GROUP ACCUSES ROCHAS OF INTRODUCING LIFE & DEATH STRUGGLE IN IMO STATE

Imo State stakeholders, under the auspices of Concerned Citizens of Imo State, are accusing Governor Rochas Okorocha of tyranny, asking President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene. In a letter, dated October 14, 2016 and addressed to Buhari, the group professed that the state House of Assembly has been impotent by the governor.

The letter, titled, ‘Imo State tilting towards fascism and anarchy under Gov. Rochas Okorocha: An SOS for urgent intervention,’ was signed by Prof. Obioma Iheduru (Okigwe Zone), Barr. Maxwell Onyenkwu (Owerri Zone), Barr. Ikechukwu Ikeji (Orlu Zone) and Barr. Sylvester Amadi-Obi (Owerri Zone) on behalf of the group. 

The citizens of Imo State are living in a state of unimaginable terror and tyranny imposed on them by the Government of Rochas Anayo Okorocha and we plead with you for urgent intervention. This is why this petition, indeed a distress call, in the name of the people of Imo State, is being addressed to the federal authorities for their urgent intervention. 

The group began;

We are aware that the hands of the Federal Government are full in trying to deal with various security flashpoints in the country. To add mass insurrection in Imo State to it, when it could be avoided, by the timely political intervention of Mr. President, would be ignoring the imperatives of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Such a development, if it is allowed to occur in Imo State, would surely help to compound the crises of instability in the already beleaguered Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

It has become a rubber stamp for the governor’s wishes. The House had ceded its powers of oversight to the governor. Its powers over the revenue and the budgetary system of Imo state has been surrendered to the governor. 

In 2011, the IMHA initiated the obnoxious ROLLING BUDGET System through which it “approved” a fell swoop fours’ years budget running into a huge sum for the governor. The implication is that contrary to well established government financial guidelines, the governor was given a blank check to act as he wanted and the IMHA went on holiday. 

In 2015, it passed what is called a ROLLING BUDGET(covering four years approving a block sum of money and empowering the governor to operate the finances of the state without any further reference to the House of Assembly. Thus, the Statutory Annual Budget in Imo State no longer exists. 

The group accused Okorocha of introducing  “what he called COMMUNITY GOVERN-MENT COUNCIL (CGC) as a fourth-tier of government known only in Imo”, 

Saying: 

This action, despite all opposition and intervention by all legal and constitutional experts, has remained operational. It has destroyed the time-hallowed Town Unions in the state, the popular democratic institution of Igbo land. Consequently, the developmental initiatives and drive of the communities have been destroyed. 

Alleging that the traditional stool in Imo has been destroyed by the governor, the stakeholders said the governor dismisses traditional rulers and divides their autonomous communities without due process.

The case of the late Eze Njemanze of Owerri, whose Autonomous Community is one of the most outstanding in Imo, resonates with grave executive arbitr-ariness. 

Rendered impotent the judiciary in Imo State...... 

The group said, has been rendered impotent and has been on a long period of strike as a result of non-payment of salaries of judicial workers.  

Consequently, a new wave of lawlessness reigns freely in Imo State as there is no effective justice system in the state.  

It is trite knowledge that the survival of any state must be hinged on the viability of its civil service; but this is not for Governor Rochas Okorocha. In fact, the first thing he did after he took office was the destruction and bastardization of the civil service. He publicly announced, IN HIS WORDS, ‘I do not believe in the use of files or in due process. Due process is due corruption ; whenever I wake up, I move where my mind directs me’.  

The governor makes appointments bypassing the state Civil Service Commission and with no regard for competence.  

Workers in the state Civil Service are the worst hit. Permanent Secretaries, Directors and professionals like doctors, engineers, architects and surveyors are mere spectators, even in areas where their specialty and experience are most needed. Their jobs have been taken over by Okorocha’s surrogates.  

Workers were subjected to experimental hunger exercise by being owed over 9-14 months’ salary arrears after which some of their wives and family members went down on their knees. Okorocha dangled some carrot saying their salaries would be paid if they were ready to collect 70% of their salaries (for ministry staff) and 50% (for parastatal staff).  

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) had queried the state government’s directive to pay 70 % of June and July 2016 salaries despite the increase in the July allocation to a whopping N7.3b, excluding internally generated revenue and the local government allocations which he controls completely. 

The governor recently decreed an unconstitutional three-day work week and asked the civil servants whom he owed many months arrears of salary to go and work in the farm for the rest of the two working days in the week in order to make a living.  

Appointment in the state and local government are at the whims and caprices of Okorocha.

Life and death struggle Pensioners and their families in Imo

According to the group, due to up to 24 months unpaid arrears of pension for primary school teachers and 18 months for secondary school teachers despite the N29.4 billion bailout fund made available to the state, they are facing life-and-death struggle

Retired Alvan Ikoku staff (before take-over by the Federal Government), whose entitlements have not been paid to them, have been asked to vacate their official quarters. The houses are being advertised for sale.

