Tech I Setting Tech-Driven Agenda For Ihedioha/Ironna

By Fred Nwaozor




It’s unarguably only a dummy in Imo State that’s yet to realize the current political status of the Imo-born politician who bears Chief Emeka Ihedioha.

So, if you aren’t duly informed, let me swiftly notify you and your likes that the bearer of the above name is the leader of the impending government in the Eastern Heartland. It’s therefore needless to say that he’s the next Executive Governor of the ancient state.

His victory at the just concluded polls was rightly and publicly confirmed by the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the Imo guber election, Prof. Francis Otunta who returned him elected having polled a total of 273,404 votes under the auspices of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to defeat his closest contender, Uche Nwosu who garnered a total of 190, 364 votes.

Since after the election coupled with the declaration, the victor’s name has from the outset dominated or been rigorously making waves in the banner headlines of various dailies, perhaps owing to the uncommon intrigues and intricacies that ensued before, during and after the poll.

Two weeks back, Chief Ihedioha – who is the immediate past Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives – graciously inaugurated a 139-man Technical Transition Committee at Owerri, the Imo capital territory.

The high-profile committee led by a past Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Ernest Ebi was charged to deliver a comprehensive advisory report after six weeks of its constitution. It’s noteworthy that aside the transition committee, an Inauguration Planning and Handover Committee led by a past Secretary to the State Government, Chief Chris Okewulonu – that would ensure a successful swearing-in ceremony come May 29, 2019 – has equally been constituted.

Anyone who truly thinks well of Imo is surely expected to render a service or advice that would critically enable the established committee that comprises mainly well-celebrated technocrats and academics – such as Dr. Kema Chikwe, Prof. Jude Njoku, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, Dr. Chris Asoluka, Mr. Ndi Onyeuke, Engr. Chinedu Okparaeke and Dr. Linus Okorie – to come up with the required parameters and recipes.

It’s equally worth noting that the about 200-man inauguration committee equally consist of notable technocrats and highly celebrated leaders such as the likes of Dr. Douglas Acholonu, Chief Achike Udenwa, Engr. Ebere Udeagu, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, a freedom fighter and erstwhile legislator Chief Uche Onyeaguocha and the General Manager of Radio Nigeria Owerri Mr. Basil Uzoma, among others.

The seasoned technocrat Chief Ihedioha, who’s equally meant to be deputized by a technocrat and a former federal lawmaker Engr. Gerald Ironna, is currently in need of well-meaning Imolites towards attaining successes, not sycophants whose presence wouldn’t hesitate in ruining the impending administration on arrival.

The erstwhile presiding officer of the Green Chamber of the National Assembly whose victory cannot be concluded without mentioning the incumbent Deputy Governor of Imo, Prince Eze Madumere, is at the moment conspicuously in need of tech-driven agenda that would enable him tactically steer the affairs of the state when he’s eventually enthroned as its sixth democratically elected governor.

First and foremost, the incoming governor needs to wholly review the education sector in the state toward making holistic amends where need be. It’s not anymore news that technical colleges – not only in Imo but Nigeria at large – have ostensibly gone into moribund unannounced.

These aforementioned institutions of learning, which remain veritable tools in any society that truly adores technology or technically-oriented development, must be revisited in earnest with a view to resuscitating them aptly and timely for the good of all concerned.

Similarly, the state-owned tertiary citadels of learning shouldn’t be left out. Each of these establishments is equally in drastic need of the government’s attention. Hence, the Ihedioha-led upcoming administration is expected to candidly look into any existing lapses towards addressing them, especially in the area of science and technology.

Time has really and obviously arrived for us to focus on or pay greater attention to technical education, which invariably leads to massive entrepreneurship, thereby yielding outpouring enterprises as expected within the shores of the benefitting province.

The health wing is another sector that remains inevitable. It’s on this premise I urge the awaited government not to take this area for granted. The ongoing construction of ‘general hospitals’ in each of the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state ought to be discontinued headlong, knowing full well that such a white-elephant project is just a waste of our common resources.

In view of the above criticism, I enjoin the impending administration to consider reviving the already existing general hospitals and primary health centres within the shores of the state. If they succeeded in uplifting a particular general hospital in at least each senatorial district in the Eastern Heartland to a world-class standard, even people from the neighbouring states would be regularly trouping into Imo to patronize her health services.

