Imo Got Over N5 Billion Yearly During My Tenure – Okorocha

Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has disclosed that the state received a little above five billion naira yearly during his tenure as governor of the state.

Okorocha who stated this during the weekend in Abuja while criticizing the present state governors for lack of creativity also revealed that “as governor of Imo state, my monthly total income was between five to six billion naira, at most seven billion naira.

“Take an average of 6 billion per month times 12 that gives you 72 billion per annum; times it by eight, it gives you over five hundred and something billion.”

Speaking on how to boost the economy of the states, the former governor who is also representing Imo West at the National Assembly hosted a Web Conference with Nigerians in South Africa under the aegis of ‘Nigerians in South Africa Association.’

According to him, governors are not doing enough to address poverty and infrastructural decay in their states, adding that “though the resources in the hands of governors may be limiting, due to the enormous work that lies before them, governors who have a vision of turning around the fortunes of their respective states can still achieve a lot, if they have a vision.”

He also revealed that though Imo state earning under him was less than “what Akwa Ibom and Rivers states get in a year, even Lagos state, I cut my coat according to my size. I have to cut my coat according to my material available. That’s the vision which they don’t have, that’s the problem.”

He further added that seventy-five per cent of the state revenue during in his time in office was spent on overhead, with N130 billion left for infrastructural developments.

He said that while N539 billion, seventy-five per cent of the state revenue was spent on salary, leaving only about N130 billion for capital projects, his administration was able to build 6 universities, 4 Polytechnics and 2 Colleges of Education.

According to him, Imo state under him also built the best Cargo Airport, the Best High Court, the Best Police and Prison headquarters, (there for everyone to see), 546 schools built; free education at all levels.

“I was able to create wealth, ask around in Imo state, I was able to replicate the best Conference Centre equivalent of what we have in the capital city, Abuja, I built more roads than any governor put together in Imo state in the past 36 years. It takes vision.”

On calls for the federal government to implement the recommendations of the 2014 Conference, the lawmaker stressed that “the problem with the country was not implementing the Confab report, but the lack of a leader with vision.

“When you talk about implementing the Confab reports, it’s the same thing. It depends on the leadership because the constitution is what is the guiding principle, and every president has the right to devolve his powers to what is called either agency or delegatory authority to do that on his behalf.

Okorocha told the conference that as Nigeria’s President, he “will not be involved in the process of Contract Awards system of weekly meetings (What am I doing there).”

“He (the President) should delegate his powers to people that will give him results, knowing that our people do not work unless there is a Task Force; a challenge.

There is no challenge in this country that’s why we don’t have any Ivy League University, all Universities; Secondary schools and LGA’s are equal, (who tells you that),” Okorocha laments.