• Imo gov a disaster, says Ohakim
Stanley Uzoaru, and George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Executive members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, recognised by Governor Rochas Okorocha, have maintained that they are still the authentic executive of the party; contrary to claims by the suspended chairman, Hillary Ekeh, who was recently sworn in by the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, despite a court order to that effect.
Acting chairman of the party in the state, Chris Oguoma, disclosed this to newsmen, at the weekend, during a press conference.
Oguoma, who noted that there is only one APC executive in the state, further explained that acclaimed members of the coalition are few individuals from the party fighting for different interest.
“Coalition is not a party. They are just few members of the party fighting for their different interests. APC is one, with governor Okorocha as the leader.”
On the suspension of the former chairman, Oguoma added: “Eke was suspended by the State Working Committee (SWC) for brazen violation of the party’s constitution.
“On May 5, we all waited in our various wards to conduct the congress, but nothing happened. There were no result sheets and we concluded that the exercise did not hold and we advised our members to go home and await further directives, but, the following day, Eke came out from nowhere and announced that the congress was conducted. Based on this, the SWC of the party met and suspended him and that action has not been vacated.”
Meanwhile, the state party secretariat occupied by Oguoma was a beehive of activities as various aspirants for the local government election slated for July 14 rushed to pick their forms.
One of the aspirants, who spoke to Daily Sun, on why they preferred to pick their forms from the governor’s faction of the party, said: “This secretariat is the only place we have known since 2013. This is where we know as the party’s secretariat and we have not seen another.”
Regardless, immediate past governor of the state, Ikedi Ohakim, at the weekend, described Okorocha as a disaster.
He said most of his projects had collapsed because they were contracted to quacks. Ohakim said this in reaction to collapse of projects built by Okorocha’s administration in the last seven years.
He noted that in the last two weeks, such projects as the Freedom Square, Children’s Bridge at Ojukwu Centre, the City School, part of the roof of International Conference Centre and even the projectiles along the Mbari road had all collapsed.
The former governor, who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Collins Ughala added: “The incessant collapse of projects executed by this administration brings to the fore the fact that Okorocha does not have respect for engineering procedure and standard and how Imo people, on daily basis, live with the fear of the unknown because of the ineptitude of the governor.
“While Okorocha’s bridge built few years ago has collapsed, the ones I built at old Nekede Road and Egbeada more than 10 years ago, are still strong, carrying human and vehicular weights every day. More than 70 percent of the projects under Okorocha have collapsed. These projects range from collapsed pre-cast school buildings, Princess Hotel to tunnels, as well as the collapse of the Orji Flyover…”