Imo State Government Continues Demolition in Owerri

In a belated effort to carry the good people of Imo state along, the Special Adviser (SA) to Governor Ikedi Ohakim on Sanitation And Transport, Chief Willie Amadi has started a media campaign to create awareness and solicit support in the ongoing demolition exercise in Owerri.

According to the SA, “we are not using force but persuasion. The idea is to make the Imo environment conform to civilised standard” Furthermore he said in line with the CLEAN & GREEN initiative of the governor, the government has started planting of ornamental trees along the major roads in Owerri. Earlier in the week, the SA unveiled to newsmen the Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO) Law, which he said its implementation will be constantly reviewed to amend the irrelevant sections that will occasion hardship to the people.

A seasoned traveller to Owerri, will note that Owerri is an old civil servant city, with the major roads set and will not accommodate any tree without massive destruction to the roads/streets. These are the major roads in Owerri. Okigwe Rd, Orlu Rd, Douglas Rd and Weathral Rd. Where along these roads does his excellence want to plant ornamental trees?

One cannot help but wonder why the state government is putting the cart before the horse. The government undertook massive demolition with zeal akin to that of el-Rufai in F.C.T.,without carrying the people along. This belated effort is another media jamboree for which the Ohakim government has come to be known with. On the pages of the national dailies, Imo state is painted in glossy colours yet a visit to the state capital belies all these paper victories of the governor.

Can good men of Imo state please arouse the State House of Assembly from their over one year comatose? The time has come for these Honourable members to take their oversight functions more seriously before the executive ruin the state beyond redemption.

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Give Ohakim a Breathing Space to Work for Imo State

In Response to OHAKIM’s 419 SPIN-DOCTORS:

Chief Dr Ikedi Ohakim,holds BSC in Business Administration,MSC in marketing and PhD Degrees.His acension to the political leadership of Imo State ,Nigeria under the PPA flag on may 29 2007,to say the least,was indeed Godswill for the people of Imo State.Imo is a State in South East of Nigeria.Imo State has 27 Local Government Areas.

Ikedi Ohakim with his Style of leadership,it will not be a mistake to say that he knows where the shoe pinches Imo people.within the last 365 days ,he has work round the clock to put smiles on the faces of imo people.Thank God the people of Imo State decided to bring change in leadership and trooped out to elect him as Chief Executive officer of the State

“Chineke Ekele oo”,Imo people are shouting.The State is now a State to sing praises of.Ohakim is delivering on his electoral promises.Imo people now have sense of belonging in the running of Imo with wealth now spread across the State.Visitors to the state would have been convinced that Ikedi is out to take the State to the highest level of development.

Since the Governor assumed Office In 2007,there has been paradigm shifts in the areas of developmental projects such as road,civil service and security. There is notable peace and harmony in Imo State.Ohakim in his characteristic approach to handling the affairs of the state may have proved wrong, holders of the believe that because of the Governor’s minority party(PPA),there might be heavy unrest in the state. Imo under the Leadership of Ohakim is enjoying the best of oneness and unity which are vital ingredients needed for development.The bond of friendship between the Governor and Imo state House of Assembly and the Judiciary is a thing to be applauded.

In the area of security, Ohakim ,in the last twelve months,have achieved a lot.Imo State is one of the most peaceful State in Nigeria.Naturally the people of Imo are hospitable and peace loving but the Governor still went ahead to fashion out proactive measures to entrench peace and security in Imo State.Over 40 patrol vehicles have been distributed among police,Army,Civil defence,etc,for pre-emptive operations against violent crimes in the state with Joint Task Force made up mainly of Army and Police,put in place.Today,residents of the state sleep with their eyes closed.Ohakim is commited to the security of the state to the smallest details.When armed gunmen began to terrorize Mmahu-Egbema,a community that is the capital of Ohaji/Egbema L.G.A,Ohakim in Conjunction with Mike Okiro(IG of Police)sent 30 Policemen to flush out the gunmen.So many gangstars where arrested,the rest flew Mmahu.

The Governor has also revealed in several interviews that what has helped most in entrenching peace in Imo State has been the positive employment of Imo youths in different strata of the economy.Imo job center,Ohakim’s creation has employed over 1000 jobless youths of the state.

The direct result of peace in Imo has quickened the economic growth of the state.Major construction companies are today puttinf finishing touches to road construction in Imo.There is dualization of owerri -orlu road,okwelle Ezike-umuduru road,Amuro-Aro ofeimo road,Dikenafia-Isiekeneze-umuagwo road,Obioha -ogboko-omuma-Isiaku-Nkwerre road,obioha-AforUrualla-Obodoukwu_afor isiokpo road,Nkume-Amucha -Ezi obaire road,Afor -Umuaka-Amazano-Nkpulu Road,Shoe Industry-Amulu Mbieri road.Dualization of Okigwe road,Amaraku roundabout,Ikpambara-Umuehie-umuneke road,Anara roundabout,Anara-Eziama abba road,Naze-Nekede-Obinze road,Enyiogugu-lagwa-mbutu-uvuru road,umunama-Akpodimowutu-Ife road,Owerri-Umuahia road,etc.These Road Contracts are awarded to reputable construction companies as a way of promoting thorough and clean job.

In transportation,Ohakim has bought over 100 small Taxis,over 100 mini buses and over 100 luxurous buses to ease transportation stress in Imo state.Imo is also regarded as one of the Clean States in Nigeria.Ohakims pet project,Clean and Green Initiative is ridding the metropolis of Owerri and its environs of Dirts.Governor Ikedi Ohakim,Nde nwoo.Keep up the Good work.Imo people are Watching.

