A former governor of Imo State and senator representing Imo West, Rochas Okorocha, has asked youths to stop venting their anger on traditional rulers because of the failure of governance in the state.
Okorocha who spoke on Wednesday at Eziama Obierie in the Nkwerre Local Government Area of the state, during the burial service of Jemimah Nwosu, mother of his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, said that “Imo is bleeding because of insecurity.”
Instead of taking a violent approach, Okorocha asked youths to wait till 2023 and vote out bad governance through an electoral process.
Okorocha, who wept, said that this is not the state he governed for eight years and handed over in 2019.
He said that six serving governors could not attend the funeral rites because of the escalated insecurity in the state.
Okorocha said, “I want to appeal to the youth to stop venting their anger of bad governance by killing innocent citizens. This is not the Imo I used to know. This is not the Imo I was governor for, for eight years. I don’t support violence but I support protest through a proper channel. I urge you to wait till 2023 and use your PVC to vote out bad governance.
“Six governors called me and told me that they wanted to be here for the funeral but I told them for them to be here they must have to move about in Amorured Personnel Carriers and hence they couldn’t afford it, they stayed back in their respective states.”
Okorocha, who was emotionally heartbroken, said that Imo State was “gradually turning to Afghanistan”, urging priests to be praying for the safety of the state.
Credit: PUNCH