Imo Air: PDP Accuses Okorocha of Diverting State Funds for 2019 Political Ambition

Amby Uneze in Owerri

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has accused Governor Rochas Okorocha of alleged diversion of state funds to feather his 2019 presidential ambition with the procurement and inauguration of an airline to kick-start his campaign.

This was contained in a statement signed by the state Secretary of the party, Hon. Ray Emeana, which stated: “The attention of the PDP in Imo State has been drawn to reports in the media on the purported procurement and inauguration of ‘Imo Airline,’ by Okorocha at the Sam Mbakwe International Airport, Owerri.”

According to the statement, “this is another fraud as preliminarily exposed by saharareporters.com, which will not in any manner, address the dwindling fortunes of the good people of Imo State but rather serve the bogus 2019 political ambition of Okorocha.

“Imolites are not only in rude shock on the ‘inauguration of the airline’ but also on the blatant lies by Okorocha that wherein he claimed that, “Imo was not affected by the much-talked about recession in the country because some people might wonder why the state should dabble into airline business in time of recession because the state has cleared arrears of pension and has paid salaries up to December 2016,” he said.

He described the governor’s declaration as not “only careless but a broad day murder of decorum, integrity and respect for the office of the governor,” stressing that Nigerians are aware that Okorocha had sacked over 10,000 civil servants as a result of economic recession.

He maintained that “As at today, 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 government of the state.”

Emeana stated: “While records show that Okorocha has received on behalf of the state, over N150 billion between January to December 2016 in internally generated revenue (IGR), 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.

“We had expected the governor to be bold enough to tell Nigerians that the aeroplane was procured as part of the logistics for his 2019 presidential campaign. More worrisome is the haste at flagging off his presidential campaign at a time President Buhari is on a medical vacation rather than join well meaning Nigerians to pray for the speedy recovery and return of Mr. President.

“We call on President Buhari to immediately order the grounding and disposal of the aeroplane and return the proceeds to the empty coffers of the state to alleviate the biting hardship of Imolites,” he maintained.