While Imo pensioners were at various churches praying and supplicating for God’s intervention in the payment of several months of pension arrears, Governor Okorocha of Imo State in a bid to turn the table to his favour, was at a recent APC governors meeting in Abuja alleged to have donated hugely to fund the APC National convention scheduled for June 23rd, 2018. This is in line with the governors boast to neutralize his competitors with truck loads of money.
Information reaching our news desk reveals that following the internal crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State and having lost in the ward, local government and state congresses, the governor has carried his war of attrition to Abuja to show his capacity and re-launch himself into the national structure as an indispensible stakeholder.
Our source disclosed that while other governors (23 of them) some of whom are from the financial buoyant states like Lagos, Edo and Ogun, pledged only the sum of N100 million each the Imo Governor in order to diffuse the views and impression created earlier in other instances, that he has not been financing the party at the state level, pledged to release shocking amount of money which our source said is over half a billion naira in order to endear himself to the party leadership.
Our source reveals that, out of the twenty four APC governors, Okorocha appears to be the only one that lost the party structure in the state to his deputy and others and he is alleged to be doing everything possible to pacify the presidency and as well effect his third term bid as alleged by Hon. Uche Onyeagocha by installing his surrogate as the next governor of Imo State.
Some stakeholders of the party who spoke to our correspondent on phone on condition of anonymity stated that, “it is very annoying that at a time our pensioners are lamenting and dying for non-payment of statutory entitlements, our governor can be making this type of donation to feather his political nest. This they said is ridiculous, insensitive, and ungodly.
According to them, “he intends to compromise the party leadership to turn the table against results of the recent congresses which he has also challenged in court. This is callous”.
Commenting on the development, the National Co-ordiantor of Imo peoples Action for Democracy (IPAD), Comrade Aku Obidinma said he was perplexed when he heard of the alleged donation and described the action as scandalous, unnecessary and condemnable.
He further stated that it is the height of irresponsibility, rascality for a sitting governor to neglect his constitutional obligation of paying workers and pensioners for the mundane and that if he is a genuine leader, he should get his priorities right.
Continuing, he queried why the governor is so desperate to succeed in his 3rd term bid in Imo, stating that there is no rationale for the donation of such huge sum of money when the state and its citizens are dying.
