Okey Eze, APGA’S guber hopeful, unveils roadmap ….Says: I’ll run Imo without federal allocations

Frontline governorship hopeful of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in Imo State, Mr. Okey Eze has said that it will take only a technocrat like himself to get Imo State off the woods and turn its economic fortunes around. He made this assertion last Monday April 8, 2018 at an interactive session which held at Jesus Arena Halls, Owerri entitled First Owerri Zone Town Hall meeting/luncheon. The Theme of the meeting which was facilitated by the “Okey Theodore Eze Foundation” was “Imo-without FAAC Allocation the feasibility” In his speech at the occasion Okey Eze stated that he is the only one with a blue print on how best to get Imo out of the woods and that has the capacity to pay its debts profile of about N120Billion without waiting for the federal statutory monthly allocations. He posited that with a huge debt profile and monthly average revenue which presently stands at N3.5 Billion and average expenditure of N5.5 Billion monthly, it will take a financial expert like himself to get the state economy on a healthy status and still provide basic infrastructures such as power, public water supply, environmental sanitation, good roads and industries.
He observed that there is need for Foreign Direct Investment (FD1) as canvassed by the Chief Guest speaker/lecturer Barr. Ngozi Olehi but this maybe a mirage due to insecurity and senseless blood letting in the country, Okey Ezeh promised to borrow the novel policy of attracting foreign grants as did by Peter Obi of Anambra against the elusive search for FDl.
He suggested the idea of subscribing to an investment bond as the cheapest module for attracting funds from Igbo sons and daughters at home and in diaspora who are afraid to invest at home due to the high level of insincerity of government who often ask for bribes before allowing investors to come in. Speaking further, Mr. Okey Ezeh named Singapore as one of the few countries in the world that are doing very well economically and with the highest ease of doing business, stressing that such countries are private enterprises driven. He wondered why Okorocha who sponsored his girlfriend Nonye Rajis as Ambassador to Singapore for four years could not replicate the ease of doing business and massive infrastructural facilitates that make Singapore unique and outstanding. Another strategy he wishes to adopt in turning the economy of Imo state around once he is elected as the governor, is to increase drastically the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) which he noted to be a paltry N452milion against Ebonyi states N800 million and Enugu’s N1.3Billion monthly. “What we need in 2019 is a governor with an uncommon vision like the founder of modern Singapore Likuan Yu. Talking about Imo State is more about lamentations, missed opportunity, like the glorious vision of Dee Mbakwe. Our peculiar case is such that people will rather share than bake the cake. We need to holistically survey our finances to identify sources of revenue, wastages, leakages and basic needs. Presently Imo fetches water with the basket hence the intolerable leaks and wastes. Our initiatives and creativity as Ndi Igbo should be sources of emulation rather than what obtains now where the present administration lacks clear cut mechanism for increasing revenue” he stated Okey Ezeh also identified the need for adequate data base on lands and other resources including human capital development and the Geographical Information System (GIS) as factors that can enhance Revenue generation from Real Estate to improve the economy.
Speaking further the APGA governorship hopeful averred that quality performance, entrepreneurship, resourcefulness and good governance are factors that must be imbibed for us to achieve industrialization and mechanized system of agriculture in order to achieve food security. He enjoined the electorate to embrace change of ethical orientation, begin to ask the right questions, avoid the crude way of doing things and add value to our local resources since oil is fast diminishing in volume and hydrocarbon fuel no more attractive, hence the need for economic restructuring which only him can engender, if we must survive economically and socially without FAAC. He wants our numerous rivers and their canals to be converted into rice paddles same as Singapore did by converting their adversities to great potentials. He regretted that our palm oil and rubber plantations have been wasted, while our 55million cubic feet of natural gas is flared annually when they should be converted to wealth in order to create employment opportunities. Earlier, the guest speakers, Barr. Ngozi Olehi and Ikefuama, observed that rapid development in Imo without FAAC is possible if only the likes of Okey Ezeh are elected as governor in 2019.
Olehi condemned the clamour for an impracticable free education whereas the Okorocha administration makes industrialization impossible. In his words Imo has earned close to N800 Billion. When you add bail out and Paris club funds to what Okorocha inherited from Ohakim, you have a total of N1.3trillion but regrettably, rather that utilize this huge sum of money prudently, it was filtered away with a debt profile of N120Billion hanging on our neck. He decried the idea of living on propaganda which he said is our stock in trade. “Salaries and pensions are paid in T.V. sets; God certainly is annoyed with us. When there is Godliness in a country as it in Great Britain, development is rapid. We must ask God to forgive us and reconcile with God if we must move forward. Whenever God wants to punish the Israelites, He gives them a bad or wicked ruler such as we now have in Imo State, he stressed. The Town Hall Meeting which had Dr. S.O. Amaechi as Chairman was attended by Alhaji Isah Okeke, Bar Ikefuama, Oba Oladeji, High Chief Ekiwu, Dr (Mrs) Comfort Ikedi of FUTO, Pastor Prince B.C. Ekeh and Prof. Oha as M.C.
It was equally resolved that Owerri Zone must produce the next Governor of the state and that we should outlive what Barr. Olehi described as jungle state with the twin challenges of corruption and Gofatherism whereby Imolites have never had it so rough.