From Joshua Chibuzo Andrew| Owerri
Ranging war is currently brewing in Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, ISOPADEC following the alleged shortchanging of Egbuoma/Egwe Ward in Oguta Local Government Area of the State in the appointment of host communities as Special Assistant to the Managing Director of the Commission.
The story has it that in order to carry-along and arrest the plights of the three host oil producing Council Areas in Imo State,Ohaji/Egbema,Oru East and Oguta, ISOPADEC resolved to appoint at least one person from each political ward to serve as SA to the MD of the Commission.
However,Hon. Goziem Nzeribe who hails from Oguta LGA and also SA to Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State on Drainage,due to his closeness to the MD of ISOPADEC,Chief Charles Orie was allegedly contracted to nominate and forward list of beneficiaries from Oguta LGA to the Commission for approval of their appointments.
It was gathered that Hon. Nzeribe had earlier brought on board,Mr. Onyebuchi Unorji popularly called “Ojiko” as SA representing Egbuoma/Egwe Ward in the Commission on the agreement that he will be remitting fifty thousand naira monthly from his salary to Hon. Goziem Nzeribe who gave him the job.
Our source revealed that Ojiko was relieved of his duty and his salary stopped coming immediately he defaulted his agreement with Hon. Nzeribe sometime in the first quarter of this year, while someone,Mr. Charles Adibuo who hails from same Ward with Hon. Nzeribe was used to substitute him leaving Egbuoma/Egwe without representative in ISOPADEC since March,2023.
Impeccable source disclosed that the people of Egbuoma/Egwe Ward are planning for a total show down at ISOPADEC Secretariat, Owerri any moment from now if nothing is not done urgently to correct the ugly development.
Narrating his ordeal,Mr. Onyebuchi Unorji regretted how Hon. Gozie Nzeribe stopped his monthly salary as SA to the MD of ISOPADEC since March,2023 after giving him forty-five thousand naira monthly from his one hundred and forty-five thousand naira monthly salary for over two years. “Hon. Nzeribe was a good friend of mine. He was the person that nominated me for ISOPADEC job, and we agreed that I will be giving him 50k out of the expected 150k monthly salary. Unfortunately,it was 145k per month which I started giving him 45k immediately the salary comes. I did that for over two years before I could not meet up during March salary due to my wife’s ill-health. I told him to be patient for me as I will give him 90k in the following month, but he refused and decided to displace me. Since then,I have been living at the mercy of the Almighty God. And I never bothered him since then”,Ojiko narrated.
When contacted via cellphone to ascertain his own version of the story,Hon. Gozie Nzeribe stated that he does not respond to charlatans.
While all efforts made to contact ISOPADEC Managing Director,Chief Charles Orie proved abortive as his cellphone number was persistently in voice mail.
