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RELOCATION OF IMSU: What is Gov. Okorocha up to?

Imo State University (IMSU) was originally modeled after the famous University of Nebraska in the United States of America.
Accordingly, the Imo State Law No. 4 of 1981 provided for five temporary campuses for the university to be located at the existing five senatorial zones in the old Imo State.

College of Business Administration and Legal Studies was sited in Ngwa High School Aba for the then Aba Senatorial Zone, Engineering and Environmental Studies at Comprehensive
Secondary School Awomama for Orlu Zone and Arts and Social Sciences at Mbaise Secondary School Aboh Mbaise for Owerri Zone while the College of Agiculture and Vetenary Medicine was to be in Uzoakoli Methodist College for the then Umuahia Zone.

Madonna High School in Etiti was the site for Okigwe Zone. It had the College of Medicine and Health Sciences and was also used as the university’s temporary headquarters. Therefore,
the school operated accordingly until 1985 when Senator Ike Nwachukwu as the then Military Administrator of the old Imo State vide the Imo State University Edict of 1985, relocated the school to a lone campus at Uturu-Okigwe.

However, during the creation of Abia State, Ike Nwachukwu made sure that Uturu was severed from Okigwe to form part of Abia State. Consequently, Imo State lost the location and all the structures of Imo State University to Abia State and the latter used them in establishing its own state university today known as Abia State University (ABSU).

Fortunately, Imo State did not lose the legal instrument establishing the school. Therefore, in 1992, Late Senator Evan
Enwerem’s administration, through a legislative enactment, relocated the university to Alvan Ikoku College of Education in Owerri and later moved the school to its present administrative headquarters also in Owerri metropolis. This site was supposed to be a temporary site which originally belongs to Federal Government Girls’ Secondary School Owerri. Reports also have it that Enwerem proposed to relocate the school to an acquired site in Ogbaku Owerri West LGA of the state but did not actualize this before he was booted out of office by the military.

Interestingly, Ex-Governor Achike Udenwa restored the multi-campus system of the university by establishing the university’s Teaching Hospital in Orlu and School of Engineering in Okigwe.

During Ohakim’s regime, reports had it that the nature of the soil where the School of Engineering was sited in Okigwe was not conducive for a school of engineering. However, at the twilight of that administration, the then Governor announced the relocation of the university to a site owned by Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala. It is being alleged that this site was where late Sam Mbakwe had earlier proposed to site the institution.

Nevertheless, it is no longer a rumour now that Governor Rochas Okorocha has concluded plans to permanently
relocate the entire university to his home town in Ideato South Local Government of Imo State. Previously, the Governor’s Commissioner for Information Dr. Obinna Duruji, had said that the Governor’s reason for this was to decongest Owerri metropolis. But recently, the commissioner clearly stated
the Governor’s real reason for the policy. Briefing journalist at the NUJ Press Center in Owerri recently, the commissioner was bold enough to tell journalists that Governor Okorocha’s reason for relocating the institution to Ideato was as a result of what he described as the ‘politics of location of state universities by governors in Nigeria’. He cited the instance of the location of Ambrose Ali University to Ekpoma by a former Governor of old Bendel and concluded that it was the right of Governor Okorocha to relocate the university to a place of his choice.

But in his 2012 budget proposal, the Governor contradicted his commissioner and said that his own reason for the relocation of the university was as a result of the directive from the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC). To actualize the relocation, reports confirmed that the Governor has also been speedily erecting multi-million structures in his place for the institution. He has also provided jumbo allocation for the relocation in the said budget proposal recently presented to the Imo House of Assembly.

Also, in a recent press interview, one Eze (Prof) Chuka Okonkwo an acclaimed leader from Orlu Zone, let the cat out of the bag when he said that the Governor’s move to relocate the university to his zone had been a secret Orlu agenda which was first mooted to Ex-Governor Achike Udenwa during his regime but that he (Udenwa) did not have the political will to do it. The former university don claims that the agenda was sold to Rochas by the people of Orlu Zone whom the zone thinks has the political will to do it.

From the above that the decision for this policy was unilaterally taken by the Governor without any strong agitation from any community in Ideato South LGA, committee report, consultation with Imo stakeholders and opinion leaders, members of the Imo State Executive Council or the state legislature. Also from the above reasons given by both the Governor and his Commissioner for Information, it is clear
that the Governor’s real reasons for the policy are hinged on selfishness, callosity, high-handedness, sectional sentiments and opportunism.

That is why his reason for the policy and that given by his Information Commissioner are inconsistent. Nevertheless, in his usual manner, I know that very soon, the Governor will direct the state legislature which he has already rendered impotent to pass the bill for the said relocation.

Unfortunately, this relocation has already started causing a lot of anxieties and has attracted a very wide condemnation from Imolites especially from the people of Owerri and Okigwe senatorial zones.

