Reducing Imo Workers' Working Days to Three

REDUCING IMO WORKERS’ WORKING DAYS TO THREE

      The last time I checked, the five existing working days of civil cum public servants in Imo State had been graciously reduced to three days, precisely from Monday to Wednesday, by the state governor Chief Rochas Okorocha. The state chief executive officer who made the disclosure two weeks ago, on Friday 29^th July 2016 to be precise, during his meeting with the delegation of Imo Royal fathers in Agriculture led by Eze Chidume Okoro, stated that the two days of grace including Thursday and Friday would be utilized strictly for farming.

     According to the governor, the declaration was informed by the urgent need to engage the teeming workers in the state’s new agricultural programme ‘Back to land for agriculture’ that was to commence on 1^st August 2016, which is expected to last for one calendar year. The governor who categorically made it clear that workers on essential duties to include those in the information, health, security, teaching and IGR drive sectors as well as political appointees are exempted from the free working days, went further to disclose that the bill for the initiative would be sent to the state’s House of Assembly for legal backing.

      It would be recalled that prior to the said declaration, the governor had during an interactive session with journalists in Owerri revealed that the state Executive Council was considering slashing the working days of Imo civil servants from the normal five days to three, to avail them the opportunity of engaging in other businesses or economic activities towards earning extra income to augment their respective salaries.

      As a constitution and rights activist, it’s pertinent to let the amiable governor comprehend fully that he had derailed by even thinking of such idea let alone making it public. Announcing suchlike policy is simply unconstitutional and lawless. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) constitutionally prescribed, at least, forty (40) hours per week to be spent by any public servant anywhere in the world; and the Nigerian 1999 Constitution, as amended, abides by the directive. This implies that the issue of workers’ working days isn’t even an affair to be deliberated by a group of state legislators let alone an individual in a position of authority.

     Our leaders must stop playing politics with constitutional matters, especially highly sensitive ones like this. They must learn to treat the constitution as a sacred document, or see its contents as sacrosanct. Putting up suchlike controversial policy or initiative unannounced is not unlike creating room for anarchy. The basic and rudimentary role of any executive leader is to fiercely safeguard the constitution guiding the society led by him/her, and not the other way round.

      It’s more troubling and mind-boggling that the idea came up when we are deeply concerned about the ongoing indolence on the part of the public servants. I’ve always been of the view that five days a week aren’t even enough for the workers to put up effective and efficient services; now we are discussing just three days. In other words, the well celebrated governor is encouraging the workers to be marred by laxity or apathy, which doesn’t augur well for the state. Even if the prime motive of the measure is to enable the workers create other sources of income, the free hours they already enjoy every week is sufficient for such intent if truly the worker is determined to diversify his/her income source.

      Funnily enough, the leader in question never bothered to discuss the opinion with other leaders or stakeholders before announcing it. Is he leading alone? Without mincing words, one person cannot lead a society, regardless of its size, talk more of a society like Imo State. A leader ought to learn to carry others along; the opinion of his/her subjects should equally be considered as paramount whenever such critical matter is being proposed.

      Besides, who told Gov Okorocha that the best way to encourage agriculture is by reducing the workers’ working days? The moment the news got to my desk, the first thing that occurred in my mind was that the governor lacked an adviser on agriculture. Even at that, he would have adequately consulted the cognoscenti before making his idea known to the general public, particularly Imolites. He may have a laudable and genuine mission as regards agriculture to execute, but the bitter truth is that he started wrongly.

       However, His Excellency never told us how he intends to monitor the workers toward ensuring that the free days in question are judiciously utilized as expected. For crying out loud; farming practices can be encouraged in so many ways without thwarting the healthiness of the civil/public service. The workers can be encouraged to massively embark on farming without asking them to work for only three days per week, contrary to the existing five working days. Someone who goes to work by 8am and comes back by 3pm on a daily basis, and only during the weekdays, has all the time in the world to participate actively in agriculture.

