When Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State announced his intention to run an unconventional government, many of us educated enough to understand such unconventional method pointed out the dangers in abandoning the rules, regulations and laws governing Imo State. We sought to educate Okorocha that government is a creation of laws and the constitution, which must guide its activities, as going contrary, would constitute fraud and exploitation. His unconventional method introduced lawlessness, disregard for procedure, neglect for financial instructions and circumvention of the regulatory safeguards in the procurement rules, as well as neglecting due process that checks fraud and corruption.
Four years after, his family has exposed the Okorocha administration as a personal contraption for mindless primitive acquisition. By running an unconventional government, Okorocha created an extractive political structure that sucks in state resources for personal and family appropriation. Imo is in economic chains and Okorocha’s primordial instincts equates to the politics of poverty and underdevelopment akin to the 15th century Spanish encomienda that operated a cruel and exploitative treatment of the indigenous people. By adopting the ancient and conquistadors style that facilitates the exploitation of peoples’ lands, and the monopolisation of governance and its benefits for family and associates, Okorocha has created an unparalleled inequality that has killed economic development and crippled growth and commerce in Imo State.
It is unfortunate that in the past four years of Okorocha’s administration,Imo people never witnessed any public advertisement of contract and procurement as provided by the law. Contracts and supplies are controlled by Okorocha, who designs, constructs, evaluates and supervises projects that bring no economic benefits to the people, while leaving out inputs from officials of the concerned ministry.
For a governor that lacks the basic education to appreciate the linkage between sound infrastructural development and economic growth, this haphazard approach creates a repulsive environment for any meaningful economic gain from such useless infrastructural projects. The truth is that the so-called development projects are not for meeting any infrastructural needs but designed for capital gains by principal officials of his government. Thus, the huge capital spent on such project is squirreled away by his Okorocha’s Lebanese agents, leaving the state economy in ruins.
What is shocking is why a relatively financially comfortable person as Rochas Okorocha could on becoming governor exhibit such poverty of mind and primitive acquisitive tendencies. Today, the Imo economy has collapsed and there are no redeeming features of government in the state.
It is instructive to note that the Okorocha administration has destroyed all public institutions that were functional before he came to office. These include Public Utilities, General Hospitals, Public Health Administration, Imo Concord Hotel, Adapalm, Imo Rural Road Maintenance Agency (Irroma), Imo Water Development Agency (Iwada), Imo Transport Corporation (ITC), and Imo Agricultural Development Project (ADP).
The only semblance of government is the Entraco Army of agents who levy all forms of taxes and payments on the pauperised citizenry. Today, there are cries all over the land. If it is not the health-workers crying over non-payment of their nine months salary, it is the civil servants raining curses on Okorocha, while demonstrating on the streets of Owerri. Today, Imo is a hell on earth, as the people have become victims of Okorocha’s exploitative Machiavellianism.
It is unfortunate that despite financial bankruptcy of the state, Okorocha has continued his deceptive antics. Okorocha should understand that he can deceive some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all the time. The poor workers, oppressed peasants, harassed land owners, abused retirees, heartbroken contractors and the shocked silent majority, including intimidated traditional rulers whose kingdoms have been balkanised and who are witnesses to the Okorocha family ’ filthy riches, are crying to the Heavenly Father, for redress. Today, Okorocha has taken his cruelty to an oppressive height by sacking more than 3,000 state workers.
The death of late Abubakar Audu in Kogi State should remind us that life and death belong to God.
Our sympathy goes to the sacked civil servants, mechanics constantly threatened with eviction, students who have now realised the damage, which Okorocha’s “Free Education” has done to education and the numerous dismissed employees of parastatals by an unconscionable regime. We sincerely urge them to keep faith, as their day with justice is coming.
We are consoled that the Okorocha regime will not last forever but will some day end. We do pray it does not end disastrously.
Barr. C.O.C Akaolisa is the founder of Citizen Watch Initiative,Imo State.
Dailytimes
No comments:
Post a Comment