A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Imo State, Chief Jerry Chukwueke has expressed displeasure over a situation whereby Imolites line-up before Television Cameras collecting Bags of rice from the State Chief Executive in the name of Christmas stipends, pointing out that rice sharing is not empowerment.
Speaking to Journalists in his home at Awaka in Owerri North LGA, the PDP stalwart said such action televised on Network to the entire world degrades the stature of every Imo man, and depicts nothing but a celebration of poverty, instead of eradicating it.
Chukwueke pointed out that it was time Imolites were thought of how to bake the cake, than take part in hand-out sharing which reduces the pride of man to work out his means of livelihood.
Although he criticized the culture of celebrating poverty, which he said had existed in the state for some time now, he however blamed the incumbent Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha for elevating the act of sharing rice to Imo people to an art by beaming the exercise live on National Network Television, which portrays Imolites as lazy people who depend on rice shared by Government for their Christmas celebrations.
Chukwueke was angry that Okorocha spent millions of Naira belonging to tax payers to beam Imo people collecting bags of rice to Nigerians, when he should have spent such stupendous amount to development the economic sector of the state which would have empowered Imo Youths to “fish” than depend on Government for hand-outs.
The PDP top shot disclosed that it was worrisome that Okorocha could not address Imo people at the end of the year to explain to them what his administration has achieved with the Billions of Naira coming into the state as Federal Allocation, and also inform them of his plan for 2014, instead he was busy sharing rice and dancing on television.
“Is sharing of rice and groundnut oil on Television an achievement that worth the millions of Naira used in paying such Media Houses? Why not empower the people to decide the type of food they wish to eat during Christmas period? He asked.
Chukwueke is disturbed that the Okorochas administration has failed to hook on to the Federal Government to attract incentives that can fire up the economy of the state like the Agricultural and Industrial loans from the Bank of Industry, since Imo State has the Land to site such projects, but instead Okorocha, he said is busy grabbing lands for his own personal needs, and not for the people.
He maintained that sharing of rice is no empowerment as the people will still remain hungry after eating the rice, but would be better-off if they were permanently employed through Agriculture and Industrialization of Imo State.
