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JUNE 18, 2007 VOL. 21, NO. 10

Ohakim’s Riot Act

**Ikedi Ohakim, executive governor of Imo State**

Governor Ikedi Ohakim in a bid to reform the civil service in Imo State declares zero tolerance for poor attitude to work
By Eugenia Okpara, Owerri
Governor Ikedi Ohakim in his maiden broadcast to the people of Imo State harped on the need for attitudinal change that will entail paradigm shift in lifestyles, priorities and values as well as change in morals and concepts of honesty and integrity while vowing to be truthful and honest in all his dealings.
To achieve that, the governor declared zero tolerance to laziness, loitering, absenteeism, lateness to work and habitual sick leave, and reiterated his avowed statement that “Imo must be put to work” in order to achieve self-development.
Part of the broadcast read: “My first request from you is that we shall endeavour to embrace the changes that will be demanded of us, and are indeed necessary if the new face of Imo agenda is to become a reality. We must change our morals and notions of honesty and integrity. In short, there must be a moral and attitudinal paradigm shift in our lifestyles, priorities and values. In this broadcast, I wish to talk to you about things that impact directly and immediately on our lives – both positively and negatively – and the need to maintain a healthy balance between our perception of what is good or bad, or between truth and rumour”.
The former Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa had made spirited efforts to achieve such attitudinal change with the establishment and funding of the Imo State Orientation Agency (ISOA). Granted that the Agency tried its best in seeking to achieve these lofty objectives, its management did not quite actualise the dream because the people regarded them as “toothless bull dogs”.
Ohakim also lamented that the state’s economy is stagnant due to abject under-development which he said will continue to regress unless urgent measures are taken to address the trend.
His words: “At the moment, the economy is languishing in the doldrums of static under-development. The Imo economy is in acute distress and will continue to regress unless urgent remedial measures are taken, and the new face of Imo makes this imperative. The backbone of any economy is hardwork and innovation.”
“The launching pad for our economic take-off is a radical, economic paradigm shift, that will see Imo moving from trading in goods, to aggressive entrepre-neurship in the manufacturing industries for the production of high quality goods and products for export. In specific terms, government shall provide incentives to processing and canning industries that are designed to give value-added dimension to our agricultural products such as cashew nuts and cassava”, Governor Ohakim said.
Promising that he will ensure that the State play more significant role in the communication and oil sector in the country, Ohakim said: “I have determined that we shall cease to be marginal players in the communications and oil and gas industries. We shall no longer be patronisingly mollified with crumbs handed to us from the huge oil revenues accruing to the Federal Government. Accordingly, my administration will ensure that our oil and gas potentials are maximally exploited, to the benefit of the oil-bearing communities and the state, and with due regard to the preservation of the environment”.
The governor further stated that foreign investors will be attracted to partner with the state in the establishment of lube oil as well as petrochemical plants, adding that the government will train and produce hard core reservoir of professional oil and gas technocrats and technicians that will participate effectively and in sufficient numbers, in the strategic oil and gas industry especially in the upstream sector.
He explained that “in all these, our aim is to generate and create as much job opportunities as possible, and also create enough wealth that can be shared by all, without fighting, bitterness and rancour.
“Imo State must be awake for work each day before sunrise. There will be zero tolerance for laziness, loitering, late coming, absenteeism and contrived sick leave. Any hospital or medical doctor that issues fake sick leave certificate will face serious disciplinary action. This shall be the new work ethics of the new face of Imo State, where our service should be work of love-our only expectation being fair wage for a day’s fair labour- not a kobo more, not a kobo less”.
The governor also warned that the inclusion of non-existent workers in government payroll is reprehensible and unacceptable to his administration, revealing that government has already taken steps to ensure that names of ghost workers are expunged from the payroll as well as punish beneficiaries of the crime.
Investigations revealed that the declaration of zero tolerance to ineptitude by Imo workers stemmed from Governor Ohakim’s experience on his first day at work when he was compelled to open the gate for Imo civil servants who thought it was business as usual.
On Wednesday, May 30, 2007, the governor was highly embarrassed when he got to the new Secretariat along Port Harcourt Road by 8 a.m to behold an empty complex, as not even the office of the Head of Service, Boniface Onwu, had been opened.
Although he said that his administration is not interested in mass retrenchment, or undue retirement of civil servants, it is the view of a cross-section of the populace that without appropriate sanctions, the declaration might be misconstrued as a mere political jibe.
Meanwhile, a two-time legislator, Chief Goodluck Nanah Opia, who emerged as Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly has explained that the absence of the governor, during its inauguration on Tuesday, June 5, 2007, was not a slight.
Explaining that it is not one of the constitutional functions of the governor to inaugurate, but to proclaim which he did in writing, Opia revealed that the event was deliberately delayed to enable the governor attend the inauguration but unfortunately, he had to travel to Abuja on State assignment.
Opia: “It is not a neglect of the House on the part of the Governor as he has great respect for the first arm of government. The House is aware of his enormous official assignments, but inspite of that, Chief Ohakim assured that he would attend the inauguration which explained why it was delayed. So, this will not mark the beginning of rancour between the Executive and Legislature”.
On what the people should expect from the present House, the Speaker assured that they will perform better than the former House, in ensuring that the State gets its due from the Federal Government and oil companies operating in the state.
Regretting that oil communities in Imo State have been exploited and neglected by both the Federal Government and oil companies drilling in the areas for over 50 years, the two-time legislator vowed that the House will compel the companies concerned to develop the communities.
Opia: “As a member of the last House, I drew the attention of Government to the criminal neglect of the oil producing communities which was responsible for the signing as well as the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). As Speaker representing one of the oil-producing local government areas, I will continue the agitation for the development of the communities, and with the co-operation of my colleagues, we will achieve results”.
In his acceptance speech as the eighth Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Opia promised to pursue those policies that would ultimately enhance the overall well-being of Imo people, pointing out that his constituency is the entire State.
Governor Ohakim in his goodwill message on the occasion reminded the lawmakers that only the best legislation is expected from them, taking into consideration that the legislature is the hub of democracy.
He noted also that Imo State legislature has pursued the course of peace, tranquillity and unity of purpose in the last eight years of democratic experience in the country and enjoined it to continue along the same ideals to the progress and development of the State.