The immediate??past governor of Imo State,??Chief Ikedi Ohakim has finally??opened up barely??four years he had left office, saying that the Rescue Mission government of Governor Rochas Okorocha has ran??the state a ground to the state of ?coma?.
Ohakim in a press statement issued in Owerri at the weekend??(January 25) and made available to newsmen urged the people of the state irrespective of their political??linings??to join hands to recover the state from the??hands of fortune seekers and merchants adventurers.
According to him, the state is now much worse situation than ever before and had made zero progress in economic development and job creation.
He said, ?while people are faced with extreme hardship, and starvation Imo state today has become??a theatre of confused all corners road contractors, all screaming to be paid for the jobs they executed with zero design, zero bill of???quantity, zero scope of works an zero time frame?.
Today in Imo, more than 100 local contractors have been liquidated??from non payment. More than N5bilion lost to??unscrupulous foreign contractors. More than 50 kilometre of sub-standard roads constructed by Okorocha have been washed away. Three big sub-standrd public buildings under construction including a hotel in Okigwe have collapsed?.
He however, regretted than no less than 100,000 artisans and traders in the state have closed shops as??money was no longer in circulation.??The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant further disclosed that over 800,000 persons in the state have lost access to clean water while 500,000 people have been affected by disease due to environment al??degradation.
Ohakim observed with dismay the level of accumulated refuse in Owerri the state capital amounting over 100,00 metric tons. According to Ohakim, over N2billion judgement debts and N200 billion loan awaits the incoming administration in the state.
Describing the free education of Okorocha?s administration as a fluke, the former governor disclosed that 11 courses at Imo State University including Law and Medicine and all the courses at the state owned school of Nursing have been de-accredited with 18 general hospitals in the state sold out.
He noted that Okorocha?s All Progressive Congress (APC) administration had not only abandoned all the visionary projects of PDP administration in pursuit of self sabotaging vengeance.
?The administration set about erasing every legacy of PDP while embarking on white elephant projects with the government House, Concorde Avenue, and Federal Highways which they repeatedly advertise on National Television every week?.
The flyovers we started were abandoned, the ring roads and Imo Free way we started also abandoned Imo Wonderlake project in Oguta which renamed Blue Lake of Treasure by Okorocha as a decoy to misappropriate the fund and abandoned.
He therefore, backed the PDP governorship candidate, Chief Emeka Ihedioha and urged the registered voters??in the state to vote for him on?February 28?polls in order??to stem out the rot, and??ensure that PDP return to Douglas House, Owerri.
Ohakim stated that, ?we have decided to give full support and backing to Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha who is today our party?s flag bearer. He is a tested and trusted humble leader who will not deviate from building on our laid down solid foundation?.