It’s only a visitor in Imo that’s yet to realize that public water supply, which used to be a thing of pride in the state – particularly within the capital territory, has abruptly gone into extinction. This kind of utility, that is undoubtedly required by all and sundry, needs to be brought back for the citizenry’s consumption. It’s a shame and appalling that an ancient state like Imo cannot currently boast of potable water supply to the general public, anywhere across the Eastern Heartland.

Hence, I urge Chief Ihedioha to, on assumption of office, not hesitate in setting up a viable and reliable team comprising well-experienced technocrats or tech experts that would look inwards toward resuscitating such utility supply without much ado.

In the same vein, even though power supply is a national issue, the state government also has a very vital role to play in ensuring public supply of electricity within the state – particularly in the area of transmission and distribution.

On the above tech fact, the abandoned Power Plant situated in Egbema in Ohaji/Egbema LGA during the reign of Dr. Sam Mbakwe must be revisited with a view to reawakening its functionality. The proposed revival of this very monumental project equally requires inauguration of a well tested and trusted tech-driven team.

The incoming government ought to as well look inwards to ensure that transformers and other related gadgets are in earnest provided for all the communities domiciled in the state that are presently deprived of such devices. It’s devastating to acknowledge that, at this 21st century, most localities in the state are yet to be electrified let alone boasting of relatively steady power supply.

On agriculture, rigorous strides are seriously needed towards doing the needful. It’s high time we fully embraced modern/mechanized system of commercial farming to the fullness, rather than continually dwelling on crude pattern. The real farmers need to be thoroughly discovered with a view to encouraging them by issuance of low-interest loans, subsidization of the prices of agricultural machinery, and what have you.

The government should also be ready to own and manage farms in various facets of the state. There’s equally need for the state to henceforth boast of rice farms and mills considering that most other states have already keyed into rice production.

Inter alia, I mustn’t round off this analysis without mentioning road construction. A permanent tech-driven team that would perpetually see to the regular construction and maintenance of the various roads within the state needs to be set up. Branches of this proposed team ought to be physically present in each of the 27 LGAs domiciled in the state.

Conclusively, the impending Ihedioha-led administration should be candidly willing and prepared to restore all the economically-oriented firms established by the Dr. Mbakwe-led government that have conspicuously faded into oblivion owing to neglect accorded to them by subsequent governments.

We can’t sincerely overlook the fact that Imo in its entirety is deeply yearning for a serious-minded tech-driven approach towards restoring and rebuilding it, hence the compelling need for Chief Ihedioha alongside Engr. Ironna not to embrace frivolities to the detriment of priorities.

It’s highly understandable – to even a dummy – that by setting up these indisputable high-profile committees, the well-celebrated duo whom have been licensed to govern Imo commencing from the next interregnum till four years time really comprehend that “he who fails to plan has already planned to fail”. Hence, they have started well.

However, as Imolites celebrate the members of the two reputable committees, they ought not to be reminded that they’re expected to concentrate only on the needful as they carry out their respective statutory obligations. Think about it!

Comrade Nwaozor, TheMediaAmbassador, is the
National Coordinator, Right Thinkers Movement
______________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
+2348028608056
Twitter: @mediambassador

