– Says, “Imo state has never had it so bad”
A retired Permanent Secretary in Imo state, who pleaded anonymity for the sake of his outstanding arrears of monthly pension and gratuity, has described Owelle Rochas Okorocha, as the “worst governor Imo state ever had in all its existence since 1976”. He stated that “no other governor would be as bad as “Okorocha since according to him, Okorocha represents the extremes of bad governance, insensitivity and sadism”.
He regretted that since the Rescue Mission Administration appropriated power in 2011, nobody has been paid gratuity noting that the governor had deliberately and maliciously resolved to stop all payments of monthly pension to retirees, by once asking retired permanent secretaries who confronted him, over this intention, “why should I pay people who contribute nothing to the government other than idling away at home in the name of retirement?”, as if the money belongs to his late father.
Reacting to Okorocha’s latest claim of having performed excellently and achieving more than all past governors put together, the Ehime Mbano born but retired permanent secretary, argued that “only a shameless governor will ascribe to himself what should be credited to others”. He listed the new government House office complex, the Imo Trade and Investment Centre and the former Imo Traditional Rulers Secretariat which Okorocha now lays claims to as edifices, were practically started and completed by ex-governor, Ikedi Ohakim. The only achievement that can be ascribed to Okorocha he said is tha government House chapel and IICC.
Reacting further, he asked, “how can someone who appropriated council funds for seven years but who could not complete the twenty seven general hospitals he embarked on be compared with ex-governor Achike Udenwa, who completed and commissioned the state Ultra Modern Secretariat Complex along Port Harcourt road Owerri, and the Imo state University Teaching Hospital, Umuna Orlu, which is currently housing more edifices and structures than the proposed twenty seven general hospitals and the one storey classroom blocks put together but which will never be completed in the life term of Okorocha’s eight years administration?” it was on this note that he described Owelle Rochas Okorocha as deceitful, in all ramifications, wondering why Imolites fell into such trap set by Okorocha, which they now pay dearly for, with council election, civil service structure and due process in the conduct of public affairs now things of the past.
On the agitations by Owerri and Okigwe zones over who ought to produce the next governor of Imo state, the worried retired permanent secretary explained that “if Imo people could tolerate a governor as bad and wicked as Okorocha for eight years then they should know that the worst is over, adding that dilly- dallying on a good governorship candidate is immaterial since none of the governorship aspirants on parade presently can be as bad as Rochas Okorocha.
What is important, expedient and imminent he stated, is a candidate and character with the capacity to collect that which the lion holds in his mouth and who could go ahead to recover all the government lands and huge funds looted by Okorocha and his siblings. Anything less is unacceptable.
He therefore cautioned Owerri and Okigwe electorate to close ranks and vote massively for a governorship candidate who will never tolerate the reckless dispositions of Rochas Okorocha but will do all that it will take to recover all the looted funds including Eastern Palm University, Ogboko which land owners say was acquired through dubious 419 means and gross deceit.
