South East Governors Have Failed Ndigbo – Rev. Felix Nwosu

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Despite efforts of the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, to develop the state through his Rescue Mission, many areas, especially in Mbaise and Mbaitlou/Ikeduru are angry, crying that they are being short changed. To what extent would you agree with them?

As far as I am concerned, the Rescue Mission is a political jamboree and publicity stunt. I am from Mbaitoli. There are several unfinished projects left behind by the Ikedi Ohakim administration. Most of them have remained where Ohakim left them till today. One of them is the Umomiri-Out-Obiazi Mbieri road project. The project was at an advanced stage when Ohakim left the stage. It has remained abandoned till today. There is also a major bridge in the area, which was also abandoned. These projects were meant to decongest traffic in the area. The leaders of the state are playing politics of bitterness. They are not rescuing anything. If you reach Mbaise, many projects were also abandoned. The government is not helping the masses that put them in power. Those complaining are right. There are several ‘no-go’ areas in the state. Even the few projects they are handling, are they properly done? What the government is doing is to video few projects and show them everywhere. There is no satellite town. Even a dam project Ohakim started was abandoned. The Holy Ghost College by Assumpta Cathedral Church has been covered by grass. There was to be a lake at this place, but it was abandoned. All over the places, the story is the same. That is indeed how far the Rescue Mission has gone.

Okorocha recently hinted of his plans to build an international market at Mgbidi in Oru West in order to turn the area into a commercial centre. What is your take on this?

Mgbidi has been a commercial area. If you go there at night, the place is wonderful. Mgbidi is in Oru West and is part of Orlu Senatorial District where Okorocha comes from. So, he is trying to concentrate development at his area. Mgbidi is not really a central place. Such an international market could have been developed at Mbaitoli or Mbaise. Mbaise is very large. To me, such a market should be sited at Mbaitoli. May be, Okorocha is building it for Iheala and Anambra people and not for the Imo people.

Do you think the Rochas administration has done enough to convince the Imo people that he deserves as second term?

Outside Mbakwe, Imo has not really had any other good governor. Many thought that Okorocha has the charisma. Even his free education policy is being put to question. There is absence of infrastructure that will attract investors. We need a change.  The situation in the state has not changed since after the Mbakwe administration. I do not know why Imo has always had this problem of governance. Imo was among the first generation of states that were created. Yet, it is still backward. The only mapping that was done was the handiwork of Mbakwe, who was a visionary leader. The situation on ground is sad. Why should governors shout over their so-called achievements? People should shout for them if they are really performing. I travel home regularly. There is nothing really on ground to show for all the shouting. What we have in Imo is unnecessary entertainment. It is painful.

Anambra State indigenes in Abuja reportedly raised over N100 million recently to support the Obiano administration in the area of security. How do you see the action of the people?

It is really awesome. It is good to support a working governor. People from other states should emulate such action. But before such action was taken, the people saw what Peter Obi did and how Obiano is carrying on. People will always support a good leader. There were no roads in Anambra. Now, there are roads; there is infrastructure. Their problem now is security. Let them use the money well to ensure there is no longer crimes and menace of touts at Upper Iweka. People are really telling Obiano that they need security in as much as they have infrastructure. It is a step in the right direction and an eye opener that something is wrong with the security of the state and people are ready to support Obiano. The other governors should also do something good, good projects that will make their people support them.

As the 2015 elections are by the corner, how would you rate the performance of the South East governors in the area of providing democracy dividends to their people?

In fact, I do not know what is the problem of Nigerian governors. It is not only in South East. Now, many of them are trying now to do something because the election is coming and some of them want to retain their positions or become senators. What have they been doing in the last four or eight years? They are now starting projects, which they will abandon. They have left salaries of workers unpaid. From top to bottom, it is the same. Incumbents are not doing anything compared with huge amounts they budget. One wonders what they do with their monthly allocations. When they leave office, the incoming governors will meet empty treasury. No outgoing governor ever leaves money in the treasury. All these border on corruption. Why should they be empowering touts, giving them guns? It shows we do not have government. It is really painful.

Do you think the South East lawmakers have made impact both at the National Assembly and the various State Houses of Assembly in terms of legislative imputes?

For these four years that is about to elapse, is there any law that favours the people? No. it is only when they want to pass Appropriation Bill that you will see them working. Since 2009, there has never been any reasonable bill in the areas of education, health, infrastructure, which will affect the people. The government is now changing vehicle number plates, new passports, and the lawmakers are there watching. Nigerians are patient people. Nigerians are good to their leaders who have been tossing them up and down. Look at Ukraine. They recently rejected their leaders. Here, the people do not talk about rights. They talk about ride – they leaders ride over the people. For eight years, the people have not seen anything. We only hear of billions and billions of Naira. The Senate, House of Representatives, the State Assemblies are doing nothing for the people.

In Nigeria, nobody is looking at the Recall provisions. What we have is hero-worshipping. Nobody is recalling the lawmakers as if they are doing well.  We should start recalling our lawmakers because they are not doing well. They are not doing anything with the mandate given to them. You cannot even them. Even their constituency offices are idle. It is laughable.

The local politicians are using this opportunity to exploit the people. People’s mandate has turned leaders to tyrants. They favour their cronies and forget the masses. When they are seeking the offices, they beckoned and the people answered them. But when they get into positions, they drop the people and picked up their friends. The people who pay taxes are being short changed. People who work to make government think are suppressed. They do not fear God. Those who are now dead, where are they and their wealth? God said a wicked man will not go unpunished. That is why many of them are having terrible moments. They do not have peace. May God have mercy on them.

The South East has been agitating for the creation of an additional state from the geo-political zone. How do you see the recent resolution of the national Conference for the creation of 18 more states?

For me, looking at the existing states and the way they are malfunctioning, I do not see why there should be 18 new states. There is general lack of resources and everyone is complaining. The national wealth has not increased. But, for reasons of balancing, some states should be created, especially in South East, to have a balance between South and North. There should be balance between the geo-political zones. We should talk more of how to improve the economy. Ghana and Liberia have maintained the same number of Counties. United States of America has maintained the same number of states for several years.

The Boko Haram insurgency has become more serious and devastating with daily bombings and killings, even while girls have now become suicide bombers. How do you see this development?

The government was warned by many prophets, including my very self, that Boko Haram will become deadlier. The government kept saying that they were on top of the situation. Now, we have seen that they, and not the government, are the ones on top of the situation. It has now become a war as Gen Danjuma put it. They have become more deadly. Russia and Somali have come to stay in Nigeria. If nothing is done to stop this, it will be disastrous. The question is: Who are behind all these things? There are people and things, which are behind all these. They must be addressed. Now, they are recruiting and using women as suicide bombers. Women were known as the weaker sex and people relax when they see women. Now, they are hitting targets. I do not know where this will take us to. If the government fails to find a solution to this trend, you will know that the devil is now a Nigerian. It could be that they are not happy with the way the issue of Chibok girls are being handled and what many of the ladies have passed through. They may feel that they are not safe among their husbands and brothers. This shows that the women are not happy the way things are happening. The women are out to protest and they were arrested. Now, the girls are taking up arms against the nation. It is indeed sad.

Source: Daily Independent

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