By Kenneth Uwadi
I made a telling
revelation that the sum of 1 billion naira belonging to pensioners in the 27
LGA’s of Imo State was "squandered" by Sir Jude Ejiogu the current
Chief of Staff to the Governor of Imo State. Ejiogu squandered this money when
he was the Chairman of Imo State Local Government Service Commission. I
lamented the "squandering of the significant sum of 1 billion naira and
another 3 billion naira looted by the Speaker of the Imo State House of
Assembly Mr Benjamin Uwajumogu. I cried out because most Imolites but
especially the poor continue to suffer the effect of failing public health and
education system as well as decrepit infrastructure and battered institutions.
I highlighted what I see as the dawn of naked impunity in Imo State.
Uwajumogu, Ejiogu and
their megaphones have called me all sorts of names. I have been harassed and i
have been closely monitored. They want to shut me up by all means. But as a
citizen of Imo State, I am not intimidated. I will continue to speak out. One
of the fundamental elements of democracy is the right to free speech without
having others trample on your opinion. The capitalist thieving vampires
currently in power in Imo state are looting our monies and yet they want us to
shut up. They also want us to vote them again in 2015 for another round of
impunity. Tufiakwa!!!
I am not accusing these
men falsely as they are claiming. I speak the truth about their fraudulent
activities with boldness and anger. You will recall that in May, 2011, Owelle
Rochas Okorocha took power from Ikedi Ohakim as Governor of Imo State. There
was high hope by the masses that Okorocha's rule will bring an end to mass
poverty, worsening living conditions, mass unemployment, suppression of
democratic rights, massive corruption, and insecurity of lives and property.
But more than 3 years after, the high expectations of Imolites for real
positive change in their lives have been shattered. Imolites are now singing
Ikiri ka onye oshi mma. Not only has there been no substantial improvement in
the lives of the Imo working masses, in some respect the situation has become
worse. Thousands of Ndi-Imo still live without access to good food, housing,
good roads, water, electricity and healthcare while Okorocha and his men are
looting our monies.
The anti-poor policies
of sales of Imo public assets, commercialization of health, housing and other
social services, and sack of workers in Imo State have made more and more
Imolites poorer and the rich minority richer. Corruption among the elite has
not only remained, it has become more sophisticated.
Imo State has become
one of the most unequal societies in the world, with the richest 20% of
Imolites getting 55.7% of the state's total income while the poorest 20% are
left to struggle for just 4.4%. Currently Imo faces gargantuan problems in all
areas of socio-economic and political endeavours. The State has further
nosedived under the Owelle Rochas Okorocha's government, lower than any other
time since 1999. In every area you look at the only conclusion you will come to
is that the Okorocha's government has failed Imo people resoundingly.
Mind you, when i say Okorocha has failed Imo , it is not an
isolated opinion. Indeed this is the opinion of the mass majority of Imolites.
According to a FAMOUS NAIJA opinion poll conducted in August 2013 , 81% of
Nigerians assessed Okorocha's performance in Imo as very bad; but only 19%
assessed his performance as very well and fairly well. In March 2014 another
FAMOUS NAIJA opinion poll was conducted and 85% of Nigerians think the present
Owelle Rocha's government has performed very badly in improving the living
standard of the poor while only 15% think he is doing very well in improving the
living standard of the poor.
The most serious aspect
of Imo's problems is the poor and hopeless condition of the youths. Today
unemployment has become a permanent feature of the life of Imo youth. Governor
Okorocha has failed to offer Imo youths a real future. He sacked 10,000
Imolites from the civil service in year 2011.The 10,000 sacked youths are
suffering today. The 10,000 sacked workers want their jobs back.
I cannot keep quiet and
watch Okorocha and his men loot Imo dry. Last week, I was in Bonny Island in
Rivers State of Nigeria . I arrived the Island in the morning by boat and was
amazed to see that the Island has electricity as the eyes could see . I turned
to Mrs Hart who came to welcome me and I inquired about the reliability of
electricity in the Island. 'It's steady,' She said. 'How often do you see power
outages?' I asked. She said 'we have light here 247.If they take it, it comes
back in 15 minutes time. In fact, I can't remember the last time we witness
power outage here in Bonny. It is pay as you go. You recharge your card and
your light is on' I could hardly mask my bewilderment and sense of humiliation!
I felt humiliated because I am from an oil producing kingdom like Bonny called
Egbema in Imo State. By contrast, the people of Egbema's narrative in terms of
electricity is awful .
