Each successive administration in Nigeria always raises the expectations of the people that they will pivot from the previous government being shown the way out. Unfortunately they often disappoint the people by following the same path to no destination which marred the previous government being succeeded. What's up with these Nigerian governments that an impoverished State like Enugu, with more needs than most of the other states in Nigeria and with very limited resources, being not a Niger Delta oil-producing state, is planning a
200 million Naira wasteful gallivanting by its house of assembly members to the United States? Their publicly stated mission is to attend a seminar to educate themselves on how to properly legislate? Icheoku says this ain't right and smacks of a government which does not set its priorities right. What seminar is worth the peoples' 200 million Naira (about $1.2million dollars) in a State where the average Joe lives on less than $2 a day gross income?
A prudent, more goal-directed government would have scaled down on the number of attendees to save cost; better still they could have invited the seminar organizers to send in a representative to Enugu State to teach these so called legislators how to legislate! Or make the members take a compulsory class on legislating in one of the numerous institutions in Enugu State or have some consultants organize one for them. Icheoku wonders out loud, what was their business in the first place being legislators when they do not know how to legislate - their primary assignment? Or is it the Nigerian proverbial refresher course which has been proven that nothing is ever refreshed of the NIgerian attendees? Otherwise why the more of the same with successive governments? For a simple education, a legislator for Enugu State should concern him/herself with those aspects of life challenges facing the people of Enugu State particularly his/her constituency, which needs some improvements and then tailor whatever legislation to take care of those needs. Such a local legislator from Enugu State does not need to travel to America to find a solution to the basic peculiar problems facing a man at Amodu-Awkunanaw! It does not make sense and it defies every logic except that of embezzlement! Why go to Harrods for what is available at Ogbete?
What are they going to learn in America about legislating in Enugu State? How not to steal elections? How to conduct an orderly elections? How to first stand for election and be elected and not merely selected into positions? How to be honorable? How to prioritize their legislative agenda and not be selfish about that? How not to be endemically corrupt? How to be more accountable and responsible? How not to directly collect their constituency allocations for their private use?
It is as pitiful as it is regrettable that all these charlatans in governments throughout Nigeria and now particularly in Enugu State are doing, is to exploit every opportunity to siphon the peoples' money and sometimes use it for frivolous ends. What has anybody in government in Nigeria ever learnt from such seminars when evidence on the ground does not translate that such seminars were ever attended by anyone? The reasoning of the Enugu State House of Assembly for embarking on this frivolity, is that such overseas trip was done in the previous
Chimaroke Nnamani government, so it is now their turn to enjoy similar trip; which
Icheoku will observe that some of these legislators will be stepping out of the shores of Nigeria for the first time in their lives with this trip.
Icheoku says, since some of the members have gone before,
why couldn't such previous attendees brief the new members on how to legislate or even drop out from this one? Couldn't the administration organize locally-sourced consultants from the abundant Universities
political science and law departments in Nigeria to lecture or organize seminars for the legislators on the art of legislating?
Irrespective of the subterfuge being given for this wasteful jamboree,
Icheoku says it is uncalled for as it is an exercise in wasteful spending! And for a state like Enugu State where some people have no jobs, no drinking water, no electricity, no good roads, no medical care, no food etc, it is atrocious to waste such enormous amount of resources for a mere junketing. Admitted that 200 million Naira ordinarily may not sound too much for a State but
a more prudent government could have spent this money rather responsibly to create new jobs or fix one of the severally broken things within the infrastructure of the state. Spending it for a seminar in America does not make sense as you are wasting scarce resources that could have been more wisely applied to benefit the state. The legislators will not improve nor will they change or reform their habits as proved from past experiences so why embark on another fruitless exercise?
Icheoku heretofore and unequivocally condemns this ill-advised extravaganza and suggests that it should be scrapped or at least
scaled down! Two hundred (200) million Naira could be better spent improving things in Enugu State, Nigeria than on a junket in America! Now, the story titled U.S. Denies Enugu Lawmakers Visa For Seminar Abroad which many discerning minds have called irresponsible appropriation of scarce resources! ***Plan by governor
Sullivan Chime of Enugu State to organise a
N200 million seminar for the
state's House of Assembly members in far away United States of America has met with a brick wall as the U.S. embassy has denied all of them visa. The seminar which was scheduled to commence on October 28 had visa been issued to the lawmakers should have ended on November 14.
