Tag: Okorocha

Imo State Governor on Friday presented a proposed budget of N137,026,528,434 for the year 2014 before the state House of Assembly. The budget, tagged “Budget of Consolidating Rescue”, according to the Governor, is anchored on the 4-year development plan of the Rescue Mission Agenda of the present administration. Governor Okorocha noted that the 2014 budget will accord priority to programmes and projects that will grow the economy, create employment, increase revenue generation capacity and also touch the lives of the people. Major highlights of the capital expenditure include allocation of N45,989,614,100 to the economic sector, which is made up of agriculture; commerce and industry; works and housing; transport and tourism, lands and road development. Earlier in his speech, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu, noted that at the inception of the Okorocha’s administration, there were obstacles that seemed formidable and near-insurmountable, adding that, “by applying robust initiative and rare ingenuity, the whole obstacles have been dismantled.” He submitted that the Rescue Mission Agenda of the present administration is becoming clearer to the people of the state, adding that, “the pace of development speaks for itself, as no past administration had set such high standard of performance.” The Speaker, however, restated the call for a return to the Treasury System for proper implementation of the budget, stressing that this will enhance data collection and analysis, which will facilitate superior and unhindered service delivery.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has emerged as Chairman, Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), comprising the 16 state governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

His emergence was unanimous, the Director general of PGF, Salihu Lukman, said yesterday.

He said Okorocha’s choice “is in furtherance of the commitment of the 16 Progressive governors to strengthen democratic governance structures in the country with the overriding goal of rescuing Nigeria and facilitating the emergence of accountable leadership at all levels led by APC.”

The new chairman, Lukman added, “will provide leadership to PGF to realise the collective vision of the progressive governors to engender expeditiously exemplary human development programmes and policies in all APC states.”

The PGF under Okorocha has pledged to “guarantee the development of participatory governance structures as well as the guarantee of transparent, credible elections and the results reflect the votes of Nigerian people.”

The Agbaso family yesterday demanded an apology from Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha for what it described as unjust impeachment of former Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso, for bribery allegations.

The family demanded the apology, following a letter to the ex-deputy governor by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), clearing him of the allegations.

Agbaso was impeached in March after the House of Assembly alleged he was involved in a N458 million fraud when discharging his duties as deputy governor and Works commissioner.

But, in the EFCC report on the investigation, the anti-graft commission said the Managing Director of JPROS International Ltd, Mr. Joseph Dina, denied giving bribe to Agbaso.

In the EFCC report signed by its Director of Operations, Olaolu Adegbite, the commission said: “The sum of $5,538,830 was found to have been remitted to the personal account of Dina in Dubai and Lebanon,” adding that there was no evidence that the former deputy governor benefited from the fund.

The ex-deputy governor’s elder brother, Chief Martin Agbaso, who spoke with reporters in Lagos, berated the governor for attempting to dent the reputation of the family.

He said the family would challenge the impeachment at the Court of Appeal.

Chief Agbaso said: “I demand apology from Governor Okorocha for trying to destroy the reputation of the deputy governor. EFCC has cleared my brother of any wrongdoing. I am grateful to the Almighty God that my brother’s and family’s names have been cleared.

“The reason for impeaching Sir Agbaso was untenable. He was impeached in a malicious manner. It was a show of shame.”

He said Governor Okorocha removed his brother to create acrimony and secure a justification for breaking the agreement between them on the 2015 governorship election. He also denied the allegation that he was paid to support Okorocha for the governorship poll in 2011.

Agbaso said: “I was not paid to help Okorocha become governor. I funded his campaigns and mobilised funds for him. I organised people to assist him financially.”

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) chieftain apologised to Imo State people for convincing them to elect Okorocha as the governor, adding that he did not carefully study him before the endorsement. The politician said he regretted endorsing the governor.

Agbaso said: “He (Okorocha) had an agreement with me that he would spend one term and he signed the agreement in the presence of the APGA chairman. Now, he is trying to tarnish my image. He will not succeed in tarnishing my image. What we are saying is that there is no business as usual in Imo State.

“I owe the people an apology. I allowed myself to be deceived by Okorocha. I did not know his antecedents. I did not know that he could not honour an agreement. I acted in good faith by supporting him. I mistook him for a philanthropist helping youths to go to school. What I did was to put Imo State first.”

Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday spoke on his political future, hinting that he might take another shot at the presidency in 2015.

The governor, who spoke during a media chat with reporters at the Government House, Owerri, however, said there were pressures from his people that he should run for a second term to complete his projects.

He said having had a shot at the Presidency, the present political situation and the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) might boost his chances of clinching the presidential seat.

Okorocha said: “I have been in the presidential race in the past. So I’m not new in the race. I came second in the primaries, which produced the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Among the political gladiators, I rank as one of the most famous.

“Imo State indigenes don’t want me to leave. They want me to run for a second term, but I think this is my opportunity to take another shot at the Presidency because I believe my vision and ideas are of national quality. I will make it clear soon if I will contest the Presidency in 2015 or go for a second term.”

He said no one has been anointed as a presidential or governorship candidate ahead of the 2015 poll on APC’s platform, adding that the party had not zoned any position, including the Presidency, to any geopolitical zone.

His words: “In APC, we don’t believe in zoning. Let anybody that has something to offer rule the nation. Zoning produced mediocre in the past. We have come to a stage where people should be elected based on merit and what they have to offer, rather than on the basis of their region or background.”

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, yesterday disclosed that more governors are at the verge of dumping the crisis-ridden People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Commending the five PDP Governors for their courage, Okorocha assured that the action of the governors will further strengthen the country’s democracy and midwife the much desired two party system.

Addressing newsmen at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport Owerri on arrival from Abuja, the governor said that he had earlier predicted the crossover of the aggrieved governors to APC, adding that the country is now heading to a two party system which would create the opportunity and freedom synonymous with healthy democracy.

He further restated the call for cancellation of the Anambra State governorship election, saying that it was characterised by noticeable irregularities.

The Imo State Coordinator of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Okafor Anyanwu, yesterday said Governor Rochas Okorocha was committed to enthroning a people-oriented government in Anambra State.

Anyanwu said Okorocha was desirous of returning the Southeast to the path of greatness, adding: “The governor wants what is happening in Imo to be replicated in the Southeast states.”

Addressing reporters in Owerri, he said Governor Okorocha would ensure that governance in the zone was redefined by ensuring that credible leaders were voted into office on the platform of the APC.

Slamming the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the irregularities, he claimed that the APC had shown the capacity to win elections in the Southeast and beyond.