      Aside the workers, there are other groups that can be encouraged to embrace farming. For instance; the pensioners, if properly mobilized, can do wonders regarding the anticipated agricultural development. What they need is just the required funds coupled with farming incentives. What about the teeming jobless youths roaming the various streets/roads of the state on an hourly basis? Can’t they be mobilized as well as equipped to go into agriculture? So many jobless Imolites are earnestly yearning for an opportunity to venture into farming, but pathetically, the longed opportunity isn’t seemingly forthcoming.

      Agriculture which has been reckoned to be a very lucrative occupation cum business has abruptly become a thing of mockery not just in Imo State but Nigeria at large. We really need to go back to the drawing board. When everything is apparently going wrongly in any field of human endeavour, the most apt thing to do is to retrace our steps back to the genesis. In view of this, I enjoin Gov Rochas Okorocha, whom I owe an explicit respect for, to please for the interest of the state in general, reverse this policy in earnest and revisit the drawing board.

      Frankly, adjusting the working timeframe of the workers to between 7am and 4pm daily, unlike the usual 8am to 3pm, cannot in any way heal the wound this newly implemented measure/policy would cause the state in the long run, thus let’s make hay while the Sun shines. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-Researcher, Blogger, Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-

Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056

Twitter: @mediambassador  

  

Last Imo Rerun Polls in Review

LAST IMO RERUN POLLS IN REVIEW

     The last time I checked, the long awaited rerun polls in Imo State, which were targeted to produce respected individuals to represent Oru-East, Owerri-West and Isiala-Mbano State constituencies in the Imo House of Assembly as well as Imo-North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, successfully held on Saturday 23^rd July 2016 as scheduled by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

     Though the conduct of the overall polls was free, fair and credible in spite of failure of some of the Smart Card Readers used during the exercise, likewise Oru-East State Constituency, the results for that of Imo-North Senatorial District alongside Isiala-Mbano State Constituency were declared inconclusive by the INEC Returning Officer, Prof Arinze Agbogu considering that the votes cast in (15) polling units in the entire area were cancelled; and statistics show that the affected booths have a total of about thirteen thousand (13,000) registered voters to its credit.

      Aside Oru-East State Constituency, for the two major contending political parties in Imo-North Senatorial District – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the results for the said inconclusive polls as regards the six existing LGAs in the district read thus, “Okogwe: APC - 9,355, PDP – 4,343; Onimo: APC – 3,630, PDP – 3,850; Ihitte Uboma: APC – 10,171, PDP – 5,184; Obowo: APC – 13,401, PDP – 6,641; Ehime Mbano: APC – 5,795, PDP – 13,048; Isiala Mbano: APC – 6,569, PDP – 7,076; totaling: APC – 48,921, PDP – 40,142”, thereby made the APC’s candidate, Chief Benjamin Uwajumogu to lead his PDP’s counterpart or his immediate rival – Chief Athan Achonu with 8,779 votes margin.

      However, it was gathered that only one electoral ward named ‘Osuachara’ in Isiala-Mbano LGA out of the total of sixty-four (64) existing wards in the senatorial district that was actually affected by the “cancellation”. Owing to this outcome, several wailers coupled with aggrieved members and supporters of the then leading party – the APC, lamented that the INEC didn’t get it right by declaring the election “inconclusive”. According to them, “just a ward” ought not to be a tangible reason for declaring an election that successfully took place in the other 63 wards in the district inconclusive.

      People really need to be properly orientated and guided on how this thing is being done constitutionally. In accordance with the Electoral Act, an election is said to be inconclusive when/if the total number of registered voters in the area where election couldn’t take place or was cancelled, as the case may be, supersedes the figure of the margin between the two leading contenders; it has nothing to do with the number of wards, booths or polling units that were affected, as being presumed. In this case, the total number of registered voters in the affected area was 13,000 whilst the figure of the margin between the two leading contenders was 8,779; this apparently signified that the said election truly deserved to be declared inconclusive since the former (13,000) is greater than the latter (8,779).

