Governor Okorocha adopts concession option

At last the Imo State Governor, Owelle Anayo Okorocha  has considered  to concession the managements of some Parastatals and Health facilities in the state with a view to make them more productive, so as to strengthen the state economy.

The essence of the latest move by the governor which has been described as a bold and courageous step was designed to inject life into some of the parastatals and health facilities that would surely return them on the path of economic growth and development.

The decision of the governor was communicated to the public through a press release signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Sam Onwuemedo. He made it clear that the essence is to achieve the aims of establishing them in the first place.

He expressed deep concern that most of these parastatals and Health facilities have continued to enjoy the government’s huge monthly subventions without any meaningful financial contribution to compliment for such cash investments.

The statement noted with dismay that most of the government Parastatals were expected to generate revenue by virtue of their status but unfortunately, they were unable to do so.

The managements of some of the parastatals already listed for concession include; Imo Newspapers, Imo Orientation Agency, NEPAD, Imo ADP, Agric Loans Board, Water Corporation, PFMU and PSGRDP, Consumer Protection Council, Imo State Council for Arts and Culture,(ISCAC) Imo State Sports Council, Imo State Tourism Board, Imo State Zoological Garden, Imo State Library Board, Imo Job Centre and Imo State Investment Promotion Agency.(ISIPA)

Others are the State Directorate for Employment, Okigwe Cattle Market, Imo Livestock, Ministry of Agric and Natural Resources Shop, Niger-Delta Bureau, Poverty Alleviation Bureau, IWADA, Bureau for Public Procurement and Price Intelligence, ENTRACO, Imo Marketing Company, Imo Blue Lake Oguta and Imo Essential Drug.

The Health facilities the government have  also listed to concession their managements include ; the General Hospitals and Health Centres in the Twenty-Seven Local Government Areas of the state, including the General Hospitals at Aboh Mbaise, Ngor Okpala, Ihitte Uboma, Okigwe, Aro-ndizogu, Mbieri, Awo Omama, Oguta, Ogwa, Ohaji Egbema and the Specialist Hospital, Umugwuma.

In the case of the Health Centres and General Hospitals, the government decided to concession their respective managements to give them the needed impetus to make the Health-care delivery system in the state responsive, effective and service-oriented  especially when the government’s experience in the affected Health outfits have been nauseating.

In addition to the concession actions, the government has also dissolved the Youth Must Work Scheme with the aim of re-organization, effectiveness, and efficiency so as to achieve its initial targets and purpose.

However, the Primary and Secondary teachers recruited under the Youth Must Work Scheme were not affected by the dissolution.

The government has also dissolved the elected officials of the Community Government Councils (CGC) and the action is also designed to help in repositioning the CGC to also make it very vibrant and result-oriented.

In the same vein, the state government has taken over Imo State Teaching Hospital staff Primary School at Orlu and FSP Primary School Ugwu-orji, Owerri to enable them enjoy the free and qualitative education programme of the state government.

In a related development, the State  Governor has suspended some Permanent Secretaries, Directors of Accounts and few other officials who were indicted by the report of the recent verification and audit exercise carried out by the state government.

Meanwhile, the governor has directed the salary arrears of all the staff in the affected parastatals listed for concession, the hospitals and health centres also affected, and those of CGC to be paid immediately.  All these actions have been taken in the overall interest of the state and its people.

The government also appealed passionately to indigenes of the state for their cooperation and understanding.