IMO STATE GOVERNMENT SCORE CARD AFTER ONE YEAR IN OFFICE

Fabian K. Ekeanyanwu

Since after the administration released its score card giving it self high marks I have waited to read the reactions of top commentators on this site and the silence is deafening. Is it by design that only the usual suspects, praise singers and hangers on are here making the loudest noise? Let me start by congratulating the governor for his first year in office. Let me attempt to grade the administration from a none partisan point of view solely as an independent observer who has a stake in the well being of Imo State. Lets start from the pension that received unprecedented publicity even by the Ohakim standard. What happened to that? Where the pensioners all paid as the government promised or are we still looking for funds to fulfill that promise? Education: what has the administration done with all the schools in the state that are in sorry state and in need of rehabilitation? For goodness sake why are we embarking on building new ones when those already functional are in states of disrepair? Free education and students allowances: How many students are now getting allowances and free education to the university level? Or is this another sham? If Lagos and River States that get most allocations from the federal account can not implement these what makes the governor of imo State think he can? Does he know some thing that the rest of us do not? Where is the money coming from? The issue of the millions of Naira spent to have students of Imo State origin intern at the university of Maryland in the United States have been raised severally by this writer and other well meaning citizens and yet the administration does not see it fit to explain where the money went and why the students never traveled. Still on education, the relocation of Imo State university is another issue where the government lied to the people. Till this date no one at the national universities commission is able to go on record to repeat the excuse the government gave for relocating the school...withdrawal of accreditation. Infrastructural development: I want to know what projects that the administration has completed so far that is geared towards the benefit of the people. So far all I have read is first lady's office as if we elected her. Every other thing is hotel, hotel and more hotels. When is the administration going to embark on projects that will benefit the average Imolite instead of things geared only towards the rich and powerful? Renaming of structures already built and renovating offices was not what Imo voted for. The Ikemba Ojukwu center if truth must be told should have been sited in Ahiara where he did his famous Ahiara declaration but politics being what it is objectivity was thrown to the dogs. Unemployment and security: This is one area that the administration gets a grade of an F. The purpose of every government is to protect life and property. So far Imo has become a safe heaven for armed robbers and kidnappers and yet the government does not seem to understand the link between unemployment and crime. So far I have not seen any thing in the administrations plans to gainfully employ our teaming population of young school livers who turn to the live of crime to get ahead. When is the government going to start creating the much needed jobs in the state? Road construction in the state: So far there are a lot of resurfacing of roads in the state, I do not know if these count as road construction. Rainy season will soon be upon us and these roads would be rendered impassable, I hope the government has a backup plan in place because it will get ugly indeed. The engine that runs every government is its civil service, picking up fights with the civil servants because of a nullity called community out reach or any other name is bad politics at best and ill advised. It would be beneficial for the government to try listening more and talking less. This is one advice that is in very short supply with this administration. Let your work speak for you. I thought that the era of governance by announcements and billboards ended with the last administration. In all the governor's one many show is bound to have disastrous consequences. The essence of having a team is to listen and make informed decisions. The state should not be run like a personal business empire especially given dictatorial tendencies of the governor. Finally I give the administration a grade of "work in progress". I sincerely hope that the future of our children would not be mortgaged given the number of white elephant projects this administration has embarked upon so far. Mr. governor, you have three years, take your time, seek advise and implement those projects that can be paid for and that would also benefit the majority of the citizenry while creating jobs at the same time. If you do that then history will not only be kind to you but will also record your name with the likes of Chief Sam O. Mbakwe of the blessed memory.