Kenneth Uwadi,
Editor In chief
Famous People News Magazine
P.O.Box 320,Uniport P.O,Choba,Port Harcourt,
Rivers State.

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Ohakim’s 419 Spin-doctors

My attention has been drawn to the publications making rounds about my governor, Ikedi Ohakim, who took over the reins of Imo State from Achike Udenwa in questionable circumstances. Ewu na okuko knows that Ohakim was not among the first 5 top contenders in the April 28th Selection conducted by Maurice Iwu.

Be that as it may, otu nwa shi yo uwa, ya hiri. Ohakim has stayed one year in office. It is now time to check what he has achieved. The press secretary of Ohakim, Mr. Steve Osuji on the back page of SunNewspaper of 2nd July, said unbelievable lies that make me wonder if there are people in Imo State, to correct these lies. To add salt to injury, one Mr. Ike Ben Onyechere wrote in the SUN Newspaper of July 4th 2008 that “IMO IS NOT DECADENT”.

My interest is hinged on the parroting by Ohakim’s government of CLEAN & GREEN; the new face of Imo project. I was forced to go to Owerri to re-see things for myself and what I saw is a shame. There has been no improvement to the decay I saw about two weeks ago, which gave birth to my writing A Letter to Ikedi Ohakim, published by the Sun Newspaper of 1st July 2008. As a blind man will know, the painting of the walls of Owerri green and white is not an evidence of environmental cleanliness. Mr. Osuji and Onyechere, keep telling the world that all is well in Owerri. If a blind man says he doesn’t see oyi ututu, doesn’t he feel it?

Let us take a trip around Owerri and see if Owerri is not decaying and smelling. Take a look at the gutters on Bank Road, especially the one opposite Intercontinental Bank PLC. Visitors from Rivers State are welcome at Owerri Girls-Control post by a river over flooding the road. Even the by-pass through NTA/West End-Ama Hausa, is over grown with grasses and the gutters smell. Another one that will interest you is the one by Garden Park and opposite Imo State library. If the governor is serious, what has he done to the road from Government House through Shell Camp Police station to Central Mosque? This road is directly on the route to his office, obviously he can’t say he hasn’t seen it. I challenge the governor and his commissioners to show me a functional gutter and I will walk naked around Owerri and apologise.

The governor should visit Works Layout and tell me if it befits the image the sycophants in his cabinet are lying to the world about. The whole of Owere nchi ise stinks like a graveyard, as the gutters are over flowing with algae. Nda Njemanze o no kwa na ulo while the goat of misgovernance in Imo under Ohakim is suffering birth pangs on a tether? These stagnant gutters are breeding ground for all manner of diseases. Check out Ama J.K. to Garden Park, beside the failed Co-operative bank. I am ashamed of the lies told on national newspapers by the chief press secretary of Imo State. All these national dailies that sit in Lagos and Abuja and write rubbish about Imo State, should visit the state and do a documentary on the state. It is obvious that the governor and his spin-doctors are wasting our money to launder the non-existent image of his government.

Apart from the poor sanitation in Owerri, the state capital, other cities are in dare need of attention. Irete, in Owerri-West L.G.A., Orji in Owerri North L.G.A, Attah in Ikeduru, Osina in Ideato North L.G.A. Just name it; Imo State gives me the creep as though I am walking through a massive dinosaurs’ graveyard.

I shall not address the issue of the 50-billion naira loan taken by Ohakim. Although Mr. Steve Osuji wants us to call it a BOND. But bottom line, somebody must repay 50 billion. What I want the good people of Imo State to ask the State House of Assembly is what they have done to checkmate this reckless borrowing by Ohakim. His 419 commissioners are saying that he is constructing roads. Rubbish. There is a difference between road rehabilitation and construction. A juicy part of these roads are given to Zeerock Construction Nig. Limited. Serious minded Imolites, should ask who owns Zeerock? Are there no construction companies owned by ndi Imo that can do a better job? What Zeerock did on Owerri Okigwe road, is a shame.

How about the Local Government revenue? For one year running, monies meant for LGAs have been going into the state coffers without due account by Ohakim. What is holding elections in the 27 local government areas in Imo state? Don’t allow them to deceive you that its because of election petitions against him. If these petitions did not stop him from collecting loans, or bond as his spin doctors will want us to read, why should it stop him from conducting election? Ndi Imo chi abola, shine your eyes there is a great fraud going on. From the feeder roads in Owerri-West through Owerri North to the five kindred of Mbaise, there is nothing going on as the governor keeps changing the Transitional Committee to create job for the boys. The members of the State House of Assembly should wake up to their responsibilities and give us good governance. That they are collecting fat car and wardrobe allowances should not make them mortgage the state as they are doing. How much did Ohakim waste in hosting Nigeria Musical Award, where Nollywood actresses came to expose their breasts. What did Imo State benefit from that breast jamboree? Where are the men in Imo state? Bush telegram on the streets of Owerri has it that the governor wasted 600 million to gape at dilapidated Nollywood breast.

Imo is known to produce no nonsense men. Men who are articulate and will not allow any governor to mess up the state.

With mixed feelings I congratulate the governor over the victory against Uche Onyeagocha at the Court of Appeal. With this, his parrots will not tell us he did not perform due to court cases against his stolen mandate.

What are the programmes of this lame duck governor? When will Ohakim generate employment? Agreed NEPA is Yar’Adua’s headache, how about water? I cannot remember the last time the tap ran in my compound. Borehole is now the order of the day. Otamiri and Nwaori are dead, full of refuse and debris.

I am ashamed ndi Owerri are not asking question. I hope there are still men left; men who have not sold their birth rights; men who still remember what De Sam Mbakwe did from 1979-1983. There is need to start now to check this rascality going on in the name of governance in Imo State. Read more