Over four months since Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha dissolved and reconstituted a new State Executive Council, the Ministries of Agriculture and that of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs are still stagnant as no commissioners have been posted to the Ministries.
However, Trumpeta was reliably informed that Governor Okorocha is reserving the positions for candidates from the Northern part of the Country, who sources said are grounded in the business of Agriculture and Rural administration, hence the endless wait.
It was also learnt that the Members of Imo House of Assembly have resolved not to screen any candidate from Northern Nigeria for both positions, as they believe it is an aberration to seek for Commissioners from the North, when there are qualified Imo born Professionals and Technocrats for such positions.
Trumpeta learnt that because the Imo Legislature threw away the previous names presented to them by Governor Okorocha for these Ministries, the Governor may have resolved to adopt a time waiting mechanism, while he “works” on the Lawmakers to facilitate the screening of the Northern Commissioners.
Unfortunately, while Governor Okorocha and the Legislature battle over the clearance of these “Commissioners”, both Ministries suffer serious neglect as they are both important to the development of the state as Ministries of Agriculture and that of Local Governments are seen as being strategic to any given administration in Nigeria.
Sources told Trumpeta that Okorocha, after he returns to the state from USA where he went to visit his daughter who was delivered of twins, is likely to present fresh names to the Legislature for Clearance, before swearing them in.
Trumpeta learnt that Imo House of Assembly are divided on this issue of appointing none Imo sons as Commissioners, when there are qualified Imo persons.
But the issue, it was learnt, is the Speaker of Imo House of Assembly, Rt Hon Benji Uwajumogu who has been lobbying his colleagues to prevail on them to clear the Northerners, pointing out that some Imo sons and daughters are after all occupying important positions in other states across the Nation.
PDP lawmakers, it was learnt, are standing against such a novel in the state, supported by their colleagues from APGA, who are yet to join Okorocha in APC.
A reliable source said Okorocha wants to use such appointments to make in-roads into Northern Nigeria over his 2015 ambition of either running for the Presidential or Vice Presidential seats, assuming he changes his mind not to run again for Imo Guber.
But majority of Imo citizens wondered why Okorocha should be shopping for candidates for such lucrative and sensitive positions outside Imo State, when there are Imo State born experts in Agriculture and Local Government Management.
Meanwhile, a source from Government House Owerri, told this Newspaper that Okorocha is not appointing Northerners in his cabinet, but only waiting to find the right people for the remaining Ministries that have no Commissioners.
