Third Term for Chukwumerije

The Senator representing Abia North District, Comrade Uche Chukwumerije, receives a third term endorsement from his constituents.

The Isuochi, Umunneochi council area country home of Comrade Uche Chukwumerije, Senator representing Abia North District, has lately been a beehive. Chukwumerije’s constituents want him back to the senate as their representative in the next general election.

Abia North senatorial zone comprises Arochukwu, Bende, Isuikwuato, Ohafia and Umunneochi Local Government Areas respectively. Although the cerebral law maker is currently serving his second term, his Umunneochi kinsmen and, indeed, the generality of his constituents across the senatorial district have continued to mount pressures on him not to back out of the senate in 2011.

Recently, stake-holders of Umunneochi council area paid a solidarity visit to the senator in his Abuja residence, urging him to continue with the superlative representation he has been giving the people of Abia North zone at the floor of the Nigerian senate.

Apart from the membership of the Progressive People Alliance (PPA), the stake-holders, led by Comrade Oliver Egeonu, the council’s chairman, included chieftains of other political parties from the senatorial district such as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Action Congress (AC) and All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) among others.

Interestingly, Chukwumerije’s constituents had to deploy subtle threats to get him to accept their proposal.

“Senator, it is the resolution of the people of Umunneochi Local Government Area that you should return to the senate. We are not begging you. If you refuse to return, we shall be left with no other option than to ostracize you from our zone”, the people warned the outspoken and fearless senator.

Although this rather weird threat was greeted by a prolonged laughter and thunderous ovation from the delegation, the import of the occasion was not, in the least, lost on the ‘Comrade’ Senator who, according to his people, has made countless contributions towards the development of Abia North in particular, and the Nigerian nation in general.

Prince Uchenna Ezekwesiri, Leader of Umunneochi legislative council, and one of the leaders of the delegation, explained that the stake-holders had to insist on Chukwumerije’s continued representation because, according to him, Abia North, at the moment, does not have his replacement.

Stated Hon. Ezekwesiri: “Chukwumerije is a political Iroko tree, not only in Nigeria but in the African continent, and we are simply lucky to have him as our son. Comrade has no rival in the entire senate in terms of qualitatively representing his people. That is why we want him back”.

The achievements of Senator Chukwumerije include the provision of social amenities to his constituents. In the course of his senatorial assignments, he has embarked on water and electricity schemes across the senatorial district. Particular mention is made of the Amuda water scheme and the Umunneochi electricity scheme.

Under the intervention of Senator Chukwumerije, the Mmam Dam (located in Mballa-Isuochi) and linking Isuochi people with their Enugu state neighbors, is in progress. Apart from distributing electric transformers across the wards of the senatorial district, and, particularly, ensuring the award of contract for the reconstruction of the long neglected Mballa road, the senator has, also, embarked on poverty alleviation (through skill acquisition) and scholarship schemes across the senatorial zone.

It is on record that Chukwumerije was the only Nigerian senator to have successfully embarked on a comprehensive tour of the local governments in his constituency, tutoring the constituents on the need to support the on on-going review of the Nigerian constitution. And he is, similarly, in the reckoning of his constituents for organizing the first ever Umunneochi Cultural Day, a forum for showcasing the cultural lives and values of the people.

Commenting on the giant strides of Chukwumerije, Chief Obi Aham, Chairman, Abia state chapter of the Action Congress, said: “My party supports Senator Chukwumerije because, unlike some other politicians, he is a humane person. And he is always willing and eager to come to the rescue of the less-privileged and oppressed”.

Amidst these accolades on a worthy ambassador of his people, Chukwumerije’s return to the senate is, for now, a question which answers lies in the womb of time. Will he hearken to his people’s pleas? Or will he back out?

Mass Deaths on Nigerian Roads

Ever since I wrote my article on: Alcohol and Road Accidents in Nigeria, published on my blog (http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com) and other national and international media outlets, many road accidents have occurred.

