– Boo government officials
The lingering crises of confidence between successive managements of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission ISOPADEC and ADAPALM on one side and youths of their host communities, Ohaji/Egbema and Avu has once again come to the fore as the latter recently embarked on a mass protest by blocking vehicular movement along the ever busy Port Harcourt road, in Owerri, the Imo State capital to express their anger over the deplorable state of their roads and other infrastructure which according to them, are nothing to write home about.
The youths who trooped out in their numbers were seen singing and dancing to music oozing out from their mobile music equipments, also displayed placards with inscriptions like, “where are ISOPADEC and ADAPALM funds,” “we say No to impunity and fraudulent diversion of our funds,” “Our people are suffering in the midst of plenty “ among others.
The youths who were obviously angry threw pure water satchets at the former Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt.Hon Goodluck Nana Opiah who is presently a Commissioner in the state, and the commissioner representing Imo State in the Nigeria National Development Commission, NNDC, Hon Tony Okanne who they vehemently refused to give audience, insisting on discussing only with the Governor Senator Hope Uzodinma.
Some of them who spoke to this reporter said, “we are not ready to talk to or listen to any person except the governor himself because most of these people parading themselves as leaders and stakeholders of our troubled areas are actually part of the problems we are suffering. They are opportunists who are thriving and enriching themselves at the expense of our collective interests.”
They accused the state government which they said has not been fair to the people “for allegedly misappropriating the over N500m that accrues to ISOPADEC monthly as well as revenue generated by ADAPLAM” which according to them, is a goldmine.
They expressed dismay that while their roads are destroyed and made impassable death traps by the heavy duty trucks that go to and from ADAPLAM on daily basis, their relatives and siblings working in ISOPADEC and ADAPALM are owed accumulated arrears of salaries and other entitlements that have subjected them to hunger, lack and deprivation.
They called on the state government to, as a matter of urgency explain the whereabout of the funds accruable to or generated by the two establishments to avoid breakdown of law and order in the areas?
“It is ridiculous and unfair that we have become the proverbial hen that lays the golden egg and yet is sacrificed on the altar of greed, selfish and personal aggrandizement by people who have mortgaged their conscience to the devil.”
