The local government council chairmen, recently recalled in Imo state yesterday, shunned governor Rochas Okorocha’s invitation to dialogue on the lingering crisis in the councils, despite the victory accorded the chairmen at the appeal court.
After several hours of waiting in vain for the chairmen, Okorocha addressed the traditional rulers and other stakeholders, who waited patiently as he expressed his dissatisfaction with the attitudes of the chairmen.
“I am still the governor of the state no matter what, this is no issue but yet a critical political issue, I took a bold step to ensure peace and tranquillity, so that we can resolve this issue amicably but unfortunately, they refuse to come.”
The governor said he extended an open arm towards them because it does not matter to him who was right or wrong as the interest of the state comes first.
He attributed the over flogging of the crisis to too much emphasis on politics in government and urged the people of the state to play down on politics and embrace good governance.
He however, denied the allegations that he is instrumental to fuelling the crisis, insisting that he had always been law abiding.
Okorocha, in demonstrating his willingness to resolve the issues has fixed Monday, July 30 as another date to meet with the council chairmen. He explained that their collaboration would help him recover the huge sum of money that was stolen from the coffers of the Local governments.
In a swift reaction to the governor’s invitation, the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, Eze Duruihuoma, said that the 27 PDP chairmen acted wisely by boycotting the meeting with the governor.
“It does not look like the government have shown good fate, otherwise why are they still referring to the chairmen as former?
Again why were they not formally written? The same government have been trying to invite the chairmen individually, dangling carrots before them; this is enough reason to boycott the meeting. There is more to it than meets the eye,” Duruihuoma said.