365 prototype schools being built across the state by the Owelle
Rochas Okorocha government have Universal Basic Education, UBE
inscription on them has raised uproar and doubt about the earlier
statements of the governor concerning the Rescue Mission project.
Governor Okorocha has not ceased to publicly announce and inform
Imolites that the privatization of state-owned down stream sector and
multi million naira Adapalm oil settlement to an Irish company named
Roche has yielded enormous dividends to the state. According to
Okorocha who spoke during several addresses to the people especially
annual budget presentations reportedly claimed that Imo state
government realized the sum of N3bn from concession of Adapalm
Further details however from the verbal claims of the governor
indicated that the amount was being used for the construction of
Roche-type of classroom blocks in each of the 306 INEC wards in Imo
state. The fashionable Roche-type of Classroom is a pre-cast building
government sited on roads for public eyes. Even as the process of
selling Adapalm public firm was shrouded in secrecy with suspected
under-the-table-practices, until Gov Okorocha opened up.
While Roche undertook the building of the classy city schools on
Whetheral Road formerly known as Township Primary School, other school
projects started across the state still remain unfinished. However,
midway the Roche-type precast school blocks stopped and gave way to
normal building handled by private contractors. The change of guard in
handling of the projects and differences sent alarming signals about
the sincerely of the Okorocha's Rescue Government. As residents of the
state were confused about the change of guard handling the school
projects, indications that state governments' claim of building the
school blocks from Roche payment through leasing Adapalm could be a
ruse manifested when UBE inscriptions appeared on the walls of the
pre-cast buildings scattered across the state.
Correspondents who engaged in monitoring of the projects noted the
trademark of UBE on the walls thereby doubting the earlier claims of
governor Okorocha who told Imolites that the cost of the building was
borne by the money realized from allowing Roche cater for Adapalm.
Trumpeta learnt that the UBE trademark has to be stamped by the state
government to avoid sanctions from the federal government education
body who threatened to withdraw from related fundings the state had
enjoyed earlier. It was even gathered that agents of the government
responsible for handling the project were at the verge of being
arrested by anti-graft bodies over mismanagement of UBEC funds made
available to the state since Okorocha came into power.
The outgoing Commissioner of Finance of Imo state, Deacon Chike Okafor
who has been a regular visitor to Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC office, Abuja to explain issues concerning Imo
financial situation once told newsman that part of the monies the
Ohakim administration left in office was channeled into free
education. It would be recalled that Ohakim had publicly disclosed
that he left not less than N3bn in the state's UBEC treasurer.
The recent discovery that the acclaimed Roche-type pre cast project is
UBEC money from federal government and not proceeds from the
privatization has elicited reaction from the general public.
A teacher in one of the public primary schools who refused to disclose
his identity observed that the latest development is in contrast with
the claims of the governor adding that Okorocha should publicly tell
Imolites where the money he claimed to have been realized from Adapalm
sale went to when UBEC, a federal government agency has claimed
ownership.
Majority of Imolites who spoke to Trumpeta especially civil servants
at the state secretariat on Port Harcourt road opined that the
inscription of UBE on the Roche-type school projects has rubbished
Okorocha's claim of using Adapalm money to finance the projects. The
workers demanded for further explanation on how much was realized and
how it was spent if the governor deserves moral right to speak to Ndi
Imo on his most cherished free education. They however added that
Ohakim's claim of leaving billions of naira in office which Okorocha
government inherited is a fact after all.
Imo workers expressed regret that while there are deductions from
their monthly salaries to prosecute the free education, the governor
keeps claiming that the sale of Adapalm to Roche for a number of years
yielded dividend used in bankrolling free education.
--Trumpeta
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