Power supply is
non-existent in the 13 Egbema towns. Since Governor Rochas Okorocha came into
power in 2011, the people of Egbema have not seen electricity. Yet on monthly
basis 13 percent oil derivation fund is paid to Imo State for the development
of the oil producing areas in Imo. Out of this 13 percent oil derivation found
40 percent is meant for ISOPADEC, the commission set up to develop Imo oil
areas. Where are the monies? From may 2011 to December 2013 Imo state received
N16,613,768,782.98 (sixteen billion, six hundred and thirteen million seven
hundred and sixty eight thousand seven hundred and eighty naira ninety eight
kobo) as 13 percent oil derivation funds for development of the oil communities
in Imo State. Find below the monthly breakdown.
May 2011
N278,919,682.00
June 2011
N491,415,545.00
July 2011
N607,508,024.40
August 2011
N691479700.1
September 2011
N650318411.4
October 2011
N742,626,299.53
November 2011
N506556992.7
December 2011
N513122495.7
January 2012
N624755732.8
February 2012
N430283610
March 2012
N495,802,869
April 2012
N530,948,180.82
May 2012
N414,451,615.90
June 2012
N557,851,267.36
July 2012
N441286601.6
August 2012
N563593288.1
September 2012
N436,366,936.76
October 2012
N507,915,584.96
November 2012
N453147887.2
December 2012
N433,746,138.22
January 2013
N548,284,488.83
Febuary 2013
N433,812,735.87
March 2013
N548908424.6
April 2013
N702685396.7
May 2013
N536243879.4
June 2013
N533,171,999.86
July 2013
N465,435,601.16
August 2013
N464,118,297.86
September 2013
N596,526,274.32
October 2013
N702681346.1
November 2013
N439,814,732.12
December 2013
N548,908,424.70
June 2011
N491,415,545.00
July 2011
N607,508,024.40
August 2011
N691479700.1
September 2011
N650318411.4
October 2011
N742,626,299.53
November 2011
N506556992.7
December 2011
N513122495.7
January 2012
N624755732.8
February 2012
N430283610
March 2012
N495,802,869
April 2012
N530,948,180.82
May 2012
N414,451,615.90
June 2012
N557,851,267.36
July 2012
N441286601.6
August 2012
N563593288.1
September 2012
N436,366,936.76
October 2012
N507,915,584.96
November 2012
N453147887.2
December 2012
N433,746,138.22
January 2013
N548,284,488.83
Febuary 2013
N433,812,735.87
March 2013
N548908424.6
April 2013
N702685396.7
May 2013
N536243879.4
June 2013
N533,171,999.86
July 2013
N465,435,601.16
August 2013
N464,118,297.86
September 2013
N596,526,274.32
October 2013
N702681346.1
November 2013
N439,814,732.12
December 2013
N548,908,424.70
Where are the monies?
The monies have developed wings. It is so sad to note that leaders from
Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta where Imo oil money comes from are not speaking about the
comatose ISOPADEC. Schools, water, road and hospital rehabilitation in
Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta which forms part of the duties of ISOPADEC remains in their
same dilapidated state .
Do we allow just one
person in the capacity of Governor Rochas Okorocha to continue to make our
mothers and grandparents suffer helplessly in the villages? Do we continue to
allow the governor of Imo State to deprive local governments of the funds
needed to build schools, roads, motor parks, markets etc.? Do we continue to
herald him with the title 'His Excellency' when he has made us beggars and
impoverished us in a perpetual state of squalor?
Do we continue to clap
for Owelle Rochas Okorocha at the commissioning of petty projects, which is far
below the commensurate allocation given to him? Let's ask questions now
,otherwise we shall continue to cry aloof with no one to beckon on us. Rather than
crucifying me, i should be encouraged for having the boldness to speak out . We
shall bear the pains of our parents been rejected in the hospitals for our
inability to pay their medical bills, our siblings shall continue to be denied
admission because of free education on paper while schools are denied
developmental funds. We shall be tempted to become kidnappers and arm robbers
at our own peril. Let us stop placing ourselves in subservient position,
thereby helping an uncaring governor to achieve his deadly political ambitions
at the expense of the state. Wisdom is profitable, how long shall we continue
to be fooled?
(Uwadi is from
Mmahu-Egbema , Imo State, Nigeria. He is the Coordinator of Youths Against
Human Rights Violation And Corrupt Practices (YAHVCP))
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