When will Imo Ezeship nominees get their staff of office?
(An appeal to Governor Rochas Okorocha) We wish to use this medium to congratulate our Governor, Rochas Anayo Okorocha for his effort in settling the long standing Ezeship tussle between the contestants and beginning another power tussle between the nominees and other COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT COUNCIL MEMBERS. Months back, precisely in 2013, the Ahiajoku Convention Centre was a home for the king makers of various communities and Imo stakeholders. This gathering served as an alternative dispute resolution procedure as against the court process that has entertained a lot of endless Ezeship cases. At the Ahiajoku Convention Centre, the citizens of Imo State at home and in diaspora, saw in you the Governor an impartial judge. Your…
An appeal to Governor Rochas Okorocha
We, the temporary staff of the various Local Governments in Imo State employed in 2007 by His Excellency Chief Achike Udenwa and who were suspended by the current administration wish to appeal passionately to His Excellency, Governor Rochas Anayo Okorocha to reinstate us as we have contributed immensely to the LG service for five years (from 2007-2012) before the current administration sacked us. More so, majority of the top government officials like the Perm Sec., HOS and Directors of the various governmental agencies were employed without waiver and later “permanented” and confirmed when waiver was released. For e.g., those who were employed in the various LGs in 2001 were employed without waiver but in 2003,…
BEFORE THE MISSION SCHOOLS DIE (1)
I start this write up with a comment by Uchenna Nzekwe on This day Newspaper of Friday 27 Sept 2013 titled “Fashola Apologizes for misunderstanding over relocation of Igbo”. According to him “…since the end of the civil war in 1970, all successive Federal governments had made it a state policy to deny the Igbos the opportunity to mount another challenge to the very existence of Nigeria as a state. The most obvious way they have chosen to actualize this had been to remove any enabling environment or infrastructure that would bring to fore the skills, talent, synergy and the indomitable spirit of this blessed people”. One can not agree more with this candid summation…
Counting the gains and cost of 643 Pension Pay Points in Imo State
Payment of pension at Community Government Council (CGC) offices is six months old from April 2013 to September 2013. Its rejection was spontaneous the moment His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha (OON) announced it at the Heroes Square where thousands of pensioners gathered to hear from his good news about payments of gratuity, pension arrears, pension reviews and pension, harmonization. When they heard a totally strange policy that as from April 2013 they should go to their villages to receive their pension their reactions ranged from visible shock to incredulity. Since then their ears have been itching to hear the gains of moving them from sub-treasuries to CGC offices. Imo State Government does not starve the…
HUMOUR: Pope & his Chauffeur
While the pope was visiting the USA, he told the driver of his limo that he has the sudden urge to drive. The driver was a good Catholic man and would not ever dream of questioning the pope’s authority. So the pope sat at the wheel, while his driver got in the back. They were traveling down the road doing between 70 and 80 mph, when a policeman happened to see them. As he pulled them over, he called in his headquarters reporting a speeding limo, with a VIP inside it. The chief asked: “Who is in the limo, the mayor?” The policeman told him: “No, someone more important than he mayor”. Then the chief…
Lament from Adapalm
-18 months Salaries arrears before the inception of Roche. -Two Years Leave Allowance before Roche. -Non-payment of severance to all retired workers till date. -Non-payment of our May and June 2013 Salaries. -100,000 palms wasting, no planting. -34,000 hectares of palm tree left now for Palm fruits poachers. -Mill abandoned. In all, Roche wants us to sign 2 months salaries and pack out of the compound. -Using the youths against the workers without paying the workers their rights. -Constituting a Committee with Imo House of Assembly which is not working out. Imo Palm Plantation workers are in trouble. Signed: Concerned Staff
Is Nigerian Asbestos Cancer Free?
Many Nigerians, especially our House of Assembly and Representative Members, heard recently from Euro News, that the owner of Eternit (major producer of asbestos) was fined millions of Euros for production of asbestos which was banned in 1986. To date, many Europeans will not touch asbestos for fear of cancer, whereas majority of us live in asbestos roofed and ceiled houses. Asbestos also abound in our markets. There is need for our law makers to convince us that Nigerian asbestos is cancer free, or is it that they don’t have enough money to use alternative materials? Engr. A.A. Olumba Orlu, Orlu.
