Pages

Friday, June 11, 2010

WHAT ISCA MUST DO TO SURVIVE!

Dr. Edwin O. Dyke.




When ISCA was created in Detroit Michigan, we agreed that the organization will be a watchdog of the State government. Many jumped into positions, even the Board of the 27 local governments which was created to be advisory , was changed very quickly to have a chairman and a secretary, all of whom are in the governor's side.

All these people were looking for means to get next to the governor. The new face of Imo are ISCA members. They were all at Owerri a few weeks ago and came back to praise the work of an idle governor.

As ISCA prepares for election, non of these light weights should be nominated even as a dog catcher, because they are less than a dog.

When a man who lives in the United States, goes to Imo State and sees development, he is up to some thing. Is it roads? Is it light? Is it water? Is it safety?

The federal government of Nigeria is weak. They have no powers over the States, despite the fact that they provide monthly allocation to the governors in the name of the States or the people.

There is no line item budget for the allocation. Once a governor receives the allocation, he may head straight to the United States or South Africa at his pleasure. The Nigerian constitution is a wash, it lacks accountability.

How many times have governors in the United States or South Africa visited Nigeria for any thing?
When the President of United States visited Africa recently he did not go the Nigeria.

Remove your names from these organizations that wants to use our collective names to achieve their personal objectives. It will not help the organization nor will it help those individuals.


responses


My honorable brothers and sisters:

I read this a short while ago and i am laughing. I am laughing that some one in the United States can write rubbish like this and circulate. I guess there is something wrong with us. Is it a crime to have a different opinion? Does having a different perception make us enemies? Infact, writeups like the one Dr. Dyke wrote below is what is wrong with ISCA.

If Dr. Dyke does not know, i was one of the major proponents and articulators of ISCA. We spent years working on the concept before it was unveiled. You guys lost me as a member and a strong one at that when you people decided to change the constitution so as to manipulate ISCA's direction. You guys lost me when you decided to attack the government and the people of IMO contrary to the agreed concepts behind the formation of ISCA.

How can you be a watchdog when you cannot provide avenues to dialogue with the government? How can you be a watchdog when you cannot ascertain facts from fiction? How can you be a watchdog when ISCA is being manipulated from outside to destabilize the government of Imo state?
My brother Dyke, I spent my money, time and effort to travel to Nigeria to obtain facts. I did travel around, visited all the local government areas, spoke to both the governor and his deputy, expressed my views and came back with enough information. Nobody and no government is perfect, however, the fact remains that most of us that were at home at the time I visited are convinced that the current government is trying and should not be insulted as we are currently doing. Some of us are trying to open up a dialogue with the government so as to express our views and opinion. Some of us joined the new face of Imo organization because it is an organization that is trying to transform Imo State. This is an organization that is geared towards bringing in new blood into the system. This is an organization  that is trying to minimize the money politics that has destroyed our political system. I am an academician and a very good one. I make decisions based on facts and not sentiments. I criticize constructively and not with sentiments.

It is a shame that ISCA will have its convention in Dallas and no Imo State government presence will be there. As of today, i have not heared that anybody will be representing Imo State. People in Imo State see us as people that have been compromised and as such we are no use for them. If this is the type of ISCA yoiu guys want to form, I will not be part of it. I will be part of the old ISCA that was formed to be a watchdog and dialogue with government. I will not be part of this ISCA that has been compromised and is used as a tool to criticize and antagonize the government. I am old enough to know what I want. So my brother Dyke, do not panic, you and I are from Owerri Zone and i will vote for you to be the president, the vice president, treasurer, financial secretary and violator of people's constitutional rights. So do not panic for I am not going to run for any position.
Remain blessed
Dr Onye





It is simply a shame that people can be so mischievious that they can deceive not just other people but themselves also. How can a man that have lived in this country for so long and seen as well as know how government works make such a claim as portrayed by Dr. Onye. I was in Nigeria throughout April into early May this year.

While in Nigeria, I spent most of my time in our state, Imo. I also visited an inlaw in Uyo and a brother in Calabar. I noticed a remarkable difference between these two cities and my state capital in terms of infrastructral developments and amenities. I toured around extensively and stayed for  two whole weeks behind the concord Hotel. I spent evenings with friends in and around the concord neighborhood, taking time to obserrve things, places and constructions of interest. I took close interest in the so called dredging of the Nworie river from two ends (the Assumpta area and the Nekede Road end). It looks like a joke what is going on there.

