Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has urged parties to eschew bitterness and ensure free and fair elections.
The governor, who spoke at a live interactive programme on Heartland FM, Hot FM and Orient FM, told politicians that power was a trust and a privilege.
He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) believed in free and fair election and enjoined other parties to desist from acts capable of causing havoc during the poll.
Imo Citizens in Diaspora and the Social Media Searchlight Concept have honoured Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha with the awards of ‘Grand Patron’ and ‘Best Governor on Social Media’, in recognition of his achievements and improved security services.
The awards were presented to him at the Government House, Owerri by Imo indigenes in Gambodia, South East Asia and Nigerian Youths under the aegis of Social Media Searchlight Concept.
The President of Imolites in Gambodia, Mr. Ugochukwu Opara, hailed Okorocha for transforming the state within three years and urged him to continue.
He said: “There is no governor like you. You have done marvellous work in Imo.”
The General Secretary of the group, Mr. Chijioke Aniche, said about 10,000 indigenes lived in Gambodia and the association extended assistance to members, who were unable to settle their medical bills, pay for tickets and secure jobs.
He noted that with the free education, massive road construction, infrastructural development and other laudable projects, Imo citizens in the diaspora felt comfortable to invest in the state.
Aniche enjoined the governor to visit the indigenes in Gambodia and enlighten them on his administration’s programmes, which would create an avenue for collaboration with the government to attract investors.
He pledged their support for Okorocha’s second term bid, assuring him of their votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Chief Executive Officer of the Social Media Satellite Concept, Mr. Tony Greg Ukegbu, recalled that last November, governors contested for the Nigerian Social Media Award.
He said after screening, Okorocha emerged winner.
Ukegbu praised the governor, saying youths supported his administration because of its good programmes.
Okorocha thanked the associations for the awards, which he said signified better things to come.
He said: “2015 is a year of employment opportunities.” The governor urged foreigners to invest in Imo’s agro-industry.
His words: “This is a year of job, job, job, industry, industry, industry. I have vowed to create job opportunities and I will fulfil my promise.”
Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has mourned a member of the House of Assembly, Mrs. Eudora Okwesilieze Igwe.
In a statement yesterday by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Governor, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha said: “I commiserate with the husband, the Igwe family in Ideato North Local Government and the House of Assembly on the death of one of the outstanding members, Mrs. Eudora Okwesilieze Igwe, who represented Ideato North Constituency. She died recently and will be buried on Tuesday (today).”
The governor was shocked when the news was broken to him.
He directed that state functions fixed for yesterday and today, including the 2015 budget presentation, be cancelled or postponed, in honour of the legislator.
Okorocha said it was regrettable that she died when her services were needed.
He urged her family and others to be consoled that as Christians, they would meet again to part no more.
The governor prayed that the Lord should grant the deceased’s soul eternal rest.
Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has urged Christians to hold on to God, to surmount the challenges of life.
The governor, who addressed members of the Assemblies of God Church, Ikenegbu branch, at a crusade in Owerri, tagged: “Send down thy glory”, where Dr. Ron Kenolly from the United States performed, said his administration drew its strength from the word of God, which was responsible for the infrastructural development and free education at all levels.
Hailing the American artiste for being part of the crusade, he assured that government would partner churches to transform the people.
The pastor-in-charge of the church, Rev. Bethel Nwanabo, praised Okorocha for his visionary leadership.
Said he: “This government has gone beyond expectation.”
The cleric said the church was committed to regenerating the people through its outreach programmes.
He solicited government’s support.
Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, yesterday described as malicious and unfounded, the reported power tussle between him and the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, over who controls the APC structure in the Southeast.
The Imo Governor also debunked allegations of looming crisis in the Southeast Chapter of the APC, stating that those behind the mischievous reports were determined to cause disaffection between him and the former Lagos State Governor for fear of the rising profile of the party in the zone.
