COLLAPSE OF IMO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER (I.I.C): TIME TO BRING ROCHAS OKOROCHA TO ACCOUNT
The Rochas Okorocha’s rogue administration has been a blight on the resources of Imo State.
More than 80% of the ‘infrastructure’ put in place by that ill-fated administration has either collapsed, in total disrepair or unusable.
Of course, the white-elephant structures were never meant to last since they were primarily engineered for fleecing the state.
The multi- million dead-traps he called “Tunnels” were never put to use as they were continually flooded with water and debris.
Of the three link roads between new and old Owerri, the major one linking Nekede with Douglas Road, which consumed some billions, collapsed even before the man left office.
The remaining two are near death traps as the culverts termed ‘bridges’ need urgent reconstruction.
The two multi billion Naira “flyovers”, contrived by Rochas and family, were never put to use due to very poor construction work and warning by Nigerian Society of Engineers about the debilitating state of the infrastructure. Today, they have become fancy mid – road ‘tables’ waiting to collapse.
All the rural “roads” constructed by Rochas completely disappeared within two years of their construction, even whilst the man held sway. Shamelessly, Rochas accused our rain water for being “acidic’, not minding that Governor Mbakwe’s roads are still intact, after 40 years of construction, defying, as it where, our acid rains.
Today, we are again talking about the collapse of his so-called International Conference Center which he invested billions of Naira and which facilities were looted by his cronies immediately his in-law lost his bid to rule the state.
All these endless wastages; ill-constructed primary schools in all the wards of the state, hospitals that were never completed in the 27 LGAs, etc., amounted to huge capital flights.
Throw in, for good measure, the man’s dubious acquisition of our former Orlu Road State Secretariat; the Imo State owned Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University (which he’s been recently divested of); the former Imo Broadcasting Corporation’s headquarters which he converted to Rochas Foundation Schools; the sharing of our proposed new government house land amongst his ever-greedy family members; the conversion of Akachi Estate to his wife’s personal guest houses, etc and you will understand the urgency in bringing Rochas Okorocha to book.
No wonder the man had the effrontery to tell us, in prime time television, that he is richer than our state. Who wouldn’t, after such monumental sleazes!
To complete the ever- increasing financial and infrastructural scams, his in-law, Uche Nwosu, a 2010 applicant for Ikedi Ohakim’s N11,000 monthly stipend, is now a billionaire who may also be richer than Imo State.
The collapse of IICC should be a wake up call for the government of Senator Hope Uzodinma to get serious in getting Rochas to account for his misdeeds and public properties’ acquisitions and conversion to personal cum family usage.
Enough is truly enough!
– Frank Ojiako, PhD
Add Comment