Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okoroch, has appropriated the announcement of the state as the least corrupt in the country according to the latest survey released by the National Bureau for Statistics (NBS).
Okorocha in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, argued that between 2016 to 2019 where the survey was carried out, he was in charge as governor, and hence should be credited for the achievement.
“Presenting the report of the survey in Abuja, the Statistician General of the NBS, Dr. Yemi Kale stated that, the latest report of 2019 was after a three-year gap from 2016 to 2019. In other words, Dr. Kale made it abundantly clear that the survey was for a period of three years 2016 to 2019. There was nothing ambiguous about the period of the survey,” Okorocha said.
The former governor said it was wrong for the incumbent administration, which had spent about eight months to lay claims to the NBS statistics.
“Unfortunately, the PDP government in Imo with Chief Emeka Ihedioha as governor that came in on May 29, 2019 has been sponsoring false stories on the NBS’ survey all in an effort to take the credit of the report. From May when Chief Ihedioha became governor to December 2019, is eight months and not the three years the survey covered. So, they have no valid claim.”
