Rochas warns Imolites that the PDP cannot wait to begin looting the state's treasury

GOVERNOR Rochas Okorocha has warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is desperate to begin looting the Imo State treasury and cannot wait to continue from where it left off when it governed the state for eight years.

Following the recent gubernatorial elections, former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives Hon Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP was elected governor. He will assume office on May 29 when Governor Okorocha's tenure expires and already both sides have been involved in a war of words over the handover.

PDP officials have accused Governor Okorocha of making several large withdrawals from Imo State accounts over the last week. They say he is trying to bleed the state dry before he leaves office and have warned banks not to honour cheques he writes as they are likely to be for bogus projects.

Hitting back at the PDP, Governor Okorocha said the people of Imo State never voted for the PDP but the resident electoral commissioner decided to return the party to power at all cost and by all means for his own selfish reasons. According to the governor, that has also been the reason Imo people are not celebrating the contentious victory.

Sam Onwuemeodo, Governor Okorocha's spokesman, said: "Since the PDP’s candidate, Chief Emeka Ihedioha was declared winner of the governorship election in the state, the party and its members have not made any policy statement on where they are taking-off from and where they are going from there. Imo people know them and what they do, including vendetta, political killings, politically-motivated kidnappings.

"The story of the PDP in the state this time will be worse than the party’s ugly story for the 12 years it governed from 1999 to 2011. Members of the PDP in the state are obviously in a hurry to resume their usual looting of the treasury and properties reading their body language and considering their utterances, especially when they have been out of power for eight years without reprieve.

"They are either talking about a non-existent N17bn that has been withdrawn by the government or talking about the land licences to revoke, vehicles that have been auctioned or threatening fire and brimstone. When they were challenged to say where in Imo one can find N17bn to withdraw and whether the money was withdrawn in cash or by transfer, they evaporated."

According to Mr Onwuemeodo, the PDP has nothing to show for the 12 years during which it governed Imo State but Governor s Okorocha has more than 1,000 verifiable projects to his credit. He added that within months of the PDP back in office,  the people of Imo will clearly see the difference and appreciate how Governor Okorocha worked assiduously and transformed the state

He added: "It is only when one marries two wives that he would be in a position to say which one is better. They have only been talking about those frivolous things opponents of the administration want to hear including money, vehicles, etc.

"Why have they not talked about whether to continue with the free education programme or not, or the urban renewal policy, or to continue with the six universities built by the administration or not, and so on. Imo people are waiting for them on these issues."

"Imo people know them and what they do, including vendetta, political killings, politically-motivated kidnappings, gala nights, bathing with expensive drinks like Moet, Hennessy, Xo etc. The story of the PDP in the state this time will be worse than the party’s ugly story for the 12 years it governed from 1999 to 2011."