As critics slam the leadership style of Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, a group Ndi Imo in Lagos whose members are indigenous to the state, has described such criticisms as mere distractions from the opposition and those who have no access to the state’s treasury to pilfer as was the case in the past.
Rising from their monthly meeting held at the Lagos State Igbo Community Centre, Okota Lagos, members of the group noted that critics of the policies and programmes of the governor were ignorant of the impressive achievements recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in Imo State.
“Within few years in office, Governor Okorocha has achieved laudable, dramatic, and exhilarating changes at all levels of government, in all strata of the state and in every nook and cranny of society. The Rochas’ fame for good governance is applauded by an anonymous many even beyond his state. He has, in a positive manner, touched the lives of the common man to the chagrin of his opponents,” they said.
The group further noted that Rochas is the man the people wanted, adding that he is fulfilling his campaign promises to the people.
“Governor Okorocha is a man who wants to enhance the welfare of the downtrodden. Every technocrat in Imo State had maintained that free and compulsory education is not possible but he has proved them wrong by providing free and compulsory education for the people,” they said.
On infrastructural development, Ndi Imo in Lagos maintained that Okorocha has performed wonderfully well.
“Consider the number of roads being opened in just few years. It’s incredible and unheard of in any state in Nigeria. People are asking where the money is coming from. Imo State has enough money to do whatever it wants to do. The unfortunate thing is that previous administrations had been siphoning the money meant for development and taking care of the welfare of the so-called godfathers who take enormous share of the state’s funds every month.
“Rochas has no godfathers except the Almighty God. He is really God-send because he is doing things the way the people want them done,” they said.
The group regretted that unnecessary criticisms in Imo State against all serving and former governors of Imo State was as a result of business men in the state who indulge in partisan politics.
In other states, the group said, business men do not indulge in partisan politics; rather they sponsor those who are interested in politics. They also stated that “Rochas Okorocha has done so well more than any other previous governor of the state which some of us have witnessed when we had visited Imo State in various times.”
On issues of pensioners and workers owed months of salaries, the group maintained that “the impression being created that pensioners and workers were not paid was erroneous based on our interactions with some of the workers. Pensioners have been paid and are happy for having substantial amount of money to start up tangible businesses.”
Explaining how Governor Okorocha struck a positive deal with pensioners, the Special Assistant to Imo State Governor on Liaison/Liaison Officer Imo State Liaison Office, Lagos, Nze Steve Asimobi said: “Having considered the huge amount of money owed to pensioners by previous administrations, Governor Okorocha summoned the pensioners for a meeting where he discussed with them the possibility of giving them 40 per cent of the backlog of pension arrears owed them by previous administrations while they continue to receive their current monthly pension every month. They agreed, not out of coercion but after many meetings even at ward levels of the concerned pensioners.”
Continuing, the Liaison Officer said: “Governor Okorocha is making giant strides to enhance the economy of the state, noting that some moribund industries have been revitalised. He also revealed that Imo Airport has been approved as an international cargo airport.
“In the circumstances, Governor Okorocha, in his determination to ameliorate the sufferings of Southeast traders, has acquired five cargo aircraft to enable them to bring their goods straight to Imo State instead of going through other states.
“Imo Air, he said, will be operated by Dana Air.
“Again, the dilapidated Imo Concorde Hotel has been revived and it’s fully functional.”
Along Aba Road, he said, there are many industries that are springing up which will provide employment opportunities for Imo people.
The group also noted that it was not correct that Governor Okorocha had sold off most of the parastastals in the state, even as they said some of the parastatals such as Imo Transport Corporation and Imo State Water Corporation were concessioned to some agencies for efficiency and they are working hard to make them efficient, even as they are paying members of their staff.
On security, Ndi Imo in Lagos noted that Imo people can now sleep with their two eyes closed, in contradistinction to what used to be. They revealed that Governor Okorocha had put in place serious security plans that made criminals to flee the state.
They stated that “there are still few isolated cases of kidnap and robbery, Imo Security Network has been able to checkmate the activities of criminals. Robbery and other related vices have drastically reduced.”
The group advised Ndi Imo back home to draw a line between politicking and governance. Mingling politics and governance, they said, should be consigned to the trash can of history in 2019.
On the mandate for every local government to construct 15 kilometre roads, the group noted that: “If all the 27 local governments construct 15 kilometre roads, it will ensure rapid development.
However, while one may admit that some roads in the grassroots lack quality or standards due to lack of commitment to job specifications on the part of some contractors, it is incontrovertible that no government in Imo State has opened more roads than Okorocha’s administration.