      It is done that way, because there’s tendency of the second candidate emerging victorious if the remaining or supplementary polls eventually took place as rescheduled by the electoral umpire. The arithmetic is obvious and understandable. As a result of lack of orientation or ignorance, people or the concerned electorate are usually fond of pointing accusing fingers at INEC whenever an election is declared inconclusive. In view of this assertion, there’s a compelling need for holistic awareness cum sensitization among the electorate to be organized by the INEC.

      I have no qualms as regards the reason for the inconclusiveness. My only question is: why was the voting in the polling units in question cancelled? I reliably learnt there was over-voting. If I’m to go by such information, I would ask; what resulted to the so-called over-voting? Even if there was “No voting/election” at the area, what actually prompted it? Does it imply that the security personnel posted to the area didn’t act as expected or were incapacitated? These are pertinent queries that must be attended to for posterity sake.

     To this end, the INEC ought to apply caution subsequently towards ensuring that no area or booth is sidelined while an election is occurring, not just in issues concerning Imo State but Nigeria at large. It’s no doubt disheartening that after all the time spent, the awaited election was still declared inconclusive. If such lapse had to do with logistics issue, the commission shouldn’t leave any stone unturned toward an effective and efficient preparation. In regard to security challenge, the relevant law enforcement agencies ought not to be reminded on how best to handle it.

      Another headache I had with the rerun polls was when I got informed that the INEC returning officer for the Oru-East State Constituency election reportedly claimed that he announced election results under ‘duress’. Probably some guns or weapons were pointed at him, or…? I sincerely couldn’t fathom where such ridiculous claim came from. I personally observed the election in question, and saw how successful everything went. How could an electoral official be placed under duress when there were several law enforcement agents around to protect his life or welfare? Such amusing claim was equally not unlike telling Nigerians that the security personnel posted to the area were lobbied to act otherwise contrary to their statutory functions.

      Notwithstanding, I deeply appreciate the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr. Nasir Ayilara for ensuring that the supplementary polls took place the following week, precisely on Thursday 28^th July 2016, without further ado. Such step was indeed commendable because the uncertain fate of the affected areas or electorate was seriously telling on them. It’s worth noting that the final total results for the two major contending political parties in the Imo-North Senatorial District – the APC and the PDP, were 56,076 and 43,815 votes respectively, thereby making Chief Benjamin Uwajumogu of the APC to merge victorious with a margin of 12,261 votes. Chief Nkenna Nzeruo of the APC equally emerged as the winner in that of the Oru-East State Constituency alongside his APC counterpart in Isiala-Mbano, Chief Collins Chiji.

      I candidly appreciate all the bodies involved that made the election a success to include the INEC, the police and other security agencies, having done the needful during the polls. I specially commend the electorate for comporting themselves as long as the elections lasted. Unlike before, no iota of violence was recorded across the state and its environs; it’s indeed a way forward and a step in the right direction. We have proven to other states that we are now wise socio-politically, and that it’s no longer business as usual. I encourage us to keep it up and endeavour to maintain the tempo or do more in subsequent times.

      Meanwhile, as much as I plead with the aggrieved parties to trade with caution toward peace sustenance, I equally appeal to the apt quarters to swear in the victors of the concluded polls without hesitation. Undoubtedly, the concerned electorate had already suffered an untold hardship so far, thus further delay might warrant an unspeakable crisis. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-Researcher, Blogger, Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-

Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056

Twitter: @mediambassador            

On Coalition of South-East and South-South Lawmakers

ON COALITION OF SOUTH-EAST AND SOUTH-SOUTH LEGISLATORS

     The last time I checked, the overall members of the Houses of Assembly in both the South-East and South-South geo-political zones of Nigeria could strongly boast of a formidable association among them. Having thought it wise to exercise a single voice, the members of the aforesaid legislative chambers came up with a ‘Coalition of South-East and South-South Legislators’.

