Okorocha inaugurates 305 GLOs, unfolds plan to spend N5bn on rural transformation

Governor Rochas Okorocha, has inaugurated three hundred and five (305) Government Liaison Officers (GLOs) representing each of the 305 INEC Wards in the state, stating that their primary assignment is to drive the government’s policies and programmes in their respective wards for progress, development and growth.  He also announced that N5billion has been set aside for rural transformation which the GLOs would anchor.

Inaugurating the GLOs, today at the Imo International Convention center (IICC) Owerri, governor Okorocha said that strong leadership must be established at the community (ward) level to drive the development of the area remarking that, “today there is the challenge of downturn in our economy as a result of dwindling oil prices. There is unemployment and insecurity and to address all these, the governor cannot stay in the Government House and know what is happening in every ward and community. Therefore, the need to share some of my powers with you is inevitable. We will not share the chorus of under-development because of dwindling economy but we shall all rise to build the Imo of our collective dreams and aspirations.”

The event coincided with the celebration of 40^th anniversary of Imo State having been created on 3^rd February 1976.

Okorocha in group photo with service chiefs during the celebrating to mark Imo @ 40 (photo by Jerome Onwusonye)

Speaking further at the occasion, Governor Okorocha said that the GLOs are the pivots on which the wheel the government’s policies will rotate adding that the State government has set aside the sum of N5b for the purpose of the projects in the wards to be driven by the GLOs.  

Said he; “Go back to your ward and work out how to create Jobs. Take charge of the eco-system.  The GLOs are all challenged to create all the enabling environment for transformation. You are the flagship of the essence of democracy.  We shall make the state the hob of the economic drive of the south-east and by extension, Nigeria.”

“We are also concerned with the issue of security.  The GLOs should liaise with Traditional rulers and others to review the issue of Imo Community Watch.  At 40 we intend to do things differently to move Imo state forward.  Imo is not a fool at 40.  Therefore, we are here gathered to improve the steps and legs of Imo state. GLOs are created to restructure the wards for greatness”.

“They are to ensure that we develop the resources of the various wards and create jobs and ensure development of the wards.  You can call the GLOs mini-governors.  Today, we have challenges of all types hence the need to decentralize power for result and to build Imo of our collective dream.”

“We want to create Jobs and boost the economy of the state.  The GLOs with the Traditional Rulers and others working together can make a big difference.  This will also help us to fish out new leaders because if one can fix his ward, he or she can also fix the local government and state.”

Owelle Okorocha charged them to look inwards and create more economic activities in their localities.  He reminded them that the Rescue Mission Government made bold promises of jobs, factories and industries, in its campaign manifesto and this cannot be achieved without a proper structure upon which the wheel of job rotates, pointing out that they must think outside the box to create at least 100 jobs for 100 youths in each ward within the shortest possible time.

GLOs from the 305 wards seated at the IICC shortly before their inauguration (photo by Jerome Onwusonye)

He equally empowered them to oversee the activities of their wards and make recommendations of who should be appointed for certain positions for the purpose of job creation which must be agro-based for now.

The governor announced that the money “set aside is to sponsor agricultural activities in the wards with the purpose of creating wealth.  Our strength now lies in agriculture since oil is no longer a good story for Nigeria, we must diversify our economy and the first point of call should be agriculture.”

Governor Okorocha,the Wife Nnneoma Okorocha,speaker Hon. Acho Ihim in a group photograph with chairman Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev. Stanford Nworgu  at a prayer session in celebration of Imo @40.

Responding, the Deputy Governor who is equally a GLO, Prince Eze Madumere thanked the governor for the trust reposed in them, promising that with the calibre of people inaugurated as GLOs success is assured.  He equally assured on behalf of his colleagues that within the next 90 days significant impact will be felt at the wards and the government and people of the state will be proud for giving them the opportunity to serve in that capacity.

Ajumbe targets improved IGR for Imo State

 

Chief Vitalis Ajumbe

Determined to take the Internally Generated Revenue of the state to the next level, the commissioner for Internal Resources and Pension Matters, Chief Vitalis Ajumbe has stated his preparedness to champion a new era of IGR drive for economic growth and development.

His readiness to be result-oriented was made known to the public when he visited the Eze Imo, His Royal Majesty, Eze Samuel Ohiri in Owerri recently.

Speaking during the visit, Chief Ajumbe disclosed his determination to work with the Traditional Institution for revenue drive and admonished the Traditional Rulers to distinguish themselves as role models to their subjects in payment of tax as it is a civic responsibility for every taxable adult in the state.

Ajumbe hinted that he has outlined modalities for effectiveness and efficiency on the job, adding that the ministry is paramount in the socio-economic growth of the state.

He expressed hope that the state IGR  will soon make significant improvement and will help in tackling the present dwindling economy.

