– As Group Catalogues Okorocha’s Poorly Built Projects
The frightening cracks on the walls of the Owerri High Court complex constructed by former Governor Rochas Okorocha, have attracted the attention of most lawyers in the state who expressed concern over the imminent danger the structure poses to lawyers and litigants.
Some of them who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity noted that if urgent steps are not taken to address the situation the building will wreak irredeemable havoc on Imo people.
A lawyer who simply identified himself as Ikenna said, “the structure has because so threatening that we may wake up one day and hear that the building has collapsed on lawyers and litigants”
Recall that, a release issued by the Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, Owerri branch, Franklin Amandi, said, “The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Owerri branch Chief Chris Ihentuge, Esq while addressing a cross section of lawyers, called for the suspension of sitting at the Justice Orjiakor Block of the Justice Oputa High Court complex, New Owerri.
The release captioned, “SUSPENSION OF SITTING AT THE JUSTICE ORJIAKOR BLOCK OF THE JUSTICE OPUTA HIGH COURT COMPLEX, NEW OWERRI”, stated that, “the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Owerri branch; Chief Chris Ihentuge, Esq., this morning addressed a cross section of lawyers at the Justice Oputa High Court complex, expressing serious concerns about the integrity of the Justice Orjiakor block of the complex.
According to the Chairman, it was reported that while a judge was sitting yesterday, the building was vibrating, and the Chief Registrar confirmed that report.
The Chairman decried that a few weeks ago when the Governor had a media briefing, he complained about the state of the building, and the Governor confirmed having gotten the report and promised to do something about that immediately, but unfortunately nothing has been done.
The Chairman in his address stated that we cannot afford to risk our lives all in a bit to attend to our duties as lawyers and called for suspension of sittings in the said block for at least one week. Judges sitting at the said block were also accordingly informed.
The Chairman of the Bar also seized the opportunity to bitterly lament the vacancy in the office of the Chief Judge of the state for roughly three months now, despite several complaints to the state Governor”.
Meanwhile, a group known as Imolites For Good Governance,IFGG has called on the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma to make a former Governor Rochas Okorocha accountable for wasting the resources of the state on poorly executed sub standard projects that cost billions of Naira.
The Director of Media/Publicity of the group, Gideon Maxwell said they are worried about how the Governor who, on assumption of office assured Imo people that he will continue from where his predecessor, former Gov Emeka Ihedioha stopped by ensuring that the report of the White Paper arising from all the panels of enquiry set up by the state government are implemented to the letter.
“But surprisingly, that is no longer the case. This, has to a large extent given credence to speculations that Okorocha has settled with the Hope Uzodinma administration. Hence all the issues that were on the front burner of public discourse have been swept under the carpet. If this is not the case, how does one explain that a project like the Imo International Convention Center (IICC) that was reportedly built with billions of millions of naira was quietly demolished 7 years after Okorocha left office. The Police Headquarters constructed under the Rochas Okorocha administration by Zigrates construction company said to be owned by Pascal Obi, who was Okorocha’s kinsman and former Principal Secretary has also been demolished. Same with the 27 General hospitals in the various Local Government Areas of the state. All these were either demolished or rendered useless barely seven years after Okorocha left office as Governor of Imo State.
The Hope Uzodinma administration has surprisingly kept mute all these while without asking questions or seeking to know why such gigantic projects built with the state’s resources should be demolished or allowed to waste without asking questions or raising eyebrows”.
Some political pundits in the state who commented on the development stated that the questionable silence of the Hope Uzodinma administration in the face of all these is not only ominous but also sends a very dangerous signal.
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