Interaction between the Managing Director and CEO of Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, Chief Charles Orie and the Special Adviser to Imo State Governor on Public Enlightenment, Prince Eze Ugochukwu.
Question: Over the years there has been complaints about mishandling and maladministration of the affairs and funds of ISOPADEC. Are we going of experience a positive difference from you as the present Managing Director?
Answer: Yes, it will be a new dawn and that is why the Governor of the state His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma appointed me because he knows I have the track record in community service and the public procurement expertise and capacity to transform the Commission and that's what we are doing now.
Question: The participation and engagement of critical stakeholders is very important in your functions. Have you interacted and hosted the people of oil producing communities?
Answer: Yes we are having series of town hall meetings. As it stands we cannot force any project on any community. What we do is to go round the oil producing communities and ask them of their priority projects because what one community needs might be different from what another community is craving for. One for instance might need road, primary school, health centers, electricity projects while others might be in need of other projects. These needs are strictly captured and reflected in the respective projects we are doing in each community.
Question: Do you have a technical team that goes out to make sure that the communities get value for money.
Answer: We followed due process and we have fund and we have a project monitoring team that goes round to monitor our projects
Question: What is the intention of the Governor? Does he mean well for the oil producing communities?
Answer: Yes, he means well for the oil producing communities. Don't forget that he is from an oil producing local government and he knows the pains of the people. The terms of reference and admonition given to me and the ISOPADEC Board by the Governor is very clear - and that is, the wishes and needs of the people must come first and last in all our activities and engagements. I have assured him that both my board and myself will never deviate from his wishes, and I mean it.
Question: Did your contract tender and bidding processes follow public procurement requirements? What process did you adopt to choose the contractors?
Answer: Yes, we followed due process. First, we advertised on local and national newspapers, and people paid their tender fees and picked up our tender documents. We have our tender committee which I am the Chairman. Afterwards, the tender board accepted their tenders, looked at their technical and financial bids and then select through open tender opening the contractors who qualified to carry out the project. Again the Imo State Bureau of Public Procurement and Price Intelligence issued a Certificate of no objection to our procurement processes including timelines for completion of projects.
Question: Do you have cash-backing for the projects you are embarking upon at this phase?
Answer: Yes, we have 100% cash backing.
Question: How many projects are you executing under this phase and what types of project are we talking about?
Answer: On projects, - When I came into office in October last year and between that October and December, we were able to commission 13 projects. We awarded them towards the end of October and we completed 13 projects within my first 100 days in office because the governor of Imo State gave me a free hand to run ISOPADEC. This means that I don't take orders from anybody. So the Board met, and we awarded the following projects:
OHAJI EGBEMA LGA
COMPLETED PROJECTS IN 2020
(A) Constriction and installation of branded solar street lights at Umudike/Etekwuru, Ohaji/Egbema LGA.
(B) Construction and installation of solar powered central water borehole in Ikwerede, Awara, Ohaji Egbema LGA
(C) Construction and Installation of central water borehole with power generating set in Umudike, Ohaji/Egbema Lga
(D) Construction and rehabilitation of central water borehole with standby generator in Iyioka, Ugbada Egbema West, Ohaji Egbema LGA
(E) Construction and installation of Health Center with basic furniture in UMUDIKE/Etekwuru, Ohaji Egbema Lga
(F) Construction of Health Centre with basic furniture in Oyioka, Ugada, Egbema West, Ohaji/Egbema lga
RECENTLY AWAREDED PROJECTS IN OHAJI/EGBEMA – 2021
a.Construction of six classrooms block at Community primary school Umuapu, Ohaji/Egbema
b.Construction of six classroom block at St. Patrick’s school, Ihie, Ohaji Egbema.
c.Construction of six classrooms block at Towns school, Umuokanne
d.Construction of classrooms block at community Primary school Ekugba, Ohai/Egbema.
