By kingsely amaechi
Fresh facts are emerging on reasons why Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, was at the receiving end of lashes and Jeers from unemployed youths of the state who gathered in their thousands for the Owerri arm of the disastrous national Immigration service recruitment exercise.
Our correspondent who was at the venue to record proceedings had reported how Okorocha was humiliated by the angry unemployed youths who greeted his arrival with boos amidst flying Sachet and Can Water items at the Dan Anyiam stadium venue.
Moments after government through its spokesperson refuted the report and denying that the governor was not booed, unemployed youths who were part of the NIS exercise thronged our office to not only express surprise over the denial from government but also gave reasons why Okorocha was reportedly embarrassed.
The unemployed who offered their names as Chinyere Mba, Justus Uzor, Tonia Usomba, Eke Chioma Jane and another who preferred anonymity corroborated our reporters account.
According to them, they were victims of Okorocha’s insensitivity in scrapping the 10,000 jobs which the governor effected when he came into power in 2011. While still grieving over the loss of the job they had been receiving salaries before Rescue Mission Government, the governor came to spite them at the immigration recruitment exercise after throwing them out on the streets to seek for fresh jobs.
“The reasons why we booed Okorocha is not farfetched. What was his reason for coming to Dan Anyiam Stadium on that day when he was the one who threw out majority of us from the civil service? Had it been we were still on the employ of Imo state government, under the 10,000 job scheme, there would have been no need to witness this number of job seckers hustling for the immigration job.
“The boo became necessary because Okorocha has not taken any concrete step to reduce unemployment as he further created by sacking 10,000 job beneficiaries’ and playing lip service on the “Youth Must Work” programme.
The “Youth Must Work” is deceitful. A kind of smokescreen to deceive Imo Youths” they added.
While accusing Okorocha of playing politics with job creation and unemployment, the unemployed graduates further lambasted Okorocha for always playing to the gallery and embarking on unwarranted “eye service” by fixing a job creation programme the day NIS had a nationwide recruitment exercise.
According to them “why should the governor not be booed when of all the days, it was that Saturday he considered appropriate for his doubtful job opportunities? Imagine, it was that same day his “Youth Must Work” which summoned people about a year ago will be calling people?. Why wont we boo him when his “Youth Must Work” programme is meant for hotels and other hospitality industries to employ and pay us amounts that are not commiserate with our qualification?”
The youth when further to state that Okorocha received blats from the aggrieved youths when it was further discovered that the “Youth Must Work” is a sham never experienced in any state where those who were employed for teaching purpose are yet to receive a dime since three months they started teaching and considering that Okorocha’s job offers are mere “casualisation” system unlike what was experienced in the past.
Speaking further, the aggrieved youths urged government to bury their face in shame than engage in provocative denials that question their integrity as true Rescue Missionaries.
Even as our reporter questioned the professional competence of the Governors media aide, Sam Onwuemedo to debunk the report of booing when jeers and pure water cans, from unemployed youths corroborated where flung at his boss in public glare after Trumpeta report with bit-by-bit- account of what transpired.
The governor was said to have arrived at noon with unmarked official vehicles. His presence at Dan Anyiam generated spontaneous jeers amidst sporadic throwing of sachet water and cans at him. Okorocha arrived the VIP stand and attempted to talk with his voice which met deafening resistance of shouts of no,no, we want our jobs back. Even when he came with his usual sweet coated raps of “My people, My People”, what he received in response was “My family, My family” and give us our “10,000 jobs back”. It took the intervention of immigration officials who were with at the VIP to calm the nerves of the angered job seekers. What saved the day for Okorocha was the personal microphone and public address system, his aides smuggled into the VIP pavilion that offered him the opportunity to be heard despite murmurs and continued jeers that rented the air.
It is not in the habit of Trumpeta to join issues or react to any wishy-washy junks from a paid government agent licensed to protect the interest of his principals, but this exposure is necessary to correct wrong impression created in the minds of unsuspecting readers deceived by denials from Okorocha’s aides who were holidaying somewhere while the governor was being pummeled by aggrieved unemployed graduates.
Facts are sacred in journalism and Imolites who were at the venue of the incident can best testify to the embarrassment Okorocha received than rabble rousers, wallowing in their skewed imagination and warped reasoning masquerading as image cleaners for the number one citizen of Imo state.
Meanwhile, it was an atmosphere of sorrows and tears at Umuoma, Ihitte Uboma LGA over the week as thousands of the sacked beneficiaries of the 10,000 jobs in Imo gathered to bury one of their fallen colleague, late Miss Chidimma Francisca Ihekwene.
Until the coming in of Owelle Rochas Okorocha as governor of Imo State and his subsequent termination of jobs of 10,000 Imolites who were employed by the Ohakim’s administration, late Miss Chidimma was a staff of the Ministry of commerce and industry.
According to her family, late Chidimma who sort for job many years before the opportunity finally came through the 10,000 job offer, could not recover from the shock of Governor Okorocha removing her means of livelihood from her by their summary termination just because they were employed by Ohakim’s administration.
Most of her colleagues who were at Ihitte Uboma to pay their last respect and to perform the dust to dust rites to a fallen member could not hold back their tears as they noted that Miss Chidimma would have been alife if not for Okorocha’s inhumanity to them.
One of the victims of the 10,000 job offer Dr Omeronye who spoke to journalists after performing the dust to dust rites bemoaned Okorocha’s insensitivity to human suffering said that the government policies are aimed at impoverishing the people for the enrichment of his family members and friends. He vowed that he and his colleague will continue to present their case at the National Industrial Court till its positive final conclusion. Dr Omereonye swore that 2015 certainly will be a pay back time by those 10000 Imolites sacked by Okorocha as they will mobilize to vote him out of Douglas House.