First of all, I wish to state that Commissioner Duruji’s example for justifying the relocation is very unprofessional, careless and uncivilized for an information manager in a democratic setting. Assuming the Governor’s real intention is to toe the line of Governors who forcefully relocated state universities to their home town, must the commissioner put it that way to the public? That is impunity, insult to democracy and lawlessness of the highest order.

Nevertheless, I want to join issues with the Governor’s claim that his reason for relocating the school was in compliance with NUC directive. Recent findings show that there was no such directive from the commission.

It was also discovered that NUC is only concerned with a minimum size of land required when an application for the establishment of a university is made which the spaces in Owerri campus and that of the teaching hospital have superseded. If the Governor’s claim is justified, then why has NUC not directed for the relocation of institutions like RSUST, UNICAL, UNEC, UNIUYO, UNIJOS, UNIBEN, UNILAG etc that are all located at the heart of metropolises in the country have not been relocated.

Therefore, it is pure fallacy and abject deceit to lay the above claim because even abroad why my Governor has traveled to, universities are even located in streets of busy cities.

The next issue is that presently, the only tertiary institutions owned by Imo State are the Imo State Polytechnic Umuagwo (IMOPOLY) and IMSU. FUTO, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education and Nekede Federal Polytechnics are all owned by
the Federal Government. Incidentally, IMOPOLY is already in Orlu Zone and the IMSU Teaching Hospital where the highest amount of money in the university has been spent is also in same zone. Ironically, there is no move by the Governor to relocate these institutions outside the zone.

Therefore, if the Governor succeeds in relocating what remains of the university to Ideato, it then means that no state owned high institution will be in both Okigwe and Owerri zones.

However, among other things, many people have already stared saying that one of the Governor’s reasons for relocating the entire university to his zone now is in preparation for the creation of a new state that will include the present Orlu Senatorial Zone. This they say, will automatically cede the university to the new state just like what happened to the institution during Ike Nwachukwu era.

Incidentally, Imo State produces the highest number of JAMB candidates in the country every year. Therefore, it needs more universities than any part of the country. After loosing ABSU to our sister state, it took a lot of sweat for IMSU to come to its present level. I remember when I entered the school in 1997, people where calling the university a ‘glorified secondary school’.

Today, it has become a treasure and an object for politics. However, the Governor should know that every Imo son or daughter has a stake in that school. It is not property of Rochas Foundation that should be appropriated any how. Sometime in the past, I know the Governor had applied to the federal government for license to run a private university. He built secondary schools all over the federation and one had expected him to use his present position to build a private university in his place if need be. Atiku Abubakar did it in Adamawa State, Gabriel Igbinedion did it in Edo State, Father Ede did it both in Okija and Elele etc and Imo sons and daughters are many in these universities. I also heard that the General Overseer of Living Christ Mission Daddy Hezekiah is currently building one at Umudi Nkwere. There are many other options. If the Governor is sincere, he can involve his so called private or foreign investors to build a university in his home town. In this era of increased federal allocations and commercialization of government agencies, he can also build a model university for the state that can even go full commercial.

Therefore, I do not think that this move is a sincere and fair one to the people of Owerri and Okigwe Senatorial zones. It is worse to Owerri Zone in particular who decided the Governor’s fate during the last election. If his reason is truly to decongest Owerri, one would have expected him to relocate the Owerri campus of the university to the sites provided by Mbakwe’s administration at Uvuru-Mbaise/ Ngor-okpala or the Ogbaku site by Late Evan Enwerem.

Also, it could have been more equitable to choose any other site in Owerri Zone and then actualize the School of Engineering in Okigwe. Why carrying everything to his zone just as Ike Nwachukwu did in 1985? Madness!

This is a great insult to the people of Owerri and Okigwe zones. It is not fair for a section of Imo State to be selfishly appropriating the state to herself every time it holds on power. For now, the state belongs to all of us and we are all stakeholders in it. Therefore, things should not be done with impunity and unscrupulously. Before now, many people have been hailing the Governor over some projects he is embarking in the state.

Therefore, it will be a great political suicide for him to dare the people of Okigwe and Owerri with this obnoxious policy. Therefore, the people should be ready for a mass protest like the recent one against the removal of petrol subsidy to stop this evil plan by the Governor Okorocha as his cohorts.

In the present political dispensation, Okigwe and Owerri zones have men and women of timber and caliber. They have the likes of the senator representing Owerri Zone Senator Chris Anyanwu, the Deputy Speaker of the Federation Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Dep Governor Jude Agbaso and his brother Martin Agbaso, Sen. Nwagwu, Speaker Ben Uwajumogu, Special Adviser to the Imo Governor on Education Prof Fabian Osuji his counterpart for Political Nze P. C. Onuoha, Chief of Staff to the Governor Prince Eze Madumere etc. This is the time to speak out and
condemn this act. Your positions must be known to all now or you loose your political relevance in your zones.

