Okorocha reads riot act to aides, monarchs

From VAL OKARA, Owerri
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Okorocha •Photo: Sun News Publishing

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Tuesday read a riot act to all his commissioners, personal aides and traditional rulers in the state, warning that any of them found guilty of corruption would be disgraced out of office and handed over to relevant security agencies for prosecution.

The governor, who described corruption as the bane of governance, accused his predecessor of financial recklessness, which he said adversely impeded the growth of the state.
According to him, the immediate past administration senselessly compounded the financial woes of the state through frivolous borrowing of N6 billion barely two months before leaving office.

Okorocha stated this while briefing the people of the state on his landmarks in the last 100 days. By giving up his security votes and drastically slashing those of other principal officers of the state, he said he had been able to save a total of N4 billion, which had been injected into meaningful ventures.

Boasting that he had not borrowed a kobo to run the state since he assumed office, the governor urged all members of his cabinet to gird their loins and be prepared for the challenges ahead by imbibing the spirit of sacrifice to move the state forward.
Governor Okorocha, reassuring on his determination to leave the state better than he met it through exemplary leadership said he had within 100 days in office, paid all arrears owed pensioners in the state; settled two months salary arrears owed civil servants; commenced the Imo Concorde Hotel apartment extension; embarked on the transformation of the abandoned government house project of late Chief Sam Mbakwe to Ikemba Ojukwu Centre and the Cenotaph ground into Heroes Square.

He dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the Imo Concorde Hotel had been sold, stating that he had no ambition to sell any government property but would rather engage the partnership of some resourceful, vibrant and interested companies to assist resuscitate and reposition the ailing or moribund ones. The governor listed the Avutu Modern Poultry, the Standard Shoe Industry and Adapalm Nigeria Limited (now Imo Palm Plantation) as cases in point.

Governor Okorocha also dismissed the Ohakim 10,000 jobs as “political hurry-hurry,” adding that he had begun the construction of the junior scientist college at the old premises of the Imo Broadcasting C and an “Imo college of Advanced Professionals.”
According to him, a N1.5 billion contract had been awarded to resurface all roads in the state while a 15 km road would be constructed in each of the 27 local government areas.

SOURCE: Daily Sun Newspaper, 28 September 2011.  http://sunnewsonline.com