By Onuchukwu Hamilton
As the current 27 Local Government Council Chairmen in Imo State and their arms, warm up, to vacate offices for a fresh Local Government election, the questions on the lips of Imo people, is; “Among these Council Chairmen that were sworn into offices by His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodimma on the 30th day of September, 2024, who emerges the best in terms of achievements within the three zones( Orlu, Okigwe and Owerri zones)and why is that Chairman rated the best in his or her zone. These questions, are necessitated amid concerns about the fiscal responsibilities and the trending avalanche of criticism against the sudden attitudinal changes among some Council Chairmen, which affect both the interest of their Political party, the vision of the state Government and their localities.
The Council Chairmen that could not live up to expectations, are already in the dark book of records of the Governor as those that must be disciplined, because with current political awareness and revolution in Imo, gone are days, when the electorates, have little or no power of a political voice. Gone are days when fraudulent market forces, were superior to incompetent political wills , as we may all recall, that , on the 30th of September 2024, Governor Hope Uzodimma warned that no politician will be elected into power as a Chairman because he is a bagman to any political leader neither will his administration tolerate the act of laziness and collection of paychecks alone. In his address to the 27 Local Government Council Chairmen on the 30th of September, 2024, the Imo State Governor, highlighted the need for inclusive governance and warned the Chairmen to remain committed to their Communities. Governor Hope Uzodimma reiterated his administration’s strict stance against corruption.
Having noticed the Governor’s determination to flush the bad eggs, the Chairmen that are embezzling the council allocations, have gone to launder their images through the social media and other deceptive mechanisms.
In Orlu zone, the Imo West Practicing Journalists have commendably relied on section 39, 22 of the 1999 constitution, to evaluate and rate performances of the Twelve Local Government Chairmen within the zone since 2024 and through a culmination of transparent and merit-based achievement assessment processes, the association of Imo West Practicing Journalists discovered that the Orlu Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Pastor Chris Mbarie emerges as the best Council Chairman in Orlu zone, with a rating score of 87/100 followed with Njaba LGA as 2nd Position, Nkwerre Ohaji Egbema, as 3rd and 4th positions in the performance rating.
This performance score card of the Orlu Zone Council Chairmen that were elected on 21st of September 2024, is an Objective assessment report by Journalists, as the philosophical image of journalism, is the pursuit of truth, serving as a mirror to the society and acting as a guardian of democracy.
In the Journalists’ quest for truth and epistemology the indispensable assessment parameters and factors were encapsulated for a credible result.
Before rating Hon . Chris Mbarie as the best Council Chairman, it was very difficult, due to mixed score cards on , the issue of direct-allocation policy , structural constraints, financial dependency, political interference, the financial limitations that restricts spending freedom. Some of the factors that made it difficult for the Journalists to seamlessly produce their assessment results, were, the ” One Community, One Revenue Agent (OCORA) slogan that was initiated by the Imo State Government through the Ministry of Finance and the Imo State Internal Revenue with the aim of streamlining tax administration and compliance at the grass roots. Despite the Governor’s policies to boast revenue generation at the grassroot, the media team still noted with dismay, that some Local Government Councils in Orlu zone, failed to explore the revenue ideas, thereby, lack viable independent revenue streams, that should have generated funds needed to execute meaningful developmental projects without an external backing. Other factors that affected some of the Councils, include the ineptitude of their local legislative councils, who fail to act as a proper watchdog over the executive chairmen due to political alignment and lack of institutional capacity. But in Orlu LGA, the councillors impressed their electorates; by delivering quality constituency projects in their various wards, and to keep the Executive Chairman on his toes, the Orlu Councilors were very care in their conducts and characters as a legislative arm of government. Even when the media men expected that the major funds to Orlu LGA will be diverted or retired on insecurity matters alone, the Council Chairman Hon. Chris Mbarie and his team successfully battled the insecurity challenges in Orlu to a halt without touching the funds earmarked for other projects. Mbarie is obviously determined to entrenched accountability and ensured that funds appropriated for rural development, translate into visible impact for the people of Orlu LGA. Chris Mbarie’s alignment with the goals and vision of Governor Uzodimma became glaring when he, furnished, equipped, and decorated the administrative complex he built in Orlu Local Government Council headquarters with a state of the photo gallery that is very similar to the one, inside the Imo State Government House Owerri, as those who do not have the powers to enter and snap with the one inside the State Government House Owerri, now joyfully rush to Orlu LGA Council to take the almighty picture in the arm- coated gallery. (The first of its kind in all the council headquarters of Imo)
What the Journalists that visited Orlu LGA Council headquarters saw, have been a very rewarding experience. They learnt so much especially , his administrative policies and activities that have seriously engaged the council workers to render the required services and avoid the syndrome of idle conversations that is unfortunately peculiar among civil servants. Hence, this evaluation assessment report also proves that the Orlu LG. council workers are now more productive and punctual to duty, than the workers in other LGAs within Orlu zone. A promise in his campaign manifesto, which he has kept religiously. Talking to Imo Journalists about the relationship between the State and LGAs, the Hon. Commissioner for the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Ruby Emele said: ” It is a relationship that offers the best which has evidently ensured a sustainable development, carefully planned and programmed to make Imo State, not just a cynosure of all eyes, but a reference for excellence in local government administration”.
In measuring and scoring the Council Chairmen, the Journalists also asked questions like; Are they doing what said they will do? Did it have a positive impact on the problem or the issue? Hon. Chris Mbarie emerged with the highest vote and score because also visited and saw; the renovated and refurbished Local Government Council Hall, the damaged but repaired bore hole at the council headquarters with 2.5 horse power of submissible pump(SUMO), the completed administrative office block of nine rooms to accommodate the executive staff of the council and an Exco Chamber Office, the renovated customary court building, the installed solar panels in the council, the graded Umuna/ umudiatu , 2.5 km road, the graded Amaezie/ Ama Okonko Umuna road, the Umuzike/ teaching hospital road, the Okoroezike tap road ( 2.8km) , empowerment of 300 indigent women of Orlu with the sum of eighty thousand naira each, the free jamb registration for over hundred and fifty Orlu students, University scholarship to two hundred and fifty indigent students through, the revived Orlu poultry farm, the construction of over 400 open stores, earmarked as free zone at Umuna modern market, the ongoing construction of Orlu shopping mall at Owus Avenue, the evacuation of a heap of refuse within the premises of Orlu hotel and EEDC, Orlu, Fencing of Ohaeke Okporo health center, renovation and shelving the council library with text books, evacuation of the heap of refuse at old market, Umuna, training of the youths on poultry farming, attraction of the sum of five million naira, only from a foreign donor for the renovation of the examination hall of community primary school, Amaifeke, and one million naira for the provision of desks, for the Premier Primary School Amaifeke, he recovered over 40 plots of lands to the state which was illegally converted for private use in Umuowa, he successfully secured approval from the state Government, for the relocation of timber market to a permanent site, the ongoing building of new bus stop at designated locations within the local government communities, the landscaping of Local Government Council premises , grading of community roads, control of the outbreak of diphtheria through the provision of relevant drugs to control the disease, approval of constituency projects for the councilors, payment of salaries to 167 SAs and SSAs, construction of Orlu Aluminum Market in Umuna, purchase of 45 KVA generator for the local government council, construction of a new security house at the council, evacuation of refuse dump at ogbo bottle at Owus Avenue, Construction of befitting photo gallery at the local government council.