Analysis I X-raying Okorocha's Recent Avowal On APC

By Fred Doc Nwaozor



The last time I checked, the scheduled general elections across the Nigerian State were conspicuously over, if not a few senatorial districts that are yet to realize their fate.
As many losers from the events – particularly best ones – are variously laying their respective complaints and grievances either in the Tribunal or on the streets, the incumbent cum outgoing governor of Imo State Chief Rochas Okorocha wouldn’t be left out.
Chief Okorocha, in recent times, has inadvertently become one of the most – if not the most – controversial politicians within the shores of Nigeria, perhaps owing to his superiority complex or what have you.
He contested the rescheduled February 9, 2019 National Assembly (NASS) election to represent the Imo West Senatorial District and was reportedly declared the winner of the contest, but the Returning Officer Prof. Innocent Ibeawuchi who made the declaration swiftly informed the public that the pronouncement was done ‘under duress’.
Owing to the report, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – the body imbued with the powers to conduct or nullify elections – vowed never to issue any Certificate of Return to the governor alongside others whose purported victories were announced in controversial circumstance as reported.
Subsequently, the governor’s most preferred candidate for the February 23 Imo gubernatorial election, Mr. Uche Nwosu who ran under the auspices of the Action Alliance (AA) emerged the best loser in the highly competitive outing, following Chief Emeka Ihedioha of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who was confirmed the winner of the contest.
Considering that Okorocha cannot currently boast of becoming a member of the NASS come June, 2019 – a position he has longed for – coupled with the fact that the Imo State Government House won’t be occupied by his ‘anointed’ candidate at the expiration of his tenure by 29th May 2019, the governor is publicly crying not unlike a wounded lion.
Ever since the aforementioned elections respectively ended, Okorocha – who has already approached the court to seek for redress over his ordeal – has been doing everything humanly possible to ensure that the Return’s Certificate is issued to him by the INEC led by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
On the other hand, the seemingly battered politician equally prays to the Governorship Election Tribunal – by proxy though – to declare his son-in-law Mr. Nwosu as the winner of the guber poll having alleged that Chief Ihedioha’s victory was secured via irregularities.
Two weeks back, precisely on 1st April 2019, he privately met with President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed doors at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, probably towards discussing some personal issues.
Immediately after the meeting, when he was hurriedly approached by the press on the premises of the State House, he lamented profusely over the injustice allegedly meted to his person prior to the 2019 general elections by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
He insinuated that the APC might be headed for a point of extinction before the 2023 general elections if drastic measures weren’t deployed to address the ongoing ‘abnormalities’ taking place in the party, having told the newsmen that Oshiomhole was the architect of the perceived derailment. He, therefore, opined that if the National Chairman wasn’t removed in earnest, the party might be found in a sorry state soonest.
It would be recalled that the Okorocha’s son-in-law couldn’t secure the APC guber ticket prior to the elections as against his desire and frantic efforts, thereby making the latter to defect to the AA in a bid to fulfill his ambition.
In a related development, just after the Presidential poll before the gubernatorial election, the Oshiomhole-led NWC of the APC outrightly suspended Okorocha from the party. Since then, the governor has been apparently standing aloof like a tree in the wilderness. This could be what informed his latest visit to the Aso Rock.
Okorocha’s abrupt u-turn that’s targeted towards ensuring that Oshiomhole is removed is really laughable and unbelievable, to assert the least. Even if our memories are too short, we wouldn’t forget in haste, or so soon, the intrigues and politics that heralded the emergence of the latter as the Chairman of the APC.
Before the immediate past National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun took a bow, President Buhari wasn’t in support of his foreseen exit because the number one citizen was wisely of the view that scheduling a national convention targeted to produce new leadership of the APC, would negatively affect the party’s success at the polls that were then awaited.
But, contrary to Buhari’s view, Okorocha alongside his likes insisted that Oyegun deserved to go, perhaps because he wasn’t seemingly in support of his (Oyegun’s) leadership. Before this time, Oshiomhole had already been decorated to take over the mantle of leadership, solely by the efforts of Okorocha and his allies who had succeeded in lobbying a national leader of the party, Chief Bola Tinubu to share their sentiments.
Surprisingly, Oshiomhole’s emergence ended up not being in favour of the Imo governor. The former who had accused the latter of planning to build “Okorocha’s dynasty” frantically refused to play along with him having reportedly chosen to embrace neutrality and fairness for the party’s sake rather than that of an individual that’s likely to mar the party’s existence.
Now, the wounded lion whose injury could be tagged self-inflicted is publicly calling for Oshiomhole’s head. Wonders indeed, shall never end. The former ought to have unequivocally faced reality at the moment by jettisoning the fallacy and illusion earlier embraced by his person. But it seems he’s still daydreaming.
It’s baffling that a political leader who had all the chances of producing a successor as well as becoming far more popular after the general elections is now crying foul in every nook and cranny. It’s equally paradoxical that the incumbent Deputy Governor of the State, Prince Eze Madumere whom the governor earlier thought he could easily suppress or enslave is currently the most celebrated politician in Imo.
Okorocha’s case is clearly a big lesson to any leader imbued with superiority complex, which usually result in inconsequential controversies. However, as we continue to watch this drama and await its outright end, isn’t it ideal to insinuate that the governor’s ongoing experience is likened to karma? Think about it!

