Okorocha Failed To Handover Financial Documents – Ihedioha
Against this backdrop, the governor said he asked all financial institutions to stop transacting with his predecessor.
Against this backdrop, the governor said he asked all financial institutions to stop transacting with his predecessor.
Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, on Friday said that his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha, did not hand any document over to him.
According to a news agency, Ihedioha’s Special Adviser on Media, Steve Osuji, said that Okorocha left the Government House without any “documentary record”.
He said, “The immediate past governor did not hand any documentary evidence, paper or record over to the new governor.
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“Governor Emeka Ihedioha went to Government House for the first time today (Friday) and I can tell you that the place is in a bad shape. There is nothing to show that the former governor handed anything over to his successor.”
Asked how many official vehicles Okorocha handed to Ihedioha, Osuji said, “There is no record so I can’t tell you how many official vehicles the former governor left behind.”
The immediate past Secretary to the State Government, Mark Uchendu, had said that Okorocha properly handed over to his successor.
But he was unable to say how many official vehicles Okorocha handed over to Ihedioha.
In the same vein, Osuji said that the new administration in Imo State would comply with the June 1 deadline for the implementation of the directive banning state governors from managing local government funds.
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Osuji, who said the Ihedioha-led administration would abide with the directive issued by the Nigerian Governors Forum, said, “The governors are working under the platform of the NGF and I know that the Imo State Government would abide by any agreement reached by the body.
“I am not entirely speaking for the state government but the governors preferred to work as a group on the auspices of NGF.
“It is a constitutional thing and the governors prefer to address the issue as a group.”
Ihedioha Denies Ordering Demolition Of Monuments Built By Okorocha
The Akachi tower, one of the many tourist attractions built by the former governor is being demolished as at the time of filing this report.
Barely 24 hours after the assumption of office, Imo State governor, Emeka Ihedioha has commenced the demolition of monuments built by the immediate past governor, Rochas Okorocha as his first action as governor.
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Ihedioha was sworn-in as the sixth Executive governor of the state on Wednesday.
The Akachi tower, one of the many tourist attractions built by the former governor is being demolished as at the time of filing this report.
It was built on a reclaimed dumpsite that was abandoned by previous administrations.
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The demolition exercise was supervised by soldiers who barred journalists from covering the exercise.
The Akachi monument was one of the structures commissioned by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo barely one week ago.
The monument, a massive tower with the symbol of a hand on the Zenith, representing the hand of God, sits on an expansive plot of land, reserved for religious purposes.
There are fears that the new governor will also demolish other monuments in Owerri, the state capital, especially the famous statues.
Watch the video below:
The stampede resulted from a huge crowd that besieged the Dan Anyiam Stadium, venue of the inauguration.
At least 10 people, including a pregnant woman, were injured in a stampede during the inauguration of Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha’s on Wednesday in Owerri.
A member of the medical team for the inauguration, Dr. Francis Igwe, confirmed the figure to the News Agency of Nigeria in Owerri.
The stampede resulted from a huge crowd which besieged the Dan Anyiam Stadium, venue of the inauguration,
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Igwe said, however, that the victims were revived.
He told NAN that the medical team led by Dr. Vin Udokwu were proactive to handle the situation.
“When we saw the crowd, we suspected that there may be an emergency situation; we quickly put our personnel and equipment together just to get ready,” he said.
Members of the Red Cross Society were also seen assisting in rescue operations during the stampede.
Before the inauguration, a woman had fainted and was carried away from the field by the medical personnel on a stretcher.
Igwe said that all situations were controlled.
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source: tori
New Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha has announced the beginning of free health care for children and elderly people in the state.
Ihedioha was sworn in for a four-year term at a jam-packed Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri on Wednesday by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Paschal Nnadi.
The former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker promised to reform the state’s criminal justice system by domesticating the Criminal Justice Act.
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He said, “We shall restore Owerri as the cleanest city in Nigeria. We shall digitalize the Imo land registry for optimum delivery. We shall review all land allocations in Imo and where necessary revoke illegal land allocation.”
He also promised to provide water and deliver quality projects.
The governor said, “We shall guarantee financial independence for the judiciary as provided for in the constitution. The four technical colleges shall be upgraded to be a great hub of technical manpower within my first 180 days in office.”
He promised to establish the Bureau of Public Procurement to handle the award of contracts.
Imo State governor, Emeka Ihedioha, has appointed Steve Osuji and Chibuike Onyeukwu as his Special Adviser (Media) and Chief Press Secretary (CPS) respectively.
Onyeukwu, who made this known in a press release yesterday, stated that the appointments were with immediate effect.
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While Osuji, a senior journalist who served former Governor Ikedi Ohakim on similar capacity, is presently a member of the Editorial Board of The Nation newspapers, Onyeukwu has been a long-time media aide to the new governor.