A publication in one of the National Newspapers, not The Nation, has alleged that the Imo Governor and the leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Chris Ngige are behind the looming crisis in the Southeast APC. The report also claimed that there was a power struggle between Governor Okorocha and Asiwaju Tinubu over who controls the APC in the zone.
But the Governor in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, stated that “those behind the falsehood and inciting publication also tried in vain to introduce popularity contest between Governor Okorocha and Senator Chris Ngige”.
According to the statement, “having carefully gone through the publications, and have painstakingly analyzed the contents or the claims thereto, we won’t hesitate to conclude that the publication was structured or programmed to achieve one goal, and that is, to cause disaffection or undue suspicion between Governor Okorocha and Bola Tinubu on one side, and between Governor Okorocha and Senator Chris Ngige on the other side.
“There is no looming crisis in the South-East APC for which Gov. Okorocha, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Ngige could be accused of being responsible. Whatever anybody fells that is happening in the South-East APC cannot be seen as strange but as the normal politics of group or individual interest pursuit.
As far as we are concerned, the claimed looming crisis in the APC South East is a media creation. It does not exist. The idea of bringing in the names of Okorocha, Tinubu and Ngige was aimed at adding value to the false alarm.
“The publication was ill-motivated otherwise those behind it would have taken the liberty to convince their readers on why they felt Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should be struggling to control APC in the Southeast at this point in time or why Senator Ngige or Governor Okorocha should engage themselves in popularity race this time.
The statement also noted that “the Southeast APC has had series of meetings in recent time in various parts of the geo-political zone and with a crowded rally also held in Aba, Abia State and in Enugu respectively few weeks ago and in each case, Okorocha and Ngige had sat together and had preached unity of purpose among the members and leaders of the party in the Southeast.
“We may not be wrong if we accuse those intimidated by Governor Okorocha’s enviable political character and growth that have made him a fanciful and acceptable politician across the nation, to be behind the publications in question and their sole aim was to create bad blood among the three APC leaders.
This is not their first time of doing such a thing. They have been in such dirty enterprise, and the good thing is that they have been failing and shall continue to fail because nobody can be against who God has favoured.
We make bold to say that Governor Okorocha is living no stone unturned in making the APC a formidable party in the Southeast. He has gone a long way and cannot at the same time be causing looming crisis in the party in the zone. And he is not in any power tussle with any leader of the party for the control of the party in the Southeast or any other zone because it is neither necessary nor advisable”.
Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, Thursday said the government decision to pay arrears of pensions and gratuities to retired workers from 1993 to 2001 was not politically motivated as insinuated by the opposition but a fulfillment of his campaign promise to the people of the state.
He said it was a continuation of his administration’s determination to pay the “last kobo” owed all the retired workers in the state.
The governor had on Wednesday paid arrears of pensions and gratuities to some retired workers in the state. That was the third batch of pensioners to be paid including retired teachers and local government employees.
Okorocha argued that “it is a crime against humanity and sin against God to owe citizens who spent the most vibrant parts of their lives to serve the state.”
He said the problem would have been less cumbersome “if previous administrations had seen the payment of pensions and gratuities as a special case.”
“All my life I hate seeing people suffering or going through pains. That is why I established the Rochas Foundation. That is why I introduced free education. That is why I am doing all these in Imo. I won’t rest until I see all these pensioners go home with their pensions and gratuities. I regret the fact that some have died without collecting what they worked for before my administration.
“I decided to run for governorship in 2011 for issues like those of pensioners and children who were supposed to be in school but were not because there’s nobody to train them and others. Governance is all about services to God and mankind. It is not all about acquiring wealth.
“The payment of the bulk pension arrears and gratuities to the retired workers is for both local government and state establishments,” the governor stated.
Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has cried out over the alleged plot to rig the general elections by “mischievous politicians, who are manipulating the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and the registration exercise.
The governor, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “Those who do not believe in free and fair elections, but strongly believe in rigging elections and the distortion or manipulation of other democratic processes in Imo State have not repented. They have refused to repent.