Thisday newspaper of 10th October 2009 online version, reported that about 70 people were killed in a multiple road accident that occurred at Umunya junction in Oyi local government area of Anambra State. The bigger picture came when Thisday newspaper of 24th October 2009 online version, reported the total number of road accidents in Nigeria as obtained from the Federal Road Safety Commission (F.R.S.C.).

Quoting Thisday newspaper (online version) of 24th October 2009, “The number of reported cases of road accidents on the country's highways has reached 8,553 between January and first week of October. According to a road traffic situation update obtained by THISDAY from the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Abuja, about 4,120 persons lost their lives while 20,975 other were seriously injured in the fatal accidents that involved 11,031 vehicles across the nations”.

By any standard or measurements, these figures are too high. I am not sure that our country can sustain this number of deaths occasioned by road accidents. Therefore, this is a drastic situation that needs drastic action. Nigerians, the Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigeria Police, private and commercial transport companies, and all road users have a role to play to minimize road accidents. But the Federal Road Safety Commission has more roles to play.

As a suggestion and armed with figures above on death caused by road accidents, the Federal Road Safety Commission should push for legislation that will set up approved speed limits in urban roads, rural road, and high ways/express ways. The same legislation should outline stiff penalties on offenders and authorize the Federal Road Safety Commission to use speed cameras and other means to catch offenders.

Then the next stage should be enforcement. As a starting point, the Federal Road Safety Commission should introduce the use of mobile speed cameras.

There are many types of mobile speed cameras that could be fixed on the road safety vehicles. The Federal Road Safety Commission should combine this process with massive awareness campaign on the introduction of these devices. They can mount these cameras on both unmarked vehicles and marked vehicles. This is a highly effective method to control speeding by motorists. Speed camera was originally invented by Maurice Gatsonides in the 1950,s as a technology for automatic speed measurement of vehicles. This was hijacked for speed control purposes by the authorities in Netherlands.

The mobile speed cameras are portable, such that it could be moved from one point to another. It can be hidden behind a parked vehicle or inside a vehicle. Other types of mobile speed cameras can also be carried by hand. All that the road safety officers need to do is to mount this camera and station their officers few meters away to stop any one caught over speeding. This is not rocket science. It is a very simple technology used by all developed and developing countries. Nigerians should ask for these devices to enforce speed limits. Accidents can kill and devastate people. I understand that speeding alone is not the only cause of road accidents in Nigeria . But if we can enforce speed limits and apply the recommendations on my article on; Alcohol And Road Accidents In Nigeria then we might see some reductions on road mishaps.

It is very much in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians that speeding is controlled on all roads. The whole idea will be to reduce to the lowest minimum, the rates of road accidents. Private and commercial transporters should enforce speed limits. I remember traveling on ABC Transport and on stopping at Benin , we were giving questionnaires to answer if the driver was speeding and how he drove. This practice should be sustained. Let other transporters device a means of enforcing speed limits on their drivers. Firstly, let passengers know that there is a speed limit applicable. This might help reduce pressure from passengers asking drivers to go faster.

Next advice to the Federal Road Safety Commission should be to ask all driving instructors in Nigeria to register with them. Refresher courses and leaflets should be handed to them. Fitness test should be carried out on them. The Federal Road Safety Commission should produce an updated driving code which every driving instructor should buy. All vehicles for driving schools should be examined and certified by road safety officials. All driving schools should be registered and recognized by the road safety commission. All new drivers should undergo health checks, theory test, and practical test before being allowed to drive. As a way to avoid manipulation, I suggest that the theory test should be online so that the road safety officials will not have a control over it. The practical test should be examined by road safety officials to be randomly selected through balloting. A candidate should be expected to pass all three tests (health checks, theory and practical tests). All parts of the driving test should carry equal marks.

