– Says Rescue Mission is Youth Friendly
In this interactive and thought revealing interview with High Chief (Dr) Rdney Tony Ajaelu, members of the Imo State Civil Service Commission Board, he takes us through the journey so far with His Excellency the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, how it all started and what the Rescue Mission Government represents:
Q: May we meet you sir?
My names are, Hon. High Chief (Dr.) Rodney Tony Ajaelu, I am from Amakohia in Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State and I am married with 6 kids and am a Christian.
Q: Sir, you have served under this rescue mission government of His Excellency, Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha, can you share with us the journey so far?
Well I must thank God for the opportunity to have served in the capacities I have been called to, incidentally they all fall on the two major areas of life I measured in security and sports as well as youth development and I must say I have been lucky and performed well. I must not forget to thank hugely my mentor not because I am the best but because of God’s grace and favour which made it possible for me to be picked.
In all the sectors I have served, I must say I left a good footprint because I am not that kind of person who passes through a place without being noticed, like in sports, security and the youth development sectors were I measured in before been moved to a new sector were I’m also knowledgeable enough. In fact I am born to serve and would want to do more for my people in any capacity.
His Excellency, Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha OON, the senior Advocate of the masses, the Grand
Commander of Free Education, he is my Godfather, my everything, a number one humanitarian who truly shaped my life and my family. I don’t really know what people look for in who they follow as their mentor but for me, I picked a lot from Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha, the way he sees things, his humanitarian life style, his words of wisdom, vision and many more approaches to life, indeed he has really shaped my life for good and I will forever remain grateful to him.
As you may have noticed, I have worked with Owelle Okorocha for over 20years and it all started in 1997 when I met him, then he was a close friend of my brother J.P.K. Ajaelu who was the state vice chairman of PDP then and was also commissioner in-charge of the Fiscal Revenue and Mobilization Commission then for Imo and Abia State and through him God has blessed me. I am some one who believes in following one person not just when the going is good but also when the going is bad, I have been with him in all the times he won and lost elections and I started as his youth leader, then when I just returned from overseas 1998 to 2001 and then Director of Youth Affairs till when he wanted to go for the presidency. When I was sent to Delta State were I served as special Representative for Rochas Campaign and he believes in what I can do as we had over 150 Imo Youths canvassing all over Nigeria and most of the people you see working with him started back then.
Q: Considering the fact that you have been with Governor Rochas for these good number of time, How do you view his style of government?
Well some people keep saying the Governor is running a family government but for me, I will say Governor Okorocha started with the known and gradually moving to the unknown.
Let me tell you something, if I’m made the Governor today, certainly I would want to succeed and definitely would want to do that with persons I can trust, to work with and achieve the set targets especially those I have worked with before and tested, I believe what Owelle has done is laudable and as you can see he thinks of how to move the State forward which have been evident in all the monumental infrastructures that the state have been witnessing since the rescue mission government came on board.
The government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha has turned things around for good in the Education sector, built hospitals, expanded the roads and made the capital city wear a new look and as I speak with you the State civil servants have been paid their salaries till last December while that of January is in progress and the government is about paying pensioners 3 months arrears any moment from now, Not minding the over 2000 youths employed into the civil service. These newly recruited youths have been paid three months salary.
Q: Can we share from your experience working under this government?
I was first appointed the chairman Imo State sports councils board about 4 years ago as a sports man who started from playing football in my school days before moving to cricket were I rose to a great height as national female coach after been trained Internationally and gaining my grade one and Two coaching certificates. I have also represented the South East at the national board and presently I’m the State Cricket Association Board Chairman and I have also instituted the Imo State cricket Development Centre.
My stay as the council board chairman lasted for one year and 3 months and within that period I and my board members made very good effort to ensure development of sports especially by proposing for a change of the edict that established the sports council and make it a commission just like it’s at the national level even in some states like Delta, Edo, Kwara and Ogun State to mention but a few including Lagos State.
Importantly some people in the management didn’t see things the way we saw it, the idea of making sports more viable and independent, that I felt would have enabled the sports council to diversify by generating funds and partnering with the private sector who globally are the real power drivers of sports.
It would interest you to note that the council edict dates back to 1983 or there about. I feel if these can be achieved it would allow us the opportunity to harness the potentials abound in the state. Do you know that all the coaches represent the state and the national teams. At some time in the nations sports activities, Imo State used to contribute about 40% of the athletes, in boxing, athletics, wrestling, football, hockey, volleyball, basketball, cricket, judo, handball (Grasshoppers) and many more but some persons in charge are no longer interested in the development of sports but their own selfish interest which has reduced sports in Imo to its lowest point.
We had great athletes here and there like the current Director of Sports, Mrs. Christian Aretola (Volley ball national capital), Austin Atasia (Olympic Wrestler and Common wealth medallist), Chief Ferdinand Emeana (Handball coach now national coach), why can’t we produce more of these and replace them. As if the Governor read my mind, he gave me the chance to make a change but the management then didn’t share same idea and the board on its own couldn’t effect it without agreeing with the management members.
