… Says Imo pensioners are criminally being murdered
The negative treatment being meted out to the pensioners of Imo State byGovernor Rochas Okorocha has started attracting negative comments from well meaning labour unionists from neighbouring South East States with the members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Anambra State chapter hitting very hard on the governor.
One of such states is Anambra State which described Governor Okorocha as a man appearing very much like the jest made at him.
Speaking when he delivered a heart-felt condolence message to their Imo State counterparts during a South East NUP/ Organised Labour forum in Owerri on Tuesday, the Anambra State chairman of the NUP, Dr. Anthony Ugozor said “For maltreating old men and women in Imo State, Governor Okorocha has exactly shown that he is what our governor, Chief Willie Obiano of Anambra State called him last week during their media war”.
It will be recalled that during an exchange of brickbats between the two governors following the claim by Governor Okorocha that three serving governors in the South-East were planning to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), Obiano who refuted the claim, described Okorocha as ‘an example of what a leader should not be’.
However, Ugozor said retirees from Anambra State “We’re sorry we are talking about your governor in this awfully bad light, but we cannot agree more with our governor, Chief Obiano said Governor Okorocha lacks (positive) ideas on how to govern a state as progressive as Imo. Any governor that cannot pay workers’ salaries and at the same time criminally want to force pensioners to forfeit 60 per cent of the arrears of their sweat must have come from the pit of hell and we must join hands with you to ensure such an evil wind like Okorocha does not blow in Igboland again.
“We are not here top remind you of your woes. I’m aware of the number of pensioners that have died in Imo since this Rochas came on board. His election ought to have been a blessing to the people of this state and not a curse as it is presently. He is full of criminal deceit
“In Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States, when a pensioner dies it is by the will of the almighty God. But when a pensioner dies in Imo, it is executive murder because not many dead Imo retirees died peacefully. Most of them died because Governor Okorocha used the instrument of hunger to wipe them out. This is why those still alive are rushing to sign their death warrant prepared for them by their own governor. If you remain consistent in rejecting that evil, we will also continue to support you”, the Anambra NUP leader said.
He charged the Imo NUP members and the Organsied Labour not to give in to sabotage as according to him, “the governor will use some of you to try to subdue you”