“It has become necessary to inform the indigenes, residents and lovers of democratic ideals of the activities of this group of persons, who have refused to heed the appeals by the governor against the sabotage of the exercise.”
According to him, “during the PVCs collection exercise last weekend, the home of a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ideato South Local Government was converted to polling units, where hired people signed papers for the collection of the voter cards of others.
“The exercise went on until residents got wind of the illegal polling units and stormed the place with security operatives. A good number of those involved in the illegal act were arrested with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) supervisor in the area. They are in custody at the police headquarters.
“The Rochas Campaign Organisation wishes to inform Imo people of this development and to urge them to be ready to prevent rigging and other malpractices.
“When they boast how they will win the general elections, they do so because they believe in their widest imagination that they can rig the poll.”
Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday warned Ndigbo not to be deceived by the deception of the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who branded President Goodluck Jonathan as Igbo.
He said the Igbo personalities were merely picking crumbs from the table, while the people were being deceived that Ndigbo were enjoying the Jonathan Presidency.
Okorocha said the Igbo leaders, who were in the PDP, were in the party for selfish interest, “as PDP is not serving the interest of Ndigbo.”
The governor, who spoke at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Enugu, said the Igbo were not in the national protocol, were not occupying any important position from the President to the Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Judge of the Federation, Inspector-General of Police, Comptroller of Prisons, Comptroller of Immigration, etc.
He said: “PDP has failed God. For 16 years, they have nothing to show. It is because of this neglect that we chose an alternative national party, the APC.
“In Imo, there is free education, free meal, free school uniform, etc.
“In 2015, if what PDP is doing is well for the masses, let God return the party, but if not, may God return APC for a change.
“APC is an emerging party for a new Nigeria. They (PDP) are taking advantage of widespread poverty in the land, but Rochas Okorocha has come to the rescue. I will match them money for money. If they come with a pickup filled with money, I will come with a trailer filled with money.”
Senator Chris Ngige said PDP had failed the Igbo because the federal roads leading to Igbo land were in a deplorable state, including Enugu-Port Harcourt, Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-9th mile-Otukpo-Makurdi roads.
The high point of the rally was the presentation of two governorship aspirants in the state, Dr. Ifeanyi Asogwa and Mr. Okey Ezea, a lawyer.
The state Chairman of the APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye, said Enugu must witness a change in 2015.
Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday warned Ndigbo not to be deceived by the deception of the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who branded President Goodluck Jonathan as Igbo.
He said the Igbo personalities were merely picking crumbs from the table, while the people were being deceived that Ndigbo were enjoying the Jonathan Presidency.
Okorocha said the Igbo leaders, who were in the PDP, were in the party for selfish interest, “as PDP is not serving the interest of Ndigbo.”
The governor, who spoke at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Enugu, said the Igbo were not in the national protocol, were not occupying any important position from the President to the Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Judge of the Federation, Inspector-General of Police, Comptroller of Prisons, Comptroller of Immigration, etc.
He said: “PDP has failed God. For 16 years, they have nothing to show. It is because of this neglect that we chose an alternative national party, the APC.
“In Imo, there is free education, free meal, free school uniform, etc.
“In 2015, if what PDP is doing is well for the masses, let God return the party, but if not, may God return APC for a change.
“APC is an emerging party for a new Nigeria. They (PDP) are taking advantage of widespread poverty in the land, but Rochas Okorocha has come to the rescue. I will match them money for money. If they come with a pickup filled with money, I will come with a trailer filled with money.”
Senator Chris Ngige said PDP had failed the Igbo because the federal roads leading to Igbo land were in a deplorable state, including Enugu-Port Harcourt, Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-9th mile-Otukpo-Makurdi roads.
The high point of the rally was the presentation of two governorship aspirants in the state, Dr. Ifeanyi Asogwa and Mr. Okey Ezea, a lawyer.
The state Chairman of the APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye, said Enugu must witness a change in 2015.