By Collins Opurozor
A few days ago, Chief Hope Uzodinma announced through one of his aides that he had perfected plans to deliver 2,700 mobile phones to 2,700 young persons, as well as monthly data subscriptions, to enable them carry out activities online. The nature of activities they are to undertake online remains undisclosed and unknown till this moment. Ahiazuwa!
There has, therefore, been some nationwide furore over this move by Uzodinma, a man whose regime is notorious for all maladies. Many observers have continued to call for deeper investigation into the matter. They argue that buying 2,700 phones, which may have gulped well over N270 million, should not have been a priority for a state with the highest rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria. Recall that the bill to establish cottage industries in the 27 LGAs of the state, which was passed by the House of Assembly, has been reportedly denied assent by Uzodinma.
If Uzodinma was genuinely interested in gainfully engaging the youths, why has he not simply signed into law the cottage industries bill, and funded its implementation, so as to rev up skills acquisition and evolution of micro, small and medium scale industries in the state?
What has heightened the fears of most people is that Uzodinma once bragged that he was an expert in money making, even without any known history of economic productivity. How did he make his so-called money? Is that the same thing he wants to teach 2,700 Imo youths? Nigerians want to know. Everyone is now worried that Imo might just relapse into a sanctuary for internet fraudsters!
It is most improbable that Uzodinma would claim to be training and up-skilling the youths in ICT. That would further expose his regime, which has absolutely no policy for technology development. There is no functional technology incubation center in Imo, and Uzodinma has no plans to that effect.
For over one year, most staff of Imo State Polytechnic have not been paid salaries. The 100,000 jobs which Uzodinma had promised to create through Adapalm have today become a mirage. Jawbreaking taxes, even consumption tax, have ensured that businesses shutter and startups never spring up in Imo under Uzodinma.
To underscore his distain for Imo youths, Uzodinma had openly claimed to be empowering about 15,000 youths with N250,000 each. Till date, not even one person got a Kobo. Some of them, led by Desmond Ugwumba, have petitioned the ICPC over this monumental sleaze. If Uzodinma could not empower those with genuine plans to become legitimately self-reliant, why is he arming some 2,700 youths with smartphones and data to invade the cyberspace even without any published purpose? Something is wrong somewhere!
The business of government is done in the open. The citizenry must not be kept in the dark. Imo people deserve to know why Uzodinma is buying thousands of phones for youths, paying monthly for their data, even when they are left unemployed! What qualifies a person for the phone and data? What will they be doing online that requires the same government which cannot pay teachers to be paying for their data subscriptions from public treasury?
Is Uzodinma mobilizing and recruiting them to scavenge the internet and be “collecting and accounting”? Or is he training them for what we call in Igbo “agbata ekee”? Imo people deserve to know. Meanwhile, ahiazuwa!