The stakeholders told Buhari that the governor behaves like he is above the law. 

Neither the courts nor the security agencies can restrain him.  

Injunctions obtained by citizens of the state against the governor are ignored without consequences.  

He is alleged to have personally supervised the disobedience to court injunctions as was the case in the attempt to stop the demolition of Capt. Emmanuel Iheonacha’s private residence in Owerri.  

Governor Rochas Okorocha prides himself in not respecting or obeying court orders in spite of the fact that democracy is anchored on the rule of law and on checks and balances. Hence he thumbed his nose at the court decisions in respect of the 10,000 jobs, the Elected Local Government Council, and many others.

Hundreds of public lands designated in the Owerri twin-city master plan as public parks, recreation centres and children’s parks have all been confiscated.

The Imo Concerned Citizens accusing him of renting a private jet owned by his company for the conduct of the affairs of the state: 

The jet is kept on standby at Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, while the state government pays for its use for the governor’s domestic and globe-trotting as well as the servicing of the plane.

The group said explained how havoc the governor has wreaked on workers, pensioners and contractors in the state, pointing out:  

The recent freezing of Imo State account as a result of court judgment obtained by a contractor owed by the governor can be seen as desperate measure to deal with a desperate situation. The stakeholders also faulted the ON-GOING DEMOLITION embarked upon by the governor.  

The current exercise of reckless demolition going on in the Owerri Capital City in the name of urban renewal and road expansion has caused the citizens of the state unimaginable pains and agony.  

The demolition is going on with the flagrant abuse of the rule of law and insensitivity to the plight of Imolites.  

There was no consultation and no plan for compensation.  

Owerri Capital City has original MASTER PLAN. This is being destroyed without alternative MASTER PLAN, which would in fact be uncalled for, given the present economic recession in the country.  

The infrastructure in the city is in ruins; roads, public water pipelines, telecommunications cables, electrical installations, etc are being destroyed  

Urban renewal is normally done with an updated masterplan. 

In this case there is none. It appears that the goal of the Okorocha government on the demolitions is to obliterate the achievements of past governments in Imo State, whereas government is a continuum.

Time-bomb Describing the situation in Imo as a bomb waiting to explode, the group told the President:  

Nworie and Otamiri rivers are at the point of ecological death. The once flowing river has now been broken into compartments by culverts. This is a first step in their eutrophication and eventual death. These rivers once used to be sources of water supply in Owerri before the era of one house, one borehole that is now the main sources of water supply in Owerri. 

The Owerri master plan has provision for inner and outer ring roads. These were provided in order to take traffic out of Owerri city centre. This is the real alternative to the mindless and unplanned expansion of all roads in the old Owerri.  

The Eke Ukwu Owerri relocation proposal has met with stiff opposition from Owerri indigenes, residents and the market operators. This led to the recent bizarre and arm twisting strategy adopted by Okorocha’s government of ensuring that refuse were allowed to accumulate on Douglas Road (Owerri main street), a development that would have caused epidemic and an environmental/health disaster in Owerri and its environs as the air got polluted and peoples’ health started to deteriorate. Governor Okorocha was quoted as saying that he wanted to punish Owerri people through that means.  

The latest in Okorochas actions is the demand that every Imo male or female of adult age should pay a development levy of N2000 per year and that this shall be used to determine which community should be allowed to exist as an autonomous community. This is coming at a time the Imolites are suffering from the nationwide recession and its attendant hardships. This is like a case of taxation without representation.  

In the past six years, the governor has been totally in control of local government allocations through the State-Local Government Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC). This has totally paralyzed the local government system in the state and this control is responsible for his reluctance to conduct local government election in the state
  

As a result of lack of planning, huge resources of Imo State are being wasted through abandoned projects which litter the entire state. The most notorious is the abandoned 27 General Hospitals project on which huge amount of money has been sunk. Other White Elephant Projects include: Owerri Peoples Assembly Complex Okigwe Peoples Assembly Complex Orlu Peoples Assembly Complex almost completed with huge sums of money but not in use. Prince and Princess Hotels started but abandoned Okigwe and Orlu shopping malls: now comatose Numerous squares in the city of Owerri that add nothing to the economic well-being of the state. The city gates and street gates project in Owerri and Orlu were started and abandoned after hundreds of millions of naira had been expended on them.  

We humbly pray our dear President to prevail on Governor Okorocha to stop demolition of structures and peoples’ sources of livelihood in the name of urban beautification particularly at this period in the history of the nation; use the resources of the state prudently and judiciously for the good of the people; accept due process, rule of law, financial regulations, and the demands of the Procurement Act in the award of contracts and other financial activities of government; allow Imo State House of Assembly to perform its statutory roles of law making and oversight instead of turning them into tax collectors and agents of the executive; and address the plight of our senior citizens and pensioners who are dying in their numbers due to non-payment of their pensions; some are owed for over 20 months.