I know that the Federal Road Safety Commission has enough personnel to undertake the above tasks. Otherwise they can call for volunteers whom they should be able to give references as having acquired a working experience from them. Alternatively, the road safety commission can contract out some of these responsibilities to reputable Nigerian companies. I suggest a change of our driving license to a bio-metric system, whereby people should give their finger prints and complete details. The same methods that, the immigration is using to issue the new international passport. The Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigerian Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other law enforcement agencies can share date base together.

The idea of bio-metric driving license is to avoid obtaining driving licenses by proxy. It will make it easier to track road traffic offenders. It will also help to fight other types of crime. This takes me to another article that I wrote; Reforming Police and Policing Reforms, in that article, I argued for the police to start taking finger prints of suspects. I wish to quote a part of the article here; “DNA fingerprinting will be a valuable tool in the fight against crimes in Nigeria . It will help in investigating cases. Similar technology has been deployed before by the Nigerian government during the registration of ID card scheme. The current e-passport system in Nigeria takes our finger prints. So what the government needs to do is to transfer the national database to the police or the police can share this data base with all relevant government departments. So as soon as a suspect is caught, the DNA fingerprinting should be taken and stored or checked with the ones already in the system”.

Let’s remember that DNA samples are very useful to identify the culprits and the guilty. It also helps to exonerate the innocent. The road safety commission should not forget to come up with vehicle carbon emission level in Nigeria . They (FRSC) should turn the above information with others into decisions. With will, determination, and vision, the road safety commission can accomplish this project. We should remember that no society or country will develop without making efforts. If we don’t do anything, we have to accept what happens. But if we act, we have a chance to improve things.

Finally, I wish to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria .

Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/

Zinox Docked for Duping Enugu Govt

The Enugu State government has commenced court action against Zinox Technologies Ltd, owned by the businessman, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, over the failed city wi-fi wireless internet service for the capital city, for which the company was paid over N200 million.

Briefing Government House correspondents on the development, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Martin Ilo, accused the company of a shoddy job, saying it did not deliver what it promised.

The SSG said that instead of the cloud internet coverage of four kilometers radius of the city centre involving the installation of many base stations as specified in the contract agreement, what the company implemented was merely hot spots which work only around the few available base stations.

"There are two major issues. First, the range of the base stations is too short and very susceptible to obstacles, such that even where the mast exists, it works only within a limited range, best outside", he explained.

The government scribe also said that the internet service is not uniformly available, a situation that has security implications as many youths now cluster around the few functioning masts with their laptops, causing anxiety in some peaceful neighbourhoods.

"The venture has clearly failed, and that being the situation, we must have the money paid back into the state treasury. We can't tell our people, the people of Enugu State that we expended such an amount of their money on a failed project, and are keeping quiet about it. We are not known for that", he said.

The Mayor of Corruption

Comrade Uche Oliver Egeonu, Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, faces charges of large-scale fraud and non-performance in the running of the council.

Less than three months to the expiration of his tenure, the Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia state, Comrade Uche Oliver Egeonu, is in the eye of the storm.

Egeonu stands accused of refusal to pay the council’s legislators their allowances, a situation that has been generating ripples across the local government area and beyond.

The allowances owed to the councilors, numbering 19, include furniture (N1.1 million), transport (N1.3 million) and accommodation N1.1 million.

Among the law makers are Prince Eze (Mbato), Ekemezie Nwoke (Amuda), Benson Achugbu (Umuaku 2), Ken Ifoh (Umuobasi), Linus Udeh (Mballa/Achara Ward), Valentine Nwankwo (Ubahu/Akawa), Emeka Nwankwo (Lekwesi), Anozie Christian (Umuaku 1), Emmanuel Maduka (Lokpaukwu), Ndidi Eke mere (Obinolu/ Lomara).

Others include Emeka Okafor ((Leru), Tobias Egeonu (Umudim/Ughuolugho), Augustine Ogujiofor ((Eziama Agbo), Cosmas Ezuo (Obinolu Uhude), Chidi Dike (Amuba/Umuogbuele), Osita Eze (Eziama Ugwu) and Daniel Okereke (Aro Ikpa).

