What's Okorocha up to?

WHAT IS OKOROCHA UP TO?

       The last time I checked, the highly revered Imo State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha had ordered that modalities should be worked out towards ensuring that three thousand (3,000) graduates from the state are recruited into the state’s civil service. He gave the instruction penultimate two weeks, precisely on Thursday 27^th October 2016, in Owerri, the state capital while swearing-in the new Chairman of the state’s Civil Service Commission in the person of Mr. Bonaventure Ibebuike.

       The number one citizen, however, directed that the prospective beneficiaries of the proposed exercise must be computer-literate, and fall between the age bracket of 20 and 30. It’s noteworthy that the directive was not unconnected with one of the key resolutions reached by the state’s Executive Council (SEC) during its meeting held on Friday 2^nd September 2016 at the Ndubuisi Kanu Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Owerri. In the said resolution, the SEC agreed that five graduates per ward, from the existing 305 political wards in the state, would be employed to beef up the state’s civil service.

       I still want to reiterate what I stated when the resolution was released two months ago. The state’s civil service is arguably not in need of more employees at the moment. We need to learn to handle issues one after the other. That’s what Economics recognizes as ‘Scale of Preference’; it begets the ability to acknowledge what ought to be placed as a priority. What the Imo civil service requires presently is to address the lingering predicaments such as payment of salaries, frauds among the public servants, and what have you.

       Making out plan to engage more employees is not unlike trying to overlook reality. The reality of the day, which isn’t peculiar to Imo State, remains that there’s no sufficient funds to pay workers. Then, if the above assertion holds water, why would we think about how to recruit more hands when those already in the system are crying foul? Doesn’t it seem like a paradox? Of course, I can’t reconcile the scenario, neither can any other person.

       Let’s get the analysis right. No one is saying that thousands of our young graduates among others, if not millions, are not jobless. No one is equally saying that this set of individuals doesn’t need job desperately. The factual point is that, there’s currently no iota of space for employment anywhere in Nigeria, if we must tell ourselves the gospel truth. Nigeria, likewise any state across the federation, is in shambles right now, thus yearning for rescue. Even if states like Lagos and Rivers try to pretend that they are not affected by the ongoing economic recession, realists like us are not unaware that they are just suffering smiling. The bitter truth is that, most states even wish to retrench many of their workers to ease burden, and Imo isn’t exceptional.

       I tell you unequivocally that, if we must overcome the present economic situation, everyone must try to be a realist, because it would take only realists to turn the sorrow into praises. Hence, governments at all levels are as well required to enroll in the famous school of thought known as ‘realism’. It’s true that virtually everyone, particularly Africans, shies away from the school in question because it takes only courageous person to be a member of the institution.

       It’s simply because Dr. Goodluck Jonathan ceased to face reality that made him not to be successful when he was the President of Nigeria. He publicly stated that corruption was never the major problem faced by the country; such belief alone was one of the prime reasons he failed. This is why I still believe in President Buhari-led administration, because the man at the helm of affairs seems to be a realist.

       Back to Imo State; I want Governor Okorocha to jettison this intent and concentrate on the priority. Pronouncing the intent alone, would raise the people’s expectations. And such high expectation is liable to generate more crisis or pandemonium if the government failed to fulfill the mandate. Government shouldn’t make pronouncement just to receive an overwhelming applause from the citizens; rather, it is expected to foresee the implications of any proclamation in the long run.

       Everyone is definitely bound to err, let alone a leader that is surrounded by several distractions as well as too many forces – both visible and invisible. What matters is not how much we erred, but the ability to realize that we have derailed in order to make amends. If engaging more workers into the state’s civil service has become so compelling, let the government first consider retiring those workers whom are due for retirement but had refused to go home owing to falsification of age. Flushing such persons out would create enormous employment opportunities.

        Besides, the Imo workers are not happy as regards their salaries. Currently, they receive 70% of their respective wages whilst 30% is being used to service the government’s concernments. What about the pensioners who are being owed for several months? If the government has all these issues to address, why is it planning to introduce more Imolites into the hot zone, all in the name of beefing up the civil service or rescuing the jobless youths?

        Before someone gets my analysis wrongly, let it be on record that I have never wished Gov. Okorocha bad since he became the governor of Imo State. Let it equally be on record that the said leader remains the first Nigerian politician to gain my support as an aspirant of a political position. I’m not pro-Okorocha neither am I anti-Okorocha; I’ve always stood on a neutral ground. As a gifted analyst cum activist, I truly comprehend the essence of clapping when necessary as well as criticizing if need be. In other words, I’ve always done my work to please my conscience.

        As a true stakeholder in the state, all I pray and seek for is, for the state to witness tremendous success in all her worthwhile endeavours, but it’s pertinent to note that such success cannot be holistically recorded if the governor’s policies and ideas are unhealthy, or not coherent. Think about it!

Comr. Fred Doc Nwaozor

Follow: @mediambassador