Okorocha’s abysmal performance still haunts him – Gov Ihedioha

Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State on Wednesday dismissed the outburst and allegations levelled against his administration by former Governor Rochas Okorocha as baseless, saying that Okorocha’s eight years in office was a colossal failure.

Gov. Ihedioha was reacting to Okorocha’s comments where he incited his former aides and supporters to wage war against Ihedioha’s administration and boasting that he (Okorocha) would bring the government to its knees.

The governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Chibuike Onyeukwu, said: “We are not surprised that Okorocha, who is being probed on issues bothering on corruption and his awkward stewardship in the state, especially after the anti-graft agency had sealed some properties belonging to himself, members of his family and associates, would engage in face-saving antics.

“Confronted with the failure to attract attention, the former governor chose to make up his disappointment by repeating his baseless claims against the state government.

“We are not also surprised that the former governor, who recently made statements to the EFCC on how he ruined the state, could make public claims that his government was spending N200 million for the monthly clean-up exercise in Owerri alone, to justify the humongous corruption that ravaged his government.

“If Okorocha was spending N200 million every four weeks on monthly environmental sanitation exercise, it means that he has more questions to answer, especially for the fact that Imo State was an environmental disaster for the period he was governor, necessitating the recent declaration of emergency on the environment by the Ihedioha administration.”

He, therefore, warned Okorocha, who is currently representing Orlu zone at the Senate, to desist from pushing the people of the state to the wall rather to show remorse, return the loots and apologise for his eight years of bad governance in the state.

Ihedioha described as unfortunate that Okorocha, who is currently under investigation over the outrageous inflation of award of series of contracts, ranging from award for the construction of Community Hospital, Ogboko for over N683 million, award of contract for the construction of Ministry of Niger Delta office blocks for over N611 million and award of contract for the construction of Ministry of Happiness office blocks for over N689 million presenting himself as a saint.

According to the governor, Okorocha also awarded contracts for the construction of the Ministry of Sports office blocks for over N689 million, construction of police headquarters, Owerri for over N5 billion, award of contract for the construction of police headquarters (II), Owerri for over N4 billion, award of contract for the construction of Imo State University of Agriculture and Environment, Aboh/Ngor Okpala for over N3 billion, amongst to several others.

He stated that “it is insulting to the people of the state that he is the person now spuriously accusing the Ihedioha administration of spending N2.8 billion on the monthly cleanup exercise.

“We had thought that the former governor would be sober enough to tell Imo people how he converted properties belonging to the state government to himself and members of his family and associates. We had thought that he would tell Imo people the conditions of the roads, hospitals, schools, and other projects he claimed to have spent billions of naira to construct, but he failed the people once again.

“Obviously, Okorocha is worried that Gov. Ihedioha, within a short period he has been in office, even without a handover note, is deliberately laying foundation to addressing the decayed state he left Imo.

“Okorocha should have used the opportunity to explain his role in the suspicious N33 billion absolute garnishee order against the state government, immediately he left office in connivance with his lackeys.

“We understand why he is losing sleep over the successes recorded in the provision of pipe-borne water, addressing ecological challenges, particularly erosion sites, the economy, and fixing physical infrastructures.”

The statement recalled that Gov. Ihedioha is following tenaciously his ‘Rebuild Imo’ agenda that requires him not to retire anyone, but to bring the people together in order to harness their potentialities in rebuilding the state.

“The impact of the united approach in the governance of the state under the Ihedioha administration is the peace and security the people now enjoy. And contrary to what obtained under the Okorocha era, there has been no report of government sponsored kidnappings or killings and nobody has been reported missing.”

‘It is laughable that Okorocha could attempt to incite the people of Imo State against the administration of Ihedioha. He should be mindful of his utterances and conduct and be prepared to take responsibility for their implications,” the statement added.