Last week, I came with a title “Owelle Rochas Okorocha and the Spirit of Christmas”. It elicited enough reactions. Apart from phone inbox, my email and facebook received enough reactions. However, somebody was not comfortable somewhere because his name was mentioned and is coming up with threat for defamation of character. In all, everybody is entitled to his views and also right of complain or reply as the case maybe.
Still on the spirit of Christmas, our dear Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has reiterated his resolve to begin prosecution of the much awaited “Mission” arm of the Rescue Mission government. On getting the mandate to be at the helm of affairs, the main thrust of his administration is Rescue Mission. Two years after, the chorus in town is that the present administration could be on “killer mission” judging from the cash strapped harm it inflicted on the people of the state who have been lamenting absence of free flow of cash in all levels especially at the grassroots.
Apparently aware that the continued cash squeeze may rub the shine off his efforts to be the “people’s Governor” and “man of the masses” ahead 2015 election, where he is rumoured to be interested for a second tenure, Okorocha in order to regain the confidence of the exasperated Imo people reiterated his resolution to commence the “Mission” arm of the Rescue. It implies that he would loosen his supposed tight-fisted hand by migrating from a miserly approach to becoming a spendthrift in act of governance.
Speaking during the recent civic reception held in honour of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Jude Ejiogu at the City School premises, Owerri by people of Owerri Zone, Okorocha did not mince words when he voiced out that the second phase of the Rescue Mission has begun. Indications that the “Mission” of the Rescue Mission has commenced emerged months ago when the governor doled out N500m to youths of oil producing areas of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta LGAs, as empowerment scheme as well as the extension of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand naira only) to each of the autonomous communities in the state for Christmas celebration. Also the N12,000 and N10,000 Xmas bonuses to state and federal workers respectively including military and para military workers. The number one citizen of the state who proposed 15,000 jobs for Imo youths several months ago is again toying with the idea of paying not less than 50,000 youths in the state a monthly stipend of N10,000 each.
Part of the snag against the People’s Democratic Party, PDP is that the party’s baptismal name is “share the money”. Though, I am yet to be properly briefed on reasons why PDP bears the “share the money” name, but the toga cannot be divorced from the lassie-faire attitude of its members to welfare matters and generosity. The multiplier effects of the altruistic posture of public and elected office holders of PDP may have earned the party the “share the money name” nickname. Another factor that may have also earned PDP the slogan could also be the manner members of the party holding power in trust for the people, allegedly embezzle public fund through fraudulent practices.
As the Imo state governor relaunches desire to embark on the “Mission” arm of the Rescue Mission that began two and half years ago, the sad reminders of “share the money” are rearing its ugly head again. The renewed “share the money” syndrome began with youths of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta. Ironically, few days to the rescheduled Oguta State Assembly election, Gov Okorocha while receiving youths of the area who marched to the Govt House, Owerri, for solidarity protest, promised to dole out N500m to the youths of the area as empowerment programme. The promise followed plethora of protests and complaints that has continued to trail the manner the present government is handling funds of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, ISOPADEC. The youths lament the inability of ISOPADEC to perform its statutory function as an interventionist agency for people of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta. While expressing that ISOPADEC has only undertaken white elephant projects that have no direct bearing on the lives of the people, the youths cried out over the total blackout being experienced in the oil producing areas facilitated by government stoppage of the amount paid to PHCN for communities’ electricity bills by ISOPADEC. More so, the ill manner it handed the FG N400m flood money without input and knowledge of the affected communities angered the youths of the area. Sensing that his favoured candidate for the Oguta re-run, Chief Walter Uzonwanne may witness electoral misfortune as a result of myriads of neglects raised, Okorocha tactfully dangled the N500m empowerment toga. It would be pertinent to recall that there are no budgetary provisions for the half a billion empowerment programme even as feasibility studies and empowerment studies suitable for the youths of the area were not observed before announcement and implementation. To indicate that it is a share the money affair, a committee without sufficient knowledge in youth empowerment was raised. On several occasions, the various communities witnessed skirmishes over the manner the forms were shared thereby leading to cancellation and subsequent nullification of the exercise. Even as the money has been “shared” to the few lucky youths in each of the autonomous communities, controversy has not failed to trail the exercise. While a notable youth leader said to be working for the interest of the present government allegedly hijacked the forms, the committee responsible for implementation and some CGC youth officials adopted unfavourable approaches to ridicule the exercise as it not only became a tool for political witch hunting but also a package to settle supposed political allies of APC extraction. That is why most Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta communities are yet to overcome the scar of altercation it inflicted on the various communities.
