Noble laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka is undoubtedly a celebrated figure in the literary sector. Penultimate week, Soyinka was in the news not for his famous writing excellence but for reported verbal skirmishes with the former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyilonla over the chairmanship of the UNESCO structure built in collaboration with Osun government and situated in the state.
While advancing his claims, Soyinka took a swipe at Oyinlola by accusing the politician of falsehood, revealing that his new series of books will earn the former governor a mention. According to Soyinka, the next in his series, titled “Interventions”, will be a “well earned place” for Oyilonla “in company of current inmates of the Republic of Liars”
Am not interested in the ego war between Oyilonla and Soyinka, but as the literary icon is about to put finishing touches to the work, I may urge him to also check out some characters in Imo to consider if any can be included in the incoming ” Republic of Liars”
My motion stems from the warped reasoning, half baked truths and twisted facts that have become the trademark of those cleansing image of the Imo State government.
A case in point is one nauseating counter statement from their quarters which attempted in vain glory to challenge an earlier report by Owerri based media houses. Based on empirical evidences which the government rejoinder failed to substantiate, Trumpeta in its weekend edition published on Friday 11, September 2015 did state that “No May, June Salary Arrears for Imo Workers, as Govt Begins Payment for July, August and September. Parastatals Workers to wait till Privatisation Begins”
My findings from the medium show that the newspapers field reporters stated in the report that one of the earliest government establishments to receive the payment after the bailout had arrived, the Imo State House of Assembly Service Commission, as at the time of the report only received July, August and September salaries without mention of May and June that were part of the outstanding the workers had been clamouring for since May ending. The workers, according to the reports were paid in Zenith Bank cheques as against the usual Diamond Bank. The workers never had the chance to ask or inquire what happened to their May and June salaries. One had expected those in charge of government mouth piece to have properly scrutinized the report before quickly jumping to place a rejoinder.
Those paid to launder the image of the governor and do “damage control” for the Rescue Mission Government of the present administration in Imo are expected to properly undertake checks before engaging in hasty conclusions about reports against the government.
Before going further, let me replay a follow up report from Trumpeta newspaper of Tuesday September 15, 2015 edition, before I continue next week
Imo Govt Lied On Non Payment Of May, June Salary Arrears- Civil Servants As Parastatals,Pensioners Lament Abandonment
Against the backdrop of last weekend’s denial by the Imo State Government that it had paid civil servants, teachers and local government workers in the state up to the month of June even before the bailout fund was assessed, workers in the state have reacted stating that the spokesman of the governor was economical with the truth in his statement.
Following the payment of July, August and September salaries and nonpayment of that of May and June this year to a section of civil servants, this newspaper in its weekend edition came out with a story stating that ” No May, June Salary Arrears to Imo Workers, as Govt Begins to pay for months of July, August, September “ No sooner than the story hit the newsstands, that the media aide to the governor went on air through state government`s media channels to debunk the report.
Angered by the position of Sam Onwuemedo, the author of the government denial and also the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Rochas Okorocha, workers who spoke to Trumpeta expressed disgust over the reaction from government angle.
Trumpeta had used one of the government agencies, the Imo State House of Assembly Service Commission, as a case in point to show that there was no May and June Salary Arrears for the state workers when the report was published.
On Thursday last week, a day to end the one week promise, Okorocha gave to clear outstanding salaries, workers in the Assembly Commission were issued with single cheques to cover for their three months salaries beginning from July, August and September of this year. The cheques belong to Zenith bank as against their former Diamond Bank cheques used in the past to pay. it covered for July, August and September, thereby skipping May and June of this year. The hunger stricken staffers of the commission did not resist accepting the cheques since they were eager to get money and tackle challenges facing them at the home front.
No reason was offered the workers for the nonpayment fuelling speculations that they may forfeit that of the May and June Salary Arrears even as unconfirmed source disclosed that it might be part of the workers contribution to ameliorate the harsh economic woes that had befallen the state in recent times
Our reporters also revealed that other government ministries, agencies and departments were yet to receive or completely receive any payment from government as salaries. Neighbours to the Assembly Service Commission, the Imo State House of Assembly as at the time of that report were yet to receive a dime from government coffers. In the LGAs across the state, it has become a ding dong affair between the workers and government with a category of workers especially those in medical and agriculture sectors rejecting the pay on the fact that it was slashed from government. Even the ones at the various local government education authorities had their cheques bounced and declared invalid by the issuing bank. Same applies to the ministries where the situation concerning payment is still cloudy.
While the workers are battling to collect whatever that was given to them by government, the future for those in parastatals and pensioners appear dim with no positive mention of their plight. While Okorocha’s media aide failed to differentiate between Trumpeta`s claim that the parastatals workers had to wait until privatisation begins and his assertion of commencement of payment in September, nothing was made about the pensioners.
A cross section of the workers who spoke to Trumpeta on Monday at the state secretariat, Portharcourt road berated Onwuemedo for dishing out falsehood against known facts and truths about the payments. According to Mrs Beatrice Amadi, a staff of one of the affected ministries, “it is unfortunate that the governor `s media aide has stopped clapping for Jesus as he used to do through his previous write ups before he was given appointment by the governor and is now clapping for Owelle, with the type of press releases he issues with regard to this payment. How can he say we have been paid when we have seen nothing? She asked. Mrs Amadi`s views are in tandem with those who spoke to our reporter.
A House Service Commission worker who spoke under strict anonymity for fear of victimisation while reconfirming Trumpeta story said that they have not been paid May and June but only received that of July, August and, advised Onwuemedo to apply caution while defending the interest of the governor adding that his statements should have human face when workers matters are concerned.
However, Trumpeta observed that the denial of the governor’s media aide also failed to acknowledge that some persons including House of Assembly members were stopped from travelling to Turkey at the Portharcourt International Airport over certain lapses in the travel arrangement that also saw the Imo contingent spend an unwarranted night at the airport and hotels around. Onwuemedo was expected to have told Imolites in his release why Honourable members of the state assembly like Uche Ejiogu, Uju Onwudiwe, et al, came back from the airport having been on the initial train to Turkey.
