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Ohakim to Okorocha: Thanks for Paying Judges 6 Months Salary Arrears
Former Governor Ikedi Ohakim on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, thanked Governor Rochas Okorocha “for heeding his wise counsel by paying the Judges in Imo State six months salary arrears out of the 16 months he owed them.”
Ohakim had on Saturday, February 3, 2018, during an interaction with media men in Owerri raised the alarm that Governor Okorocha was owing judges in the state 16 months salary arrears.
The Governor has denied owing the Judges and said that it was the NJC that pays the Judges. He said that Ohakim needed to go to the psychiatric hospital.
But in a press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Collins Ughalaa, on Tuesday, the former Governor who is staging a comeback in 2019 said that Governor Okorocha paid the Judges six months salary arrears on Monday.
“Governor Okorocha on Monday, February 12, 2018, hurriedly paid the judges six months out of their 16 months salary arrears,” he said.
He also thanked “the more than 12,000 people who have already signed up for the planned mass protest in Owerri, including so many people from the United States of America (USA) and Britain who planned to come back home to join the mass protest.”
Ohakim added: “We thank God immensely that His Excellency Dr Ikedi Ohakim’s brain is intact, contrary to Governor Okorocha’s insult, and he did not need to be taken to the psychiatric hospital before the Judges were paid six months salary arrears. Dr. Ikedi Ohakim is nevertheless not worried about the insults from Governor Okorocha, some of his appointees and hirelings.
“We equally thank the media which showed massive support and interest in the matter and insisted that the Judges must be paid.
“We thank the Judges too for their patience, decorum and continuing to discharge their duties even when they were owed 16 months salary.
“Our immense gratitude also goes to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for taking the matter to court on behalf of the Judges. We are really proud of the NBA in Imo State for living up to their responsibilities.”
He called on the Governor to ensure that the balance of 10 months is paid, saying that he has put his planned protest on hold.
“We therefore request Governor Okorocha to please do everything humanly possible to pay the balance of 10 months salary arrears as quickly as possible, while we put the protest on hold,” he said.
Ohakim also extended “his heartfelt condolences to the family of a retired Justice who passed on Monday, February 12, 2018. Unfortunately he died without adequate medicare as a result of non-payment of his accumulated pension and gratuity.” He stressed: “Now that Governor Okorocha has started paying the Judges, he should also pay those who have served the state meritoriously their pension and gratuity without further delay.”
He also noted: “Workers deserve their wages. The first line charge of every government is the welfare of the people, and the civil servants and pensioners deserve their pay and must be paid as at when due,” even as he said he is “prepared to offer wise counsel to the Governor on how to get those problems solved in no time.”
Ohakim gave the assurance that he “is not a man that finds pleasure in spreading falsehood,” adding that he says what he is “only sure of and believes so much in the truth.”
He further assured that he “will continue to speak for Imo people and the disadvantaged, no matter the risk involved. And when by the grace of God he returns to office in 2019, he will continue to treat the workers and every other segment of the Imo society very well and ensure that their comfort and welfare remains top on the agenda of his government.”
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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