Governor Chime is sponsoring the trip to U.S. in what some analysts said was a move to woo the Assemblymen to support his current administration as well as his re-election bid for a second term in office. Sunday Independent authoritatively gathered that the decision by the embassy not to grant the visa to the lawmakers was connected with the forthcoming U.S. Presidential Elections, slated for November 4. Informed sources said that the visa were not issued because the duration of the seminar coincided with the November 4 date for the U.S. Presidential Election. Our sources revealed that the U.S. authorities felt that the period of the election was not the best to allow visitors, especially
those whose purpose of visiting the country was not so cogent, hence directed the embassy in Nigeria not to issue visa to the 31-man delegation. Those slated for the trip include the 24 House of Assembly members, Clerk of the House, Governor's Liaison Officer to the House, Chuka Utazi and Adviser to Chime on Special Projects and Diaspora Matters,
Jude Akubuilo. The latter is said to be anchoring the seminar.
It was gathered that the U.S. embassy had given a November 26 date for the delegation to return for interview, a decision that shocked everybody. A source confirmed to Sunday Independent that following the decision of the U.S. the members have started making alternative arrangements to travel to Britain for the seminar. When contacted by this newspaper, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Marcel Njeze confirmed that the members are making an alternative arrangement to travel to Britain. He said that they were not denied visa by U.S. embassy. Njeze said that the members have already agreed that the trip should come up between now and early November to avoid the vagaries of the cold winter weather that would set in by mid November. "Why would United States embassy stop us from traveling during the elections? We are not going there to vote. We are not Americans. The fact is that we don't want to be caught up by the winter that is usually cold over there. The embassy gave us November 26 for interview, but we had earlier slated this trip for October and early November before winter sets in. So, we are now making another arrangement for Britain " Njeze said.
Factional Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State ,
Chief Ray Nnaji, had earlier faulted the plans to send the members abroad when the House is not on vacation. "I don't see anything wrong with the trip as long as the financial burden on the State is not much. The last administration in Enugu State did the same. But my worry is the timing. "Now, the House is in session and I don't think that it is right to send the lawmakers out of the country for two weeks. What happens if there is an emergency situation in Enugu State? The whole thing looks questionable to me," Nnaji said.
Another opposition politician who chose not to be quoted said that by the trip, "Chime has once again vindicated those who accused him of squandering public funds." The source said that it was to his knowledge that
a return ticket for each of the legislators to the U.S. would gulp nothing less than N350, 000, not to talk of accommodation and feeding allowances for members of the delegation. The politician however disclosed that he was not surprised by the kind of expenses being bequeathed on the State by the Governor who according to him, "recently
organised a grandiose traditional wedding for his new wife at the expense of the State." ***
He is one of the upcoming, upwardly mobile, dynamic, young and ebullient Igbo pillars of light in Abuja. A journalist extra-ordinaire and current Deputy News Editor of Champion Newspapers Nigeria, chairman Nigerian Union of Journalists Abuja chapter, a dear friend of mine and former high school classmate, Malachy Uzendu, has been recognized for his industry by his people - the Igbo people of Nigeria resident in Abuja and they have honored him accordingly. They conferred him with a chieftaincy title, "Nwachinaemere N'Abuja' - translation, 'a child whom the god helps of Abuja'. Icheoku says congratulation, Chief Malachy Uzendu!
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Christy 'Apena' Essien-Igbokwe , the wife of Jegede Shokoya of the New Masquerade and Nigeria's lady of songs is dead; she was 51years old. Although her family claimed that "brief Illness" killed her like so many Nigerians; Icheoku retorts that it was most likely AKwa Ibom voodoo and remote control that was used to arrest her. It is on record that she had fallen out with the governor of her native Akwa Ibiom State and have been having a relentless war for political turf with the governor? So who knows whether she was sacrificed to Ekpe cult or even Alusi-Okija as an offal; afterall African science is still very much alive and portent. May her soul rest in peace.
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