Opinion I On Okorocha's Automatic Promotion for Imo Workers

ON OKOROCHA’S AUTOMATIC PROMOTION FOR IMO WORKERS

       The last time I checked, the generality of the workers of Imo State – the Eastern Heartland – had yet another great reason to grin, not just smile. Such expected outlook is informed by the thunderous pronouncement recently made by the state’s Executive Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha.

       It’s not anymore news that two weeks ago during this year’s Workers’ Day celebration, precisely on Tuesday 1^st May, the number one citizen graciously announced to the delight of the civil servants present at the occasion that they had been automatically promoted to the next level, hence ought to henceforth start enjoying the financial benefits enshrined in the new level.

       In a bid to throw more light, he said, “This promotion is not about step. You are not being promoted to the next step but to the next grade level.” The clarification was intended to inform the targeted beneficiaries that the latest development was not about Step one, two, three or what have you, but an automatic promotion to the next Grade Level of the respective workers irrespective of their jurisdictions or places of assignment.

       The event, which took place at the Heroes Square, Owerri, instantly metamorphosed into an arena meant to pop Champagne as the workers were seen in their numbers celebrating and cheering up the governor the very moment the unexpected announcement was made. Gov. Okorocha who acknowledged that the civil servants had been very supportive, patient and tolerant, equally mentioned that another promotion – perhaps automatic too – might come up prior to his exit as the state’s governor.

        It would be recalled that the governor had earlier – on 19^th April 2018 to be precise – announced to Imolites that the Imo workers in their entirety would soonest begin to experience what he described as a ‘new salary structure’. This signifies that the automatic promotion came barely two weeks the said pledge was made.

       It’s noteworthy that for about seven years now since the present government came on board, the Imo workers hadn’t experienced or enjoyed any form of promotion. This ugly scenario, which the governor also noted on that fateful day, had unabated kept the workers deeply worried. In some quarters, some of them had almost lost hope, saying they may not enjoy any iota of promotion again till further notice.

       One might say the pessimists in the midst of the civil servants regained their optimism on that very day the pronouncement regarding automatic promotion was dished out. Another school of thought may say the promotion wasn’t enough to heal the wound incurred so far. Whatever the case might be, the fact remains that the governor should be appreciated for, at least, remembering as well as announcing that the workers had been denied of their promotion for seven years now.

       However, there are a few matters arising from the automatic promotion. Understanding that these ebullient workers had been deprived of their promotion for several years, such a pronouncement made by the governor ought not to be seen as largesse, hence doesn’t in any way calls for jubilation.

       If ‘automatic promotion’ is a right thing to do by any sitting governor, or a constitutional gesture, I would have suggested that the Imo workers ought to be granted an automatic promotion to the next three Grade Level, not just one as was pronounced by the number one citizen. But as a constitution and rights activist, I see everything wrong with that gesture called automatic promotion.

       Why I fault that gesture is because successive governments might decide not to implement the promotion owing to the fact that the due process was not adhered to. We are aware that government is a continuum, but a successive government can decide to ignore any policy initiated by its predecessor if due process wasn’t reverenced.

       And then, if such reaction eventually took place, the workers would stand to suffer it. Every promotion has a procedure, thus must be strictly followed by any government so that cock and bull stories wouldn’t be told in the future. Promotion should strictly be by merit; not everyone deserves it.

        Even if the automatic promotion must be held, I’m strongly of the view that the governor was supposed to collaborate with the lawmakers towards giving it a legal backing. But, I’m afraid, the legislators may decline from doing so with an excuse that the Constitution or extant law does not permit such legislation. Besides, any proposed promotion is meant to be captured in the budget because it will definitely affect the recurrent expenditure for the subsequent fiscal years. This shows that the gesture in question calls for more fear.

        Notwithstanding, I pray that the workers would enjoy the entitlements accruable to the automatic promotion as it lasts. Hence, I enjoin the governor to mandate the state’s Accountant General to ensure that such a gesture is duly implemented without much ado. This would enable the workers enjoy the first batch of the ‘largesse’ in the current month being May.

       On the other hand, there’s an ongoing speculation from the government’s axis that what the governor promised the workers was automatic promotion to the next step, not next level. Against this backdrop, the governor should in his capacity, through his good offices address the anomaly.

       If such trending issue isn’t addressed headlong, it would portray a bad image for the Rescue Mission Administration. The people can’t be publicly informed on a certain thing and someone would from the window state something totally different from what was initially tendered.

        As I urge His Excellency to ensure that the automatic promotion is thoroughly implemented, I equally plead with him to conduct an exercise that would ensure a normal and standard promotion of the overall workers so that apt documentation would be made thereof. This would make the amiable workers not to exercise any fear of the unknown. What is worth doing is worth doing well.

