If Imo State Is Broke, Who Made Imo Broke? – By Emeka Ononamadu

Imo state can never be broke. If it is a cause, back to sender. Anybody who sheds tears for this reason is shading crocodile tears or simply laughing at Ndimo. Since 2011, Imo state gets more that N4billion monthly, the 27 LGAs gets as much, Where has these money gone? In less than 7 months that the Governor proclaimed Imo as the riches state, what has happened? The regime of Ohakim, with its bad name left so much billions to the regime this regime. Imo state is one of the states with extra oil money. Enugu and Anambra states without oil money and with lesser revenue are not broke, why is Imo state broke? Even Abia whose economy we were told was torn into shreds by former Governor Orji and his predecessor; they have not proclaimed Abia broke. Imo state Governor has just forgotten that CBN under Okonjo Iweala was publishing releases to states and LGAs and these publications are all over the place. All the monthly releases to the 27 LGAs are enough to offset their salaries and do a lot projects for better life of the people. Where has the funds gone to, since so many projects did not get to completion and were abandoned. Where is our money and our resources. The time to ask these questions is getting closer and closer.

 

I understand that the 7 days ultimatum given to Imo state government will elapse on Monday, so, we expect that a lot of things will be unfolded during this important week. But as it stands, NLC is yet to compile and release the list of all affect 3000 workers in Imo state. There is speculation that the number of staff that must have lost their job may be more than 4600. Before this debacle, there was speculation that workers were being gradually sacked or retired. It was also trending news that pensioners were not being paid. One thing that baffled Ndimo is the fact that immediately after the receipt of the salary bailout funds, a bailout administration committee was set up and immediately  the Imo state executive, legislature and their selected friends and media headed to turkey on what was referred to as investment mission. Since that time, there have been series of oversea trips which no one knows that cost. Imo state has never told Ndimo how much they got as bailout fund, so that citizens can calculate if by now Imo is supposed to have receded to insolvency. If an governor is given a state to manage and after 5 years, he loudly tells those he was supposed to manage the resources on their behalf that the state is broke, It is a simple admittance of governance failure. In other climes, the governor would have immediately tendered his resignation with full compliments of apology. But he is indirectly accusing those (NLC and the workers) who never participated in the management of state resources for being responsible for his failure.

Many have said that the governor is right because oil price is dropping below acceptable level and naira is crashing embarrassingly. Those who think so should first ask what happened to the money we are supposed to be saving or properly investing when the oil price was at rocket high and the Naira was not at the weaker side of dollars. We all witnessed how all political parties were sharing huge sums of money during the last election. Immediately after inauguration all state that went into the 2015 election were declared insolvent and unable to pay ordinary staff salary. I am yet to pin down the landmark achievement of the present government and why Imo state is broke. If Imo is broke, where did government get the fund for the tallest exam tree and statue of Jesus Christ which were alleged to have cost N600million? There pertinent questions that demand response? What are the actual federal allocations to state and the 27 LGAs in Imo state. What is the actual internally generated revenue at the state and 27 LGA levels. How much was left in the coffers of government by Ohakim regime?What have been the budget of Imo state since 2011 and is the state Assembly carrying out their oversight function to identify this sad situation before it occurs. What were the warning signal before we arrived to the state of insolvency

Before now, Imo state government leased out some agencies to private firms, within this arraignment, who is responsible for the payment of the worker’s salary, what is the term of the lease agreement? For example, if Adapalm is to be properly managed, it will generate the salary of more than 10 agencies through their profit. Everybody is worried and there is pain in more than 4million families in Imo state over the state of public finance management which has boiled down to sending over 3000 workers home to start life afresh. Until government of Imo state explains in details why Imo state is broke, then it is culpable.

The honour given to Owelle Rochas by electorate should not be dropped on the floor to break into pieces. The mindset of regrets should not be allowed to flow into the minds of Ndimo. If that happens, the NLC mother of all strike will become a reference point in the future. Reason must accompany complains.

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 Emeka J. Ononamadu
Executive Director
Citizens Center for Integrated Development & Social Rights
CCIDESOR
30 Mbari street, Ikenegbu Layout, Owerri,
Imo state, Nigeria
P.O Box 7338, Aladinma, Owerri
Mobile phone: 234 (0) 8037423140, 07042055965
08103268725. email: cintegratedev@yahoo.co.uk
Skype account: emeka.ononamadu
www.ccidesor.org.ng