I also call on Owerri and Okigwe people to mandate all their representatives in the Imo State House of Assembly to oppose
the bill for the relocation of the school to Ideato when it finally comes to the House and to recall any member that assents to it. There should also be a very wide sensitization of the masses by opinion leaders to stop this wicked act. ‘It is good to look for a black goat in the day time’. The time to act is now. Tomorrow may be too late.

Written and Submitted by:

Barr. Emperor Iwuala Ksc.
Legal/Media Practitioner writing from Owerri
08037247295
emperoriwuala@yahoo.com

25 Responses to "RELOCATION OF IMSU: What is Gov. Okorocha up to?"

James Mgbeahuruike says:

January 27, 2012 at 7:27 AM

This is an insult to the people of Owerri and Okigwe zone.

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1. Johnson Uzotexx says:
  
  January 27, 2012 at 8:29 AM
  
  You dnt blame him we have to blame ohakim cuz he is the one that brought this mess to us
  
  Reply
Desmond Hotcoin says:

January 27, 2012 at 8:40 AM

u are still dwelling so much on zoning.
what u failed to understand is that we are talking of Imo state university here and ideato is still part of Imo state and not Anambra state or any other state else.
our dear governor is not a product of zoning and does not believe in zoning either.
so why the russ? the school can be relocated to any other befitting location (ideato) as long as it is still in imo state…..it must not be Owerri zone or okigwe zone.
anywhere can serve provided it has the required land and serenity.

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1. Nnaemy says:
  
  January 31, 2012 at 4:21 AM
  
  U are simply rite.
  
  Reply
Nenyeman says:

January 27, 2012 at 3:17 PM

This guy is just hungry and and have nothing good to say.See his dressing..

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Ken Uzozie says:

January 27, 2012 at 6:21 PM

Any body, or group from Owerri zone, that advances any reasons whatsoever to have the Imo state University remain anywhere in Owerri zone has PURE RED AND ABSOLUTE GREED flowing in his or the group’s veins as blood. There are already (1) FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI, (2) ALVAN IKOKU COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, OWERRI, (3)FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, NEKEDE, OWERRI; (4) IMO STATE POLYTECHNIC, Umuagwo, THOUGH TECHNICALLY IN ORLU ZONE IS JUST A STONE THROW FROM OWERRI; in fact, Owerri houses most of the staff and students of the
Imo State Polytechnic.

In any case, it is only semi illiterate shylock landlords (perhaps, this Iwualla included) never tired of jumbo rents that can ever protest the relocation of IMSU from an already academic institutions’ clogged Owerri zone.
Universities grow and grow and grow if they are meant to be real universities unless meant as avenues to have rent payers. In fact, if those myriad academic institutions now located in Owerri are meant to grow, in the next few decades, there must be cries to relocate some of them from Owerri.
Industries make towns to become mega cities, not solely academic institutions. Groups must make efforts to attract or build imndustries to transform their towns to gigantic cities yielding high property rents/costs; depending on government patronage alone or depriving others of the wealth you own commonly with them because the state’s capital is located in your domain smack of one, or a group beclouded by ignorance.
Between, any law made in the past to have any campus of IMSU located anywhere in Owerri zone where many other academic institutions are already located is a law made in bad faith, and needs to be repealed.
Owerri zone has just 9 LGAs in Imo state. Okigwe has 6 Lgas( Abia state University, Uturu, is serviced by Okigwe town hence the area may find it difficult to accommodate a second university like IMSU). Orlu zone has 12 Lgas with a teaching hospital of IMSU. I do not come from Ideator, but I do know that the entire Ideator North and South Lgas may account for 1/5th of the land mass of Imo state; so what’s wrong with having a university there if the state govt can finance that?
Publish this.

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Ken Uzozie says:

January 27, 2012 at 6:27 PM

My comment awaiting moderation? Have you changed style again, Madam? I love your site for its juicy news about Imo state. Imo state govt web site now carries stale news since Ikedi Ohakim and his group left. Publish every view. That makes a journal worth its salt unless you want to remain a clan journal. Believe you me, if i am from Owerri zone, I must jubilate for Imo state govt’s plan to relocate IMSU to another area outside Owerri. Owerri is saturated to the brim.

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1. ADMIN says:
  
  January 27, 2012 at 9:36 PM
  
  Sorry oh. Not sure why that happens at times. We apologize for any inconveniences. On the other hand, you could also try posting with your Facebook account, it shows up immediately.
  
  Thanks for your kind compliments on the blog.
  
  Cheers
  
  Reply
Rose says:

January 28, 2012 at 12:32 AM

Is that his purpose of being elected? The university has a permenent allocated site.so if the governor is working as an Imo governor devoid of any hidden agenda,he should relocate the school to the already mapped out site.Meanwhile for those of you who don’t know the difference between federal and state university,please go and be learned before writing blindly.

