By CHRIS NJOKU, OWERRI
The Chairman of the Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, Innocent Ekenma, has blamed the immediate past administration of former governor Rochas Okorocha for the current plight of the people in different parts of the state.
Ekenma said that the people of the state were now suffering because Okorocha’s administration awarded contracts for eight years without conducting environment impact assessment.
The LG boss, who was assessing the current administration of Emeka Ihedioha’s 70 days in office, told our correspondent that there was need to declare a state of emergency over the decayed infrastructure in the state.
“Today there is serious infrastructural decay in the state, which should attract the attention of the Federal Government because the former governor awarded contracts to inexperienced professionals, who brought the rot being experienced in the state today,” he said.
He expressed sadness that the state was completely destroyed by the previous government, saying, “Imo is decayed already. For eight years, no pipe borne water, the water system is destroyed.”
The transition chairman assured that in the next couple of days taps would be running again, adding that Governor Ihedioha had commissioned experts to find lasting solution to the perennial problem of flooding.
He said, “Everybody is working; the governor has just appointed commissioners. He believes in due process, now that the commissioners are on board, contracts will go through ministry of works which Okorocha never made use of.
“The former governor was the commissioner for works; he awarded contracts without due process. Once he sees a bad road, he will just say can you do the job, go and start work just like that without thinking of the consequence of awarding such contract to an amateur.”
The council chairman, whose tenure expires in the next six months, promised to leave a legacy of constructing a befitting secretariat in the council area.
According to him, “today Imo people will see the difference as soon as the rains subsided. There will be revolution in infrastructures development. Many road projects have been awarded. We have already awarded Owerri-Portcourt/Obinze road, Ihiagwu-Nekede road, Emiabiam-Okoloche road and waiting for the rains to subside to commence work in earnest.”
He assured that Imo people would witness revolution in road construction soon.
“This is not government of propaganda; it is government of sincerity. What we are waiting for is the rain and the moment it stops, you people will see a revolution in the state,” he said.
He also disclosed that very soon each local government would launch construction equipment such as pay loader, tipper, roller, caterpillar and grader that would enable the councils to carry out their responsibilities, particularly regarding rural roads construction.
