Permanent Voter Cards: Imo govt declares 2 days public holidays for workers

The Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has declared Thursday 5^th and Friday 6^th February 2015 as work-free days to enable government workers in the State obtain the INEC’s Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).

Owelle Okorocha announced this while addressing School Principals, Head Teachers and teachers in public schools at the Imo International Conference Centre, Owerri recently.

He said the workers as well as other citizens who have not collected their Permanent Voters’ Cards would do so within the two-days public holidays to enable them participate in the February 2015 elections, noting that it was the only way the people can defend democracy and safeguard the future of Imo State as he added ‘vote and stay to see your votes counted.’

He said the meeting with the teachers was aimed at discussing the way forward for education which he said remains the major policy thrust of the State and to ensure that teachers are well equipped for qualitative education.

He commended the teachers for their input in ensuring the success of free education in the State while reminding them that they owe it as a duty to give the students proper care just as government has met its obligations to teachers and civil servants through regular payment of workers’ salaries, pensions, promotions.  He noted that for the first time teachers in the State were promoted to Level 17.  “All these and other welfare packages have made strike action a forgotten issue in Imo State,” he observed.

Governor Okorocha revealed government’s plan to introduce the production of raw materials by students to feed the agro-based industrial revolution coming into the State soon.  He therefore directed the teachers to prepare for the programme and to ensure that enough teachers are posted to all schools to meet up with the increased students enrolment.  He  used the occasion to warn that any land in the State that is left fallow will be loaned to government for cultivation for about ten years, saying this is to encourage maximum use of land for the wellbeing of the people.  “We must act quickly to save our society from impending food scarcity and suffering,” he warned.

He explained that the Youth Must Work programme was introduced to promote Teachers Support Programme as well as prepare unemployed graduates for subsequent employment into the Civil Service and teaching profession.  He however enjoined Principals and Head Teachers to keep accurate attendance record of teachers under Youth Must Work to ensure that only hardworking ones are paid and recommended for full employment.

Owelle Okorocha pointed out that government was already transforming public schools into model schools and furnishing them with state of the art facilities to ensure conducive learning environment as seen in Emmanual College, Akwakuma Girls secondary school, Ikenegbu Girls secondary school and other schools in the State capital and assured that same will be replicated in every school in the 27 LGAs.

The governor debunked the allegations that the 305 upstairs in the primary schools in the State were built by Federal Government and described the Peoples’ Democratic Party and other oppositions as involving in ‘campaign of calumny’ arising from envy, seeing that the Rescue Mission government achieved in three and half years what PDP administration could not achieve in 12 years.  He expressed worries that if PDP is voted into power, the free education and other developmental projects done in the State will be put on the reverse, despoil the State and loot her treasury. “Don’t get involved in their evil acts, the works I’ve done in the State will speak for me. If they love Imo so much, why have they not built schools and offer free education before now?” the governor queried.

While requesting for the people’s massive vote to him and all APC candidates in the oncoming elections, governor Okorocha assured all that the Party’s Presidential flag bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari will stop at nothing in fighting corruption and ensuring freedom of worship in the nation if elected President.

Disclosing his agenda for 2015 to 2019, Owelle Okorocha said, “after fixing all the schools, I will turn the State into ‘China’; there will be Industries, industries, industries, factories, factories, factories, job, job, job, employment, employment, employment.”