Let ASUU strike continue
Nigerian universities have been battered with three months of anguishing strike. Until now, the story is the same; government is still disinclined to give the education sector the attention it truly deserves. The bone of contention is explicit itself. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed in 2009 that Federal Government would inject a total of 1.3 trillion naira into the university over four years. It would be recalled that ASUU is not making a new demand but has posited that the 2009 agreement must be respected. It is ludicrous and preposterous that some government officials were quoted as saying ASUU’s 1.3 trillion Naira demand is capable of grinding the country to a halt; I…
ASUU should go back to classroom now
What is this ASUU strike all about? It is but a grave hydra-headed national malaise. Since June 30th, lecturers in the nation’s public universities had under the aegis of ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) embarked upon what I described as comprehensive, total and indefinite strike across the country. This very strike is one in the series and has protracted till date. Happily enough, Dr. Nasie, President of ASUU in his address to journalists on the strike sounded apologetic, indicating awareness of the harsh difficulty and hardship the strike has brought upon not only the youths but also the economy and stability of this nation. True it is that the ASUU bases this strike on…
Why is Ogwa so neglected by every govt in power in Imo State?
Ogwa in Mbaitoli Local Government area is marginalized, dejected and entirely neglected by Imo State Governments. Ogwa is about seven kilometers away from Owerri. It is an agrarian society and believes in agriculture and its allied products. It has a big market called Afor-Otusi (Afor-Ogwa) an eight-day market that attracts people from far and near. Ogwa, which is land-locked but thickly populated and second in population only to Mbieri has about seven autonomous communities. It has many primary schools and four secondary schools. Apart from Ogwa Girls’ Secondary School, built by Catholic Mission, others were built by the self effort of Ogwa Community before the civil war. There is a dispensary in Ogwa built by…
Men of God as demigods in Nigeria: - A Rejoinder
I read the article “Men of God as Demigods in Nigeria”,, written by Rev. Fr. Mark-Donald Ude in the LEADER newspaper of 9th and 16th June 2013 with lots of interest. Before I proceed, permit me to quote some contents in the article verbatim as presented by Fr. Mark-Donald Ude to enable readers understand what the article is all about. According to Fr. Mark-Donald Ude ‘Being’ a “man of God” becomes a privileged position that gives one access to nearly every good thing under heaven. Perhaps this state of affairs is not bad in itself, for what is wrong giving respect and honor to a member of our society who received (or claims to have…
Whistle blower victimized
Sir, I want to use this avenue to bring to light the plight of an innocent and patriotic Imo-State Civil Servant who has been victimized, for well over 20 years, for exposing a fraudulent syndicate operating in the civil service. The whistle blower worked with the Ministry of Education and exposed some fraudsters in 1985. He went ahead to win a court case instituted against him in 1998 under His Lordship, Hon Justice L.C. Linnor at the Owerri High Court. However, our upright civil servant has continued to face undue discrimination and has been denied promotion for all the 4svse years. He is currently with the Ministry of Finance and a letter written in 2009…
Insecurity in Nigeria
Sir, Permit me to use this newspaper to call on our governments and leaders to pause and ponder on the rising level of insecurity in our country. It is no longer hidden that the average Nigerian feels terribly unsafe in his own country. What is happening now was prophesized years ago by men of God and scholars, some of whom are no more. Several of them were brutally killed or severely punished to silence them because some of the solutions they proffered were unacceptable to those benefitting from the problem. There is no doubt that some top ranking Nigerians are involved in the terrorist acts. A lot of people know them but are afraid to…
Hon. Victor Mere and neglect of World Bank Estate
I am compelled to express my accumulate displeasure once again on the poor state of development in world Bank, New Owerri, most especially in Area L and Site and Services. Shortly after the swearing of his Excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha in May 2011, I dispatched an open Letter to him in one of the national tabloids congratulating him on his emergence as the executive Governor of Imo State and at the same time represented the repined and defective minds of the people resident in World Bank, New Owerri on the state of basic amenities, particularly in the areas of Electricity and Roads. I equally appealed to his Excellency to come to their rescue. But pathetic…
Structure without Sanity in Owerri
Please permit me a space in your widely read newspaper to register my feelings with regard to the pressing issue of sanity in Owerri metropolis, the capital city of Imo State. I must first appreciate the obvious efforts of our indefatigable governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to transform Imo state far beyond what it was before his inception in May, 2011. The problem of traffic in Owerri has been remarkably dealt with as he has opened up alternative routs to fast track movements in the city. Our governor has created numerous roads within the city as by-pass from the crazy traffic jam that held Imolites to ransom a few months back. He has also given the…
A Sincere Rescue for Pensioners
“Nos morituri….We who are about to die, salute thee” Five or six top officers, cheeks glowing with evidence of good living, are seated round an impressive oval table, concluding the disbursement of funds for the month having the other day received the monthly allocation from the federation Account. They have been at it for the past two hours and are in the process of winding up. Hesitatingly, one of them, after a glance at the uncommitted balance in the working paper, asks “ em……em…., how about the pensioners?” Two others impatiently retorted in unison, “What about them?” The first speaker, with the embarrassment of someone who has said the wrong thing at the wrong time,…
