayemi to include distribution of solar-powered laptop computer to every secondary school pupil under the ‘one laptop per child initiative’; payment of rural allowances for teachers in the rural areas; core subject allowances to teachers who teach core sciences, Mathematics and English Language, and renovation of all primary and secondary school buildings under ‘Operation Renovate All Schools (ORASE).

    “It is on record that the computer per child programme of the Fayemi administration, which provided computers for both teachers and students, was launched six months ahead of the introduction of computer-based examination by the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB).”

    Aribasoye recalled that Fayemi’s administration organised computer training and mathematics clinics for teachers, put together remedial programmes for pupils across the state local government areas, and distributed about 400 motorcycles to teachers serving in the rural areas of the state. Fayemi’s administration also  ensured that teachers benefited from the relativity pay for all categories of workers in the public service in addition to 27.5 per cent Teachers Pecuniary Allowance.

    The youth leader said PYL opposes the planned introduction of fees in public schools by Governor Ayo Fayose. The group said it  has finalised arrangements to begin a campaign to make education in primary and secondary schools free in Ekiti State.

  • Results for nine local govts already written, says PDP

    Results for nine local govts already written, says PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (pdp)  has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of conniving with some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to compromise the electoral process.

    It alleged that election results for nine local government areas had already been written.

    The PDP also alleged that the N2million had been distributed to some supervisors to bribe them to announce the already written results.

    Its Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, told reporters that the PDP and its supporters would resist attempts to switch election results with “the last drop of their blood”.

    He said: “It has come to our attention that INEC and the state government have seriously compromised the election that is going to take place tomorrow (today). People involved in this conspiracy are those that have leaked this information to the PDP and to us to act very fast.

    “She (INEC member of staff) has been sharing two million naira to supervisors  in at least nine local government areas of Edo State.

    “What they have done is that they have written results for the nine local government (areas) on behalf of the APC. These results are being held by the supervisors and the collation officers at a point where they plan to switch the results with the real ones at the local government level, once the election is done. “

    The Chairman, Anselm Ojezua, described the claim as untrue.

    He said: “That is a figment of their own imagination. They have lost the election already. I am the state Chairman of APC. I have been in my home area for three days. So, what time will I have to go and talk about bribing INEC?

    “If anything at all, it is the PDP people that know the INEC people. After all, most these INEC officers were employed during the PDP government. We have trained our agents and they are determined to be very vigilant.

    He added, “The truth is that all the plans PDP made to create havoc in Edo State have virtually failed. All the efforts they have made to manipulate the process have also failed. They can now see that there is nothing other than the true transpPDP PDP arent process that will give us result in this election.”

  • No results, no payment, minister tells states

    No results, no payment, minister tells states

    Minister of Health Prof Isaac Adewole has warned that there will be no more payment for states and others that fail to deliver in the ministry’s Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results (SOMLP4R) project.

    Adewole spoke at a meeting with representatives of the states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Kaduna, after the disbursement of $1.5 million to each of them.

    It was organised by the Federal Ministry of Health with Maternal, new born, and child health (MNCH2) programme.

    Adewole said the programme was motivated by the desire to pay for results, rather than for processes and reimbursments.

    The programme has six major pillars and two enablers that can change health outcomes in Nigeria. Adewole listed the pillars as maternal new born and child health, childhood essential medicines and increasing treatment of childhood diseases, improving child nutrition, immunisation, malaria control and elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission (eMTCT) of HIV.

    The enablers are: promotion of innovation and use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and improvement of supply and distribution chain.

    The minister said each state received 82 percent of the grant and that more disbursements would be made based on five factors.

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, the chief host at the meeting, thanked the Minister, assuring him of his commitment to SOMLP4R.

    el-Rufai emphasised his state’s commitment to completing the establishment of Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) and announced efforts by his government to improve the 255 PHCs and 23 comprehensive health centres, as well as other efforts related to the indicators, such as encouraging routine immunisation through meetings with local government chairpersons and traditional rulers.

    “We welcome SOMLP4R and embrace it. I and other Northwest governors are committed to improving healthcare in our states,”  el-Rufai said.

    el-Rufai pleaded with the Federal Government to support states to implement the State Based Health Insurance Scheme (SBHIS) to reduce out-of-pocket spending and enable the poor and vulnerable to afford medical care.

