History was made yesterday as Prof. George Obiozor emerged the president-general of Ohanaeze ndi Igbo having beaten his counterparts with 304 votes.
The election which was done by option A4 at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, Imo state witnessed delegates across the federation both home and abroad. Notably, the election started with the president general and down to another position.
Speaking at the occasion, the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma said that the Igbos are always known for business and trade and that made them enterprising he added.
In his acceptance speech, the newly elected president-general of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Prof. George Obiozor expressed his happiness while commending all for voting him.
The governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, has disclosed that the newly formed Ebube Agu security outfit for the South-East region is not an alternative to the police, army and other federal government established security outfits.
The governor in a statement
issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Oguwike Nwachuku, said that Ebube Agu is
but “a local outfit meant to gather information on criminal activities and give
to the security operatives for proper processing and action.”
He identified youth
unemployment and ethnic mistrust as the main root of criminality in Nigeria in
particular and Africa in general.
The statement identified
idleness as the reason fueling criminality and insecurity in Nigeria.
The statement identified the
governor as saying “his Government is working assiduously to resuscitate the
state moribund industries in Imo by entering into Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) with a seasoned private consulting firm, for the purpose of providing
jobs for the Imo teeming youths to keep them away from crime.
“On the birth of security
outfit for the South-East Geo-political zone codenamed EBUBEAGU, the Governor
informed that it is not an alternative to the established security agencies
such as Police, Army, Air Force, Navy, NSCDC, etc, but a local outfit meant to
gather information on criminal activities and give to the security operatives
for proper processing and action.
“They are to play
complimentary roles on the efforts of the Federal Government and Security
Agencies, knowing full well that a threat to security anywhere in the country
is a threat to security everywhere in the country.
“Governor Uzodimma used the
occasion to reiterate his stand that the security breaches in the South-East
recently do not in anyway suggest that Ndigbo are tired of been in Nigeria.
Rather, all we want is justice, equity and fairness in a big Nigeria family.”
The above is the caption of a response from the Imo State Government through the Commissioner for Information and Strategy,
Declan Emelumba in reaction to the
harmless advice from Distinguished
Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu over salary cuts and pension matters in the
state.
Distinguished Senator Anyanwu had called on the APC
led Government in the state to look beyond road rehabilitation, and address
issues bordering on salary cuts and pension in the state.
Regrettably, instead of the Government to accept the
advice in good faith and address the issues raised expeditiously having come
from a man who doesn’t mean bad to the Government, she decided to resort to the
use of guitar language in a matter of public importance.
Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, while
defending the indefensible APC Government accused Senator Anyanwu of being
steamed in opposition paranoid, and as such, ought to have known that
government is not owing any staff.
Reading through the denials of Declan Emelumba, one
therefore wonders why the state Government smartly dodged the question, “Is
there any salary cuts on monthly basis?” before telling the public how many
civil servants received their wage.
Against this backdrop, Distinguished Senator Samuel
Nnaemeka Anyanwu (Samdaddy) has been on the news for positive advice, and
constructive analytical CRITICISMS
across board.
One had expected the state Government to commend
Senator Anyanwu for letting her know where she fails in the delivery of her
campaign promises, rather than attacking him.
In as much as Senator Anyanwu respects Government
and her managers having seen it all, he cannot fold his hands and watch Imo
civil servants and pensioners molested, intimidated, and treated badly by any
government or individual no matter his relationship with such person.
More so, as a Commissioner for Information and
Government Chief image maker, Declan Emelumba ought to have avoided the use of
guitar language in addressing salient issues as the one above in a bid to
divert attention.
It is regrettable to note that the government is in
the habit of commending anyone who
sycophantly applauds her, and insults whoever that does not believe in her
philosophy.
However, we consider this diatribe and poorly
dispensed response as most unfortunate and unreasonable to the constructive
approach used by Dist. Senator Anyanwu on the aforementioned subject matter.
However, it is the duty of the Government in power
to put their records straight before hand, especially, when it has to do with
salary and pension payments.
Notably, Distinguished Senator Anyanwu deserves an
unreserved apology from Emelumba and the state government because, it is trite
to say, beyond party affiliation, he has been very objective in all things he
has been saying and/or contributing towards the development of a better
society.
The questions are; are salaries of civil servants in the state not cut up to N30, 000 every month? If so, where is the money going to, and when will government pay back the money deducted from salaries?
Former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha has called on the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma to look for
better projects to carry out as the sitting Governor of Imo State instead of
re-commissioning the projects he did and commissioned while on seat as
Governor.
This is even as he accused the Governor of owing
over N150B domestic debt within one year he has held sway as the Imo State
Governor.
In a release signed by Okorocha’s Adviser on media,
Sam Onwuemedo and made available to Lead, the former Governor, appealed with
his successor to look inwards and look for projects to carryout in Imo instead
commissioning the projects he did and commissioned while on seat as the
Governor in the state.
Governor Hope Uzodinma had last Friday commissioned
and renamed the popular Akachi Road to Evans
Enwerem Road through the Senate President
Lawan.
Reacting to the commissioning, Okorocha said that
the said Road was one of the major roads constructed and commissioned by his
administration in 2011 and wondered why Uzodinma should however claim the
construction.
Okorocha however made it clear that the essence of raising the alarm is to stop the Governor from further claiming by way of commissioning over one thousand projects his administration did while on seat as the Governor.