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1. Orji Clems says:
  
  January 29, 2012 at 4:45 PM
  
  And why must you have both the federal university and state university located only in your Owerri zone? Your ignorant, lousy and greeedy person’s answer: Because Owerri is the state capital, so any development-inducement factor must be located in the state capital. Any area that is not state capital in Imo state can go to hell.
  
  Reply
opho says:

January 28, 2012 at 6:13 AM

My good people of Imo state, the only way to correct the abnormalies of the past is to balance the lopsided actions of the past. I think that our brothers from the Owerri/Mbaise axis should equally understand that that state is not called Owerri or Mbaise state and not until such is declared, it makes sence to organize things for a meaningful development and avert future uproar. Why must all Imo development be concentrated in this two areas. All the notable universities, college of educations, politechnics, airports, hotels, govt. establishements etc are all located in that area. Why havent the indigenes of those areas that are now complaining complained the absence of these infrastructures in other places. The million dollar question is, is Ideator part of Imo state?, the obvious answer is yes. Is there any known governement establishement situated in that area?, the answer is no. Why the imbalance?

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Hyacinth Uzoma says:

January 29, 2012 at 2:11 AM

Oh God of Unchangeable power, what is the reason most of our people are so mentally retarded, so nepotic, so clannish and unapologetically ethnic, and consequently so myopic that they can hardly see beyond their noses.

Is it not because our main preoccupation is what we or our close family members can benefit from any government initiative or project that we cry to high heaven when things go contrary to our views? Is it not due to our gross unmistakeable greed and avarice that we fail to see the bigger picture when issues like location of a university center is in question?

Lord have mercy on your people and free us from mental retardation and idiocy, for the man who is in the habit of severing human heads does not allow anyone to walk behind his back with a matchet. May the good Lord ginger the likes of Iwualla to move to the center in Abuja and fight for the country and the common weal. May his education not be like a sharp knife in the hands of a monkey that will cut aimlessly in any direction for that is what it appears to be at the present time. Above all, may his education not be a retrogression into Mongolian idiocy!

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Victor Nnamdi Okonkwo Ceo says:

January 29, 2012 at 3:22 PM

Rochas should not dare the Okigwe people and the present Speaker Rt.Hon Ben Uwajimogu should attract at least two or more developmental project in his zone

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Pst vitus nwajesus says:

January 29, 2012 at 6:35 PM

Whatsoever that is profitable to imo state do it. Imo has 27local government try ur best. As a successful bussinessman imo must be one of the best state in nigeria

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Sam Chuks says:

January 29, 2012 at 9:28 PM

I think that the dying wishes of late Gov. Sam Mbakwe who should be regarded as the “father of Imo State” be respected. I dont think his vision of spreading the campuses throughout the former Imo state was bad. The former Governors mocked that vision by being selfish and hijacking IMSU to their villages.It is abominable to dig a grave and leave it empty.The large expanse of land alloted by late Mbakwe in Uvuru/Ngor Okpala axis should not be left empty because of politics of ethnicity.Is it not a shame that after so many years of IMSU, a permanent site is still being debated?Every part of Imo State will get one amenity or the other, but it is hateful to relocate one already sited to a virgin place because the incumbent is from that place.

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Peters ezouke says:

January 29, 2012 at 11:36 PM

Imsu should be relocated to ngor okpala i mean to obike if possible to umueme,becos if we check by record u wil see that their is no development in obike pls we have a lot of space in umueme obike gov should come n develop those land,frm umueme to port harcout is just one hour with a beautiful road.

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Alex Emeziem Jnr says:

January 30, 2012 at 1:38 PM

Great piece, onye nwere nti ya gere.

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Nwokocha Hope IT. says:

January 30, 2012 at 5:30 PM

The governor have actually proven that he is going to be worser than ohakim.When people of owerri zone voted him in,i knew they made the worst mistake because the devil u is better than the angel u dont know,okorocha is the angel that we dont know and now he is manifesting his true colours.Let begin with these:1,i am an urban planner by profession there re two basic consideration in planning before siting a facility or amenity,which include range of good and threshold population.Considering the governor’s decision to site the university in his village that means he is very selfish and self centere,in the sense that his rescue mission is for the orlu zone of the state in preparation of the creation of orlu state.The mbakwe site of the university remains the best choice because mbaise alone have the highest numbers of both under graduate and graduate which would have supported the threshold population of the institution.

