IMO NEWS UPDATES

Time and season have proved that  the Rescue  Mission Administration in Imo State under the able, visionary and dynamic leadership of the State Governor His Excellency Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha has made significant improvement in the area of city beautification and has gone  a long way  to improve the ecstatic nature of the state. Indeed his good works cannot be swept under the carpet. It is obvious that he has made meaningful contributions  and undeniable  impacts, but unfortunately; the more he strives to make a difference by changing the outlook of the state,  the more his critics work harder to misrepresent issues ,misinterpret and misinform the general public about his meaningful and selfless contributions towards a better Imo State.

Before we  proceed to outline Governor Okorocha`s impact in the area of city beautification, it would be pertinent to go back to memory lane to recall that city beautification in the past was majorly planting of grass and flowers under the Clean and Green Initiative of his successor and the concentration was only within the municipal but City Beautification programme under Governor Rochas inline with his Imo My Pride Agenda  has touched all the three Senatorial Zones in the State.

Looking around Owerri Municipal today, one may be forced to ask where are the grasses planted by the former PDP regime? Those things are no more because they have no sustainability value, may be it was temporarily designed not to last long.

However; a case study of the city beautification programmes of the governor as captured in his Imo my Pride project revealed a significant, dramatic and innovative transformation of the environment. No  matter how you hate him or try to deny the truth about his city beautification projects , any unbiased observer in the state can boldly identify and testify about the  significant improvements the governor has made in environmental transformation through his strategic and impactful city beautification projects.

For instance the relaxation centre he constructed before the Government or behind Dauglass House Souvenir with Water Fountain beside it, is a beautiful sight to behold, there is a second Water Fountain  beside the Rock View  Hotel, they are all fantastic and strategic beautification projects carried out by the governor to give the state  environment a face lift so as to improve its tourism potentials.

A visit to Government house through the main entrance gate  creates a good image and impression about the state and her people. In the past it was not so because the past regime neglected it and it turned a comfort zone for criminals due to total abandonment. To God be the glory that toady the entire atmosphere has totally changed, it is now a beauty to behold and it has turned into a choice place of relaxation and mutual interaction by old and young who regularly visit the place. The Water Fountain and Relaxation Centre near government House is indeed a beautiful background to take pictures. This  same place has put food on the tables of some Imo people, as photographers are now making brisk business there through their wait and get pictures. Young people go there to take pictures, because of the beautified environment, some musicians who released new albums recently have used the place,

Also at Orlu Road Junction there is a double water fountain there one is called Freedom Water Falls, erected  beside the Freedom Square , the second one is opposite it.  The Freedom Roundabout there was also constructed by the Rescue Mission Regime of Governor with the image of a man with broken chains, signifying a freed man .He also constructed the foot bridge around the same place. All these as  strategic city beautification programmes carried out by the governor within the Orlu Road Junction have brought dynamic improvement in tourist  activities in the state and have significantly upgraded the environment.

The Governor  has proven to be a visionary leader with better ideas through the  numerous  improved environmental transformation programmmes he carried out simultaneously in the three Senatorial Zones of the state. He improved on the areas his predecessor planted grasses along the road by replacing some of them with interlock and German floor. His regime has also maintained some of the grasses where necessary through the services of Rescue sweepers and Gardeners

The difference between his work and that of his predecessor  is the durability value of his City Beautification programmes as seen in the solid projects he has executed in the state.

The projects have potentials to strategically attract tourists and improve the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state. The irresistible attraction and attention he has created with the  Imo State environment is now more appealing to visitors, including youths in the state who are delighted to visit the place every cool evening for relaxation and discussion with loved ones. All his city beautification programmes are geared towards environmental transformation of the state with the sole aim to elevate its outlook.

After looking at various city beautification projects carried out under Governor Okorocha, any unbiased observer can truly testify that indeed there is an paradigm shift in environmental transformation courtesy of his numerous projects like; the water fountains, the land scalping, remodeled Government Roundabout with the names of the 27 local Governments in the state and bible as a symbol signifying that the state is a Christian State, Emmanuel College by Wetheral Road with horse signifying strength, the foot bridges at Orlu Road Round About and Emmanuel College, what of the Children`s Park, Freedom Square, Heroes Square and others too numerous to mention are all living proofs of his lasting city beautification projects.

Based on records with indisputable facts  the city beautification projects  carried out by the Rescue Mission regime of Governor Okorocha, have more durability value. It  is now crystal clear that he has shown capacity to make a difference in environmental transformation. Through the uniqueness of his creative ingenuity, he has moved Imo State out from the old poor era of only planting grass and flowers as city beautification projects to a glorious era of positive change.  Indeed  the  innovation dynamism and diversification he showcased in executing the projects are in line with the 21st century trend, indeed they are eloquent testimonies of his  impressive improvement and a total paradigm shift from the old method.

Tension was reported to have engulfed the Federal University Of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) community as students took to streets protesting exorbitant increments in school fees by the management of the institution.

According to sources from the university, the protest which has led to the closure of the institution till further notice saw to the damage of University properties like  Senate building, ICT Centre, and Diamond Bank sited inside the school premises.

Ifeanyicy.com learnt that fresh students for the  2016/2017 academic session will pay an additional acceptance fee of NGN 42,500 to the previous charges making a total of NGN 124,000 contrary to their 2015/2016 academic session charges of N90,800 or N88,300 depending on faculties. Same increase was reported to have affected other level of students.

"FUTO Year one (100L) School fees
Geology = (School fees) N50,800 + N40,000 (Acceptance Fees) Total= N90,800

Other Departments = (School fees) N48,300+ N40,000 (Acceptance fees) Total= N88,300"

We gathered that students still have to pay huge amounts for accommodation and course registration. A student claimed that fresh students pay more than NGN 20,000 for various course registration apart from school fees and acceptance fees.

Meanwhile, there was heavy police presence on campus to ensure that the students do not resort to breakdown of law and order, and to put a stop to the vandalisation of the school property.

However, students have been ordered to leave the school premises till further notice. The vacation order came from the management of the university as academic activities has being  closed down.

The Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha who is alleged to be nursing Presidential election in 2019 is reported to be building a secretariat complex for Igbo Apex Socio-cultural association, Ohanaeze Ndigbo for their meetings and social cultural gatherings.

The yet to be completed state-of-the-art complex being erected at Enugu, South East Nigeria is being inspected by the Imo State Governor who doubles as Chairman of All Progressive Governor's  Forum, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

According to sources, the Governor took the decision to gift the massive edifice to the apex Igbo organization in furtherance of his vision to contribute his quota to the development of the Igbo nation.
The secretariat is said to has the capacity to sit at least 750 people both youth and women wing are considered in it's architectural plan.

Presidential fleet marked, NAF570 Helicopter conveyed  Nigeria's Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo accompanied by Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha enroute OHAJI/Egbema LGA of Imo State for project inspection of the Federal government  abandoned Egbema Gas Plant on February 14th, 2017.
The abandoned Gas Plant at Ohaji /Egbema LGA, for past ten years,  built with capacity to generate 300 Megawatt, whereas what Imo State needed to have 24hrs electricity supply is just 100 Megawatt.  It was observed by the Acting President Prof. Pastor Yemi Osibanjo, during his visitation to Imo State. Though no policy statement was made yet in that regard.