    MNCH2 National Team Lead, Dr. Salma Anas-Kolo, said the SOMLP4R aligns with her programme’s mandate to reduce maternal deaths and improve survival rate. She said the country contributes more than 10 percent of the global burden and highlighted that about 70 percent of the burden in Nigeria is brought by the six Northwest states.

    Dr. Anas-Kolo called for an integrated approach to deliver MNCH services using Primary Health Centres (PHCs) as the platform, calling for increased government funding.

    She praised the Kaduna State government, saying the programme has witnessed significant improvements in the state, especially in human resources. “If by 2019, MNCH2, in collaboration with the government and relevant partners, are able to improve maternal health and strengthen health systems in the Northwest region, the overall health indices in Nigeria will improve,’’ she said.

    Chief of Health, Nutrition and Population, World Bank Dr. Benjamin Loevinsoh, explained that the philosophy of the SOMLP4R programme was around these cardinal points: Robust measurement of results, responsibility of states, competition, relevant performance not absolute and reducing risk. He however noted that states would compete against themselves based on their own baseline as progress and improvement is of the most importance to them.

    The meeting was attended by key stakeholders in the sector. They include Hajiya Binta Lami Adamu Bello; Permanent  Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health; Director of Family Health, Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi; National Programme Coordinator, the SOMLP4R, Dr. Ibrahim Kana; and   President, Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, Prof. J. I.Brian Adinma.

  • Okorocha: Uncommon methods, uncommon results

    It must be noted upfront that one had been one of the harshest critics of the man in Douglas House, Owerri, Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, especially in its early days. Now five years in the saddle, running out his second term in office, truth must be told that as far as governance and accomplishments go in today’s epoch, Okorocha will stand out among the high achievers in Nigeria.

    But because he has adopted a peculiar style all of his own but which rubs off badly on many people, he has not been quite popular among the critical elite and intelligentsia.

    But being a participant observer in the four years preceding his emergence, one is in a pole position to make informed judgment on what has transpired in this last five years.

    First let us consider some elements of the governor’s uncommon methods which his critics often latch upon to pummel him. Most notable is that Governor Okorocha seems to have adopted a no-method approach to governance. He seems to have obvious disdain for bureaucracy, red-tapeism and paperwork.

    Explaining this approach, he seems to believe that going by the level of development of the country today, only a “task force” system would engender rapid infrastructure development. He is convinced that there is need to deliberately whittle down the ‘debilitating’ influences of such groups as the bumbling bureaucrats, the grasping elite and the carpet-bagging political class so that resources could be harnessed for rapid development of the state. He thinks these centrifugal forces suck in much of the resources of a state leaving little for public works.

    This has been both his guiding principle and driving force. He works on the go, he said, and sometimes for many weeks, he does not see the four walls of his office. It is easier to see me at my project sites than in the Government House, he noted recently to a group of visiting senior journalists.

    Thus, while you are bound to quarrel with his methods which pay no heed to structured tendering and procurement processes which are the hallmarks of public administration, he has achieved immense results far more than his immediate predecessors. Again, people say the quality to his projects are below par but there are projects, huge, huge projects across the state only reminiscent of the Sam Mbakwe glorious era.

    One of the greatest things going for him is that he is a big man with big, big ideas seemingly swimming about in his head. He thinks big; indeed, adventurously big. Is it not said that it is better to aim for the sky so that should you fail, you would at least crash on an iroko tree. This seems to be Governor Okorocha’s abiding work ethic.

    No matter how much you may dislike a guy, you cannot discount self-evident facts that present in form of huge projects across the state. A few examples will suffice here. There was only one major road linking new Owerri to the chaotic old part of town. Today, over four virgin roads including three bridges across Nworie River have been accomplished in just four years. This feat could not be achieved in 12 years preceding his time.

    Owerri, Imo’s capital city is indeed a huge beneficiary of Okorocha’s infrastructure revolution. There are so many construction works going on in Owerri that the question would be, where does he get the funds to accomplish all these. Here is a checklist of some landmark edifices: an underground tunnel crossing the Owerri-Port-Harcourt Expressway by the Concorde gate; a set of six 21-story highrise buildings in new owerri; the outer ring road started by the Ikedi Ohakim administration with two flyovers and the Chukwuma Nwoha dual carriage stretch; the Relief market extension; Concorde Hotel makeover; Ochiedike Specialist Hospital to mention only a few projects.

    Another landmark feat is the dualisation of the nearly 100- kilometre Owerri-Orlu road which has a major bridge. One doubts if any other state governor in Nigeria has done this stretch of road which ordinarily is something in the realm of the federal government. In Ogboko, Ideato, Orlu zone, a massive tertiary institution – the Eastern Palm University, will resume academic session in October this year.

