Okorocha should stop provoking Imo people, govt warns

Imo State Government has warned former Governor Rochas Okorocha to stop provoking the people if he does not want to be treated as if he never occupied the office of the governor.

It said the ex-governor would regret any further action of trying to make the state chaotic and riotous.

Speaking with The Nation in Owerri yesterday, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Cyprian Akaolisa, said: “I want to tell you that Okorocha is provoking the people. Let him be careful and conduct himself in accordance with proper behaviour. He should stop provoking the people because when the case starts, the Otoko crisis of 1996 will be child’s play. Let him not turn Imo to a riotous place. He should not cause a problem in this state because Imo is peaceful.

“We’re ready to follow him through lawful means. This why the Commissioner for Land, Enyinna Onuegbu, went to that premises and locked it up with the seal of the government after the White Paper directed that action.

“But Okorocha went there to unseal it. That is a provocation. Nobody did anything to him. He should be lawful. He should understand that he is no longer the governor of this state. There can never be two governors here because there is a government on the ground. He must respect the government’s decisions. If he doesn’t respect the decisions of the government, we will treat him as if he was never a governor.”

Akaolisa debunked a rumour that interventions from the Presidency, All Progressives Congress (APC) and others made the state to stop the ongoing recovery of the alleged looted property of Imo State.

He said: “The government will go ahead and recover every single property of the state government appropriated by Okorocha, especially landed property, as contained in the White Paper.”

On the insistence of the former governor that the matter was before a court, the attorney general said: “When did Okorocha become a proper person to determine matters that are in courts? Throughout his eight years tenure, did he know that there were courts? When he demolished Captain Iheanacho’s house and demolished Eke Ukwu Owerri Market, did he obey orders from the court stopping his actions? There were court orders, but he went ahead to demolish the properties.

“But, we have not started demolition. We must demolish buildings as is recommended in the White Paper. We’re going to demolish any property that is not where it is supposed to be. The White Paper has defined the buildings that should be demolished. So, let him go to court and stop the demolition if he can.”