SAINT ROCHAS ...EXPOSED"If we fail to do something in the face of tyranny, we will be hurting generations yet on born, and our children will rise up and ask us questions"-- Owelle Rochas Anayochukwu Okorocha
It was a wide jubilation in Imo when the news flew in that Owelle Rochas has won the gubernatorial election in the state. The electorates were so excited and beat their chest that they have done it. Its unfortunate that the issue on ground now in Imo typifies an ironical situation were electoral promise has turned into unfulfilled marriage promises.
Well, Gov. Okorocha declared free education for all Imo State indigenes at all levels and he received an unprecedented accolade from the masses for the pronouncement.
How is the policy working out? Owelle, your free education policy at the tertiary level is like a gift of a child from a river goddess to a barren woman who is under pressure of eviction from the mother in law and the husband.
You declared free education at tertiary level while Imolites awaits the final court judgement on the validity of your election. Your clever thought failed you when the court held in your favour and validated your unconstitutional supplementary election. You wanted the Imo citizens to see reasons why they have to vote for you again in the event that the court cancelled your election and ordered a fresh election. As soon as your election was validated, you were faced with the dilemma of implementing the free tertiary education policy in have already declared, which me and you knew was not feasible based on the Internally Generated Revenue(IGR) you were targeting from the tertiary institutions in Imo.
In order to make your never feasible free tertiary education policy work out in your favour, it has been revealed that the Acting Vice Chancellor of Imo State University, Prof. B.E.B. Nwoko was relieved of his post because he did not go along with abrogating the formula for Imo State University admission where 70% and 30% of Imo indigenes and non-indigenes are respectively admitted. It was revealed that Gov. Okorocha asked Prof. Nwoko to reverse 70-30 formula of admission so that more non-indigenes will be admitted thereby reducing the amount of money Imo State will pay on scholarships. Since the governor could not get his wish, he replaced Prof. B.E.B. Nwoko with Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie as the Acting Vice Chancellor. Sadly, only 4,000 out of 90,000 qualified Imo students were admitted leaving 86,000 to wander on the streets. Now, inspite of the very low percentage of Imo citizens who were admitted into Imo State University, yet the Imo citizens there are being forced to pay #20,000 all in the name of free education. They pay your government #20,000, collect a never-to-be-cashed #100,000 cheque and submit to the school authorities confirming that they have paid their schools fees, and you want us to believe that you are running a free tertiary education policy in Imo. Is this not self deceit?
Recently he made a statement that Free Education to all levels has been fully implemented. But the realities of his Free Education Policy, in practice, have left a sour taste in the mouths of Imo people. It has virtually become the source of a gathering storm in the entire state, especially amongst the indigenous students of Imo State University, and indigenous qualified applicants into the university who were denied admission as a result of the fraudulent Free Education Policy of Owelle’s administration.
Barely few weeks after assuming office, Gov. Okorocha rendered the function of local government system, a constitutionally created level of government, useless. The governor has through his actions, including reckless disregard to the rule of law, denied the masses of direct government contact which local government system was created to do. The LG Chairmen and councillors have been allowed to perform their duties; in their place, Okorocha appointed Transition Committee (TC) Chairmen, political stooges who are doing the bidding of the governor. The governor’s action is rather a pernicious dereliction of responsibility and flagrant scuttling of an institution that should have been made stronger. The phenomenon in Imo State can only exist in a society where men are stronger than the institutions.
Instead of allowing the local government structure to work in Imo State the Governor inaugurated 637 Government Liaison Officers GLOs to the Community Governments Council (CGC) with a charge that they should go home and develop their communities, an unconstitutional system that may wither with time. An action like this is not only an emblematic of draught of ideas, but sheer mosaic of ineptitude and a collage of poor leadership in various areas of governance. Sad still, Gov. Rochas Okorocha is currently paving the road of lawlessness through his actions that bother on selfishness. If your surname is not Okorocha, then forget it! Your large family and in-law has taken over Imo, handling fat contracts and juice appointments and political offices, some even share double appointments.