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desmond says:

January 31, 2012 at 11:20 AM

UNFOLDING intrigues on the controversy surrounding the proposed relocation of the Imo State University, appeared to be clandestine avenue for politicians to promote political aggrandizement than public interest which they purport to protect.
So many factors and sentiments may have been invoked to paint unimaginable picture of marginalization that is capable of creating bad blood and mischief whereby, one zone is pitched against others.
The proposed location of IMSU should not be an issue that should tear the State apart, thereby, distracting the widely-acclaimed developmental strides of Governor Rochas Okorocha’s government.
It ought to be clear to those making inflammable comments in the media, most of which were sponsored by politicians eyeing 2015 Imo Governorship that the location of the State University should be a contentious affair. The enabling law for the exercise needed to be presented to the State House of Assembly for debate and possible approval to provide the necessary instruments of relocation.
The State lawmakers who have the mandate of the 27 State Constituencies in Imo, need to critically study any bill in respect of it and ask questions where necessary.
It is by their convinction, considering the general good of the Imo people and the law establishing the Imo State University, that they could pass the Bill or not.
Comments outside these procedure tended to introduce sentiments just to enhance the political clout and ambition of invisible guber hopefuls for 2015.
The programme on the Hot FM, radio recently, where three speakers from the Owerri Zonal Youths Association may have been arranged to brutally express anger and disapproval against the proposed relocation of IMSU from Owerri zone to Orlu zone. Their comments lacked tact and diplomacy.
The Speakers were betrayed by sentiments and perhaps the spirit of their sponsors who were merely chasing shadow rather than substance. The abusive comments and name callings rather than objective look at the issue could worsen matters in the seeming face of ego and power management.
Taking full advantage of a radio to pour venom on the Governor of the State without any iota of reverence, showed the direction of the attackers.
What was intriguous was an event before the radio station’s celebrated programme tagged ‘Peoples Assembly’ where Senator Chris Anyanwu, the sole owner of the Hot FM radio had convened a meeting of Owerri zonal Stakeholders and vowed to stop the relocation of IMSU.
The ovation that followed her speech was unprecedented, as if her say had become the way. The three state lawmakers from the Owerri zone who are in the State House of Assembly, said to have been called out to know their role over the proposed relocation.
The gentle men standing like suspects were arraigned for treason, were said to have described the relocation issue as mere speculation, since as at the time of the town hall meeting, the Executive had not presented any Bill in respect of the issue assuring that they could only take a stand when it seeks legislative imput.
The explanation of the three lawmakers, could not be taken seriously as comments were said to be renting the sky, that structures have been springing up overnight at the proposed site, awaiting the relocation.
At the end, there was nomination of notable leaders from the Owerri zone, who would confront the Governor on his plans to relocate the IMSU, and the delegation would be led by Chief E.C. Iwuanyanwu, who incidentally was the Chairman of the Town hall meeting.
There were some costly comments made by one of the Speakers on the Hot FM radio programme where it was alleged that the lawmakers would freely allow the passage of a relocation Bill since the Governor had rendered the House impotent. Was it not gross insult?
To Senator Anyanwu, who secured APGA platform on platters, to enable her return to the Senate to impulsively convened Town hall meeting of the Owerri zone most of who are PDP Chieftains, was a demonstration of lack of working relationship and mistrust on a government she ought to have been part of.
Irrespective of the quantum of speculations as the three lawmakers asserted, the APGA elected Senator owes it a duty to seek audience with her Governor to ascertain the veracity of the gossip as part of her fact-finding efforts.
It would have been after such visit that the Senator will be in a better position to alert fellow stakeholders in the zone, giving that she does not want to complain at higher quarters.
Convening town hall meeting without exploring the necessary avenues as members of one political party who must have worked as a family during electioneering campaign depicted hidden animosity and perhaps, the Senator has axe to grind with the Governor who may be unaware of that.
The manner and urgency with which the meeting was convened without any home work, suggested that the Senator may have been laying siege against the Governor and felt that the IMSU saga was the opportunity to strike.
One sees the Senator losing the battle, which at the end could only remain a burden if what she calculated to achieve fails to materialize.
Discussing the Imo State University, which was established by the Mbakwe regime in 1981, when it was the old Imo State, his concept was for a multi-campus arrangement which really did not satisfy such vision probably because of cost implications. No doubt, there could be drawing board proposals that were not actualized.
Since the creation of Imo in 1976, Owerri has remained the Capital City, without the IMSU sited at Owerri by Mbakwe, as he sited the University at Madona High School Etiti in the Okigwe zone, which was his zone as the then Governor.
