Imo monarchs warn Okorocha to stop antagonizing Ihedioha

Imo state Council of Traditional Rulers has cautioned the immediate past Governor of the state, Senator Rochas Okorocha to desist from inciting his supporters against Governor Emeka Ihedioha’s administration.

The monarchs equally said that the recent outburst by Sen. Okorocha calls for serious concern and urged him to respect the constituted authority.

Addressing a press conference in Owerri on Wednesday, the Chairman of the council, Eze Samuel Ohiri urged the former governor to conduct himself as a leader and refrain from distracting the state government.

Ohiri, who is the traditional ruler of Obi Orodo in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, told Okorocha, that the state cannot at any point have two governors, reminding him (Okorocha) that Gov. Ihedioha has the mandate of the people of the state who massively voted for him.

“We cannot have two governors at the same time. Emeka Ihedioha is the legitimate governor of the state and should be given the free hand to govern the state and nobody should stampede him.

“Okorocha should allow the current administration in the state do its work and where he feels aggrieved he should approach the court for redress,” the traditional ruler stated.

The monarch disclosed that the royal fathers unanimously backed Ihedioha’s recovery committee on government property and expressed worry that former government officials left their various offices with government properties without any recourse.

He therefore, reminded Sen. Okorocha that he started the probe in 2011 when he was elected as the governor of the state and he appointed Chief Placid Ekwueme to head the recovery committee.

The traditional ruler charged the state government to ensure that all the properties acquired forcefully in the past by previous administration and converted same to private use should be returned to their rightful owners.

“We encourage the recovery team to do its work diligently and ensure that government properties illegally acquired and forcefully taken from people were recovered and returned to the rightful owners.

“Okorocha is not the only living governor that served the state and should adopt civilized ways of approaching issues. Chief Achike Udenwa served the state as a governor for eight years and conducted himself as an elder statesman. Chief Ikedi Ohakim left office quietly without distracting Okorocha’s administration despite the probe panel setup by him (Okorocha),” the monarch said.

The monarch expressed shock that Okorocha built police and prison headquarters with over N20 billion and donated same to the federal government when pensioners were owned several years and civil servants salaries were not paid.

He further condemned the action of the past administration in using state funds to erect hospitals and donating them to the air force, navy and army, and called on the federal government to refund the state government for the projects.

Ohiri queried whether the police and prison headquarters as well as the hospitals donated to federal agencies were captured in the budget by the state legislature, stressing that, if the projects were in the budget, did the legislators agree with the executive to donate them to federal agencies.