        They truly deserve a sigh of relieve at such a critical time like this, hence ought to be given every support that would warrant such feeling. My concern is to ensure that this smile being worn by them wouldn’t be tremulous in the long run. Think about it!

Comrade Fred Nwaozor

National Coordinator, Right Thinkers Movement

_________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Follow me: @mediambassador              

         

               

Opinion I APC And Her Kangaroo Congresses

APC AND HER KANGAROO ELECTIVE CONGRESSES

        Last two weeks – precisely on Saturday, 5^th May 2018 – the ruling All progressives Congress (APC) had her elective congress in all the 8,812 political wards nationwide as its tradition demanded.

        Prior to the emergence of the epochal outing, many Nigerians earnestly looked forward to witnessing a well organized and distinguished congress. The people’s expectations weren’t unconnected with the fact that the party is currently in charge of the country’s leadership, hence was supposed to come up with an exemplary in-house election.

       Unfortunately and disappointedly, the various congresses were greeted with countless irregularities. It was mind-boggling to observe that virtually all the states across the country were overwhelmed by the ‘unexpected’ loophole.

        In most quarters, the exercise was characterized by all sorts of manipulations and pranks. In some states like Akwa Ibom and Kwara, some of the party members aspiring for certain positions were faced with harassments by hired thugs. Whilst, such states as Imo and Enugu witnessed parallel congress. The worst of all, states like Delta and Rivers never kept murder aside.

        It’s, therefore, needless to state that the long awaited congress, in its entirety, deserved to be confirmed inconclusive, even as a few states had claimed that theirs were hitch-free. It suffices to assert that that political outing, which was inundated with several anomalies, ought to be declared null and void. Hence, I’m glad the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) has aligned with this assertion.

       The APC ward congress that bore a kangaroo’s pattern of movement had thrown the citizenry in disarray. Its outcome, which seemed not unlike a soured Egusi soup engulfed in mucus, has continued to generate tremendous ripples among the teeming onlookers as well as succeeded in making most members of the party – especially the bigwigs – to now sleep with one eye open.

        In the same vein, on that fateful day, the APC’s primary election in Ekiti State targeted to produce the party’s flag-bearer for the July 14 gubernatorial polls in the state was equally marred by irregularities. The event, which was disrupted by violence at the voting venue, experienced series of gun shots and destruction of ballot papers. It was gathered that the controversies were ignited by aggrieved party members whose grievances were informed by the alleged malpractice occurring therein.

        On Tuesday, 8^th May 2018, the country’s leading opposition platform – the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – apparently tutored the APC on how a party’s primary should be conducted by successfully producing its flag-bearer for the awaited Ekiti guber polls in a seeming keenly contested hitch-free election, though some members like Prince Dayo Adeyeye have alleged imposition of candidate on the party by the state’s Governor, Chief Ayodele Fayose. The outing saw the emergence of the present Deputy Governor of the state, Prof. Kolapo Olusola as the party’s flag-bearer.

        The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has pleaded with other parties to emulate the successful conduct showcased by the PDP. The CNPP disclosed that it was impressed about the openness and orderliness with which the PDP carried out the election as it further urged its members to not only emulate the exercise but improve on the level of transparency witnessed at the polls.

        On the day of the Local Government Areas (LGA) congress of the APC being Saturday, 12^th May 2018, the story wasn’t different. There was still such reported incident of irregularities as malpractice, pranks, parallel congress, violence and what have you. Even as some states like Imo and Rivers weren’t opportune to conduct theirs owing to postponement or court injunction.

        It’s noteworthy that what the APC is faced with at the moment was exactly what marred the PDP prior to the 2015 general elections, thereby ousting the latter from the country’s Seat of Power. It would be recalled that the PDP was at the time characterized by lack of internal democracy, which afterwards warranted its abrupt downfall at the various polls.

        One may have thought that the APC ought to have learnt from such a scenario. But as it stands, it seems the ruling party is yet to take reference from that conundrum that befell the PDP three years ago. This, thus, smacks of danger for the APC.

        However, the good side of the ongoing crisis within the APC is that it has enabled most of its stalwarts – particularly some state governors – who believed the party belongs to them to comprehend that an association, either political or social, isn’t owned by anyone, although could be founded by an individual.

        As committees have already been set up by the party’s leadership to investigate as well as address the crises, they must take into cognizance that various states across the federation had been harbouring two or more factions before the outing, which was ostensibly the reason for the parallel congresses witnessed in most quarters. Hence, such a lacuna ought to be considered as fundamental.

        To ensure that it doesn’t become lachrymose in the nearest future, the APC needs to at all cost put its house in order in earnest. To before warned is to before armed. Think about it!

