Okorocha Govt An Unmitigated Disaster – CSOs
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Loading ...By Nedum Noble
Loading ...A coalition of human rights and good governance organisations in the South East geopolitical zone has rated the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha as the worst governor ever produced in area.
It described the Okorocha-led administration as an unmitigated disaster and as a shame to the zone.
The over 17 CSOs passed the verdict in a paper it presented in Onitsha, Anambra State, entitled, “The best and the worst in south east Nigeria: A comprehensive review of good governance in the geopolitical zone dating to the second republic among other burning national issue.”
Delivering the 22 page paper, the leader of the coalition and chairman board of trustees of International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Mr Emeka generally scored the governors of the zone low in good governance.
The groups called on the governors of the geopolitical zone to wake up to their responsibilities, lamenting what they called “the near total, if not total collapse of good governance and visionary leadership in the South East zone”.
While rating Abia State as next to Imo, as a result of ‘serially produced bad governors in performance’, the group said Anambra’s good governance record was “dented by a certain governor who ran a single term”.
“From the second Republic to date, the groups said, Chief Sam Mbakwe of old Imo state, Chief Jim Nwobodo of old Anambra state and Mr. Peter Obi of Anambra stood out as former governors whose performances were excellent.
“Within the zone, Chief Rochas Okorocha of Imo state stood out as the “worst serving governor, while Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju of Anambra state (1999-2003) Chief Orji Uzor Kalu and his successor Chief Theodore Orji of Abia State belonged to worst past governors,” the group said.
They maintained that good governance and charismatic leadership had eluded the zone for a long time, adding, “the zone is now shackled by transactional governance and chronic bad leadership”.
They observed that part of what aided bad leadership in the zone was “the legislatures which abdicated their roles of checkmating the executives for good governance and concentrating on cornering public funds to buy movable and immovable investments”.
The paper partly read,” South East governors should be proactive and efficient in strengthening the internal and external security of the zone against well oiled and coordinated widespread violent attacks against Christian population and their churches by the terror Fulani herdsmen.
“The governors must stop supporting measures that are against Igbo interest such as cattle colonies and insisting in making inputs into security arrangement in the region.
” The governors should ensure that the zone gets its share of federal resources, appointments and infrastructural developments and that South East is factored into the new national railways policy as well as comprehensive reconstruction of all federal roads in the zone.
“The zone needs a standard international Sea Port and bridge linking Ogwu-ikpele in Ogbaru local council of Anambra and Ndoni in Rivers State.”
