Gov Uzodinma having a handshake with Chief Orie
By Nwokoma Ndubueze
Many have been calling on me to find out why Chief Charles Orie resigned as the Managing Director of Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, ISOPADEC. Because some may have felt that I am working as one of his media aides, following what they saw me write about the coming of Chief Orie as the MD of ISOPADEC some years back, and when he assumed office, they have not seen my articles on his performance in the commission for about four years now.
The truth remains that the aims and objectives of Chief Orie taking the appointment of the Managing Director of ISOPADEC were frustrated by the evil spirits following Imo State government. Especially since the inception of the 3Rs Governor Hope Uzodinma who is not a development-oriented leader, rather he is cosmetic. Just someone who prefers to wear wealth on the body.
Think about these; is there anywhere someone would point at, to be the house of Governor Hope Uzodinma in Owerri? The only house he was building around Douglas by Bank Road before he went to Senate is still uncompleted until now.
In the past four years of the 3Rs Governor Hope Uzodinma, how many roads has he constructed and also commissioned? Go to the Oil Producing communities, you hardly found road that is motorable to these communities. For instance, from Owerri to Egbema, or Ogbaku to Oguta, to Izombe, to Eziorsu, Orsu obodo to Opuoma, down to TTC Egbema, or is it from Owerri to Port Harcourt Road, especially Umuagwo, Umuapu to Assa, Obile, to Awarra court areas. Where will you thank Governor Hope Uzodinma, when these areas are all dead – traps to commuters and also frustrating the economic activities of the localities.
Yet, Imo State is Oil Producing State in Nigeria. Is painful, not just Oil Producing but the sixth oil producing state, with nothing to show since 3Rs government involved an international business magnet like Chief Orie, whose sole aim in ISOPADEC was to transform and re – write the history of the commission.
It is because Chief Orie knew that he can not give the stewardship of ISOPADEC that he innocently resolved to resign the purported appointment of the Managing Director of the commission, where of course, he was serving as the Manager, while Governor Uzodinma was the Managing Director of the commission. He was taking instructions from the governor on day-to-day activities.
So, there were no evidence of 13 percent oil derivations in oil-producing communities, to compare the 3Rs Governor / Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of the commission with his predecessors.
At least, during the former Governor Achike Udenwa, at the reign of Late Eze S N A Uzor, then 13 percent commission with members, there were evidence to show, because there were laudable development projects going on in these oil producing communities, the roads were not as bad as they nowadays, there use to be lights from the electrifications and also potable drinking water all over the localities. Their schools and health centers were wearing good looks.
But, as days went bye, this 13 per cent commission metamorphosises into the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, ISOPADEC by an Act of the Imo State House of Assembly in 2007, when Dr, Ikedi Ohakim became the governor of Imo State, and also retained Late HRM Eze S N A Uzor as the Executive Chairman of the commission. ISOPADEC was doing reasonably well also because there were developmental projects going on, until the time nature took Late HRM Eze Uzor away, and it created a vacuum that Governor Ohakim did not fill before he lost his re-election in 2011, which is the coming of Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
Former Governor Okorocha built the ISOPADEC complex within one year of his administration and also gave the commission a free hand to operate. He ensured that the Oil-producing communities were in front burners of the 13 percent oil derivations and also provided about #1.4billion Youth Empowerment fund. He never included any other area as a forceful oil-producing local government area.
Now, the question before Chief Orie is, what would someone point at, that his 3Rs governor achieved with the volumes of 13 percent oil derivations fund during his reign? This could be the worries of the Umuokanne-born Canadian-based businessman, who for quite some time now have been dodging some faces he felt he has disappointed because of this job.
Be it as it may be, what Chief Charles Ories resignation means is that Governor Hope Uzodinma should remove the hands of the monkey from the fire, before it becomes the hands of human beings. Change the style of the 3Rs bad governance for a good governance now the structure is cracking for it not to collapse.