Comrade Nwaozor, TheMediaAmbassador, is the
National Coordinator, Right Thinkers Movement

Opinion I Setting Impeccable Agenda For Buhari

By Fred Nwaozor




The long awaited Presidential polls have eventually come and gone to the Glory of God who made it possible, and a victor has consequently emerged to the people’s delight.
At the moment, it is obvious and unarguable that come May 29, 2019, the incumbent President of Nigeria in the person of Muhammadu Buhari would be enthroned once again to lead the country for another four-year term.
In view of the aforementioned fact, it has become pertinent and ideal for any right thinking citizen within the shores of the Nigerian State, or anyone who thinks well of Nigeria at large, to be deeply concerned and jittery over what the country’s fate would entail in the impending tenure of President Buhari.
Such a feeling as stated above is not unrelated to ‘fear of the unknown’, which has hitherto been not uncommon fever that invariably greet the mindset whenever a certain era is strongly being awaited by the human race. Hence, that of Nigeria’s political system wouldn’t be an exception.
As a true and rational citizen of Nigeria, I’m of the view that what’s rudimentarily actually expected of me as an individual is to candidly wish the incoming government well as well as think on its behalf towards making the needed progress.
If this assertion holds water, or anything to go by, then it would be reasonable to, in my capacity, assist the awaited administration in setting a concrete agenda for the good of all concerned. It was on this premise I thought it wise to come up with this analysis.
For a formidable agenda to be set, we must critically consider what we can currently boast of, or have really achieved so far. Either as an individual or entity, you cannot set an agenda, or formulate a policy, without looking inwards with a view to acknowledging your immediate possessions coupled with the efforts being made thus far toward actualizing the lofty goals you set previously.
Since the impending government is equally expected to be led by the same man who is leading the present government, before an agenda would be set for the former, it’s imperative to cross-examine what has been accomplished in the latter.
It’s worthy of note that there was an agenda set upon the inception of the ongoing administration. So, for a subsequent agenda to be set, it’s ideal to consider if there was any reasonable and tangible effort made or step taken towards accomplishing the previous one or the one currently in use. This measure would guide the persons involved to set a sound and better agenda for the days ahead.
I’m here to set a concrete agenda for the awaited government having painstakingly considered the aforesaid parameters and rudiments. It’s noteworthy that the ongoing administration is predicated on a change mantra, which entails anti-corruption, security and economic boost. So far, how far?
Having taken a candid note of the above question, I want to begin by urging President Buhari to ensure that the incoming government is built with a good and sound foundation. The foundation in this case is centered on the kind and nature of individuals that would make up his cabinet. This ought to be the first agendum to be seriously put into consideration on the agenda list.
It’s worth noting that no policy or motive, as might be the case, would be achieved if the president’s cabinet is porous. Hence, he is urged to look inwards toward recruiting the best and reliable brains that are tested and trusted. It’s on this premise I enjoin him to consider contracting only technocrats with proven integrity.
Secondly, Mr. President ought to consider disintegrating the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing. The ministry is required to be split into two or three. Power supply remains the bane of the country’s economic stride, hence should be given a whole and critical attention.
In view of the above, a separate ministry ought to be created for the power sector. Such a step would enable the government tackle the electricity quagmire with all the needed measures. Additionally, such a ministry must be manned or overseen by an apt and well-experienced hand. Technicalities mustn’t be taken for granted if the needful must be done.
Thirdly, the downstream subsector of the petroleum sector needs to be seriously looked into headlong. It’s high time Nigeria boasted of at least a functional world-class refinery within the shores of the acclaimed giant of Africa. We can’t continue to import what is being drilled or generated in the country.
This ongoing practice is an aberration, hence must be tackled without much ado. Thus, the president should be very willing to appoint someone to man the petroleum ministry, and such a person must be eligible, trustworthy and fully experienced.
All in all, the upcoming Buhari-led government must beware of sycophancy. The aforementioned cankerworm is a societal menace that blows no leader any good and has eaten deep into the bloodstream of our political system.
The worst is that most of the leaders herein are yet to acknowledge the existence of the aforesaid uncalled behaviour let alone comprehending its dangers inherent. Mr. President must, therefore, not overlook the ugly trend if he truly desires success all the way.
Time and space might not permit me to tender all the needed approaches expected to be taken by Buhari, but he must take into cognizance that the expectations of the citizenry are very high. Think about it!

Comrade Nwaozor is the National Coordinator,
Right Thinkers Movement
_________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
+2348028608056
Twitter: @mediambassador