I read a posting from Dr. Onye on another subject/forum where he stated thus: "I went around the state and visited several projects both finished and unfinished. I also saw the just completed road around Concord Hotel that will bear President Umaru Yardua's name. This road will be commissioned soon."

My brothers and sisters, if this is what Dr. Onye considers a project by a government that receives billions in monthly allocation plus the IGR, it is a shame. This so called project is simple a rehabilitation of an existing road (with drainage) in front of the Assumpta cathedral going down to PH Road, just at the tail end of the Onitsha/Owerri dual carriage way being constructed by Julius Berger. This job can only be attributed to a maintenance work by the muncipal workers. The only difference is that they are restricting traffic flow and diverting traffic out of the re-paving work area from Assumpta  thru Owerri Girls terminating at the intersection into Concord. I do not consider this as a project worth projecting in the manner Dr. Onye is projecting it.

Of course, I drove around owerri Metropolis noticing road construction progress compared to when I saw them last. I was in the area in April 2009 and September 2009 before returning again in April 2010.

If Dr. Onye visited the governor and was charged with "marketing" him and his non-performance, let him do so but not in my humble face. I visit Nigeria often and take keen interest in the things happening around my state. I cannot be fooled by supposedly paid stoogies. If he decided to leave ISCA, he probable did so because ISCA will not play into his balls.
Too bad.
Nnamdi Akamnonu 





Mazi thanks for your clarification. ISCA needs people like you, who are unwavering about Igbo cause and Ndi Imo in particular.  I'm glad that you found time to drive around to see things with your two eyes.  It shall be well with you.  Thanks again for telling us how things are on the ground.  I was home in 2009, but did not move about that much, although I was at the control post on Owerri-PH road.  I did not see anything spectacular, other that a yellow tricycle, which sent me laughing for the rest of the day.We are waiting for an ISCA President of Owerri extraction.  Hopefully, the fellow will usher in an era where ISCA could function as a relevant pressure group  to Imo State polity.

Mazi Okoro



Thanks for your rejoinder below which sets the records straight per Dr. Stanley Onye's averment with respect to Ohakim's score card as a governor in Imo State.  We have read from eye witness accounts about the current "development" or lack of it in Imo State. Well, we should not be surprised at Dr. Stanley Onye's latest PR job for Ohakim. We know Dr. Onye. He is a politician and news reaching me has confirmed that he is currently soliciting for funds (based on the meeting he called in Washington for  fundraising) ; for his bid to be elected the chairman of his local government area in Imo State come 2011.

While I wish Dr. Stanley Onye well in his political ambition to be the chairman of his local government, however,  I will crave his indulgence, since he is still the Secretary of the ISCA's Board not to use ISCA as a collateral damage in order to please Ohakim or get the donations/support he direly needed for his campaign/election.

Also, as an educated man, he should search his conscience and weigh whether right now there is a conflict of interest with his membership of both ISCA and New Face Movement.  How can you be an advocate for the masses and you are also in cahoot with Ohakim----adopting your three monkey stand of "see no evil, speak no evil or hear no evil"?  Don't you think that these two positions are mutually exclusive?  How can you hold Ohakim accountable when you are cap in hand begging for his endorsement and blessings?

Finally, I hope Mbaise folks and all Imo State citizens will rise to the occasion come 2011 and vote their conscience. We don't want a non-responsive governor.  We want a governor with proven track records of being people oriented and goal oriented. We don't want a showmanship in Imo State. We don't want local government chairmen who are AGIP---"any government in power".  We don't want stooges in power. We don't want those who speak from both sides of their mouths.

Finally, I am craving the indulgence of all Imo State citizens to attend the ISCA convention come August 27 though the 29th 2010 to chart a new course for Imo State as well as Imo State Congress of America (ISCA). All the Imo State  governorship aspirants have been invited---and many of them have confirmed that they will be in attendance.  Please vote your conscience. Don't sell ISCA and/or Imo State for a pot of porridge.


Azuoma Anugom

No comments: