Governor Okorocha says Imo Government owes pensioners N16bn

Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo on Monday said that the total pension burden hanging on Imo Government as at July, 2016, is more than N16 billion.

Okorocha, who made the disclosure during a news conference in Owerri, said his priority now is how to offset the pension burden.

“As we talk, my priority now is to clear the entire pension owe Imo retirees.

“How I will do that is only what is before me now and I will address that soonest, “ he said.

The governor said that his administration had paid backlog of salaries owed Imo workers, adding, “the workers being owed now are only those of judiciary and Imo State University Teaching Hospital."

Okorocha explained the motive behind the policy directing workers in the state civil service to work from Monday to Wednesday, and go to their farms on Thursdays and Fridays.

He said the policy was to redress the current trend, whereby the state depends largely on states in the northern part of the country for food.

“As we talk, the food we consume in the state like rice, yam, tomatoes, pepper, and livestock all come from the north.

“If they (north) decide to cut the food chain, we will be in serious problem,“ the governor said.

Okorocha stressed that the agricultural policy was also to enable the workers benefit from Federal Government’s agricultural initiative.

He said that the government would document the workers that key into the new agriculture policy.

Okorocha announced that the state government would soon employ 3, 000 computer literate persons, to stimulate the state workforce.

He added that teachers already engaged by the state government under the “Youth Must Work Scheme “ would be confirmed.

On the relocation of Ekeukwu Owerri Main Market, the governor said that there was no going back on the decision.

“Government had already given deadline for traders to move to the new market at Egbede and we will not talk about that again.

“All that government is telling the traders is to move out their goods gradually because as soon as the rain subsides, we will close down the market and demolish the whole structure in the market.“

The governor debunked the rumours that he was attacked by ghost resulting to his travelling to India for medical treatment.

“There was not truth behind that rumour, my initial reaction to that rumour that I returned from the land of the dead was to make jest of the evil-minded persons who engineered such negative rumour.

“I am a Christian and do not believe that a deity in form of spirit has any power to attack me.

“Those championing such rumour should know that as a governor both the living and dead in the state are under my control,“ he said.