The ruling party in Nigeria is not having a smooth sail in Imo State. Since
By Okey AlozieOne of the star witnesses on school building contracts handled during former governor
Workers of Owerri North Local Government Area, have come down hard on Chief Batos Nwadike,
By Tochi OnyeubiThere are strong indications that more cases of COVID-19 pandemic may be witnessed
The 100 days in office of the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has offered
With the removal of Justice Abosi, it is the constitutional role of the governor in
By Okey AlozieMore revelations and intrigues have continued to trail the intrigues by the Judicial
Against the backdrop of unconfirmed reports of presence of a suspected carrier of Covid-19 disease in Imo State, the government has debunked the claim adding that no such case exists.A report whose source is ongoing has been circulating the social media indicating that there is possibility of Covid 19 suspected patient in the state.Debunking the report, chairman of Task Force against the coronavirus disease in Imo, Prof Maurice Iwu in a public news item Trumpeta monitored said it was false report noting that there is no index patient in the state.While allaying the fears of Imolites concerning the report, Iwu re-emphasized on the efforts of the state government in preventing the disease from entering Imo. The unconfirmed report has it that a particular Medical Doctor of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Mbaise extraction has alerted his colleagues through their social media forum of a highly suspected Covid 19 case, who escaped FMC Owerri and must be heading to a private hospital for medical personnel to be on alert.Despite the zero case in Imo State, Health workers at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, have changed gear in their operational system.According to a Trumpeta correspondent who was at the hospital to observe proceedings, health workers are insisting that patients or lactating mothers wear face mask before they attend to them.This Newspaper gathered it was a new norm starting from Thursday morning as FMC adopts “No Face Mask, No Treatment”.
In apparent reference to one of his early watchwords hinged on respect of President Mohammadu Buhari’s call for Independence of the Local Governments in Nigeria, Imo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, has come hard on the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma for failing on his words and attempting to frustrate LGA administration.According to the LGA workers’ union, in a letter addressed to the governor, after a resolution, the NULGE expressed reservations over approach of the state government to their matter.The letter with reference number; NULGE/IMSB/T.12/51 and signed by Dr Richard Eze and Comrade Victor Adebayo, State President and Secretary respectively, it states; “ Having critically analyzed the situations surrounding of deliberate delays in the payment of March salaries of the Local Government Staff in the State and their attendant harsh effects on the poor workers, the union wishes to make the following clarifications and observations; whereas your Excellency had in your maiden address to the good people of Imo State, promised among other things, to grant full financial autonomy to all the Local Governments in the State throughout your currency of tenure, it is pertinent to bring to your Excellency’s attention that the local government system in Imo State is currently witnessing the greatest strangulation in the hands of your new Government in flagrant violation of the extent Nigeria Financial Intelligent Unit (NFIU) guidelines”.The LGA workers went further to state that “notwithstanding their status as the workers at the third tier of government, the NULGE being a responsible union, opted to give your administration the benefit of the doubt by directing her members to release their personal data including their BVN, account details etc as requested by your government as a pre-condition for the payment of their salaries henceforth.“That the Government which has all personal and official records of her workers from Adam, decided to buy time when it initially feigned that the delays in the payment of the March salaries of the LG workers was caused by the non-submission of the soft copies of the salary details by the Council Treasurers.“That whereas the Council Treasurers worked very hard to beat the deadline for the submission of the said soft copy of salary vouchers that also contain the BVN and account details of staff from their different homes in the face of the total lock-down declared by the Your Excellency as a measure to fight against the deadly COVID-19, the Government after it exhausted all believable excuses it could hide, under to further punish the Local Government workers by withholding their March salaries, now resorted to the most vexation and provoking antics as announced by your commissioner for information.“That the Union finds it very difficult to believe the latest press statement from the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Declan Emelumba through the Orient FM, Owerri and other local media outlets wherein he somersaulted from his earlier dummy that Government had cleared all payments of salaries. Mr. Emelumba was quoted as saying that the reason for the latest delay was caused by a discovery of “overbloated wage bills” and claimed that; government has embarked on a verification exercise. He went ahead to announce that the Local Government workers would be paid “in few weeks time”“ That whereas Governments all over the world have been announcing different palliative measures to cushion the harsh effects of the lock- down order on their citizenry and whereas some Slate Governments like Lagos, Ebony, Anambra and Ondo have paid their Workers up to April, your Government has shown the greatest act of insensitivity by not just failing to provide any palliative measures to her Workers but has gone ahead to wickedly withhold their legitimate salaries even in the face of the biting hardship”.
By Peter UzomaWith all the hue and cry concerning Covid-19 social distance campaign in the state, the state government has gone ahead to subject workers and pensioners in the state to a clandestine verification exercise for almost a week now.Workers and pensioners for some time now have been gathering at various points to supply details as demanded by the forms issued them.Investigation carried out by this Reporter reveal that local government workers who are currently spoiling for a strike action are now being verified with Ihitte Uboma local government area seriously at the receiving end. A source which pleaded anonymity, said the state government directed a proper scrutiny of the council which is believed to be understaffed but with high wage bill. Local government workers are owed about two months salary arrears.In the public service sector, staff of the Imo Broadcasting Corporation, Owerri, who are being owed their February and March salaries are also undergoing verification. This Reporter was told that they were given forms to disclose their bank details, BVN and schedule of duties. A source wondered what payment of two months salary arrears has to do with work schedule and expressed fear that a down- sizing exercise of staff may be in the offing.Meanwhile, IBC pensioners as well as other categories of pensioners such as teachers are also being verified through filling of forms which details are the same as contained in the verification certificate issued to them by the Ihedioha administration.The verification of teachers and other categories of pensioners, however, is not too tedious as they are reached through designated “Coordinators” at their various community levels but the story is different with IBC pensioners.At a point in Owerri Municipal Council where IBC pensioners have been gathering for close to a week now to fill forms, this Reporter saw even ambulances and private cars which brought their sick ones for the exercise.Some IBC pensioners who spoke to this Reporter wondered the rationale behind the bringing together of these senior citizens inspite of the lockdown and its keeping of social distance.Another pensioner who introduced himself as Mr Emeka described the current verification as unnecessary since there now exists what he called “Pensioners data bank” established by the Ihedioha administration.
