EDITORIALS

Need for Imo State Business Delegation to justify trip to Turkey

Published August 4th, 2014

About six weeks ago, the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha led a group of business delegation comprising political appointees, lawmakers, members of the Imo State Chamber of Commerce, businessmen as well as teachers on a 4-day economic trip to Turkey in Europe.

The idea behind the trip was for the delegation to learn from Turkey's fast growing economy and to integrate a culture and sense of development by exchanging business ideas with a view to replicating that country’s success story in Imo State.

To assist in making this feat achievable, Okorocha offered on behalf of the State government, to approve over 1million dollars as seed funds to support businessmen who are ready to invest in Imo State.

Nearly 2 months after, there has been no news of any serious effort by any member of that delegation to set up an industry in response to the purpose for which they embarked on that trip.

Analysts are of the view that the major reason why Okorocha led these people to visit dozens of industries in Turkey is to expose them to opportunities for wealth generation and industrial activities using alternative sources of energy.

Many industries in Turkey make exclusive use of solar energy to generate the power needed for their production processes. This is a sharp contrast to the situation in Nigeria whereby nearly all the industries here-in rely exclusively on electricity and generators.

Considering the fact that Nigeria is located in the Tropical area of West where there is abundant sunshine and manpower, it would be profitable and worthwhile if business-oriented members of that delegation make good use of the knowledge gained from that trip by commencing efforts aimed at establishing small scale industries such as poultries, textile industries, food processing and packaging industries as well as pharmaceutical industries using solar energy rather than electricity or generators.

Nigeria should not continue to be a dumping ground for the developed countries especially since it has many enterprising and industrious businessmen and women who possess the will and financial strength needed to transform the economy from a corrupt and poverty-stricken society to a rich and prosperous entity.  

10,000 jobs: A time bomb that back-fired.

 Published December  5th 2011

When former Governor Ikedi Ohakim announced his intention to provide 10,000 graduates of Imo State origin with white-collar jobs midway into his administration in 2009, many political analysts applauded him with reckless abandon.
Little did they realize that the seemingly noble gesture would end up in total disaster. The purchase of 2000 naira worth of scratch card each by 10,000 applicants generated a total of 20,000000 (twenty million naira) for the State Government. 
The first batch of the 2000 successful applicants were not offered employment until nearly one year after taking the requisite recruitment examination, by which time the tenure of office of the governor was approaching to an end.
Perhaps in a bid to entice the helpless applicants to offer support for his second term bid Governor Ikedi Ohakim at the heat of his campaign magnanimously doled out employment letters to them thereby bringing the total number of successful applicants to 8, 611.
Critics saw the governor’s kindness as an act of mischief unparalleled in the history of labour management.
Many have wondered how the employment bonanza would have been sustained if the governor had won for a second term, especially considering the fact that few days to the election, the governor, in a public forum at Maria Assumpta Cathedral, had admitted being indebted to some banks to the tune of 18 Billion naira.
Upon assumption of office in May 29th 2011, the present governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha (OON), who is celebrated both within and outside Nigeria for his acts of charity and unreserved care of the less privileged decided not to over stretch his ability and sensibility by undertaking the payment of huge wage bills to our helpless graduates.
Rochas’ action with regards to the suspension of the 10,000 jobs may have attracted criticisms by some people but the truth is that the about 80% of the them went to work every day with out being given any form of responsibility in the various government offices where they deployed. They idled away and roamed about the offices only to expect salaries at the end of the month.
Concerned citizens of Imo State appeals to Owelle Rochas Okorocha (OON) to sustain his promise to establish farms and agro-based industries in all the Local Government Areas in Imo State so that the suspended 10,000 jobbers can become gainfully employed because the idle mind they say is the devil’s workshop.
For those of them who cannot work in the farms and industries, the governor may offer them monthly stipends so as to cushion the effect of the suspension order pending when they will secure the job of their dream.