The
ease with which contracts are awarded in Imo state depicts a tyrant in
power. In 2001, the Federal Government issued New Policy Guidelines for
procurement and award of contracts in Government Ministries/Parastatals
(Circular F. 15775 of 27th June, 2001), Due Process implies that
governmental activities and businesses can be carried out openly,
economically and transparently without favouritism and corruptible
tendencies (Ezekwesili, 2004).The documents to be forwarded to The Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit (BMPIU) as requirements for Due Process Review as outlined by Ezekwesili include:
*The Project Policy file
Evidence of Advertisement as appropriate
*Tender Returns
*Tender Evaluation Report
*Contract Award Letter and Agreement
Original Contract Bills of Quantities (if any)
*Contract Drawings (if any)
*Other Contract Documents
*Financial Summary and Statements
*Progress Reports
*Variation Requests and Variation Orders arising
*Interim Valuation and Certificates.
Instances of corruption in public procurement and their impacts on the socio-economic, political, sociological development of Imo State can not be overemphasized. Corruption is an evil wind which blows no body any good and should be resisted by all and sundry. However, since it appears to be hydra-headed and contagious it calls for open condemnation. The Imo Public, whose money that is being misappropriated and embezzled, equally has the right to check public procurement corruption by being interested and alive to the activities of the public procurement. This can be achieved by knowing the projects that are sited in their environments and report shoddy and/or abandoned projects to the anti-corruption Agencies.
ROCHE GROUP have taken over all major construction projects in Imo.The state Governor has sold the multi-million naira Adapalm to himself (Roche Group), without due process. The Question that has been on the lips of every Imo citizen in the State is : Who is behind this ROCHE GROUP company and what brought about their sudden emergence in Imo State?
One Company cannot sit on all the Contracts in the State except the Government has a cut. Even though the Chief of Staff, Prince Eze Madumere is quoted for his famous line “ No 10 Percent“, it makes it hard to believe that the State Government is adhering to that “Policy” when it appears that one company is being awarded all the major projects in the State. What are they constructing that other companies cannot Construct?
Okorocha has deliberately set in motion the House of Assembly to impeach his deputy governor. The deputy governor was said to have claimed that the ploy of the governor was to use the Speaker of the assembly, Chief Benjamin Uwajumogu, and other members to tarnish his image and replace him with his Chief of Staff, Prince Eze Madumere.
It will be disheartening to recall owelle's statement at Rosy Art Theatre, Owerri, during the APGA primary in Imo State. Owelle, why is it so difficult for you to maintain or keep your words. Your ugly volt-face is so bad that even a little baby will raise eyebrow at it.
Because you contravened the Public Procurement Act, enthroned nepotism, you are not sure of what will become of you when you live office, because you are too selfish to keep to agreement, because ACP has zoned Presidency to the North, Vice presidency to the South West ,You blindly decided to black mail your Deputy Governor , impeach him, replace him with your Chief of Staff , and later within 12 months force your Chief of staff to resign for your Son Inlaw to become Deputy Governor and future Governorship Candidate of APC to hold the ticket for you incase you loose your journey to Presidency , so that you can return and collect the ticket from him within the two weeks window and emerge as Candidate of APC for a second tenure. Why are you not telling the Speaker of your house of Assembly the truth, that you plan to dump him after the hatchet job is done for your plan as stated above. Must you deceive people like this? Must you spoil the name of another man to achieve your goal. The swallow never hear until it runs into a moving object and dies. So also it is with them that have power, the shifting sand of woven anger in the people's silence will soon awake, but the swallow will not hear nor see , until he shall in loneliness striped of his potence, my lesson sheet know of Idi Amin Dada, Dovilez somaz and most recently Ohakim.
It is time the entire Imo electorates ought to be abreast with these facts so that they will not be fooled by your fake humanitarian cum tyrannical personal and leadership style.
Chukwueke Chijioke
From Owerri, Imo State.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
