-As Ikegwuoha Inspects Projects
By Dorcas Samson Achi
The Imo State Commissioner for Education, Prof B.T.C Ikegwuoha has stated that His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma, is committed to performing better than the former governor of Imo State, Chief Sam Mbakwe, by the end of his first tenure in 2024. “Infact Uzodinma intends to rubbish the records of his immediate predecessors”, he stated.
According to Prof Ikegwuoha, the present administration believes that government is a continuum; hence the Governor has allowed all the investigative committees/panels set up by the sacked administration of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha to continue. Similarly, contracts for roads constructions and many others awarded by Ihedioha led administration were not revoked, except those that failed to meet the minimum standards in road construction.
The honourable Commissioner for Education further asked the academic and non-academic staff of Imo State University Owerri to submit their BVN to the payroll office in order to be paid their salaries because according to him any staff of IMSU who fails to submit his or her BVN will have himself or herself to blame. He noted that the submission of BVN has helped the Governor to detect fraud by fraudulent payroll officers in the state civil service.
The Commissioner however emphasized that the payroll fraudsters identified by the BVN using unique software, will soon face trial and the stolen monies recovered, especially from those who have earned double salaries, such as pensions and regular salaries at the same time. “They will be prosecuted according to the laws of the land”, he reiterated.
He had after inspecting the tunnel, concluded that the company has gone up to a little bit above 50% completion on the job and expressed happiness that the magnitude of the work is promising. He promised the university authorities that he will return for another inspection to ensure that the job was well completed.
In her response at the occasion of the inspection, Prof Victoria Adaobi Obasi, the Vice Chancellor of Imo State University, appreciated the Governor for undertaking to do the job, stressing that they have lost some houses belonging to the school because of excessive flooding. She enumerated the volumes of work that have been done which will stop flooding in IMSU and Imo State by the completion of the tunnel. According to the VC, the lake if well developed can be a good recreation, relaxation and tourist centre.
Dr Mrs Beatrice I. Uwandu-Uzoma, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education was in the commissioners entourage.
