By chijioke hilary
Except proper measures are taken to undertake the distribution of N500m Five hundred million Naira, meant for youth empowerment in two oil producing areas of Imo State, youths of Ohaji/Egbema are threatening to embark on mass protest over alleged fraud rocking the exercise.
Youths of Ohaji/Egbema are crying foul over the manner the committee saddled with the responsibility of handling the empowerment project is carrying out the function.
Trumpeta gathered that out of the 1000 forms the committee claims it has distributed, only 900 forms have been distributed while 100 forms are unaccounted for. Each of the persons getting the form is entitled to N200 as empowerment money from the state government.
Confirming this development to our correspondent, Egbema youth president, Mocher Ukwe while calling for the dissolution of the committee alleged that the Government established committee has betrayed the confidence entrusted on them and should be dissolved if the state intends to achieve anything from the N500m empowerment programme.
According to Mocher “the committee has shown their level of incompetence in the distribution of ISOPADEC youth empowerment form in Ohaji/Egbema. The clergy men in charge claimed they distributed 1000 forms, while 900 was shared; with 300 to a particular youth leader named Sixtus Odinaka, 600 for 20 autonomous communities at 30 forms each, so where is the balance of 100 forms” when converted to money, the “missing” 100 forms amount to N50m.
Another apex youth leader in the area, Nwokotubo Andrew Vockor while lending his voice to the raging issue, further disclosed that the committee has compromised their stand on the distribution and lacks the capabilities to effectively handle the distribution adding that “the committee members are incompetent, pervasive and cowards who cannot be firm in the course of discharging their duties”.
While requesting the Governor to dissolve the committee for incompetence and lacking the morality to discharge such sensitive assignment without compromising, the youth leaders queried the rationale behind handing over 300 forms to a single youth leader who coincidentally is a member of the form distribution committee.
“The committee members are selfish and have compromised, hence they can no longer discharge their duties effectively”, Mocher and Vockor added.