In his speech, Eze Imo advised the commissioner to work with dedicated staff that would help him achieve his aims and objectives for the ministry and the state in general.

He described Ajumbe as a result-oriented leader who performed creditably when he was the Board Chairman of Imo Broadcasting Corporation (IBC).

Also present at the meeting is the permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Charles Osigwelem and a host of others.

Okorocha reads riot act to sand excavators in Nekede road.

Governor Rochas Okorocha has issued a stern warning to sand excavators around the Nekede - Otamiri River to vacate the place with immediate effect or they will be seriously dealt with by the government.

This warning by the governor became necessary after it was discovered that the activities of illegal sand excavators in Nekede, Owerri-West  LGA have been frustrating government’s efforts to fix the Nekede Old  Road that was badly damaged by erosion.

Fielding questions from newsmen while inspecting the level work at Nekede Old Road recently, Governor Okorocha lamented on the bad effects of their activities in the area.  Imo State governor regretted that despite the huge amount of money the state government invested to control the erosion menace, so as to fix the road, sand excavators have failed to comply to Government directives to leave the place even when it is obvious that their activities have done more harm than good.

He recalled that few months ago the people of Nekede Community were nearly cut off from their neighboring communities while lives and property of people who use the road became endangered, but the state government quickly intervened and saved the situation.

He explained that the state government has invested much to remedy the situation, but lamented that the land excavators have continued their ugly activities in an insensitive manner without considering the need to apply caution.

He warned them to desist from sand excavation in that area as anyone caught will be seriously dealt with and it will serve as a deterrent to others.

Industrialization in Imo gains momentum as Vietnamese industrialists invite Okorocha

Governor Okorocha (Fift from left) in group photo with members of his entourage and some of the captains of industries in Vietnam.

The plan by the Rochas Okorocha-led government in Imo State to build industries and create more jobs for the youths may have taken effect with the recent invitation of the governor by Vietnamese industrialists.

The said invitation was made by some captains of industries, investors and business moguls in that country who were impressed by the sincere and productive steps taken by the governor to industrialize Imo State.

They invited the governor to see things for himself in their various companies, with a view to creating an atmosphere for partnership and technology transfer.

Observers and analysts who are passionately following the governor`s industrialization policy, have described it as a positive step and an improvement towards realizing an industrialized state.

In line with the governor`s lifestyle of prudent management of resources. He travelled with three people, namely; the Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Engineer Kingsley  Uju,  the Head of Department of Works, Imo State Government House, Engineer Emeka Duru and his Chief Economic Adviser, Mr Iyke Njoku.

They are expected to return to the State very soon.

PHOTOS of 2016 Armed Forces remembrance day celebration in Imo

Governor Okorocha (m) at the Heroes square to celebrate the Armed forces remembrance day 2016 (photo by Onyeka Jerome)

Okorocha (extreme right)  standing with Armed Forces service chiefs at the Heroes Square during the occasion of the 2016 Armed Forces remembrance day in Imo (photo by Onyeka Jerome)

Okorocha releases a white colored pigeon from a cage to fly away in a symbolic gesture of peace and freedom (photo by Onyeka Jerome)

Governor Okorocha approaching the statue of the unknown soldier to place a wreath in honour of  Nigerian soldiers who died while in active service. (photo by Onyeka Jerome)

Okorocha swears in thirteen commissioners, others into office

pictured - some of the new commissioners sworn into office today

Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has sworn-in thirteen commissioners, twenty-seven Transition Committee Chairmen, and an Economic Adviser in to office.  The swearing-in of the commissioners followed their screening and clearance by the Imo State House of Assembly.

The commissioners sworn-in with their portfolios are:

1.    Chief Law Eberuo  -  Lands, Survey, Housing and Urban Planning

2.    Barr. Ngozi Njoku -  Health, Women Affairs & Social Development.

3.     Chief (Mrs.) Getrude Oduka - Education, Science and    Environment.

4.     Barr. M.O. Nlemadim - Attorney-General & commissioner for Justice.

5.     Chidi Ibeh - Information, Youths &Sports

6.     Udo Agoha - Agric & Natural Resources

7.     Dr. Vitalis Ajumbe - Internal Resources & Pension Matters.

8.    Barr. Obinna Mbata – Finance

9.     Barr. Emma Ibediro - Local Government & Rural Development

10.                       Barr. Ifeanyi Araraume Jnr., - Commerce, Land and Tourism

11.                        Chief Innocent Eke - Community Government, Culture & Traditional Affairs.

12.                       Hon. Rodney Ajaelu, - Public Safety & Public Utilities

13.                       Chief (Mrs.) Josephine Udoji - Works & Transport.  

Chief Ikechukwu Njoku was sworn-in as the Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor.

pictured - some of the new commissioners sworn into office today

Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony of the new Commissioners held at the Government House, Owerri today, Governor Okorocha said that the former commissioners did very well in sustaining the noble ideals of the Rescue Mission Government in the state, but were dropped because of other considerations that have nothing to do with failure.

