By Odimegwu Onwumere
 |
| Rochas Okorocha |
Encomiums are being poured. On March 9, 2012, Governor Rochas Okorocha
of Imo State threw in one. He spoke well of the
Rivers State Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Rt.
Hon. Chibuike Amaechi. That was during a grand reception organised in his
honour by the Imo Development Partners and Imo Indigenes in Rivers, at the Community Secondary School,
Nkpolu, Port Harcourt.
In the words of Governor Okorocha:
Your Excellency, I must take notice of the political, judicial and social
indices of your performance in Rivers
State. What you are doing
in Rivers State has not been seen before. Thank
you very much. So Governor Amaechi, we are in competition now for doing so
well. I have seen how happy my people are here. It means that Governor Amaechi
is taking good care of them. I want to also thank you…. Imo and Rivers States
share a common boundary and the part that Governor Amaechi and I should play is
to ensure that these two states become one in terms of road connection and all
activities.
Okorocha’s commendation of Governor
Amaechi for bringing democratic dividends to Rivers people for he called, his
proportionate deeds in infrastructural development of the state, was the
aftermath commendation of Amaechi whom many where ecstatically yet to recover
from the passionate role he played during the recent burial of the late Dim
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Ikemba Nigeria. (Post mortem award. Mine).
Reiterating, Governor Amaechi
promised his supervision’s support to maintain those doing business in the
state and to work together with the Governor Okorocha, in areas the two
governors need to partner to develop together.
Politics in Nigeria is the
most controversial in the world democracies. Just on May 10, 2012, Labour Day
Celebration, many states in the country were nerves-quaked when news filtered
into the air that the National Labour Congress (NLC) had issued a strike notice
because some states refused to pay the parleyed new Minimum Wage. Reportedly,
the outspoken Governor Amaechi, fired his salvo, saying that the Labour Union
Leaders, were self-absorbed in their activities. Hence, he challenged NLC on
sensible management of human and material resources, because the problem of Nigeria was not
always with the leaders.
At the Isaac
Boro Park,
Port Harcourt,
the Governor said publicly that his administration has undeniably revitalized
the ailing economy and brought about security and hope. He used the parameter
that investors were coming into the state to buttress his assertions. We may
agree that the people are not competing with the government’s constitutions
because people are not totally law abiding. And this was what Amaechi
pinpointed that the government is doing its best to put the system right. It
could further be added that the people are the system breakers, because if you
go around the cities, you will agree with the governor that there is lawlessness.
There are street markets which don’t allow free flow of traffic, even when the
government builds market for people to relocate, they are deafly recalcitrant
to do so.
How else would a government get the
needed result when its people are not following and respecting laws and order?
Not only the street traders which have become a recurring nuisance in the
system, there are drivers who drive opposite the traffic. Is Amaechi a traffic
offender?
While this article was not tended to
praise or support Amaechi, we must believe that there are glaring achievements
in any government, no matter that critics always see the ERRORS always. The
governor has promised to bring in the TUC and NLC in the Board appointments.
This is to gain from their qualities and has promised to build a befitting
secretariat for the NLC and TUC in the State, the same way he confessed that he
was so impressed by the type of primary schools built by his
administration.
In that regard, there was a report
that Governor Amaechi had approved the employment of additional 10,000 teachers
this year, with target at furthering the manpower in the educational sector.
So, it is imperative that all and sundry must join hands and collaborate with
his administration in transforming every sectors in the state. We are
overstuffed with the news of corruption that has bedeviled the civil servants.
Not only the NLC, we all must look inwards and devise a means to fashion
employment.
It was of note that Amaechi noted
that one way his administration has devised to create jobs was through the
Public/Private Partnership (PPP), which he said that the state had recorded
success already with the policy: with Pabod Breweries and Risonpalm, which were
expected to create 5,000 jobs, during the period it is finally given the kiss
of life.
It is even amazing to hear that
Labour always cry about “the increasing unemployment”. This brings one to
question the purpose of forming NLC in the first place. Is it to riot the
government or to labour in making sure that the citizens are always save with
employments without any repose on the government? Is it not time we take our
fate in our hands?
It is the idea of joining unionism
with politics that have swelled the nation’s security, unity and democracy lapses,
not the obverse. While groups or persons have lauded Amaechi for his
achievements so far, it is time the NLC in the state should urge its members to
in like manner consolidate on achieving for the state as said of Amaechi.
We wish Amaechi the best, especially
as he was appointed Malaria Ambassador by Health Ministry.
Odimegwu Onwumere, Poet/Author, Media/Writing
Consultant and Motivator, is the Coordinator, Concerned Non-Indigenes In Rivers State
(CONIRIV); and Founder, Poet Against Child Abuse (PACA), Rivers State.
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