    Though it is a public-private project according to the governor, it is a showpiece citadel. Nothing like it has been accomplished by any state governor in the entire South-east in the last 30 years. Even the old Imo State University does not come anywhere close to it. It is indeed a most ambitious project which will make any Imolite proud upon completion.

    Though Okigwe has not fared as well as Orlu and Owerri zones, but at that, it can be said that Okigwe never had it so good since its inception. Roads are being dualised in Amaraku, Anara and Okigwe. An imposing Princess Hotel is rising in Okigwe and so is the Okigwe Township stadium among other urban improvement projects.

    Twenty seven modern general hospitals have been built in each of the local government areas of the state, a feat unprecedented in any single tenure. While some may worry about the state of old hospitals these new ones are vast upgrades which have taken health infrastructure in Imo State a notch up. What we have in these new structures is a template for a total revamp of Imo health sector.

    There is an on-going drive to plant at least one agro-based industry in each local government council of the state. This initiative would drive the government’s economic diversification programme. Some of the numerous abandoned factories across the state are already being brought back to life.

    It is impossible and even improper to seek to capture the achievements of Governor Okorocha in one short article, but suffice to say that as far as state governance go in Nigeria today, he stands out as a governor who has left a shinning legacy already. Yet he still has three years to go.

    There may well be something enduring about Okorocha’s uncommon approach to governance for if he continues at this current pace he is bound to surpass the legacies of Dee Mbakwe in the pantheons of Imo leadership.

  • ‘No collation of results in Ikwerrre’

    ‘No collation of results in Ikwerrre’

    Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Saturday survived heavy gun attacks in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, a collation officer, Allwell Egeonu, has said.

    Egeonu, a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, said the attack started at about 7:30 pm when collation was about to start in Isiokpo, headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government area.

    “It took over 30 minutes shooting,” he said in a video interview where he described the attack. “We are lucky to have returned alive.”

    Ikwere is the home local government of Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi.

    The collation officer said: “I’m a lecturer at the university of Port Harcourt. My name was nominated for INEC election. I didn’t know who actually sent my name. I am not a card carrier of any political party.

    “I just went there to do my job. But we had finished at Ikwerre local government only to find out that by Saturday, around 7:30 (P.M) we went for the collation at Isiokpo Local Government (headquarters).

    “Incidentally, we were lucky to have returned alive. The sporadic shooting that commenced… it took over 30 minutes shooting and we were all led out. We managed to be rescued by the security agents.

    “In the process of running for dear life, we left all our materials. I am a collating officer. I had nothing. I collated nothing.

    “So, I felt… and this morning I informed the EO (Electoral Officer) of Ikwere Local council of our situation. That’s my observation.”

  • Rivers re-run: INEC studying results in 15 LGAs

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers State, Aniedi Ikoiwak, who on Sunday afternoon, announced the cancellation of elections in two more Local Government Areas: Etche and Asari-Toru, says the commission was still studying the situation in the 15 other LGAs.

    Besides Etche and Asari-Toru LGAs, the rerun was on Saturday cancelled in Khana, Bonny, Gokana, Andoni, Tai and Eleme, due to irregularities and violence, with new date to be fixed after the audit of INEC’s personnel and materials, as well as meeting with the stakeholders.

    Unconfirmed results released Sunday afternoon by the Rivers House of Assembly collation officers indicated that the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) “defeated” their counterparts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and others in Emohua, Degema and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni constituencies.

     

    The Rivers REC of INEC, personally signed a statement, dated March 20, 2016 and titled: “Suspension of Elections in Etche and Asari-Toru LGAs,” to announce the cancellation of elections in the two more LGAs.

     

    Ikoiwak said: “Further to our earlier pronouncement of the suspension of the rerun elections in the six LGAs of Khana, Bonny, Gokana, Andoni, Tai and Eleme, following disturbances and violence that impeded the electoral process in those parts of the state, it has also become necessary to suspend the elections in Etche and Asari-Toru LGAs, for the same reasons.

     

    “This suspension of the rerun elections by INEC is necessitated by the need to forestall breakdown of law and order or loss of lives and property, in the event of further aggravation of crisis.

     

    “INEC needs to put all stakeholders on notice that we are still studying the situation in the other 15 LGAs, where collation of results is currently going on.”