The reason for the recent inauguration of the employment of 25000 youths from Imo State into various sectors of the state by Governor Rochas Okorocha has been revealed.
According to impeccable sources close to the governor, the major reason for that employment was for them to assist Governor Okorocha to retain power in 2015.
The governor had on Monday paraded the 25000 youths from across the sate as the new workers with promise of paying them N20,000 monthly stipend pending after six months of their employment.
But, speaking with 247ureports.com in confidence, the source said that the youths were recruited to man the various polling booths across the state to ensure that the governor wins back the seat.
“If you check the number of people recruited, you will notice that more than 12000 of them are posted as community vigilante known as Imo Community Watch, Imo Civil Guard and Imo Security Network. These people cannot be around and the governor loses his seat. The reliable ones among them will be undergoing training at the ICAPS
“If you paid attention, most of what he told the youths before their inauguration was that if they allowed a new person to take over from him, they would lose their jobs and these guys are now ready to protect their jobs”, he said
He disclosed that this was a way of empowering the youth to be useful to the governor when the appointed time comes.
Also speaking, another source asked, “Why do you think he sacked 10000 workers properly employed by the state civil service commission and now employ people without going through the proper channel of civil service commission, secondary education management board, state universal basic education board or the local government service commission? If not for politics, then you can tell me.”
He added that the need for the recruitment of the youths arose as a result of thousands of people that had left the governor’s camp in recent times to join either the PDP or APGA.
Reacting to the insinuations, Governor Okorocha explained that the reason he employed 25,000 youths was because it was in line with his electoral promise and not to win the 2015 election.
In a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on the Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha said such a ‘cheap propaganda’ was to play down some of the laudable achievements of his administration.
He said he was never under any obligation or compulsion to offer jobs to the 25,000 youths, adding that he did it because he had always been a strong investor in human capital even as a private person.
“The 25,000 youths given gainful employment last Monday was part of his campaign promises like the Free Education programme and massive infrastructural transformation of the state.
“It has nothing to do with the 2015 politics,” the SSA stated.
Okorocha said he did not need to do that to win reelection in 2015, saying that he had done more than expected.
