Article: Governor Okorocha’s Lies On Radio

Governor Okorocha

By Kenneth Uwadi

I must applaud myself for successfully avoiding the Rochas Okorocha’s radio interview of 5/1/15. There are several wonderful TV programmes begging for my attention, so I considered it a waste of my time to listen to Okorocha’s talk on radio which judging from his past will be nothing more than unappetizing combo of cassava-market nonsense, careless hawking of plenty lies and further attempt at self-celebration. Whenever Okorocha is on air, he usually presents himself as one of the world’s most righteous human beings and competent leaders when we all know that Imo’s condition today under his watch is too dangerous for silence. We all know that Okorocha and his clique of thieves have turned Imo State into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom .

I heard he said in the interview that he is not corrupt and that his first daughter, Uloma Nwosu sales cook and bread in Government House Owerri. Do you believe this? How can a Governor make such an uninspiring statement? In one of my articles I talked about Ali Baba the character from the medieval Arabic literature Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. In the literature story Ali Baba encountered 40 thieves and later became their leader. In that my article I told you with reasons why the Governor of Imo State Chief Rochas Okorocha is another Ali Baba.
 

I told you about the looting of the 13 percent oil derivation funds of ISOPADEC and the looting of the 27 LGA funds in Imo State. I also tried to open every eyes to see and recognized the true identity of the dishonorable men and women purporting to represent our collective interest in the Imo State House of Assembly. I called the Imo State House of Assembly the zombie parliament.

In a propaganda to paint "all is well" picture of Imo State, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State is always on radio, Africa Independent Television (AIT ) and Channel TV to buoy his ego and selfish interests. The irony of this madness is that our governor who should cover his face in shame for looting the resources of Imo State is the one dominating television and radio stations and the pages of Newspapers talking about fake transformation in Imo State when nothing tangible is on ground in the 27 Local government of the State.

The first wicked actions of the Okorocha’s government was the sack of 10,000 Imo civil servants. Four years after Okorocha wickedly sacked 10,000 Imo youths in order not to pay wages, he has shamelessly launched a scam called IMO YOUTHS MUST WORK programme, a programme where he boast to employ 25,000 Imo youths under a slave-driving casualization of workers scheme. With the IMO YOUTHS MUST WORK programme ,he is to place Imo youths as casual workers and give them a poverty wage and not allow them to join trade union. They are to be paid a ridiculous amount of N20,000 out of which N2,000 will be deducted as tax.

Since Okorocha said he is not corrupt he should at least tell us about Joseph Dino of Jpros Limited and the stolen Imo tax payers N1.3 billion naira. He should tell us about Marinlopez-pepe and Imo tax payers N3.5 billion. He should tell us why he sold public corporations and utilities such as ITC, Adapalm, Concord Hotel and Imo Municipal Company to himself in the name of privatization as well as the doling out of public resources to his cronies. He should tell us what he did for our LGA’s with all the huge funds allocated monthly to the 27 local Government areas of Imo State since May 2011 till date that is well above N132 billion naira.

 
There is no development in any of the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State since Okorocha came in to power. No Hospitals, Schools, Markets, bore holes for water or any rural electrifications etc in any autonomous community in Imo State in four years of the life of this administration. The only roads in the rural areas of Imo are those built by unsuspecting contractors/individuals with their hard earned money that is now begging for regularization and payment. Where are IROMA trucks and equipment valued at N12.5 Billion? Where is the supposed 3.5 billion naira proceeds from the sale/lease of Adalpam? What has happened to over N16 billion 13% (derivation) allocated to Imo State oil producing areas development commission (ISOPADEC)since May 2011?

In the past, LGA funds in Imo State was used to develop certain vital social services in the grass root like education, health care and key investments on infrastructures like water, electricity, roads, industries, etc, all which severally and collectively positively impacted on the living standard of the ordinary working masses in the grassroot areas .In sharp contrast, the current Okorocha's so-called government, acting under the dictates and or in concert with imperialism has completely jettisoned the idea of government using local government funds and resources to better the lots of the local councils Instead, it has adopted a whole scale capitalist, neo-liberal strategy of looting of council funds.

In effect, a permanent bazaar society has crystallized with the thieving cabals in the Imo corridors of power looting the resources and wealth of Imo councils leaving the overwhelming majority in the LGA's to provide houses, water, electricity, education, health care, etc, on their own, of course, strictly in accordance to the size of their pockets which is the only vocabulary understood and acceptable in the market jungle. Today, over 70% of Imolites at the grassroot areas are living below poverty line.

This large scale misappropriation of Imo state local government statutory allocation by the governor and his cohorts has functionally collapsed the cherished constitutional third tier structure. For not giving us democratically elected councilors and chairmen in our LGA’s for 4 years now, we are saying go home and rest Rochas Okorocha, go home, Imo will not vote for you again. Find below the monies looted by 

Governor Okorocha in the 27 LGA’s of Imo from May 2011 till December 2013 alone

1. Aboh Mbaise LGA 5,592,914,085.45 billion naira
2. Ahiazu Mbaise LGA 4,893,694,597.34 billion naira
3. Ehime Mbano LGA 4,725,559,182.63 billion naira
4. Ezinihitte LGA 4,997,483,173.94 billion naira
5. Ideato North LGA 5,093,265,185.62 billion naira
6. Ideato South LGA 5,012,503,586.88 billion naira
7. Ihitte Uboma LGA 4,626,105,741.15 billion naira
8. Ikeduru LGA 4,995,560,424.90 billion naira
9. Isiala Mbano LGA 5,577,420,777.89 billion naira
10. Isu LGA 5,011,558,318.56 billion naira
11. Mbaitoli LGA 5,900,278,353.78 billion naira
12. Ngor /Okpala LGA 5,182,836,304.63 billion naira
13. Njaba LGA 4,819,954,493.86 billion naira
14. Nwangele LGA 4,659,850,212.82 billion naira
15. Nkwerre LGA 4,085,707,232.35 billion naira
16. Obowo LGA 4,462,812,258.27 billion naira
17. Oguta LGA 5,014,875,269.83 billion naira
18. Ohaji/Egbema LGA 5,373,005,346.51 billion naira
19. Okigwe LGA 4,804,445,947.19 billion naira
20. Onuimo LGA 4,371,098,781.40 billion naira
21. Orlu LGA 4,759,790,822.05 billion naira
22. Orsu LGA 4,547,088,244.85 billion naira
23. Oru East LGA 4,706,100,105.04 billion naira
24. Oru West LGA 4,646,145,112.23 billion naira
25. Owerri Municipal LGA 4,622,099,470.68 billion naira
26. Owerri North LGA 5,103,710,965.71 billion naira
27. Owerri West LGA 4,782,559,065.16 billion naira

(Uwadi is from Mmahu-Egbema, Imo State. He is the Coordinator of Youths Against Human Rights Violation And Corrupt Practices (YAHVCP))