THE EXPECTED HOPE OF IMO

By Lawrence Agbasoga.

The name Chief Hope Uzodinma, the Senator from Orlu zone of Imo State has gone down in the history of Imo State as the leader who rescued Imo State at this time from the iron grip of an Emperor who had cowed virtually everyone in the state into submission to his insistence on running a dynasty here in the eastern heartland. Like Moses of ancient Israel, God had sent him to deliver His people of Imo State who had been subjected to extreme poverty, deprivation and inhuman treatment in the hands of an emperor who had found it unnecessary to partner with them in the task of developing the state or in the business of governance.

According to Woodrow Wilson, the 28^th American president, "the ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people". That is Chief Hope Uzodinma! As a leader his ears had been saturated with the voices of his people and he could not help but respond.

The "deliverance" of our dear state from the tight grip of Governor Rochas Okorocha whose insistence on succeeding himself by proxy through Uche Nwosu is an indictment on our so-called leaders who, at the most critical time in the life of this state, preferred to do nothing but only complain, Complain alone could not achieve much. Action was needed and the man of action came on board and the result is the joy across the state in all homes. As a result of the acceptance of Chief Hope Uzodinma's governorship bid, a royal father I met last December told me he was not a member of APC but that he would vote for the senator, just for being able to confront and engage Okorocha squarely and defeat him, setting the state free from the injuries inflicted on it by the present administration.

The politics of Imo State today is of individuals and not of political parties or zone of origin. It is a weak and infantile argument for anyone to say that Orlu zone should not produce a governor again. Where were the so-called astute, dogged politicians from Owerri, Okigwe and even Orlu zones when Chief Hope Uzodinma took on Okorocha for the sake of Imolites? Why did they just look on when Okorocha was carefully perfecting his plans to succeed himself through his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu? The intervention of Senator Uzodinma proved his love for the state. Materially, he is comfortable. But like our saviour Jesus Christ who left his comfortable abode in heaven and became human, just for humanity's sake, to save us, even so chief Hope Uzodinma counted his personal comfort as nothing when the generality of his people of Imo State were crying and in pains as a result of injuries inflected on them by bad governance. He could not isolate himself from our excruciating pain, hence his intervention!

The argument of zone of origin remains weak. Chief Sam Mbakwe of blessed memory still holds |he record of achievements in the governance of this state. He hailed from Obowo in Okigwe Zone.

Today, when Chief Sam Mbakwe is mentioned, Obowo or Okigwe zone is not mentioned or remembered. This is because Mbakwe did not consider himself as coming from Obowo or Okigwe zone. He saw the entire state as his constituency and regarded everyone in it as brothers and sisters. He did not run a family government, neither did he treat Obowo or Okigwe zone as special. He is remembered today for his good works which were possible due to his leadership skills that made him place the best brains around into positions of responsibility. That is good leadership. The opposite of this is Governor Okorocha's style of considering members of his family first, associates, and then people from Ideato nation. This is wrong and leads to poor performance as in the case of Okorocha. From the same Okigwe zone as Chief Mbakwe came Ikedi Ohakim as governor. He didn't do well and in 2011 even people from his own Isiala Mbano joined forces with other Imolites to sack him. It is not about zone of origin, but about a leader's heart. Hope Uzodinma is not materialistic. I was once told that since he became Senator in 2011, this Oru East born "deliverer" has never bought any piece of land or house, but has committed himself to serving humanity. Imo needs such a leader who is not sectional. We need someone who will allow the people's common wealth to spread across board. Imolites don't need a leader who will stockpile their commonwealth for the purpose of financing the next election and deceive them with sub-standard infrastructure. We need a true servant -leader who will see the entire state as his immediate constituency. Hope Uzodinma represents what this state needs at this time, hence everyone sees him as the expected Hope of this state.

The choice of Prof. Piacid Njoku as running mate and the recent Imo Stakeholders meeting facilitated by Senator Hope Uzoinma depict a leader eager to deliver on his electoral promise.

