Imo Students in the Nigeria Law School Abuja has appealed to the Governor of Imo State Owelle Rochas Okorocha to pay them their statutory bursary of N100, 000each, which commenced with the Dr Achike Udenwa administration, and continued with Gov Ikedi Ohakim, only to suddenly stop now under Okorocha.
The students represented by the President of Imo State Students Association, ISSA, Comrade Kingdom Okere, who is also a law student, said that the law students of Imo extraction are yet to receive their 2012/2013 Bursary, which has remained a ritual since 1999.
He said the Bursary serves as an incentive from the state government to law students, and the students use the fund to purchase laptops and other amenities that are compulsory in the law school.
The students wondered why such a regular contribution to their welfare was effective during the regimes of Udenwa and Ohakim, only to stop during the Okorocha era, which prides itself as education – conscious administration.
The students said that due to assistants received from the immediate past administration, Imo State produced the best over – all student with first class at the law school, in addition to 52 other students who made second class upper division.
They also implored Governor Okorocha to recognize lawyers of Imo extraction by giving them litigations of government to handle, pointing out that Imo has brilliant Lawyers who have made their marks, but instead of using them, Gov Okorocha prefers outsiders, therefore causing capital flight from Imo State, and also reducing the rating of Imo Lawyers.
The popular saying that “everyday is for the thief, one day for the owner of the house” manifested two days ago when a notorious swindler suspected to have defrauded unsuspecting victims various sums of money for State Security Service, SSS jobs was nabbed by the SSS men in Imo State.
According to theSSSImoStateoffice who paraded the alleged fraudster at a press briefing, the suspect, Mr Ifeanyi Okere from Nguru Umuaro in Ngor Okpala LGA ofImoStatehas been involved in the illicit act for years until recently when luck ran out of him before he was caught.
Okere met his waterloo on Monday when he arrivedSt Paul’s Catholic Church, Owerri to collect N18,000 from one of his victims, Mr. Barthlomew Chukwuma, an indigene of Ubomiri in Mbaitoli LGA who was among those tricked by the suspected fraudstar to pay money before getting the SSS job.
The SSS disclosed that no money is demanded or paid by any prospective candidate before recruitment into the service. Adding that forms and other fairy – tales used as a decoy to mesmerize prospective job seekers as SSS agent for job recruitment are not part of the service operation.
Speaking to Imo Weekend Trumpeta, the fake SSS job syndicate said he has been in the business since 2011 stating that one Chukwuma Odera from Oraifitte inAnambraState introduced him into the business. Narrating how he joined the business, Okere said that Chukwuma met him sometime ago at Upper Iweka inOnitsha town where he told him about getting a job for him in SSS. The suspect who is cooling his feet in SSS cell claimed that Chukwuma after milking him dry as he spent N49,000 could not get him the job forcing him to be his partner in the business.
Okere, aged 32, who merely passed post primary school and worked as an electrician on part time said “I have been doing this since I met Odera and sometimes he will send candidates to me while I hand the fake documents to the unsuspecting candidates. Sometimes they will comply, in some cases they will not”
Speaking on how he was swindled by the father of four whose wife is pregnant the victim Barthlomew Chukwuma explained that he met the fraudster through a friend at Eke – Ukwu Owerri market who Okere told to search for those interested in SSS job. The victim lamented that he paid Okere a total sum of N23,000 for all necessary examination process which he privately took atJamesHotelonWetheral Road. “But he was unfortunate when he asked me to pay him N18,000 for my suite. I got wind of the fake activities and informed SSS who joined me to arrest him when he appeared atSt Paul’s Catholic Church on Monday morning to collect the N18,000” Chukwuma a Mass Communication graduate added.
It was further gathered that based on details and revelations made by the suspect, several graduate job seekers have experienced hell in his hand.
Recovered in his possession are fake SSS letter heads and appointment letter ready for unidentified victims.
A spokes person for the security operatives used the medium to inform the public about the activities of such fake job syndicates warning people to be wary of those they deal with. The personnel added that the state office of SSS is out to do their job and will not hesitate to punish any criminal found wanting.