e.Construction of six classrooms block at town school elua, Obiakpor Ohaji/Egbema
f.Construction of six classrooms block at Obile Ohaji/Egbema
g.Construction of six classrooms block at Abacheke primary school, Ohaji gbema
h.Construction of six classrooms block at Umunwaku primary school, Ohaji Egbema
i.Construction of six classrooms block at Mmahu primary school, Ohaji Egbema
j.Construction of six classrooms block at Umuokanne Central School, Ohaji Egbema
k.Construction of six classrooms block at Town School, Abakuru, Ohaji/Egbema
RECENTLY AWAREDED Hospital and Health Centre Projects in Ohaji/Egbema LGA
l.Construction of 20Bed General Hospital with Modern Facilities in Umuokanne, Ohaji/Egbema
m.Rehabilitation of Obiti Health Centre, Ohaji/gbema
n.Renovation of Mgbirichi Health Centre, Ohaji/Egbema
o.Renovation of Mgbara Health Centre, Ohaji/Egbema
p.Renovation of Awarra Health Centre, Ohaji/Egbema
COMPLETED PROECTS IN OGUTA LGA -2020
a.Construction of Nigerian Police Station, Akiri Oguta LGA
b.Construction of Community Primary School, Akiri , Oguta LGA
c.Construction of Health Centre in Akiri Community Oguta LGA
d.Construction of Central Water Borehole with Power Generating Set in Akiri Community
RECENTLY AWARDED PROECTS AT OGUTA – 2021
a.Construction of 20Bed General Hospital at Oguta Town, Oguta LGA
b.Construction of 6 classrooms block at izombe community school, Oguta LGA
c.Construction of 6 classrooms block at Development Primary School, Obajuju Akabor, Oguta LGA
d.Construction of 6 classrooms block at Amayi Primary Shool, Ezi-Orsu, Oguta LGA
e.Rehabilitation of Obudi Agwa Health Centre, Oguta LGA
f.Fencing of Health CENTRE, Akiri, Oguta LGA
g.Rehabilitation of General Hospital, Oguta LGA
RECENTLY AWARDED AT ORU EAST LGA – 2021
a.Construction of Six Classrooms Block at Ozuh Community Primary School Omuma, Oru-Eat
b.Construction of Six Classrooms Block at Community Primary School, Oru East.
c.Construction of Six Classrooms Block at Abia Central School Omuma, Oru-east
d.Construction of Six Classrooms Block at Okwu Owere Omuma Oru-east
e.Construction of Six Classrooms Block at Amiri Primary School, Amiri Omuma, Oru-east
f.Construction of Six Classrooms Block at St. Paul’s Primary School, Isieke, Awo-omamma, Oru-east
g.Construction of Six Classrooms Block at Urah Primary School, Ihite Akata, Oru-east
h.Construction of Six Classrooms Block at Pioneer Primary School, Awo-Omamma, Oru-East
i.Construction of Six Classrooms Block at Okwuorji Primary School Awo-Omamma, Oru-East
RECENTLY AWARDED HOSPITAL AND HEALTH CENTRE PROJECTS IN ORU-EAST
a.Construction of 20Bed General Hospital with Modern Facilities in Omuma, Oru-East
b.Rehabilitation of General Hospital, Awo-Omamma, Oru-East
c.Perimeter Fencing/General Renovation of Amagu Health Centre, Oru-East
d.Rehabilitation of Umuhu Omuma Health Centre, Oru-East
Question: On ISOPADEC workers - there was a protest some time ago. Have you been able to sort out issues with the staff of ISOPADEC?
Answer: Before I resumed office, people find it hard to relate and cooperate with ISOPADEC. People had a very bad narrative and perspective of the commission; they felt that when you put the MD there, he goes in there to embezzle funds; this was as a result of how the former governors of the state ran the commission in the sense that they give them huge amount of money to carry out projects and go from behind to collect the money. Because of this, the stakeholders and workers did not believe in the sincerity of government trying to run the affairs of the commission. But since I assumed office, I have tried to clean up the mess because this place was a total mess when I resumed. On resumption, there were agitation of their salaries being scaled down but the Governor has given me an approval to apply diligence over their salaries and take it up to a reasonable level. I believe that by the end of this month all those agitations will stop. As it stands, we are not owing them salaries. The Governor is not owing them salaries. We saw all those agitations as a result of what they claimed should be their wages but the Governor has asked me to look at it critically to know ways and means by which we can balance the issues. This is going on right now. We are partners in progress with our workers. What is required is confidence building and conflict resolution. We are family.
*Question*: What message do you have for the youths of host communities?
*Answer*: I have awlays advised our youths to shun restiveness. Any issue they have can always be dialogued and solved. We have a listening Governor, who is always ready to listen and hear them out.
*Question*: Finally, do you plan to have Skills Acquisition Training for the Youths of the Area? Are you going to carry them along to avoid youth restiveness and other forms of social misbehaviors?
*Answer*: Yes, His Excellency has given directives for us to do youth training. I want to build a skills acquisition center where they can learn things like fishery, poultry farming, information technology etc, so we are trying to put them together according to their various local government just like a cooperative in such a way that they can easily do their work and fend for themselves.
Publisher: Don Martyn L.O Nwosu
Ikeduru APC Media Hub
08032950897
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