At the stakeholders meeting, Senator Uzodinma required of Imo people themselves to articulate a way forward for the State. He is not a man that claims to know it all. The expected governor of the State believes that no person is a repository of knowledge. Senator Uzodinma has on many occasions- by words and action -agreed with former president George W.H. Bush who said thus: ^uuse power to help people. For we are give power not to advance our own purposes nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one use of power and it is to serve people".

Imolites must get it right this time. Out-fashioned sentiments like zoning must be abandoned, especially now that our dear state is in a critical situation. We must not toy with our lives today and in the future. This state needs a true patriot in the class of Chief Sam Mbakwe to re-position the state after years of plunder and mismanagement. Hope can be trusted. He loves our state. He is an Imolite who hates injustice, man's inhumanity to man and greed. As an individual he has touched lives<cross the state. Igbos believes that certain names have something divine associated with them. When the parents of Senator Hope Uzodinma named him, they had no thought he would one day be the expected Hope of a great state like ours. There is really something divine in Senator Uzodinma's intervention in the governorship affairs of our state and we must not lose sight of that. Imo needs him now. He listens, fears God, cares, not materialistic, and he is one of us.

IMO APC BLASTS OKOROCHA, CONDEMNS ENDORSEMENTS OF UCHE NWOSU

The stakeholders of All Progressive Congress (APC), Imo State, has dissociated themselves from what they call indescriminate endorsement of Hon. Uche Nwosu by few biased members of Imo APC. The stakeholders under the aegis of The Restoration Coalition, APC, Imo State in a communique released in Owerri on Wednesday, March 7, 2018 described the activities of the Rochas Okorocha's led government as unfortunate, stating that it is capable of bringing disgrace to the party in the forth coming general elections.

The group which rejected the endorsements said that they were "obtained by blackmail, coercion and intimidation".
Part of the communique reads

"4.     However, having been seeing and witnessing contemptible, despicable and condemnable happenings in our great party in the state in recent times, we are convinced that unless urgent steps are quickly taken in calling certain people to order, the APC is headed for a shameful, abysmal and colossal failure in the state in the 2019 elections - this will tragically cut across and regrettably affect the Presidential, Governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly chances. We sincerely, call on Governor Rochas Okorocha as the leader of the party in Imo State, to instill law, order, discipline as well promote peace and tranquility as the party gets set for the all important primaries in the state.
5.     Certainly, we totally, without any reservation, condemn the clandestine Endorsements, indiscriminate Adoptions and wanton "Anointments" of certain elements in the party without due processes and without any regard to laid down procedures and respect for party leadership and discipline. It is quite disturbing that these endorsements obtained by Blackmail, Coercion and Intimidation are taking place in the hallowed orbit of the Imo State Government House under the watch of the Governor. We are embarrassed because this theatre of the absurdity, as we have confirmed, has the full backing and financial muscles of Imo State Government as the persons being endorsed, one Chief Uche Nwosu, his Son In-Law is also his serving Chief of Staff. As a matter of fact, this is an anomaly and  points to a dangerous and destructive party politics of APC in Imo State. We, therefore, call our members to caution as endorsements do not frankly reflect the true picture of Imo APC. We call on Governor Owelle Okorocha to act as a true unifier, a leader to ensure a level playing field for all APC aspirants in all positions. To that effect, we reject in its entirety the endorsements of Uche Nwosu as being currently carried out in our party. This is so because these leprous endorsements have the capacity and capability of truncating and dismantling the very cord that binds us together as family. We respectfully urge Governor Okorocha to be very sensitive to the name, integrity and sanctity of Imo as an entity and the thrust, honour and dignity that go with the governorship enterprise.
6.     We wish to insist that natural justice, equity, fair play and democratic norms must take their natural course as we step closer to the Imo State APC primaries and subsequently, the elections thereof. It will be politically suicidal for the Imo State Governor to emerge from Orlu zone after Governor Okorocha’s eight years rule making a total of 16 years of ORLU GOVERNORSHIP. This  is improper and if imposed will be resisted by all responsible and conscientious members of the Party."