He described the new Commissioners as the bridge between the old and the new generation politicians in the state and urged them to work hard to justify their appointments.

Said he; “All appointees are meant to tighten their seatbelts with a view to making Imo better.  All hands must be on deck to sustain the gains made in education, security, infrastructure and other facets of the administration too numerous to mention.  The appointees should improve on the gains so far recorded by the Rescue Mission Government”. “I want also to call for attitudinal change amongst Imolites, especially now that Imo is approaching 40.  And I want to also ask all including Imo workers to queue into the change mantra of the state government by making sacrifices that will help the generation of Imo unborn.” “My quest to make Imo better is not for personal aggrandizement or riches but honest desire to change the landscape of the state.  As a result there is urgent need for Imo people to cooperate with me in moving the artisans to a place, relocating the markets that are not well positioned to make the state attractive to tourists and investors.”

Speaking on behalf of the new Commissioners and other appointees, the Commissioner for Information, Chief Chidi Ibeh pledged to work hard to justify their appointments.

Residents in Imo get relief as Rochas moves to end fuel scarcity

Governor Okorocha (extreme right) at the Government House during the meeting with petroleum marketers

Following the recent scarcity of petroleum products and the hardship which the situation has caused the people of Imo state, the Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha on Tuesday January 12, 2016 had a crucial meeting with the members of the state branch of Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria.

The essence of the meeting which took place at the Government House, Owerri was to find ways of dealing with the situation at the moment so that the marketers who have the products could begin to sell at the approved prices to the people of the state and to deal with the worrying issue of scarcity.

The governor who was visibly worried told the marketers that his government would not afford to watch the marketers create artificial scarcity of the products or sell above the government’s approved pump prices.

He advised them to be humane and considerate and assured them that he would intervene to ensure that the filling stations sealed by DPR are opened without further delay so as to do away with the effects of the scarcity of the petroleum products in the state at the moment.

Also at the meeting, the governor made some contacts that would see petroleum products being supplied to the Imo marketers without delay so that the products can be available for Imo people to buy at the approved prices. He also cautioned the marketers against sharp practices once the products begin to arrive.

The governor equally told the leadership of the Marketers Association and government officials handling petroleum related matters in the state to monitor petroleum products loaded to be sold in the state to ensure that such products would not be diverted.  He also assured that similar meetings would continue to take place so as to nip in the bud any situation that would cause scarcity and price hike of petroleum products in the state in future.

He regretted the inconveniences the current situation must have caused the people of the state and appealed to them to remain calm. According to him, the efforts which the state government has made will ensure that the issue of scarcity of petroleum products in the state would be a thing of the past.

Speaking earlier on behalf of other marketers during the meeting, the Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, (IPMAN), Mr. Christopher Amadi explained that the marketers in the state do not get their allocations from direct sources but always buy from the ‘third parties’.  He also told the governor about some of the filling stations sealed by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

Also present at the meeting is the Chief Of Staff, Government House, Chief Uche Nwosu and a host of others.

Imo Govt set to empower thousands of youths in 2016

Master Jidenna Anwuka, his parents and others during his Churching at Saint Joseph Catholic Chaplaincy Imo State University Owerri.

Governor Rochas Okorocha has said that his Rescue Mission Government in Imo State would pay particular attention to the youths in the state this year (2016) especially in the area of employment and empowerment.

 He made this remark at the churching of his grandson, master Jidenna Anthony Anwuka, on Sunday, January 3, 2016 at Saint Joseph Catholic Chaplaincy Imo State University Owerri.

 Speaking at the occasion, Governor Okorocha stressed that engaging the youths gainfully would check crimes like kidnapping, fraud, armed robbery and other anti-social behaviours.

According to him, the plan by his administration to provide jobs for the youths in the state is targeted at getting the youths meaningfully engaged in the overall interest of the society. Said he, “it cannot be explained why people who are more than fifty years and above would be in the system working, while their children or those between the ages of twenty and thirty-five would be idle, roaming the street even with the required qualifications. The situation does not call for celebration at all”.

He continued, “go and check, all those being arrested for kidnapping, armed robbery and other heinous crimes are always between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. You can hardly get a man above forty years getting involved in these serious crimes. So we must act now to secure the future of these young ones”.

Governor Okorocha(extreme right and others during the churching of master Jidenna Anwuka

  

Also speaking at the occasion, the Minister of state for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwuka said that both the government at the centre and the one in the state meant well for the citizenry and asked for prayers for both, stating that it was the wish of God that his son would marry the Governor’s daughter, with the marriage being blessed now with a baby boy.

Earlier, the officiating minister, Rev. Father Prof. Jerome Okonkwo urged every Christian to reconcile with God in the spirit of the New Year, adding that the celebrations that go with the entry into the New Year should reflect in our lives as children of God.