However, to the recipients, it is “settlement” money. It is part of the “state cake” they are sharing with the powers that be in the state. Some of the youths during the consultative meeting with the Governor at Ahiajoku Centre, Owerri, where the Governor unveiled the decision did inform the first citizen that N500m is a “chicken fee” to them if their 13% Derivation Fund accruable to the state from the federal allocation is anything to go by. According to a few who managed to voice out during the Ahiajoku meeting that almost ended in fiasco, “we need more of the millions since government want us to join in sharing ISOPADEC allocation”.
Since there was no empowerment training and framework for the N500m, the huge amount has been “shared” and the youths smiling to numerous drinking bars and hospitality centres abound in the area and state capital, to do mincemeat of the windfall. Since there was no clear cut agenda and program, the N500m can be said to be a tactful game to hoodwink unsuspecting youths of the area into supporting Okorocha’s administration and new found APC. The “share the money” module may also be an attempt by the present administration to pool the wool over the eyes of the youths of the area while it showcases neo-imperialist tendencies towards delivering dividends of democracy to the people.
May be, part of the money amounting to N250m was “shared” to Ohaji/Egbema as a smokescreen concerning the planned balkanization of Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo Ohaji and removal of vital courses, which youths of the area are poised to peacefully resist, the unjustified closure of General Hospital, Umuokanne, Ohaji, leaving behind only a mortuary with phantom tales of school of Nursing, existing only on the lips of government agents and the non asphalting of any kilometre of road in Ohaji/Egbema despite its claims of constructing thousand kilometre, of roads in all localities in the state. If the state government did not embark on spending jamboree to the youths of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta it would have converted the N500m into meaningful developmental projects where the targeted persons would be de facto contractors. The present administration got it wrong when it believed that curing the ubiquitous cash crunch ravaging the state is through sharing of money to youths and people at the grassroots. The N500m can serve the purpose of touching the masses in oil producing areas through tangible means. I am aware that while energized communities are experiencing total black-out necessitated by government inability to pay PHCN electricity bills since 2011, some communities like Obitti, Assa, Awarra Ochia, Obile, all in Ohaji/Egbema are yet to witness PHCN power blink for a day. The communities would ever remain grateful to Okorocha’s administration had it been the frivolities of sharing the N500m to the youths was shaved to provide electricity to them. Besides, the Obitti Rubber Estate, Egbema Forestry and Oguta Wander Lake could have been properly revived and put on great pedestal to not only generate income but also provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youths. Already there is restiveness in the area arising from the shoddy manner the forms for the money was handled as the people of the area known for their volatile nature when provoked, could be thrown into intra-communal warfare over the method of distributing the so called N500m empowerment money.
Having used the Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta LGAs as a test case of experimenting “sharing the money”, Okorocha has increased his pace by sharing again to people of the state using the pet project, the CGC as avenue. Reports have it that as part of his Christmas package to Imolites, the directors in the state civil service after a meeting with the Okorocha were handed N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) cheque, with a Christmas message to all the autonomous communities. The directors did not go home empty handed, they also got a share of their own Christmas largesse from the governor as N10,000 was reportedly paid to each as transport allowance for their involvement in the sharing spree.
There is no doubt that Okorocha has added a new fashion in the “share the money syndrome” by involving career civil servants into local politicking. It would have been acceptable if political office holders or the supposed idle Government Liaison Officers (GLOs) of the CGC were handed the cheques for the various autonomous communities. There is no gain saying in the fact that the N200,000 per autonomous community is worthless, if the number of people constituting a village in the autonomous community are counted. It is more of a drop in the ocean that is unlikely to create the desired impact except that few persons or the CGC officials would pocket the money as a Christmas gift since they are not entitled to salaries.
In the spirit of “sharing the money” the governor has also announced intentions of offering about 50,000 Imo youths jobs with a monthly stipend of N10,000. I may not go further in this aspect until the government kick starts this fresh round of share the money. Until when the program comes on board, I humbly inform our dear governor that if the total amount to be spent for the stipend is put in proper use, the Avutu Poultry, Shoe Industry, Nsu Tiles and other state-owned local industries can be revived to provide meaningful jobs to youths in the state. What of the Christmas gifts to workers of state, federal, military, police and paramilitary in the state? What is the meaning and significance? Let the sharing continue.
Before I sign off for the year, let me use this opportunity to wish my numerous readers and indeed Trumpeta fans the best of Christmas and New Year in advance. It has been a wonderful year and there is need to thank God for his bountiful mercies. Catch ya next year. God Bless you all.