Comrade Fred Nwaozor

National Coordinator, Right Thinkers Movement

____________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador            

            

Opinion I One Failed Recall, N100m Expenditure

FAILED RECALL AND SUCCESSFUL EXPENDITURE

        Penultimate year, precisely in June, the constituents of Kogi West Senatorial District reportedly tendered a recall petition purportedly signed by over 188,000 persons to the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

       The petition, which intended to unseat the Senator representing the said constituency Dino Melaye, was apparently informed by the ensued lack of confidence of the petitioners over the lawmaker. According to them, the legislator was due to be recalled from the Red Chamber of the National Assembly (NASS), hence urged the INEC to expedite action towards ensuring that their quest saw the light of the day.

       Consequently, on Monday, 3^rd July 2017, the petitioned commission led by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, released a time-table for the requested recall process. But the embattled lawmaker, Sen. Melaye – through his solicitor, Mr. Mike Ozekhome – filed a suit at the Federal High Court Abuja, asking the judicial custodian to halt the process, alleging some irregularities.

       The High Court, unfortunately, threw out the prayer of the defendant, describing it as baseless. The latter, thereafter, headed for the Supreme Court to appeal the judgement. Early this year, the apex court equally overruled the lawful protest, thereby ordered the INEC to continue with the recall process.

       On Saturday, 28^th April 2018, the day scheduled by the electoral umpire for the verification exercise among the constituents of the Kogi West in order to wrap up the recall procedure, something intriguing transpired. To the onlookers’ utmost surprise, not up to one-quarter of the petition’s signatories turned up for the exercise, thus resulting in the failure of the proposed recall.

       After the whole brouhaha, the country’s leading opposition platform – the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – alleged that the INEC expended about N100 billion on the failed recall process against Sen. Melaye. The bombshell threw the entire polity into a state of disarray.

       While concerned Nigerians were making frantic effort to fathom how the PDP came about the unspeakable figure, on Friday, 4^th May 2018, the INEC Chairman Prof. Yakubu – in his reaction on behalf of the commission – refuted the allegation, thus further disclosed that a little above N100 million was rather spent on the exercise.

        In a bid to throw more light, the boss stated that a recall process was like a fresh election or normal electoral process, hence attracts equal financial burden. According to him, since a similar procedure is required in either of the aforementioned processes, which involve such activities as printing of materials, deployment of manpower to all the available booths or polling units in the affected constituency and engagement of adequate security personnel, same amount of fund is needed in carrying out any of them.

       The boss’ explanation got me more confused, to assert the least. It suffices to say that I’m yet to ascertain what informed such whopping expenditure. Going by his analysis, it implies that about, or a minimum of, N100m is invariably spent each time a senatorial election is being conducted in Kogi West.

       With the help of Mathematics, precisely Statistics, I would like us to painstakingly re-examine the claim. Nigeria comprises 109 senatorial districts. Kogi West consists of 552 polling units in seven LGAs. Most senatorial zones in the country have more than 7 LGAs, hence liable to have more number of booths than that of Kogi West.

        Since the zones that have more number of booths are far more than those that have lower booths, we can assume that all the zones comprise equal number of polling units to enable us carry out the required mathematics with ease.

        In view of the above logic, if N100m is to be expended on Kogi West during any election, then since we have 109 districts nationwide, about N10.9 billion is expected to be spent on just senatorial elections. Or, let’s say at least N10.9b would be required for all the polls involving the NASS since elections of both Chambers are usually conducted on the same day, even though additional printed materials would be required for the duo exercise thereby incurring more funds.

        Considering the above survey, it is obvious that if the claim of the INEC’s Chairman holds water, Nigeria as a country is supposed to budget, or perhaps has been budgeting, not less than one trillion naira towards any electioneering era with a view to conducting free, fair and credible general elections, which is ostensibly far-fetched.  

        If this conclusion is anything to go by, then one wouldn’t hesitate to say unequivocally that Prof. Yakubu still owes us some pertinent further interpretations concerning how the commission arrived at such bogus expenditure.

        On the other hand, the PDP still needs to explain to the teeming Nigerians how they managed to come up with that figure, N100b. Though the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government is apparently always ready to welcome whistle blowers, the scenario does not call for inconsequential and unfounded speculations. This is the reason every party involved in this quagmire must be invited for a holistic interrogation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

        As I enjoin the INEC to give us the painstaking statistics of the logistics that warranted that fathomless expenditure, I equally extend an invitation to the PDP in order to remind them that a whistle blower is expected to tender some convincing documents to back up his or her allegation. This very paragraph is the highlights of this critique in its entirety.

        So, as I sit and wait impatiently for the needful to be done, I needn’t remind the concerned anti-graft agency that time is seriously ticking. Think about it!

Comrade Fred Nwaozor

National Coordinator, Right Thinkers Movement

_________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador