From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated Governor, Rochas Okorocha for floating Imo Airline.
The party described the action as not only ill- conceived but, a further waste of dwindling resources of the state.
This was even as the party alleged that Imo Airline is part of Okorocha’s logistics for his 2019 presidential campaign and urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately ground the airline and return the proceeds to the state coffers.
A statement signed by Nze Ray Emeana, state secretary of the party and made available to Daily Sun yesterday, said: “The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party, Imo State has been drawn to reports in the media on the purported procurement and inauguration of “Imo Airline,” by Governor Rochas Okorocha at the Sam Mbakwe International Airport, Owerri.
“This is not only another fraud but to serve the bogus 2019 political ambition of Governor Okorocha.
“Imolites are not only in rude shock on the “inauguration of the airline” but also on the blatant lies by Okorocha wherein he claimed that, “Imo was not affected by the much-talked about recession in the country.”
He added that, “some people might wonder why the state should dabble into airline business in the time of recession because the state has cleared arrears of pension and has paid salaries up to December 2016.”
The party said Nigerians are aware that governor Okorocha has sacked over 100 civil servants as a result of economic recession and pensioners and civil servants in Imo State are owed 77 months and salary arrears respectively.
“There’s alarming unemployment among youths and total collapse of infrastructure while there’s no functional education or health system in all the 27 local governments of the state.”
Records show that Governor Okorocha has received, on behalf of Imo
State, over N150 billion between January and December 2016 in internally generated revenue, federal allocation, ecological funds, 13 per cent derivation, local government allocation, bailout funds and recently the Paris Club debt cancellation deductions, yet,
there is no trace of these funds in any sector of the state.”