Regarding the Supreme Convention held in Owerri in December 2012, the MGK, Bro.  said that the Supreme Knight Bro. A.C. Onuh scored Owerri Metro 80% while the Supreme Executive Board rated the Metro, “First Class”.  Continuing, the MGK said that part of the merit should be allotted to the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Anwuka (KSM) and the able Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Barr. Soronnadi Njoku (KSM).  He commended the Governor in a special way for the grand reception he accorded the Supreme Executive Board members in the Government House and his (Governor’s) attendance to the opening session of the convention held at the Ikemba Ojukwu Conference Centre Owerri.

On behalf of the entire Knights of the Order of St. Mulumba Nigeria, the MGK thanked and commended, “our friendly and action Governor”.

Bro. Emeakaroha observed that the members drawn from various parts of Nigeria carried good impression of the Governor and Imo State to their homes in various parts of the country.  The MGK also expressed gratitude to Archbishop A.J.V. Obinna for his opening Mass for the convention, Bishop Lucius Ugorji for his lecture at the convention and Eze Emmanuel Njemanze for his royal reception of the Supreme Executive Board members.

The MGK used the occasion to comment on international, national and local issues including the retirement of Pope John II, the election of his predecessor, Pope Francis, the situation in Ahiara Diocese and the newly introduced Community Government Council (CGC) by the Imo State Government.

On the CGC, he said: ‘‘If the Imo State Government is using the Community Government Council to get the accurate population of retired men and women in the State, this is laudable. But any further step beyond this, like payment of pensioners etc, will be disastrous for the following reasons.

a) The slim honor and regard left for the senior citizens in the state will be completely destroyed. Already the poor earnings of the pensioners especially the early retirees as shown on the verification forms are now a thing of ridicule and scorn among the rural dwellers who are the agents of these verifications.

b) Verification Officers allegedly collect transport fees from the pensioners who submit their forms late to go to Owerri for the submission of the forms. If it is so now, what does one expect if these agents will be responsible for payment to pensioners? The present corruption plaguing pensions will be worsened. Whenever payment of pensions are delayed, as it is often the case, money will be extorted from the old and impatient rural pensioners by these community agents to go and “fast-forward” the payments. The state government at Owerri will never have an effective means of checking this bribery from the operations of the community government.

c) Senior citizens are highly honored in civilized communities of Western and Central Europe where they are given dignified seats in public places like trains, buses, public gatherings etc. In primary schools, children are taught to honor senior citizens and they are made to know that these men and women of honor built the facility they now enjoy. But here in Nigeria who does it? No one.

d) I therefore appeal to the governor of Imo state, a young man of honor and admirer of decent life and a philanthropist per excellence, to initiate and instill in the rising generation of Imo State the need for respect and honor for the retirees and senior citizens of Imo State and Nigeria as a whole. Let the culture be inculcated in the school children from the nursery to the tertiary institutions.

e) Let CGC have nothing to do with payment of pensions. The state government can verify the community of origin of the senior citizen from the CGC and nothing more. A mobile internal revenue staff can visit the community on appointed dates to issue cheques on sealed envelopes to pensioners so old to reach pay points in Owerri, while stronger ones can draw theirs from their banks on receiving alert Or in alternative the governor can appoint credible retired officers to handle the affairs of Senior Citizens in every Community Government Council.

From the onset of the address, Prince Emekaraoha made it clear that his maiden address to the plenary session of the Council was an out-bust of the energetic and unflagging spirit with which he had determined to embrace the responsibilities inherent in the office of a Metropolitan Grand Knight.

He commended the Council for the overwhelming support, love and solidarity expressed in their land-sliding majority vote for him during the election describing it as irresistible force towards more work and excellent performance.

Said he: “I promise I will not fail you. I will not fail my Metropolitan Council. It is my determination to return Owerri Metro to its traditional position as number one Metro Council in Nigeria. But I cannot achieve this feat alone. It requires concerted effort of all of us. I graciously solicit your devoted co-operation in areas of discipline, indebtedness and unity of purpose and love for one another”.

Our Associate Editor, Emeka Ani later interviewed the MGK on his background.  Excerpts:

Prince Eugene Ogam Ngozidirim Emeakaroha was born on the 12^th March 1944 at Amakohia Ihitte in Ihitte/Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State.  He attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School Ihitte where in December 1959; he made a “Distinction” in his Standard Six examination result.  He proceeded to Holy Ghost College Umuahia where he equally demonstrated excellent academic records in the Teachers’ Grade Two Certificate Examination results, which merited him admission into the then prestigious Alvan Ikoku College of Education Owerri in 1976.  He came out from Alvan with the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in History/Igbo Language and Culture at a ‘Distinction’ Level.  Then in 1980he gained admission into the University of Nigeria Nsukka where he obtained a Bachelor Degree (B.A. Hons.) in History and Education in 1982.

Prince Emeakaroha taught in various primary and secondary schools in the state before serving in both the Secondary and Primary Education Boards Owerri, Imo State in various capacities, from December 1983 – January 2000.  For example, he served as State Supervisor of Schools, Director of Personnel State Primary Education Board, Owerri and Director of School Services Primary Education Board Owerri.

In January 2000, Prince E.O.N. Emeakaroha retired honourably from the public service of Imo State after 35 years meritorious service with full benefits.  He is now a pensioner.

In 1988, Prince Emeakaroha was initiated into the knighthood of the Order of St. Mulumba.  In 2000, he was elected the Grand Knight of Madonna Sub-Council Ihitte and later Deputy Metropolitan Grand Knight (DMGK) of the Order, a position he held till February 2013 when he clinched the post of MGK.

Prince E.O.N. Emeakaraoha married Lady Juliana Emekaraoha, a nurse in 1969 and the marriage is blessed with nine children, one of them a Reverend Father.

Since 1999, Emeakaroha and his children, with the help of their Austrian family friends have made remarkable achievements, that have touched the lives of his people in no small measure including building homes for widows and donation of an ultra-modern hospital to the Catholic Diocese of Owerri, provision of free medicare, free eye glasses, free water borehole to the community, scholarship to hundreds of children of the poor and providing them with 300 bicycles to enable them attend school on time, etc.

Chief Emeakaroha has received several awards and honours both from the church and society, the latest being “NUJ Legacy Award” conferred on him on Saturday, April 20, 2013 by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Imo State Council in recognition of his outstanding qualities and philanthropic gestures.

Comments

comments