Unknown Persons Destroy Okorocha’s Effigy

Some unknown persons have destroyed the effigy of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state. The effigy installed in his Ideato South country home was brought down and damaged beyond redemption, Vanguard reports. The statue, mounted at the Ogboko Junction, along the Orlu-Urualla federal highway, as the frenzy over his gubernatorial success was at its peak, depicted Governor Okorocha on a horse back. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the destruction and the state government and its functionaries have remained silent over the destruction. The anti-Rochas Okorocha sentiments in Imo state has been for some time now. The people’s resentment towards the governor started escalating, following the state government’s inability or unwillingness to pay staff salaries and pensions, as well as severe economic hardship they were facing. READ ALSO: Okorocha Prays PDP Doesn’t Go Into Extinction For the past three days, Imo workers and pensioners have been holding peaceful protest march in Owerri, the state capital, to press home their demand for the payment of the arrears of their unpaid salaries. They were said to have held the government house hostage on Wednesday, December 2, even as the wife of the governor, Nkechi Okorocha, was celebrating her birthday. Kingsley Uju, the governor’s deputy chief of staff addressed the protesters, pleading with them to exercise patience. He assured them that government was working on alleviating their suffering. Recently, the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN) urged the state House of Assembly to impeach Governor Okorocha. They were reacting to the closing down of all government health facilities and concessioning them to private ownership.