Worse-still, the councilors lament that they go home virtually empty-handed every month following massive interest deductions from their salaries by the First Bank Plc, Nkwoagu-Isuochi Branch with which Egeonu had struck a deal to procure them Toyota Camry 98/99 model as part of their entitlements.

The interest deductions bring the total sum the vehicle was sold to the councilors to N2.3million. But it was learnt that that model of Toyota Camry is sold for N1.5 million in the market. Part of the accusations of the law makers is that the duo of First Bank and Egeonu lured them into buying the vehicles on the agreement that the council would, ultimately, foot the bill, as transportation is part of the statutory allowances accrued to them.

Perhaps, more disturbing to the legislators is that, if at the end of their tenure next January, the transport allowance is not paid to them, they stand the risk of losing both the vehicle and the allowance as a result of default in paying up the bank loans.

In addition, Egeonu, the Chairman, is accused of running the council to the exclusion of its legislative arm, a development which has culminated in a cold-war between him and the restive law makers.

The worst hit in Egeonu’s alleged misrule is the office of Leader of the council. THEWEEK learnt that Hon. Uchenna Ezekwesiri, Umunneochi Council Leader, is the only council Leader in Abia state who has no official car attached to his office. Statutorily, a local government council Leader’s office is entitled to, at least, an official vehicle and a legislative bus. But in contrast, Ezekwesiri is regularly spotted atop commercial motorcycles while going about his official duties.

Aside the foregoing, Comrade Egeonu is currently in the dot over alleged non-performance and misappropriation of the funds belonging to the council.

Findings show that Egeonu has, in the past 19 months of his administration of the council, received over N1 billion from the Federation Accounts Committee (FAC). The receipts include an average of N40 million monthly allocation, and N300 million excess crude windfall.

It is observed that, apart from the Amuda-Achara-Lekwesi Road direct labor project which he has, since, inexplicably, abandoned, Egeonu has no other major project in the council to his credit. Except that, as a matter of necessity, he had to erect an office complex inside the council secretariat to replace the former which was burnt down by hoodlums during an electoral violence in the area two years back. Also, the embattled Mayor could not complete the Umuchieze rural electrification project which he commenced sometime in his regime. In fact, the list of Egeonu’s uncompleted projects seems endless!

What is intriguing to Egeonu’s critics, however, is that, in the face of all these glaring instances woeful performance, he appears to be warming up for a second term. Although the council boss himself has not summoned sufficient courage to kick-start a campaign in this direction, his body language indicates that he desires a second term in office. For instance, his supporters have been busy circulating fliers and leaflets, soliciting support for his second term bid in the council.

But whether Egeonu’s second term project will succeed or fail depends on the collective will of the people of Umunneochi Local Government to decide, using his performance chart as a yard-stick

Still, another curious aspect of the foregoing is why the council’s legislators chose to keep mum as Egeonu runs the council like his personal estate. It was gathered that the council’s law makers parted ways, sometime last year, when they, on the alleged prompting of Egeonu, unsuccessfully plotted to impeach their Leader, Hon. Ezekwesiri. Since then, the centre could no longer hold among the once united councilors.

No doubt, the legislative arm has not been as effective as it should be, as a result of which there have been no checks and balances in Egeonu’s running of the council. Nonetheless, some of the councilors accuse their Leader, Ezekwesiri, of conniving with Egeonu to misappropriate the funds of the council.

While Leader Ezekwesiri debunks the insinuation that he colludes with Egeonu to loot the resources of the people of Umunneochi, several efforts to get Egeonu (the chairman) to respond to the charges against him were fruitless.

Apart from intentionally not picking calls made to his mobile telephone handset by our correspondent, Egeonu, also, snubbed a text message sent to his phone, seeking an interview appointment over the allegations.