Imo State gets N240m From NAPEP
August 9, 2008 by 
Che Oyimnatumba
NAPEP said it has in collaboration with Intercontinental Bank PLC earmarked N240m to Imo State via a programme called Village Economic Poverty Solution. The state coordinator Oliver Enwerenem disclosed this to newsmen. According to him, the programme is to identify and establish viable economic ventures in the rural areas to arrest urban migration. According to him a part of the fund will be released to any village or community that can come up with a feasibility study of a viable programme. He further said that about N73 million has been provided to micro-finance institutions in 16 communities to facilitate the programme.
With this money purring in, we cannot help but ask, what his excellence wants to do and is doing with the N50m “bond” collected from UBA.
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IMO, A LAND UNDER SIEGE
Imo state under Ikedi Ohakim is bleeding. l know that Nigeria is burdened with leaders who are kleptomaniacs, and who should be in psychiatric hospitals. However, the case of Imo state seems to be the worst case. In some other states, the thieving governors try to do a few things which make the people happy, at least to distract the ignorant masses ,while they loot the treasury dry. A good example is the Abia state governor, who pays WAEC and NECO fees for secondary school students, and provides school meals for primary and secondary school children. Without making much noise about it, the Abia state governor is doing more to sanitize the state capital than the so-called proponent of the clean and green initiative.
Imo people are labouring under a tyrant, who like Rehoboam of the Bible, wants to show the people that no previous leader in the state is his match when it comes to iron- fisted rulership. Let the sycophants shut up. Let the bootlickers and praise singers cover their faces in shame. OUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE IS VERY BLEAK. Our cllective destiny is in jeopardy. The people must unite and resist this vandalization and gang-rape of our land. We are too docile and that is why a lunatic who does not know anything about governance beyond the demolition of the people’s sources of livelihood is taking us all for a ride. THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT HAS NOT BUILT ANYTHING to improve our lot.. THEY HAVE ONLY DEMOLISHED. THAT IS THEIR MISSION. It is our responsibility to stop them by any possible means. This is an emergency.
IMO , A PAINTED SPULCHRE
Before ikedi ohakim of imo state blocks our eardrums with the noise of his achievements in the past one year, let me draw his attention to some basic facts he seems not to have noticed.
perhaps the governor wants to tell us that he does not know that university admission slots in the state are for sale to the highest bidders? Does he not also know that his commissioners are part of deadly syndicates that extort money from poor ,jobless school leavers to give them jobs, which are still a ruse most of the time? Does the governor want to tell us that he is ignorant of the massive corrupt practices going on in the ministry of Education, where secondary school admissions and transfers are based on how much money changed hands? What about the schools of Nursing, where quality has been sacrificed on the altar of money as far as admissions are concerned. You can ask the commissioner for Health about this. Perhaps ikedi does not know that Imo youths have now seen crime of all kinds as a way of life, since his government a nd those of some of his predecessors have failed woefully to give them hope of a better tomorrow . His Excellency, the Board of Internal revenue is a cesspit of corruption. All the officers there see extortion as a norm rather than an exception.
THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY, NO FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, and no patriotism in the people you chose to be in charge of our affairs. Note that it is an established fact that subbordinates pattern their conduct after the man in the saddle. If you are clean as some of your parrots are quick to tell us, then do something to prove your innocence in all these evils your administration has unleashed on Imo State. Until you du, you Excellency, we hold you accountable for all the rot in the system right now.
The general feeling among the people is that you purposely installed people with bad reputation and criminal records to deal with Imo people for some undisclosed grouse you have against them. Sir, please look inward and give THE GOOD PEOPLE OF IMO STATE A GOOD DEAL.They definitely deserve something better than what they are getting from you, for remaining peaceful all this while in spite of your draconian, pointless and baseless inhuman policies. I BELIEVE THAT YOU MAY YET BE ABLE TO WRITE YOUR NAME IN GOLD IN THE ANNALS OF IMO STATE IF YOU CAN THINK AGAIN AND LEAD US IN THE WAY OF PROSPERITY AND PEACE. There is still hope for Imo.
This Village Economic Development Solution by NAPEP is commendable. The emphasis
on community participation and self-reliance is a major step towards
sustainability. However, NAPEP initiatives seem to concentrate on youths,
graduates and community members who are “free” to work. Many poor women who want
to improve their economic status may not be able to work/work well because they
have children between the ages of 3 to 5 years and find it difficult or
impossible to enrole them in fee paying daycare centres/kindergartens. If the
Community (Ward) Development Committees (or Community/Village Development
Associations)exist and are functional, they should be assited to make
proper,adequate and accessible arrangements for early life education for their
under-fives. This will result in empowerment of the mothers/families. Funds
released should be monitored by the Community/Village Development Committees who
hopefully have been involved in the planning/budgetting for this programme. If
the women described above are not vissible in the Action Plans, and it is not
too late to involve them, the State Universal Basic Education Board, Local
Government and other relevant stakeholders should assist the communities to set
up FREE Early Life Education Programmes. This will “free” the mothers to
participate in capacity building programmes or gainful employment. Also,
government officials must be reminded of COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP all the way.