There was no eyebrow raised as to why the University was not sited at the State Capital Owerri or anywhere closer. There were stories that the same Mbakwe regime ear-marked future proposed site at the Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala which are the two sister LGAs where the Imo airport is sited, yet the Airport belongs to the entire Imo (former and present).
Therefore, if these two LGAs hosting the Airport are by any administrative policy review denied as the future site of IMSU, they would not have much to cry about.
At the intervention of the military which saw Ike Nwachukwu as the Military Governor, the University was finally relocated from Etiti temporary site to Uturu when it was part of Okigwe zone where both Mbakwe and Nwachukwu belong. The only difference was that Uturu was confirmed permanent site and remained irrevocable.
There was no agitation of any sort against the Uturu site until the creation of Abia State which excised Uturu out of the present Imo and grouped it to Abia, alongside with the University.
However, when the Late Senator Evan Enwerem became the pioneer Civilian Governor of Imo State, he discovered that the licence establishing the IMSU read Imo State, he retrieved the licence from the Nigerian University Commission as he fought in vain to return the Institution back to Imo.
Abia State had no option than to seek for new licence for the Abia State University, Uturu.
The Imo State University was thus, returned in paper without structures, making the State Government to dramatically site the University at Lake Nwaebere where the FUTO was temporarily occupying. Because it was federal, it has to be relocated to Ihiagwa as permanent site.
Imo, which has no available funds to embark on University project temporarily sited the IMSU at the structures used by FUTO, even though the land was originally the property of the Federal Girls Secondary School.
The implication was that IMSU is a tenant on the site and must eventually leave the site one day.
The NUC, was said to have written the Imo State Government to provide permanent site for the State University or it could run the risk of being closed down.
It is noteworthy, that the IMSU which Enwerem retrieved its licence from Abia, never returned back as the original multi-campus, as both Imo and Abia run their respective State Universities on entirely, new concept of Mono-Campus University.
Giving that two sites were proposed at Ogbaku and Ngor-Okpala/Mbaise, none, has been physically developed by any of the past administrations neither has any skeletal development been done there. There is no doubt, that if any of the sites had been developed, the government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha would not have thought of a third site.
Like his governorship which came against odds, the Governor perhaps could not find any commitment of his predecessor on ground to justify the movement to a virgin land, and perhaps, because of the protocol and bureaucracy that will ensure the idea of new site came into his mind and in order to beat the NUC’s directive the Orlu site where the people promised communal efforts to raise the needed infrastructure, was favoured.
Lands are not merely acquired by mere pronouncements, without any physical presence or commitment as was in the case of the proposed IMSU sites at Ogbaku and Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala.
It has become a case of a “stitch in time saving nine” if before the expiration of the NUC’s deadline, there is no ready site to relocate IMSU, it could either be closed down as threatened or go into another temporary site. But if before the deadline, structures that could host a University spring up miraculously the problem would have been solved.
There was even fears and suspicion by some agitators, that if the IMSU was allowed to be located at Orlu, the State may lose the University in the wake of an Orlu State. This fear is far fetched as what happened between Abia and Imo has become a case study where the State which the Institution is registered in her name becomes the custodian of the licence and could easily retrieved it to quickly establish own University, while the new State seeks for its own licence.
The University has no option than to be there, so that it could be saved from closure.
Since there was no known law stating that a State University must be sited at the State Capital or the zone of the Capital city, Imo University owned by the entire State could be anywhere.
The idea of siting a University at the heart of the Capital City has multiplier effect. It is insecurity-inherent. In the event of any crisis, especially students riot, the student usually have open confrontation with security agents which occasionally leads to loss of life, and damages to public property.
Socially, the nearness of such higher Institution in the heart of the city promotes crime, prostitution and unnecessarily increasing house rents coupled with the distractions caused by the urban environment.
But relocating the School to remote area out of the reach of the Capital city affords the students the serene environment for learning. Any student at such distant site who could not fit in, implies that he or she does not come for studies but something else.
Therefore, Owelle Rochas should be spared of the attack for proposing to relocate the IMSU to the Orlu zone, not because he wants to join the league of Governors who relocated higher institutions to their area, but perhaps based on the fact that he is as one who has penchant for education.
Considering his boundless developmental strides in all the zones of the State simultaneously, Imo could afford the Governor to have his way on this single project.
Owelle Rochas Okorocha deserves to be honoured while he lives for his vision and efforts to make Imo better.
…culled from announcer express newspaper