Again as God may have it, the Governor deemed it fit to move me onto the next level I served as the commissioner for public utility and public safety and later as the commissioner for sports, youth and public safety. Some people may be wondering why putting me there but security is another aspect of my life ,as a trained ICPC Officer then , I must say that I served meritoriously well as I rose rapidly and even volunteered further training. My kind of person, I wouldn’t say I’m righteous but I always stand for the right thing, especially stopping diversion of government funds and any other related matters and as the chief investigating officer with NAVC of ICPC we solved over 50 cases successfully with both parties well satisfied.
Also as the man in charge of public safety, I must say Imo became safety personified under UNDP all over the Southern Nigeria. The Imo Community Watch, ICW was strengthened and was taken down to all voting booths and crime drastically reduced in the state, the governor meanwhile has consolidated on that achievement by clamping down on hard drug sellers and users.
Security for me shouldn’t be concentrated at one place or person/group of persons but everywhere. I call for improvement/retraining of our security outfits (police) to meet the international standards. The issue of arrest/detain of offender is to reform them and so they should be classes of police cell so we don’t put hard criminals with common traffic offenders as well as minors.
As commissioner, I also presented lots of proposals but because of the lean purse of the state and too many begging issues the government could only carry out the ones that are relevant as at that time and because government is a continues process the subsequent ones should be carried out in due course if found worthy.
Under utility, we ensured that all the major streets were lit up with solar power instead of the usual generators that were placed here and there.
The Otamiri water scheme was reconstructed and the government put in a lot of funds to revive the system although some people refused to pay their water rate even as the governor brought in the best water treating machine.
Same was replicated in Okigwe water scheme we were at the verge of clamping down on pure water producers due to the unhygienic nature. The World Health Organization, WHO demands that boreholes should be dug 200 feets to get clean water but some of the boreholes we have here are not up to 100 feets and that’s why some pure water have taste.
In sports ministry, a lot was also achieved, we gave birth to Heartland Queens were over 28 female Imo indigenes were gainfully engaged qualifying to participate in the Nigeria Women premier League NWPL with matured girls. One of the girls, Prudent is currently playing professional football in Israel. We won Laurels in Hockey (national League) Cricket (South East Championship) and in Paralympics, 4 of our athletes won medals and were rewarded by His Excellency, in fact the one who broke the world record got a piece of land with cars to go with among many other laurels won in other sports.
I must say once again that I’m favoured by God because the Governor recently found me worthy to serve in another different capacity, this time in the state civil service commission were I represent Okigwe Zone.
We are barely over a month and we have observed some issues to tackle. We want to ensure that dress code is obeyed to the later at all levels of the civil service and we equally commend the Governor for up to date payment of workers’ salary and I don’t know why people especially the civil servants are not singing it out. 3,000 youths were recently employed and as we speak they have received 3 months salary, that tells you how youth oriented the rescue mission government have been.
It was evident when the entire youths who participated in the last carnival were paid N20,000 each about 305 youths benefited from Nlm empowerment program of Owelle Okorocha.
Q: Sir can you tell your people (Ihitte Uboma) and Imolites what to expect in the near future?
All these achievements I have mentioned including some I left out were made possible within the short period the Governor granted me the opportunity, you can now imagine if my people charge me with a mandate, I will certainly do more especially for the youths.
It’s high time we stop wishing our children (youths) bad but encourage them to focus on positive areas of life I would equally wish to move to the national level with Owelle Okorocha, we may not value him right now but I tell you when he leaves he would be cherished. I recall about 5 years ago when I suggested to Owelle, for us to start at home (Imo) and today Imolites are the most beneficiaries.
As an Ambassador of youth I canvass for a youth to be the governor of Imo State, we should be talking of choosing the best candidate for governance.
People do not really understand what Owelle intends for Imo, so many want him to share the money, but he is not that type of politician, rather he is always thinking of how to make Imo the greatest State and that’s why you see him invest on monumental infrastructures and urban renewal movement.
Coming back to what I want in future, I intend to hold a national Ihitte Uboma Youth Submit soon that will bring all youths of my LGA around during the Easter period to dialogue on a better way forward.
The 2019 election shouldn’t be as usual we want the youths to fall under one umbrella so that when intending political office holders come for their votes and support the indices , conditions will be spelt out.
We feel any politician who genuinely wants to serve should be committed and responsible towards the development and true empowerment of the youths.
The template the youths of Ihitte Uboma will sample can be replicated elsewhere even by the market women and other groups including the Town Unions and at Zonal levels.
The candidates will surrender collaterals (Houses, landed properties etc) and promise to pay the people N200m as the case may be if he fails to meet the request from the people he will be representing at any level for 4years, that way it would help to checkmate the excesses of our politicians.
Politicians must ensure they have legacies in their wards/communities and LGA before coming out to vie for any political position.
I want in the future a system of politicizing to bring changes in Imo for a greater peace and advantage.
To be continued…
In the next edition, High Chief Ajaelu will take us through his intentions on what he has in stock for the youths especially in Ihitte Uboma come 2019, don`t miss it.
