Takeover of varsity further attack on my achievements – Okorocha

Immediate past Imo Governor Rochas Okorocha has described the
takeover and conversion of the Eastern Palm University to a campus
of the Imo State University (IMSU) by the State Government as
another ploy to destroy all his landmark achievements.

The former governor insisted the action further exposes the
sinister plot against him and his family by the State Governor,
Emeka Ihedioha.

The Committee on the Review of Newly Established Tertiary
Institutions in the state headed by Prof. Jude Njoku, had announced
the takeover of the Eastern Palm University owned by the former
Governor and the scrapping of the new tertiary institutions created
by the former governor.

But Okorocha argued the Committee overreached itself adding that
it lacks the powers to take such decision.

A statement signed by the Media Adviser to the former, Mr. Sam
Onwuemeodo, reads: “We have read in the media the Statement
Credited to Prof. Jude Njoku, Chairman, Committee on the Review of
Newly Established Tertiary Institutions set up by Governor Emeka
Ihedioha stating that, the PDP government in the State has taken
over the Eastern Palm University and making it campus of the Imo
State University.

“Prof. Njoku was also quoted to have said that all the newly
established Universities and other Tertiary Institutions built by
the Senator Rochas Okorocha’s administration have been scrapped

“Following these actions by Prof. Njoku’s Committee our reaction
goes this way; going by the nomenclature and task given to the
Committee, which is Committee on the review of Newly Established
Tertiary Institutions the Chairman, Prof. Njoku exceeded the job of
the Committee by announcing immediate takeover of the Eastern Palm
University and Scrapping all the Tertiary Institutions built by
Okorocha.

“What was expected of the Committee at the end of its assignment
was to submit their findings or reports to the governor, who would
then handover the report to the Attorney-General of the State, to
look at all the legal ingredients involved in the establishment of
the Universities and others, before making any specific
pronouncement on them.

“Prof. Njoku’s action only showed the speed and zeal with which
the government of the day wants to destroy all the landmark
projects of the APC government in the State which Senator Okorocha
had headed”.

According to the statement: “Right from the outset, Okorocha had
continued to say that the Eastern Palm University was a PPP
venture. And what the government would have done in the
circumstance was to look at the whole scenario including the legal
undertones and then take the appropriate action in the overall
interest of the State, her people and humanity in general.

“Equally, Scrapping the six Universities, four Polytechnics and
three Colleges of Education built by Okorocha’s government, which
have already taken off, with befitting structures on ground and
their operational licences gotten, was obviously
counter-productive. It was not the best of actions.

“The government would have looked at the ideas or vision behind
the building of the institutions and their advantages both
short-term, and long-term and then take things easy with them, in
lieu of being hasty in Scrapping them.

“Obviously, the governor was looking at the man behind the
Institutions, Okorocha, instead of looking at their in-built merits
both now and in the nearest future.
“We want to let Governor Ihedioha know that Okorocha had done eight
years as governor and cannot be governor again. He should stop
acting as if he is in Contest with the former governor.

“We are saying this because the zeal with which the governor has
been destroying and discrediting all that the former governor
laboured to put in place, has become worrisome to all Imo people,
and others too. All the facilities Okorocha used to beautify
Owerri, the State Capital, have all been removed as if INEC
announced him governor for the sake of removing or destroying all
that Okorocha built.

“It is also worth mentioning that since his inauguration as
governor he has not been able to do any other thing apart from
inspecting, removing, destroying and discrediting all that Okorocha
did, which means, we didn’t lie when we claimed that Okorocha had
more than one thousand verifiable projects as governor.

“We appeal to Governor Ihedioha to take things easy and always
think deeply before acting on issues instead of doing
otherwise”.

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