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1. MBAMA CHIGOZIE says:
  
  January 31, 2012 at 4:49 PM
  
  TWO QUESTIONS FOR ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT IT TAKES JUST ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING TO BUILD A TOWN:(I) DO YOU PEOPLE REMEMBER THAT A CAMPUS OF ALVAN IKOKU COLLEGE OF EDUCATION WAS LOCATED AT ORLU TOWN BY THE MBAKWE-LED ADMINISTRATION? THAT AS SOON AS MBAKWE LEFT, THE MILITARY GOVERNOR THAT TOOK OVER FROM HIM WAS INSTIGATED TO CLOSE THE ORLU CAMPUS OF AICE? CLOSE THE CAMPUS, THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT DID. ALL THE INVESTMENTS, RENOVATION WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDED BY THE IMO STATE GOVERNMENT AT THE ORLU CAMPUS OF ALVAN BECAME A WASTE AFTER THAT. (2)DO YOU PEOPLE REMEMBER THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COLLEGE NOW IN OKIGWE WAS ONCE LOCATED IN ORLU?
  
  WE ARE LUCKY THAT IMSU HAS NO DEVELOPED INFRASTRUCTURE YET, BESIDES THE MAKE-SHIFT STRUCTURES IN ITS PRESENT SITE AT OWERRI.
  LET US REACH THE BRIDGE BEFORE WE CROSS IT: IF AND WHENEVER THE ENVISAGED NEW STATE IS CREATED IN THE (IMO WEST ZONE)ORLU AREA, THE ASSETS OF IMSU CAN BE DIVIDED BETWEEN THE EMERGENT STATE AND WHAT IS LEFT OF PRESENT IMO STATE. THE NEWLY CREATED STATE CAN THEN PAY CASH FOR NON-DIVISIBLE ASSETS OF IMSU TO THE NEW IMO STATE.
  OWERRI ZONE FOR NOW IS OVERSATURATED WITH ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING, THAT’S THE ISSUE FOR CONSIDERATION NOW. ANOTHER PERMANENT CAMPUS OF IMSU IN OWERRI ZONE FOR ANY REASONS IS AN OVERKILL TO THE CITY, IT TENDS TO ENTRENCH AND DEMONSTRATE WHAT WE HAVE HAD SINCE THE EXCISION OF ABIA STATE FROM THE OLD IMO STATE VIZ: THAT ALL THERE IS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN A STATE IS JUST THE STATE CAPITAL ALONE. PARENTS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN IMO STATE ARE GROANING OVER THE HIGH RENTS IN OWERRI. IF WE SITE IMSU CAMPUS AT MBAISE/NGOR OKPALLA, OR ELSEWHERE IN OWERRI ZONE, OWERRI MUST STILL REMAIN THE RESIDENCE FOR THE STUDENTS.
  DOES IT EVER OCCUR TO PEOPLE THAT ON CREATION DAY OF IMO STATE IN 1976, THERE WAS HARDLY ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE LEVELS OF URBANISATION AND SIZES OF THE OLD THREE TOWNS OF OWERRI, ORLU AND OKIGWE? BECA– — USE PEOPLE OUTSIDE OWERRI KEPT PATIENT ALL THESE YEARS TO HAVE US DEVELOP AND HAVE A BEFFITING STATE CAPITAL MUST NOT BE MISCONSTRUED FOR INDIFFERENCE BY THEM TO GOVERNMENT-INDUCED DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ALL THESE YEARS.
  TODAY, ORLU AND OKIGWE HAVE NO PIPE-BORNE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM. MBAKWE’S MULTIBILLION NAIRA REGIONAL WATER SCHEME PLANNED FOR OWERRI, ORLU, ABA OKIGWE, AND UMUAHIA HAD SINCE BEEN COMPLETED FOR OWERRI. IF TODAY IMO STATE GOVERNMENT STARTS A SIMILAR WATER PROJECT EARMARKED FOR ORLU AND EMBARKS ON RETICULATION OF OKIGWE REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY SCHEME, IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS OR SO, IMO STATE’S CAPITAL PROJECT WOULD NEARLY ALL GO INTO PROVIDING THESE ESSENTIAL PROJECTS FOR ORLU AND OKIGWE. ON THE FACE OF THAT, WHO THEN WOULD COME OUT TO TALK ABOUT BUILDING OR LOCATION OF IMSU?
  ALL OF IMO STATE MUST BE MADE LIVABLE FOR EVERY IMOLITE, NOT THE CAPITAL ALONE. LET US STOP BEING THIS CLANISH IN APPROACHING ISSUES. TAKE ASIDE THE FACT THAT GOVERNOR OKOROCHA IS FROM IDEATOR SOUTH LGA, THE TWO IDEATORS OCCUPY A VAST PORTION OF IMO STATE, IT HAS NEVER HAD ANY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT SITED IN IT BY SUCCESSIVE IMO STATE GOVERNMENTS. IDEATOR AREA DESERVES THE LOCATION OF IMSU.
  
  Reply
amzy says:

February 2, 2012 at 5:48 PM

Y wil rochas do such a venomous act?all dis blind. Updaters,aint U̶̲̥̅̊ guys sensing d̶̲̥̅̊ rues?d̶̲̥̅̊ last tn orlu zone wnts b4 bkmn a state is a state university and dt d̶̲̥̅̊ are about acheivn.U̶̲̥̅̊ fnk wen he gets wt he wnts,imo wil stil b imo? And orlu zone wil stil b under imo?laiiiiiii ofcos d̶̲̥̅̊ wil move 2 d̶̲̥̅̊ nxt agenda n which is paSsn of bill 4 creation of a new state.and dn we imolites bkm aaron who went home wif nofn.blind morons,wake up n help protest b4 it,s too late

Reply
Legendkid says:

February 4, 2012 at 4:24 PM

And i heard the imsu VC is in support of the project?

