A house built on a faulty foundation no doubt will soon come crashing and so it is for any society, organization or institution that is hinged on corruption and sharp practices will one day bear the brunt of its aftermath. This is why it is often said that anything worth doing is worth doing well because the seed we sow today will be our harvest tomorrow and either ways nothing can be done about it.
It is a truism that ISOPADEC before now is synonymous to corruption and in fact one can posit that this commission is not just a cash cow of the government but a beehive of unscrupulous activities. These unchecked attitudes and sense of work has further endangered the lives and socio-economic development of the rich oil regions and constantly defeats the purposes for which the commission was created for. The overriding idiosyncrasy is that so far it is government work then anything and everything is free to happen. What a bizarre mindset!
The shared prosperity government of Gov. Hope Uzodimma met an ISOPADEC without a leadership yet he wasn’t in a hurry to name one not because there are no competent men and women for the job but he needed one that shares in his dreams for the oil region, someone who doesn’t see things from the perspective of business as usual and a leader who can be able to say NO to corruption and stand by it despite the threats.
The appointment of Chief Charles Orie as the CEO/ Managing Director was timely and has proven that he knows his onus and worths his salt. Oil regions can attest to the fact that the right leadership on ground in ISOPADEC have been able to use their resources to work for them and bring development to their communities. Relief materials were handy during the period of the devastating flood through the help of the state government.
Nevertheless, it is said that a person cannot give out what he/she doesn’t have and so the commission cannot standout corruption when actually the processes that brought in most of its staff is not transparent and goes against the laid down laws. This is a clear case of the hunter becoming the hunted and for a government that is obviously out to get rid of corruption from every public sector must act immediately in the general interest of the state no matter whose ox is gored.
The laying off of 108 employees of the ISOPADEC is as a result of the process that brought them in which is against the commission’s policy. These laid off employees were employed in 2018/2019 respectively same period the Imo state government under Rochas Okorocha placed an embargo on employment and it was in breach of laid down procedures which didn’t follow due process. In a saner clime, the affected persons are to be arrested and prosecuted and without been preemptive, that is left at the prerogative of the state government to decide.
This decision naturally will not go down well with both the affected employees and some political miscreants whose intentions are not for the general good of the state but to stir up hate, political bias and unguarded utterances and actions but to whose benefits if not for themselves and to gain cheap popularity and followership which will soon ebb and wane but the truth will continue to stand.
This singular act alone is worth the commendation of lovers and promoters of good governance in the state as this is a pointer that the government of Gov. Hope Uzodimma means business and this he can achieve without mincing words or playing hide and seek game. Imolites should brace up in high spirit as we have a governor who is determined to set things right in this state and the rich oil regions should not lose hope as never again will resources for their socio-economic development be diverted into something else as the change we desire is here with us now and we must rally round it for the good of the state.