He urged the parents of the new baby to bring him up with the fear of God.

Master Jidenna’s parents are Dr Tony Anwuka Jnr. (son of Prof. Anthony Anwuka, Minister of state for Education ) and Mrs. Uju Okorocha (daughter of Governor Rochas Okorocha)

Okorocha presents 2016 budget of N102.2 billion to IMHA

Governor Rochas Okorocha presenting the 2016 Budget to the Clerk of the State House of Assembly, Barr. Chris Duru on Tuesday, December 29, 2015.

Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has presented the 2016 Budget to the State House of Assembly totalling N102,208,328,832 (One hundred and two billion, two hundred and eight million, three hundred and twenty eight thousand, eight hundred and thirty two Naira) for the fiscal year.

Presenting the budget to the Assembly on Tuesday, December 29, 2015, Governor Okorocha said that from the total budget proposed, N44.045 billion will be for capital expenditure representing 43.1% of the total budget, while N58.165 billion will be for Recurrent expenditure which represents 56.9% of the total budget.

 

In the budget tagged “Budget of “Consolidation and continuity,” Governor Okorocha stated that the 2016 budget was lower than that of 2015 budget by N41.11 billion which represents 28.7%, stressing that the core objective of the 2016 budget would be to satisfy the desires of the good people of the state in line with the Rescue Mission programme of the administration which is to rescue the state from the shackles of poverty, deprivation, and underdevelopment.

He also remarked that the state would be launched on a steady path of sustainable economic growth and development, adding that the budget figure was arrived at after due bilateral discussions with all stakeholders through the ministries, departments and agencies coupled with the revenue performance of 2015.

In the recurrent expenditure, Consolidated Revenue fund charges would have N18.3 billion, and overhead costs, N12.4 billion, Personnel costs, N10.3 billion, and subvention costs, N16.86.  Under the capital expenditure, the Economic sector takes the lion share of N27.3billion, followed by General Administration which has N10.8 billion and the least being ISOPADEC having N300 million.

The governor said “recent happenings regarding inflows from the federation account make it imperative for us to follow the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Investments initiatives that will drive increased yield in our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).  The government’s reforms already on-going will be sustained.  We have worked tirelessly to attain this height.”

Governor Rochas Okorocha reading the 2016 Budget on the floor of the Imo State House of Assembly on Tuesday, December 29, 2015.

Cash flows in Imo as Rochas clears arrears of workers’ salaries

Okorocha

This Christmas period has been described as an era of cash flow to government staffers in Imo State Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and by extension the traders and artisans as the State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha cleared all the workers’ salary arrears and allowances  up to December 2015.

According to information from the governor`s media office  and office of his Chief of Staff  few days ago, Governor Okorocha approved the payment of all workers salary up to December 2015.

About 10 Months salary arrears of Imo State owned newspapers `the Statesman` was cleared, the health workers whose payments have lingered for a long time close  to 10  months were also cleared and others too numerous to mention.

When the governor gave the directive to pay all workers, he made it clear that because of the significance of workers salaries to him, his regime has always addressed issues concerning their salary with high regard.

He explained that the delay in payment of health workers salary was due to the need to resolve the issues of certain questionable allowances and cases of nonchalant attitude by workers towards their jobs.

Without mincing words, the governor stated that from 2011 when he took over the state mantle of leadership, his administration has always paid workers salarie as at when due, but explained that the unfortunate delay in payment of  workers’ salaries was due to the dwindling economy of the country  occasioned by fall of oil price.

His words, “the truth is there was never a time the state government intended to owe the Health workers in the state.  The only thing was that the government was not satisfied with the conducts of the Health workers and their poor service delivery to the people of the state, despite the huge amount being spent on the payment of their salaries and allowances.  The government also questioned some of the allowances they were paying themselves.”

The governor who reminded the workers that he was the first to pay minimum wage also called on them to appreciate government’s good gestures by being up and doing in their work especially in the coming year so that the state could move from strength to strength.

Adding his voice the governor`s Special Adviser on Public enlightenment and Strategy, DR Kelechi Okpaleke, revealed that some workers in the health sector are paid bogus amounts of  money as salaries, for instance, medical doctors  went home with about 1,200,000  (one million, two hundred thousand naira) as salaries and allowances` monthly .

He said all most all the workers in Imo State have collected their salaries, adding that he was shocked with his findings that in Imo State Council For Arts and Culture, some workers as old as 70 years old were still receiving salaries as dancers while most of the younger ones come to the office only during month ends so they can collect their salaries.

He wondered why some of the journalists working in the state-owned newspaper company, The Statesman, could not publish one article in one year and the newspaper has failed to be regularly on newspaper stand even with the level of monthly financial support they receive from the governor as subvention.