Reply
AWO says:

February 4, 2012 at 9:20 PM

IMSU is relocated to Kano or Abia or IMO STATE?? why all this noises.. IMO citizen open ur eyes to issues that are important. IMSU is being relocated to another part of the same IMO. Owerri is already full man. Then Anambra people should be crying for making Enugu what it is before Enugu became a State. We are all IGBOs. You have to bother for something that supposed to come to IGBOLAND that was diverted to another Zone instead to Igboland. This is my Mind…

Reply
Emeka Metu says:

February 4, 2012 at 11:42 PM

Yeye de smell. Nearly every revenue that comes to Imo state has all along been spent in Owerri since the excision of Abia from Old Imo state. Just because a state university is being located outsuide Owerri zone, (which by the way houses and has nearly all the development infrastructure Imo state has), people now begin yabis. IMSU was meant to be shared among the three zones, abi? But current realities show that Owerri zone is having more than it can chew in terms of academic and sundry development institutions in the zone. And so why is Ideator not a wise choice for IMSU? Because the governor is from Ideator? Come off that line of argument.

Reply
Abdul Hamman says:

August 4, 2012 at 4:37 AM

What did the orlu town people did to owerri people to the fact that they dont want orlu to develope as it is to other city in the state.
Now we the orlu people have realized that they are so greed to the fact that they want all development to stay at owerri alone. Have you ever seen in a state where such a thing happened? Look at Anambra for in stans.Awka is new capital and is developing including both Onitsha and Nnewi, all banks and universities and channeling to this zones for all of the towns to development at the same time, Owerri people think they are wise but they are the worse fools..Imos state University must stay at Ogboko nomatter what ever you want to do do,,we orly Dynamite are a strong force

Reply

RELOCATION OF IMSU: What is Gov. Okorocha up to?

Imo State University (IMSU) was originally modeled after the famous University of Nebraska in the United States of America.
Accordingly, the Imo State Law No. 4 of 1981 provided for five temporary campuses for the university to be located at the existing five senatorial zones in the old Imo State.

Interestingly, Ex-Governor Achike Udenwa restored the multi-campus system of the university by establishing the university’s Teaching Hospital in Orlu and School of Engineering in Okigwe.

That is why his reason for the policy and that given by his Information Commissioner are inconsistent. Nevertheless, in his usual manner, I know that very soon, the Governor will direct the state legislature which he has already rendered impotent to pass the bill for the said relocation.

Unfortunately, this relocation has already started causing a lot of anxieties and has attracted a very wide condemnation from Imolites especially from the people of Owerri and Okigwe senatorial zones.

Nevertheless, I want to join issues with the Governor’s claim that his reason for relocating the school was in compliance with NUC directive. Recent findings show that there was no such directive from the commission.

Therefore, it is pure fallacy and abject deceit to lay the above claim because even abroad why my Governor has traveled to, universities are even located in streets of busy cities.

Therefore, if the Governor succeeds in relocating what remains of the university to Ideato, it then means that no state owned high institution will be in both Okigwe and Owerri zones.

Also, it could have been more equitable to choose any other site in Owerri Zone and then actualize the School of Engineering in Okigwe. Why carrying everything to his zone just as Ike Nwachukwu did in 1985? Madness!

Written and Submitted by:

Barr. Emperor Iwuala Ksc.
Legal/Media Practitioner writing from Owerri
08037247295
emperoriwuala@yahoo.com

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Imo State University (IMSU) was originally modeled after the famous University of Nebraska in the United States of America. Accordingly, the Imo State Law No. 4 of 1981 provided for five temporary campuses for the university to be located at the existing five senatorial zones in the old Imo State.

Interestingly, Ex-Governor Achike Udenwa restored the multi-campus system of the university by establishing the university’s Teaching Hospital in Orlu and School of Engineering in Okigwe.

That is why his reason for the policy and that given by his Information Commissioner are inconsistent. Nevertheless, in his usual manner, I know that very soon, the Governor will direct the state legislature which he has already rendered impotent to pass the bill for the said relocation.

Unfortunately, this relocation has already started causing a lot of anxieties and has attracted a very wide condemnation from Imolites especially from the people of Owerri and Okigwe senatorial zones.

Nevertheless, I want to join issues with the Governor’s claim that his reason for relocating the school was in compliance with NUC directive. Recent findings show that there was no such directive from the commission.

Therefore, it is pure fallacy and abject deceit to lay the above claim because even abroad why my Governor has traveled to, universities are even located in streets of busy cities.

Therefore, if the Governor succeeds in relocating what remains of the university to Ideato, it then means that no state owned high institution will be in both Okigwe and Owerri zones.

Also, it could have been more equitable to choose any other site in Owerri Zone and then actualize the School of Engineering in Okigwe. Why carrying everything to his zone just as Ike Nwachukwu did in 1985? Madness!

Written and Submitted by:

Barr. Emperor Iwuala Ksc. Legal/Media Practitioner writing from Owerri 08037247295 emperoriwuala@yahoo.com

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Imo State University (IMSU) was originally modeled after the famous University of Nebraska in the United States of America.
Accordingly, the Imo State Law No. 4 of 1981 provided for five temporary campuses for the university to be located at the existing five senatorial zones in the old Imo State.

Barr. Emperor Iwuala Ksc.
Legal/Media Practitioner writing from Owerri
08037247295
emperoriwuala@yahoo.com