Ihedioha blames Okorocha for the poverty in Imo State

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, has blamed the present economic woes in the state on the incumbent Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and his style of leadership.

While presenting his manifesto before the people of the state in Owerri on Wednesday, Ihedioha accused Okorocha of mismanaging the economy of Imo and running a government that has little or no regard for the rule of law and due process.

Assessing the performance of the present administration in the state in the last four years, the PDP candidate said, “It is sad but true that in Imo today, the absence of the rule of law and due process in the conduct of government under the incumbent administration has resulted in a situation where the economy has become prostrate and crestfallen.

“Human capital development has been stunted in the last four years. Qualitative education and basic healthcare has become abysmal. Capital flight due to outsourcing of production has become the order of the day, resulting in mass poverty and unemployment.”

Ihedioha noted that due to the unprecedented mismanagement of the resources of the state within the period, corruption, lack of accountability and transparency had become the order of the day and Imo is heavily indebted, despite the many funds that have accrued to it.

He said, “Imo State has been pillaged. It is certain that between May 2011 and December 2014, a total of N175bn was withdrawn on behalf of the 27 local government areas of the state. Within the same period, the sum of N212bn has been received by the state from the Federation Account.

“The state government has also collected internally generated revenue and other statutory funds, like ISOPADEC and ecological funds, as well as royalties from oil companies.

“Over N100bn has been borrowed from commercial banks and this is verifiable. The balance of N13.5bn on the state bond taken by the previous administration was utilised by the present one. The lease of ADAPALM for N3.3bn, sale of IROMA trucks, lease of Concorde Hotel, Imo Transport Corporation and General Hospitals, all totalling over N500bn, went into the state coffers within the period mentioned. Yet, contractors are owed some unverifiable sums of money running into several billions of naira.”