By Peter Uzoma
For the umpteenth time, party of the incoming governor, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has raised the alarm of orchestrated plot by the outgoing government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha to set high jump for the governor elect, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha.
Ihedioha’s party through the spokesman, Damian Oparah in a statement made public alleged that with few months to the exit of the administration, Okorocha is perfecting certain acts that are not only unwarranted, unlawful but laded with evil intentions to frustrate the incoming government of Ihedioha expected to come into office from May 29,2019.
More worrisome to the PDP is the recent advertisements and planned appointments of positions for heads of new tertiary institutions in the said.
According to the statement “attention of the Peoples Democratic Party Imo State Chapter has been drawn to the recent pronouncements by the outgoing Governor of Imo State, H/E, Governor Rochas Okorocha concerning the purported establishments and upgrading of certain institutions in Imo State, namely:
College of Education Ihitte-Uboma, Imo State Polytechnic Ehime Mbano, Imo State University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Ngor Okpala/Aboh Mbaise, Imo State University, Faculty of Engineering Onuimo, Imo State Polytechnic Orlu Campus (TESAC), Imo State College of Education Ohaji/Egbema and the purported appointments of heads of these non-existing institutions at the twilight of his administration and wish to ask Imo people to disregard such pronouncements that has no basis in law and may have been done without due processes”
The party further regretted that “just a few month to the closure of Governor Rochas Okorocha’s administration, he has employed more workers than he had ever done during the eight years he wasted as the Governor of Imo State.
“Worst still, he employs and backdates letters of employments given to individuals who hitherto have no service to render to the State Ministries, Agencies and Parastatals.
“For instance, in one Agency alone, the MD purportedly employed 300 (three hundred) persons in the guise of doing surveillance duties and back dated their employment letters.
“The above scenario has been going on virtually in all government establishments across the State including Imo State owned Tertiary Institutions. The looting of government property has been going on daily, government vehicles have been auctioned at give away prices. Just two days ago, the office of the Secretary to government of Imo State was looted and property worth millions of naira that belongs to Imo people must have been carted away.
“The Peoples Democratic Party, Imo State chapter views the above actions of Governor Okorocha as immoral, criminal, unwarranted, unlawful and laded with evil intentions.
“The Party wishes to reiterate that the incoming PDP administration under His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha shall do the needful by making sure that these illegal and criminal actions of Governor Okorocha are reverted.
“H/E, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha shall definitely build institutions, employ Imo people gainfully during his administration and these shall be done with due diligence and processes.
“The PDP therefore, warns individuals who love to benefit from these criminal and unlawful actions of the outgoing Governor Okorocha’s government, that they shall have themselves to blame for accepting illegal appointments and back dated letters of employments, knowing full well that it amounts to breach of established civil service rules, and that when the law shall come after them, they shall have no one but themselves to blame.
“Therefore, any person or group of persons caught looting, damaging or tampering with government property in Imo State, from now hence forth, no matter how highly placed such persons may be shall face the consequences of his/her actions at the appropriate time”