The coalition also condemned the recent attack on Archbishop AJV Obinna, the Bishop of Owerri Catholic Diocese, by some group of men purported to be working for the state government.
"It is our opinion as a party that we take exception to the insinuations emanating from the media crediting the actions to APC. That is not our Character as a Party.", the coalition said.

NO GOING BACK ON YOUTHS POLITICAL PARTICIPATION - Abia Youths Vow

 By Chukwudi Obi 

The Abia State chapter of Young Visioneers' Association of Nigeria, YVAN, a national youth  pressure group, has called on youths in the state to participate actively in both politics and the process of choosing their representatives.

This is even as the group has rolled out activities to ensure massive public enlightenment and mobilization of youths at the grass root level.

Speaking during their monthly general meeting in Umuahia, the state capital recently,  State Coordinator of the group, Comr Stanly Nwankwo reiterated the group's commitment to ensuring active youths participation in the electoral process in the state.

Comrade Nwankwo who stressed the need for more young people to be actively involved in politics, noted that part of their enlightenment campaign will focus on building the capacity of the youths such that they can hold elective positions as well as hold elected officials accountable apart from participating actively in the electoral process in the state.

According to Nwankwo who urged youths to shun selling their votes for any amount of money, the best way to enthrone true democracy in the state is to ensure that all stakeholders including the youths are active participants in the process of electing their officials.

Nwankwo, however lamented the nonchalant attitudes of many youths in the state to the on going voter registration exercise across the country adding that the figures peddled on some social media platforms indicate that the south east has the lowest number of registered voters.

In his own speech, the state Publicity Secretary of the group,  Ambassador Duke Imandu averred that the group will embark on the sensitization campaign as part of its community mobilization project, insisting that youths who have not registered for their voter's card will be encouraged to do so.

In his words, "YVAN will select some local government areas in Abia that will be visited in the first phase of the sensitization campaign. After that, another group of LGAs will be selected for the next batch."

The Publicity Secretary added that the campaign will expose the youths to the benefits of political participation and dissuade them from being paid agents or mercenaries of desperate politicians whose wish is to kill and maim in order to win elections.

Ambassador Imandu opined that the enlightenment programme will also offer opportunity for the youths to learn financial intelligence, budget tracking and good governance apart from teaching them leadership and management skills even as he hinted that the group will liaise with the Abia State INEC Commissioner and other officials at Local Governments level to ensure a hitch free voter registration exercise in rural communities.

YVAN APPOINTS ABIA STATE CHAPTER INTERIM EXECUTIVES

NATIONAL YOUTH GROUP APPOINTS ABIA CHAPTER INTERIM EXCOS  - Maps out strategies for massive mobilization of youths.
 
By Chukwudi Obi


All is set for a national youth group, Young Visioneers Association of Nigeria (YVAN), Abia State Chapter, to pay familiarization visits to some of the security agencies and justices in the state.

The visits, it was learnt are to solicit for support and partnerships for its campaign on youths involvement in politics, campaign against youth indiscipline and corruption, youths registration for voter's card and campaigning against youth involvement in electoral violence.

This is even as the group has appointed interim officers to fill in vacant positions to help reposition the group in a bid to break new grounds.
These formed part of the highpoints and resolutions taken at the group’s monthly meeting recently held in Umuahia, the Abia State Capital.

The new appointees include:
Comrade Stanley Nwankwo – State Coordinator, Amb. Duke Imandu- Deputy State Coordinator / Publicity Secretary and
Comrade Ikpengwa Uchenna - Secretary.
Others are Comrade Eziaha Odinkenmere – Treasurer, Comrade Yakubu Akofe Mutiu - Organising Secretary, Comrade Clifford Egwu - Welfare Director, Comrade Iyke Atumah - Financial Secretary and Comrade Amos Ocholi - Umuahia South Coordinator.

