Against the backdrop of divided views arising from the appointment of committees to undertake several assignments in Imo State Government, state governor, Emeka Ihedioha has given reasons for his actions.
According to Ihedioha, it was as a result of the decay in the entire system he inherited from the Okorocha administration that warranted setting up of committees comprising people of the state coming in to look at what is on ground and profer solutions.
In his words, Ihedioha said “Appointment of Administrative Fact-Finding Committees on Various Aspects of Governance;
My dear Ndi Imo, our mission is to rebuild our state, and it is a mission that demands action from us. However, as a rule-based government, we have opted to be deliberate rather than arbitrary. Consequently, we have inaugurated different Committees to address immediate concerns, obtain relevant information and facts and provide us a clear compass for Executive, judicial or legislative action, where and when necessary.
To this end, we inaugurated the Imo State Financial Advisory Committee to help us, among other things, determine the state and status of our finances, and conduct a forensic audit of past government finances.
So far, the Committee has successfully unraveled systemic and monumentally fraudulent transactions orchestrated by the past administration. The work of the Committee is continuing and God willing, the report will be published for our people to judge for themselves.
We have also set up a Committee to review the last-minute recruitment and promotions in the Imo State public service. The aim really is to determine whether the Civil Service Rules were adhered to in appointments and promotions. Where certain persons have been unjustly treated, we will remedy the situation, and where infractions are evident, we will correct them. The Committee has made far reaching recommendations. Notably, based on the recommendations of the Review Committee, we have reversed the appointments of twelve (12) Permanent Secretaries that were made at the twilight of the last administration without recourse to due process.
We have also set up a Committee on Market Development, to among other things identify the markets in the State and determine their status; ascertain the revenues accruable to the State, determine where injustices were meted to land owners, shop owners, traders and other stakeholders with a view to finding ways to ameliorate, compensate and/redress such injustices; The Committee has since commenced work and is making steady progress. Government Policy is to find an amicable solution with the traders.
In the same vein, we have inaugurated an Interim Management Committee for Adapalm, one of the age-old assets and major potential economic drivers in the State that was monumentally mismanaged and plundered by the immediate past administration. The interim report we received on the State of Adapalm is simply mind boggling and another case of rape of the State resources. The Committee will apart from managing the affairs of the company in the interim, investigate the alleged concession/leaseholds awarded, at different times, to different companies. We are certain that by the time the Committee completes its assignment, Adapalm would be returned to the people. We are also looking for credible and reputable investors who will turn the fortunes of the estate around.
The Imo Transport Company (ITC) has also received government attention. In order to halt the drift and corruption that has, over time, been associated with the company, where revenues are paid into the personal accounts of individuals and company assets sold to family members and cronies of government officials, an interim Management Committee has been set up to apart from managing the company, develop an implementable framework for repositioning it for optimal service delivery. I am confident that the new management will make far reaching recommendations to revive the Transport Company.
Apart from Adapalm, Imo State has a rubber estate which I am certain citizens of Imo may have forgotten that it ever existed. We have set up an Interim management Committee to review all purported agreements and forestall all illegal harvests of rubber products.
The traffic problem in the State capital has been an issue of great concern. Consequently, the government has set up a Traffic Decongestion and Illegal Parks Committee, to among other things remove all illegal motor parks and relocate them appropriately, and negotiate with traders within the municipality in order to relocate them from the street to more suitable locations. The accomplishments of the Committee are becoming visible by the day. Most importantly, there is now free flow of traffic on Douglas road. This was impossible some years ago.
