A Nation With Too Many Strikes Nigeria since its Independence in 1960 has passed through thick and thin to sustain its hard earned Independence from our colonial masters. From the Biafra/Nigeria, civil war of pre-1966 to the end of the civil war in 1970. Then comes the military regime which came as a holocaust passing the ball like the famous footballer Diego Maradona from one General to another. Intercepted briefly again by the Shehu Shagari and Earnest Shonekon interim regim at one point and the other. The military at a point appeared to have jettisoned its primary assignment which is protecting the internal and external frontiers of the country to governance both at the federal and state levels. Thank God again that they were coerced into leaving Governance for the civilians through democracy and the rule of law. But unfortunately, in our almost twelve years of an un-interrupted democracy, Nigerians have not actually hieved relief of sigh arising from one self inflicted problem to the other. If it is not fuel hike today, it is diesel or kerosene tomorrow. If it is not lack of electricity, it is total breakdown of traffic associated with collapse of a major high way. If it is not hike in aviation fuel, it is hike in aviation fare tomorrow. If it is not that the students of both the primary, secondary and tertiary schools are on riot resulting in the closure of the schools, it is that the teachers are protesting one thing or the other. Again for the past one month now all the Polytechnics in the country are on vacation because both the academic and non-academic staff are on strike. For the past two days the National Union of Petroleum and Gas workers are on a three day strike which has already paralyzed the transport sector. Just yesterday the “father” of strike action the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has gone on an indefinite strike because of what they described as government refusal to abide by its earlier agreement with the union. Where do we go from here? Is democracy in Nigeria a cause or a blessing? Ask me, I will tell you that apart from the fact that democracy is expensive to run, Nigerian democracy has not faired well by any standard. Are we talking about the disobedience to the rule of law by the high and mighty or the level of corruption and moral decadence in the system. What of the high rate of looting in the system by the operators because of greed. It is very unfortunate that fifty years after Nigeria’s Independence, Nigerians are yet to learn their lessons and only God knows if they will ever learn and when. Gross Usurpation Of INEC’s Responsibility And Unnecessary Penchant To Undermine Oguta People By Governor Rochas Okorocha The noxious vituperations contained in Governor Rochas Okorocha’s media chat against certain leaders in Oguta L.G.A and his unbridled display of influence which he doesn’t truly possess, present position notwithstanding connote in real terms a typical situation of hoisting a round peg in a square hole. I agree in the Biblical injunction to respect those in authority but as humans, people earn their respects no matter how high or low their socioeconomic situations are. We have seen Billionaires who could not command sizeable followership as a result of their conducts and deceits against the people they ought to be attracting their maximum loyalty. However, if Governor Okorocha values respect, I am sure that no level of provocation by anybody could trigger off his temper to the extent of making unsavory allusions against Senator Francis Arthur Nzeribe who served Imo West Senatorial District for a record four terms, yet to be equalled by any Nigerian. Also for the records, this same Governor Rochas was beaten twice by Senator Nzeribe in Orlu Senatorial contests. More irksome is the contagious effects of this act of playing to the gallery as his SSG, Anwukah and others who only can pass for the Governor’s errand boys move sheepishly in that direction. I really do not want to talk about these political Lilliputians whom I can account on how and when they came into politics. I make bold to say that the office of the Secretary to Imo government under this dispensation is laughable because the enormous influence, charisma, style, courage and authority exhibited by Nze I. M. O Umunna when he was Imo SSG still radiate in my memory-outright opposite of what we are witnessing today. I equally do not want to dwell in the roles played by some Oguta Community persons in the life of Prof. Anwukah, from when he was nearly sacked from the old Imo State University before Mr. Ike Akpati a non- academic staff in the University got the privileged information from a member of the University’s Governing Council and revealed same to Prof. Ike Azogu also from Oguta Community who waded in and the University gave him a “soft landing” to resign and after which Imo State University was established in Owerri when Abia State was created. Prof. Anwukah applied for a lecturing job but was bluntly turned down by Prof T. 0. C. Ndubuizu, the Vice Chancellor who chronicled his various misdeeds and again, Prof. Azogu pleaded on his behalf and his application was reluctantly granted. I leave this monumental show of ingratitude to God and conscience. Personally, if I were Governor Rochas Okorocha, I would not have had the temerity to ask for Oguta votes in the assembly election while the people and their Ohaji/Egbema counterpart have been subjected to “DARKNESS” for two months now as a result of inability of ISOPADEC to pay the PHCN bills usually undertaken by the Commission. Moreso, the governor at various times told the world about the popularity of his APGA candidate but popularity as we know starts from home. Now in the last Saturday’s Assembly election, this some popular candidate of APGA not only failed in the two wards of Oguta, his own community but was floored in his polling unit (Oguta Ward ‘B’ Unit 005) in an election his party men including the governor claimed to be the freest and fairest of all elections. All in all, the embarrassing declaration of results by Governor Rochas Okorocha which by law is an exclusive reserve of INEC has further generated so much heat in the state. After congratulating his APGA candidate for, winning the election in the front page of the Nations Newspapers of l of July, 2013, he now goes on air appealing to INEC to announce the result, what an “Executive” contradiction? All these verbal blunders and those physically committed by His Excellency compel me to believe that in real terms, some positions are bigger than those entrusted with them.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 14:27:00 +0000
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