The immediate past Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has warned the State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, against making allegations that he (Ihedioha) is not willing to defend.
Okorocha challenged Ihedioha to publish the details of the N100billion debt for public consumption, adding that the governor is taking Imo people and Nigerians for granted.
In a statement by Sam Onwuemeodo, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Okorocha said, “With regard to the governor’s latest claim of N100billion debt, we also want to challenge him to publish the details.
“He should publish the details of the N100billion debt for public consumption. If he could spend billions to launch media attacks and sponsor protests against Okorocha and to discredit his projects, what would it cost to publish details of his N100billion debt claim.
“How can a governor be making claims or allegations he is always not willing to make the details public. And the person telling him to publish the details has always been the man he accused.
“The speed with which Governor Emeka Ihedioha makes certain claims and dishes out figures about the last administration which Senator Rochas Okorocha headed, without taking steps to prove any of the allegations or authenticate any of the Claims when challenged, means he is taking Nigerians and Imo people in particular, for granted.”
Recall that while addressing Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftains in Owerri on Thursday, Governor Ihedioha had accused his predecessor, Senator Okorocha, of incurring N100billion debt “without anything to show for what the monies were used for”.
The Governor had earlier before now, or soon after his inauguration, said that the debt profile of the State attracted by Okorocha was N300billion.
Okorocha’s statement added, “His Chief of Staff said it was N275billion. This is worrisome. The governor should not be dishing out figures as if governance has become a child’s play.
“The disturbing aspect of the whole thing is that when they make these bogus Claims or allegations and you challenge them to show proofs they would recoil.
“With regard to the governor’s latest claim of N100billion debt, we also want to challenge him to publish the details.
“He should publish the details of the N100billion debt for public consumption. If he could spend billions to launch media attacks and sponsor protests against Okorocha and to discredit his projects, what would it cost to publish details of his N100billion debt claim.
“How can a governor be making claims or allegations he is always not willing to make the details public. And the person telling him to publish the details has always been the man he accused.
“The truth of the matter is that the governor knows how INEC declared him winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship election in the State. And the major Candidates are at the tribunal to ensure the correction of that anomaly. And people believe that he is doing all these in preparation for a possible re-run.
“We also want to ask the governor to avoid making unbelievable claims. To say that Okorocha achieved nothing would be seen by all and sundry as too cheap.
“And he has been visiting Okorocha’s projects and finding faults with some of them just to discredit the projects. In case he does not know, Imo people know that what Okorocha achieved as governor in eight years exceeded all that those before him achieved put together.
“He should leave Okorocha and the family alone and face governance. At the event, he announced that he has set up a panel to probe Okorocha and at the same time, released the figure of N100b debt. And what if the probe panel comes up with another figure. Governance is a serious business and should be seen as such.”