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Imo NDDC Nomination:
Stakeholders Fault Okorocha…Say
Governor Unfair to Izombe
Citizen Report Saturday Oct
15,2011
Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha has received
some knocks over a list of nominees allegedly submitted to the
President for consideration and appointment to represent the
State in the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission,
NDDC, about being re constituted.
Major stakeholders see the list as a maximum injustice to Izombe
Community, in Oguta Local Government Area of the State, even as
they urged the Governor to withdraw same without delay.
Youths of the State, under the aegis of Imo Youth Congress
expressed their disappointment with the governor’s list, even as
they dissociated themselves from same. They however insisted
that it is time to balance the equation of justice in the state.
Reacting to the list, President of Imo Youth Congress, Comrade
Robinson Nwokocha
argued that the Governor’s choice of candidates falls short of
the expectations of the people.
According to him, “We have seen the governor’s list. The first
person on the list is Gideon Mefor, an Egbema man.The Egbema
have had their own share twice. The next person is Bons Nwabiani,
a 70-year old man... He is from Oguta town and Oguta has also
been represented severally. In fact, the immediate past Imo
representative, Ikechukwu Akeru is from Oguta town. The next is
one Okafor, from Osemoto, still in Oguta. Osemoto has no oil
deposit. This is unfair. Governor Okorocha is making his
government unpopular, by taking these very unpopular steps”, he
stressed.
Adding his voice, International Co-ordinator of Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta
Consultative Forum, Dr. Chukwudi Igboezuo expressed shock at the
governor’s list, describing it as unrealistic; even as he urged
President Jonathan to ignore him.
Dr. Igboezuo, who took reporters down the memory lane explains:
“In Imo State, there are four core Oil Producing Communities,
namely : Oguta, Izombe, Ohaji and Egbema.
Since the establishment of the defunct OMPADEC, till the present
day NDDC, no Izombe man has represented the state in the
Commission. This is simply because they do not have
people to speak for
them. We believe in Justice. This injustice must stop. I am not
an Izombe man, but I believe in justice, because what goes
around comes around.
For instance, Mr. Bons Nwabiani, an Indigene of Oguta Town was
the
first Commissioner in the defunct OMPADEC, which was the slot of
Oguta Local Government Area. Now, Rochas has included him again
on his list. He is 70 years old. Mr. Ikechukwu Akeru, the
immediate past representative of the State in the Board is also
from the same town.
Again, Mr. Victor Kogah, from Egbema and Emmanuel Assor from
Ohaji have also had their turns in the Commission. Now, this is
the turn of Izombe to represent the state in the NDDC Board and
the governor has joined the line of injustice. We are worried
because if we do not stand against this, someday, this injustice
may come to us, because what goes around comes around. This is
unfair. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Is
it that Rochas has no good advisers or that they are far from
history”?, he queried.
Meanwhile, a group of like minds in Izombe, under the aegis of
Izombe patriots Forum had petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan
on the matter, reiterating the need for an Izombe man to be
appointed to represent Imo in the Board, even as they threatened
to resist anything in the contrary.
It would be recalled that following the recent dissolution of
the Board of the NDDC, stakeholders have continued to make their
inputs on the need for round pegs to be put in round holes.
Some of the major contenders are: Chief Emmanuel Duru, a former
member of the Governing Council of the Federal College of
Education (Technical), Omoku; Chief Bons Nwabiani, a 70-year old
man, who is widely criticized; though one of the governor’s
candidates, among others.
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