The recent emergence of Rt. Hon Chukwuemeka Ihedioha (CON) as the Governor-elect of Imo State has been described as an act of God and whosoever is challenging it, is questioning and challenging God.
This was the position of members of the embattled Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), elected Local Government Chairmen and Councilors in Imo State who were abruptly sacked on June 6th 2011 after spending only seven months in their three- year tenure.
Speaking to our correspondent who covered the reception of Certificate of Return by the Governor-elect from INEC Tuesday, the Executive Chairman of Ezinihitte LG, Dr. Bede Agunnaya Nzenwa said that the emergence of Ihedioha as the Governor-elect for Imo State is divine and has the hand of God which should not be challenged by any person.
He said that the Governor-elect’s emergence is very timely and should be hailed and accepted by all right thinking members of the society, pointing out that the new dispensation will actually bring in new lease of life in Imo State and due process in governance which is very fundamental, though abandoned for several years by the outgoing State government.
In reacting to a question, Dr Bede Nzenwa said he strongly believes that the Governor-elect has the capacity and capability of revamping the almost moribund Local Government system in the State which has left the system non-functional for almost eight years now.
He pointed out that the members of the embattled 2011 sacked ALGON members are still in Supreme Court, but the Governor-elect being a seasoned and pragmatic politician, he will know what to do with the ALGON members when he comes in because these members of the society who were serving their fatherland were so cruelly treated by the outgoing State government under Rochas Okorocha who sacked them unconstitutionally and illegally.
In answering further questions, the Executive Chairman of Nwangele LGA, High Chief Ezekiel Chukwukere aka (I know this man) went further to condemn the inhuman way Rochas Okorocha’s government treated their ALGON members.
He wondered why the outgoing Governor is crying wolf for the Certificate of Return which INEC has denied him, and related it to what he did to the embattled members of sacked ALGON who he refused to allow in after Appeal Court judgment, but now he has run to the Court to look for justice.
Chukwukere who is also the Zonal Chairman, ALGON, said he believes that anyone who does not believe in justice or Court Orders had no reason expecting justice from the Court.
He further opined that nemesis is really catching up Okorocha who murdered sleep and how can be sleep, he queried. He will not sleep well, he retorted.
He said that all Imo ALGON members abruptly sacked in 2011 by Okorocha’s government are fully in support of the Governor Elect to succeed and those in Court should withdraw their cases for the sake of the State to progress.
He said the Local Government system is unique one that should be handled by old hands and if the Governor-Elect fulfils his promise of righting the wrongs of the outgoing administration by making the LGs autonomous, it will help reduce the stress of his own job, employ more people at the rural areas and also increase development at that level of governance.
They are of the opinion that the Governor-Elect can make good use of the Local Government system to the toast of others and benefit to the rural dwellers in the State, adding that these embattled ALGON members are very ready to come in and assist the incoming government of Ihedioha at any capacity.
On the Local government Election in the State, the Association is of the opinion that for the APC government abandoning the INEC wards and using the communities as wards was illegal during the ill LG elections, also bearing in mind the subsisting Supreme Court Order which says no elections should be held in the State, till the case before them is disposed off, goes a long way to legally nullify the alleged LG elections held by the State Government in 2018.
The Association in unism called on the Governor-Elect to make time and revamp the State Civil Service system which has been bastardized for eight years now by the outgoing Okorocha government.
They opined that the welfare of the Civil Servants like their overtime, leave allowances, medical bill refund be reintroduced while their full salaries should be paid, pensioners should also be paid their pensions as at when due.
On Education which is regarded as the main industry in the state, the Association advised that the incoming State Government should review the education policy of the State with the aim of providing free and qualitative education where more teachers will be employed while they will be trained and retrained and the students are given qualitative education.
Imo ALGON members further stressed the need of the incoming government in the State to try and establish industries in the State to employ the teaming unemployed youths and arrangement to revamp the ailing industries in the State like the Avutu Poultry farm, Adapalm, ITC and the Standard Shoe Industry at Owerri.
They believe that over the years, our environment has not been well maintained, hence they are advocating that the coming government should try and clean up the society and improve the sanitation condition of the environment which is very necessary for healthy wellbeing of Imolites, and also help to restore decency in society.
They further advocated that the government should revisit the issue of abandoned projects in the State, with the aim of reviewing them for completion.
These members of Imo ALGON, recalled that they have suffered so much since eight years now and still they are the only body of the party that has singularly sustained the tempo of the party with their case right from the High Court, to Appeal Court now at Supreme Court.
Nigeria Horn
