Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Governor Rochas Okorocha has alleged that members of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) are in a hurry and hungry to resume looting the treasury and properties of the State, following their recent concern and utterances on the state treasury.
He said he is not surprised members of the party, having stayed out of power for eight years are desperate to come back.
Governor Okorocha said rather than talking about their programme, they are making references to fictitious N17 billion withdrawn from the state treasury by his administration.
The governor said this in a press statement issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo.
He said: “Since the party’s (PDP) candidate, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, was declared winner of the governorship election in the State, by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Francis Ezeonu, the party and its members have not made any policy statement on where they are taking-off from, and where they are going.
“They are either talking about non-existent N17 billion that has been withdrawn by the government, lands to revoke or the vehicles that have been auctioned, or threatening fire and brimstone.
“And when they were challenged to say where, in Imo, one can find N17 billion to withdraw, and whether the money was withdrawn cash or by transfer, they evaporated.”
Governor Okorocha, however, alleged that if not for the role the REC played in the governorship election, PDP would not have returned to power.
“Imo people never voted for the PDP and would not have voted for the party and its candidate, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, but, the REC in Imo decided to return the party to power at all costs and by all means, for his own selfish reasons. And that has also been the reason Imo people are not celebrating the contentious victory of the party.
“This was a party that governed the state for 12 years and had nothing to show for it. But, governor Rochas Okorocha has more than 1,000 verifiable projects to his credit. And nobody has disputed the claim.”
He said the only good thing about the PDP coming back to power, even if it is for three months, is for Imo people to see clearly the large extent Okorocha has assiduously worked and transformed the state.
“Reason being that it is only when one marries two wives that he would be in a position to say which one is better.
They have only been talking about those frivolous things opponents of the administration want to hear, including money, vehicles, etc.
Why have they not talked about whether to continue with the free education programme or not, or the urban renewal policy, or to continue with the six universities built by the administration or not, and so on. Imo people are waiting for them on these issues.
“The PDP administration in the state cannot fly. Imo people know them and what they do, including vendetta, political killings, kidnappings, gala nights, bathing with expensive drinks like MOET, Hennessy, Xo etc.
“The story of the PDP in the state this time will be worst than the party’s ugly story for the 12 years it had governed the state from 1999 to 2011,” Okorocha said.