The people of Owerri Zone; the landlords of Owerri Capital City; have been badly short-changed; and; indeed, sidelined, in the allocation of power resources of Imo State, since the State was created in 1976.
All the lands, properties, businesses, markets; I mean, everything that belong to Owerri indigenes, have been taken away from them by the Rochas government. They have nothing anymore. The people; who should be landlords and landladies; by virtue of their natural and traditional inheritance; have become tenants and strangers in their own lands and homes.
These were made known, by Dr. Raymond Chibuzor Opara, aspirant for Owerri Federal Constituency, at the National Assembly, in 2019; under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He made this known, in an exclusive interview, at his country-Home at Avu, Owerri West LGA.
Hear the urbane and wealthy Chemical Engineer and industrialist: “One of the issues in Owerri, is the issue of zoning. It is very major. Since the creation of Imo State in 1976, the governance has been spear-headed by quite a number of people outside the zone. Those governing Imo State are using Owerri Federal Constituency area, as the seat of government and appear not to understand the intricate challenges of the area. “It takes who has the interest of the people of the area at heart; those who understand it; those who know the dynamics of planning and development, that can handle it”
He laments, very vigorously, the unfair treatment metted to the people of Owerri Zone, in the scheme of things. “Owerri indigenes and those who reside in Owerri, hardly occupy the right positions in government offices. Their establishments are never given serious considerations, before government policies are executed. Example was the demolition of Ekeukwu, the traditional market of Owerri people. It was a wicked and heartless demolition. It affected badly the economic life-wire of Owerri indigenes.
“The kind of half-hazard and ill-intentioned execution of some government policies, have caused a lot of problems for Owerri people. They are punitive, especially, when government see complainants as political opponents. A number of Owerri indigenes, had their properties destroyed, without compensation. This is not right; it is not done! When they go to court and the court gives judgment against the government, the court orders are not obeyed by the government. This is very disastrous. These are some of the challenges that face Owerri indigenes, who gave their natural inheritance to the development of the state”.
He proffers solution: “We have been fighting for equity in Imo State. That the Rulership of the state should rotate among the three zones of the state. We have been demanding that and we are still doing so, that in the 2019 general election, a citizen of Owerri Zone, should be elected as the State Governor, to guarantee equity, justice and harmony, as stakeholders of the Imo State political establishment”