The statement reads: “Apparently living up to his promise at the inauguration ground earlier in the day to hit the ground running, Imo State governor, Emeka Ihedioha, has appointed two media aides, Steve Osuji as the Special Adviser (Media) while Mr. Chibuike Onyeukwu is the CPS.”
He was sworn in in front of a large crowd+ at the Dan Anyiam stadium in Owerri, by the Chief Judge of the state, Paschal Nnadi.
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Ihedioha was sworn in at 11:01 am, four minutes after his Deputy, Gerald Irons, took his oath of office.
Imo State Governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha, has pleaded with the people of the state to wait until May 29 when he will speak to them.
He spoke yesterday at the Grasshopper International Handball Stadium in Owerri, during the interdenominational church service held as part of the activities for the May 29 swearing-in ceremony.
In his short message, Ihedioha said the stadium in which he will be inaugurated as next governor of the state was in very bad shape and it was the effort of his transition committee that put it in good use.
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According to him, “two weeks ago, if you visited this stadium, you will hardly spend a minute. Thank God for giving us wisdom and capacity for putting it back in use.
“God is with us and God will continue to be with us for putting Imo back to the comity of civilized states again.
“I am not yet governor; the journey has been tasking. We prayed and fasted, and our prayer was answered. By the grace of God, on May 29, I will speak to all of you.”
Speaking during his sermon, the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, Anthony Obinna, warned the incoming administration to avoid sycophants.
He said: “Today is Sunday and we have come to seek for the face of God. The sermon is based on Repent and Worship the true God and serve him in in humility, wisdom and fortitude.
“Let me say this, since independence till today we are still crying of what is happening in Nigeria. It appears to be worse than what happened during the civil war in this country.
“The opportunist agenda of politicians in Nigeria including the Igbo leaders even after the Biafra war, we thought things will be better but it is not like that. It is getting worse.
“Peace remain far from this country of everyday bloodshed. The recent election in Imo state and Nigeria, after the election, seem to have brought relative peace but it is not so. We are gathered here to pray for Imo citizens and governor-elect and deputy governor-elect, to believe in God and worship the true God.
“I challenge you all to stay clear of sycophants and those who will keep you away and far from worshipping the true God.
“In the present state of Imo state, we need servant leaders who will be inbuilt of God. We need servant leaders who will govern in the wisdom of God and the guide the resources of this state.
“We need servant leaders who will build a standard road for our communities and empower the young people.
“We need a servant leader who will defend our legitimate rights just as Mbakwe did and he was crying for our sake as a result of which he was described as a crying governor. We need a servant leader who will not betray us in the name of enslavement politics. Let us share in the same humility of Jesus Christ, share in the values of God and also forgive one and another.”
The Governor-elect of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha has accused the officials of the state government of attempts to blackmail him.
He also said that government officials were equally working to undermine his inauguration on Wednesday as the governor of the state.
At a press conference on Saturday in Owerri, the chairman of the Governor-elect’s inauguration planning and handover committee, Chris Okewulonu said that the outgoing governor, Rochas Okorocha, had not assisted the committee towards ensuring a seamless inauguration ceremony.
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Okewulonu said, “In the course of our work, we met thrice with the outgoing government’s team, believing that issues agreed upon will be strictly adhered to in their implementation. But unfortunately, the reverse proved to be the case.
“Rather, we have taken note of deliberate attempts by some hirelings of the state government to blackmail the incoming governor with baseless and spurious assertions.
“In the last couple of weeks, the mass media have been awash that N150m was released by Governor Okorocha to the incoming governor to assist in the inauguration planning exercise.
“Let me restate for emphasis that no such money was ever released to this committee or to anybody else who is part of the incoming government of Emeka Ihedioha. We have not also received any form of assistance whatsoever from them.
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“We are indeed piqued at futile attempts by some busybodies to take undeserved glory for the wonderful achievements, the incoming governor has recorded even before assumption of office.”
A case filed at the Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital, to stop the inauguration of the Imo state governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha, on May 29 has been struck out.
Justice PA Rimgim, the presiding judge, said that the plaintiff, Clifford Eze, who was the governorship candidate of the Democratic Alternative (DA) during the governorship election had no legal right to approach a regular court for a post-election matter.
The judge ruled that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the suit and awarded a N5 million cost against the plaintiff.
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One of the defense counsel, Emeka Ihejirika, in reaction, said that apart from lack of jurisdiction, court processes were also abused by the plaintiffs.
Ihejirika said, ”it is a primary knowledge that the regular court does not entertain post-election matters.
“The plaintiffs are already at the tribunal and the same things they brought up for argument at the tribunal are the same things they brought to the regular court.
“Apart from the federal high court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the suit, it was an abuse of court processes.
“That was why the court slammed a N5m cost against the plaintiffs. It is as simple as that.”
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