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But the romance between Okorocha and all the interest groups brought gave him to power was short-lived. From APGA to the Catholic Church, and the poor masses who looked up to him for political redemption, Okorocha seem to have given them the gave them the short end of the stick. Apart from arbitrariness in governance, the man has given members of his family key positions in his regime.
That is why last week’s intervention by the forum of former House of Assembly and elected Council Chairmen in Imo State was most welcomed. Apparently piqued by the reckless and unconstitutional manner Governor Okorocha has been running Imo State in the last 51 months, these men and women who once represented the grass root rose to speak out against the evil of the governor with a view to calling him to order.
Operating under the aegis of ‘Forum Of Fomer Imo PDP House Members And Council Chairmen (FIHOC)’, the former elected members came out smoking against against what they see as total disregard to the Constitution of Nigeria.
They raised an alarm of a constitutional breach by Governor Rochas Okorocha over his recent appointment of serving assembly members as Chairmen of local government councils in the state. The former lawmaker alongside former Chairmen of local government areas in the state described the action of the governor as “odious aberration totally strange to the Nigerian constitution, and urged the governor to immediately rescind the appointments.
In a communique issued by the former lawmakers and chairmen and signed on behalf of the forum by Dr. Ikechukwu Njoku (Chairman), Hon. Declan Emelumba, (Secretary General), Hon. Jasper Ndubuaku (Provost), Hon. Ngozi Ogbu (Organizing Secretary) and Hon. Ray Emeana (Director of Publications) they argued that appointing elected members of the Assembly as local government chairmen “will encumber their representative ability and obstruct their oversight functions over the governor and the local governments”.
According to them, “it is clear that an appointee of the governor cannot effectively oversee the executive arm of the government as provided for by the 1999 constitution as amended. Consequently, we urge the governor to rescind this unconstitutional appointment which makes a mockery of our democracy. In the alternative, we enjoin the Hon members (so appointed) to resign their appointments to enable them fulfill, without impediment, their constitutional obligation of representing their constituencies while at the same time acting as a check on the executive arm of government”.
They expressed fear that the governor was tottering towards dictatorship. They were particularly unhappy that three months after the governor was sworn-in for a second term, he was yet to constitute his cabinet. According to them, the forum which has at its motto advocacy for good governance, was out to ensure that all elected government officials remain accountable to the people of the state.
They therefore urged Gov Okorocha to publish the list of all contracts and contractors in the state, “against the wide spread allegations that most of the contracts, in the state both major and minor, are executed by companies allegedly affiliated to the governor or his cronies. They also called on the governor to publish the income and expenditure account of the state from inception of his administration to date in the spirit of transparency. “In the spirit of transparency, we hereby align ourselves with the clarion call by His Lordship, Archbishop Anthony Obinna of the Catholic church for the publication of such an account to prove that the state administration has managed the state resources prudently”, they maintained.
On non payment of salaries and pensions to workers in the state, the former elected officials bemoaned the sufferings inflicted on them by the inaction of government to that respect and urged the governor to redress the issue immediately. “The government should take urgent steps to clear the outstanding arrears of both worker’s salaries and pensioners to reposition itself as a truly people oriented government in tandem with its self-proclaimed rescue agenda”, they stated. While congratulating the governor over his re-election and National Assembly members for their inauguration, the former lawmakers and Council Chairmen urged the federal legislators to be up and doing in the protection of interest of Imo State as their impact was yet to be felt going by appointment made so far by the federal government.
Although some analysts may deem the intervention by these former elected officials as belated, it is better late than never. Although those sympathetic to the APC government may term them as disgruntled and frustrated PDP faithful, some of whom are yet to forgive the governor for cutting their tenure short and leaving them bankrupt, the fact remains that Imo needs to be rescued.
.When the fiery cleric demanded that Okorocha publish the accounts of the state for the public to scrutinize it, he was visited with such a ridiculous insult including asking him to account for the Diocese money. Such assault on the ecclesiastical personage of the same man who helped the regime to power in 2011 shows the despicable level to which Imo has sunk in the last four years.
Again it is most unfortunate that the leaders and elders of the state including Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Senator Arthur Nzeribe, Chief I.D Nwoga, Senator Hope Uzodinma, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Senator Chris Anyanwu and many others have kept quiet in the face of the foregoing.
The non payment of salaries of workers and pensioners for the past four months has stood out. Workers have employed every legal means to get paid to no avail. That is the irony of life for those who trusted this man and despised PDP.
Hunger does not bear any party name. Decayed infrastructures do not have any party label. While it is unfortunate that the State House of Assembly has been compromised and made the stooge of Governor Rochas Okorocha, people like Archbishop Obinna and now the forum of former Assembly men and Council Chairmen should be supported to redeem Imo State.
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