Imo state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has warned that any traditional ruler who constitutes himself into an opposition to his administration will be severely dealth with.Governor Okorocha, who gave this stern warning yesterday while addressing the traditional rulers and political leaders from the Mbaise Nation, who paid him a solidarity visit at the Government House. He said that traditional rulers who continued to fight his government would have themselves to blame.
The governor, who disclosed that his government had set up a committee to look into the case of 40 traditional rulers who had dragged him to court over an action he never took, admonished the traditional rulers involved not to allow themselves to be deceived by the old style of the PDP where they used the then PDP controlled federal government to disobey the orders of the state government.
His words, “traditional rulers still operating on the wrong impression created or standard set by the PDP in the state would have themselves to blame. The Ezes who have continued to fight the government will have themselves to blame. Again, those who believed that they had relationship with the president of the PDP extraction are no more in power today. But I cannot do what they did because I want to show leadership. I am proud of traditional rulers from Mbaise.”
Speaking further, he said: “ The level of impunity displayed by the PDP people who believed that they were connected with the president during the election in Mbaise area was embarrassing. Today, the PDP government is gone. It is not in my character for vengeance. Nothing is permanent in life. So, the period of politics or campaign of calumny has gone and this is the period of governance. I am looking at the state now from the angle of good leadership and not from the angle of politics.”
Okorocha, who debunked the allegation that he had instructed the traditional rulers from Mbaise to persuade Hon. Emeka Ihedioha to withdraw his petition against him at the Governorship Election Petition, said that the Tribunal handling his case with the PDP should be allowed to do their work.
He assured the traditional rulers from Mbaise that the proposed University of Agriculture in the area will become realistic, and that Mbaise people have benefitted from the free education policy of his government and other projects judging from their large population. He pointed out that in his first tenure, the Mbaise clan alone had three key commissioners including that of Finance, and has the chairman of APC in the state.
The governor, who accepted the invitation to attend the 2015 Iriji Mbaise (New Yam festival), said he was doing so because of his love for the people of Mbaise whom he said have made tremendous contributions to the development and leadership of the state.
Speaking earlier, leader of the delegation and deputy chairman of the state council of Ndi-Eze, HRM Eze Chidume Okoro had pledged their loyalty promising that the traditional rulers from the Mbaise nation were solidly behind the Governor and his Rescue Mission Government in the state, and that the governor should not allow the actions of few politicians from the Mbaise nation to sour his relationship with the entire Mbaise nation.
Eze Okoro stated: “ Your Excellency, you won your election for second term convincingly, Mbaise people are solidly behind you. We are therefore inviting you as one of us to the 2015 Iriji Mbaise. The ugly incident of last year must not be allowed to repeat itself. We congratulate you for your second term victory. You love Mbaise people and we are inviting you officially to this year’s Iriji Mbaise,” the Monarch said.
In a related development, the embattled Obi of Obinugwu and Chairman South East Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Cletus Ilomunanya has dragged the Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha to the National Human Rights Commission for alleged intimidation and disregard for court judgements.
The royal father, who disclosed this to Journalists yesterday in Owerri, said that his action had become necessary as governor Okorocha had blatantly refused to obey judicial pronouncements. He noted that since his unconstitutional removal as the chairman of the Imo state council of traditional rulers in spite of court judgements, the governor has refused to pay him his entitlements or return personal vehicles which was impounded by the state government.