Some of the resolutions taken at the well attended meeting to ensure the group realize its vision to be a force to reckon with in the state include massive grass root mobilization and sensitization, courtesy visit to members of the judiciary, the various traditional rulers, security agencies, and paid advertisements in radio stations and on social media platforms.

Young Visioneers Association of Nigeria (YVAN) is a national youth pressure group whose aim is to restore the fallen moral standards in the society apart from charting a new course for youths who have a blurred vision of life.

THE SACK OF OVER 400 MOUAU STAFF; THE VICTIMIZER'S PARADE

By Duke Imandu

When the Vice Chancellor of Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) started saying to the hearing of the institution's staff that he was getting upset for not being able to employ people from his hometown after few months as VC, people thought it was a mere verbosity. Who could have imagined it was the beginning of the plan to destabilize the university community by a VC who was only one year and four months in that position?

Should I say that since the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the country has been a jungle of the prey and the predator? This is being played out in MOUAU. At his assumption of office as the Vice Chancellor in March 1, 2016, Prof. Ogbonnaya Otunta declared the regularization interview conducted by the school management inconclussive, and by extension, null and void. He further directed them to re-apply as new job seekers. Not satisfied, he set up a committee to fast track his anti people's agenda. The fault finding committee of Prof. Otunta had a mandate to "look into the credentials" of the over 400 affected staff.

The professor was in a haste to cause injury. As the committee was still working on it's mandate, President Buhari’s government disolved some Federal Universities' Governing Councils and appointed new council members. It seems a deal was struck, and the newly constituted council hurriedly fixed an emergency meeting which obviously was their first meeting. In the meeting, the VC presented his victimization plan to them and, as can obviously be observed, the council fail to achieve any other thing apart from the endorsement of Prof. Otunta's agenda.

Some may argue that his action of sacking the staff could be that the institution was over staffed. But no. That could not be the reason for his action when in just one year and four months as the VC, he has employed many believed to be "his own people". It is a display of chronic nepotism for the VC to also employ his wife while he was busy perfecting the sack of such number of people whose means of livelihood is the work. His body language still speaks loud; he would triple whatever number he has engaged to replace the victims from his cronies, probably after he would have succeeded in disengaging his preys who eventually are not 'his own people'. Where was the job advertised before his wife got employed? He gave his in-law the contract to construct some security posts and fence. Where was the contract advertised and who bidded for it?

It is disheartening that the new governing council upheld this Prof. Ogbonnaya's vendetta against the masses without asking questions, and they went ahead to issue an unpopular report. What should baffle every right thinking person is how a new governing council will have its first meeting to be an emergency meeting held on June 21 , 2017 and in it, the only thing they could achieve was to pass a verdict that over 400 staff should be sacked. The sack letter was alleged to have been typed on a Saturday and the termination took effect from June 30, 2017. Just within one week, every damage was hurriedly done. Neither the report nor the sack letter made mention of the affected staff's outstanding 25% arrears.

Again, it is very grotesque that the MOUAU's VC, Prof. Ogbonnaya has this antecedent of sacking staff enmass. He was alleged to have done the same in Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Uwana, Afikpo, Ebonyi State where over 300 staff were affected. Believably, the VC derives joy from others' agony. Taking this kind of destructive action without considering the multiplier effect is worrisome. The most worrying aspect of this remains that this victimization is not only going to affect the over 400 staff directly involved, but also their dependents. No doubt, this singular action of the VC is going to affect over 10,000 Nigerians. Such a gruesome act!!!
This victimizer, Prof. Francis Ogbonnaya Otunta is on a parrade again. Somebody should stop him now before it is late.

Duke Imandu
Is a concerned citizen.