     As a matter of fact, the members of the new union ably led by the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly Rt. Hon Acho Ihim premiered their Parliamentary Conference  few weeks ago, precisely on 15^th July 2016, with the theme ‘Alternatives to militancy and the harmonization of South-East/South-South grazing reserve proposals’. During the conference, which was hosted in Imo State by the Imo House of Assembly, the astute lawmakers unanimously opposed the Grazing Reserves Bill presently lying on the floor of the National Assembly (NASS).

     The epochal parliamentary sitting, which was presided over by all the speakers of the Houses of Assembly in the two zones, equally reached other resolutions regarding the ongoing militant attacks in the Niger-Delta region to include, to urge the Federal Government (FG) to reassess and revisit the performance of the Amnesty Programme, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Report and the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP).

      Furthermore, to urge: the NASS to ensure the accelerated passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the FG to enter into peaceful dialogue with the critical stakeholders in the region as well as review the ownership of Oil Blocks in the country towards giving at least 65% ownership to the Niger-Delta people as against the present situation where the people in question control barely about 10%.

      In his address, Rt. Hon Ihim who doubles as the Vice-President of the African Commonwealth Parliament (ACP), having disclosed how elated he was to be honoured as the leader of the body, categorically stated that the coalition among the legislators was targeted toward bringing dividend of democracy to the entire citizens of the region and Nigeria at large. According to him, the members of the region had something in common, thus needed to operate as one body.

     However, this critique was necessitated by the fact that there are some fundamental and rudimentary factors these lawmakers need to acknowledge if truly they are out for business, but not business as usual. No doubt, any right thinking or sane individual would boldly attest to the fact that these state legislators had succeeded in making a history by coming up with this amalgamation. But it’s pertinent to note that it isn’t all about making history; rather, sustaining it. Most people invariably strive towards making history, forgetting that it is better not to make a history than to make one that wouldn’t stand the test of time.

     What’s the essence of history if your unborn children cum grandchildren wouldn’t live to celebrate it? A good history made, is meant to be discussed by all and sundry many years after the eternal departure of the person(s) who made it. To this end, we’re expected to be more concerned with what becomes the fate of the awaited history rather than what we stand to gain on that very day the history would be made or be recorded in the Guinness Book of Record.

      It was the great Irish Philosopher in the person of Edmund Burke that said ‘Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.’ In his words, Thomas Jefferson equally said ‘I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.’ And on a very succinct note, Plato hinted ‘Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.’ All these, summarily indicate that the beauty of life never lies in making history, but ensuring that the history made lives to withstand the future.

     It’s not anymore news that Nigerian leaders, particularly politicians, are very good and talented in coming up with laudable initiatives or policies, but usually encounter series of crises while implementing them or in the process of their sustenance. For instance, if absolute care isn’t taken, the resolutions made by the lawmakers during their first outing might end up being swept under the carpet. Such tradition, which is not peculiar to the said legislators, has so far caused enormous harm to our polity in its entirety.

     As a people, we are not bound to do something in order to receive thunderous praises from the onlookers; rather, we ought to vigorously strive to bring a positive change that would surely attract unending applauses contrary to the anticipated temporary applause. Thus, it’s about being real and endeavouring to face reality at all times. So, inasmuch as I appreciate these impeccable lawmakers for coming up with this commendable historic coalition, I as well enjoin them to concentrate on the future as long as the coalition lasts.

     I equally appeal to them to extend hands of fellowship to their counterparts in the South-West geo-political zone with a view to boasting of a coalition of southern legislators, which undoubtedly will go a very long way to ensure that the politicians in the region deliberate with one voice, just as it’s the case in the north. Against this backdrop, they ought to borrow a leave from the wives of the governors in the southern region who currently can boast of a formidable association among them.

     At this juncture, I urge our esteemed lawmakers to take into cognizance that everyone, including myself, is earnestly watching to see what their next line of action would entail, thus they shouldn’t let us down in any way. They ought to acknowledge that there’s no time for recess if truly they mean business, not business as usual though. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-Researcher, Blogger, Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-

Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056

Twitter: @mediambassador