Okorocha’s Six Newly Built Voodoo Universities, Six Polytechnics: A Show Of Shame, Cacophony In Governance

Our Reporter

Our attention has been drawn to the wide spread publication credited to the outgoing Governor, Owelle Anayo Okorocha alleging that he has established a “voodoo” 12 new institutions of higher learning in Imo State, in less than two months to his official exit as Imo Governor, after eight years. The outgoing governor who addressed a Press Conference at the Government House Owerri on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, purportedly inaugurated what he called an Implementation Committee on New Tertiary Institutions with Prof.Chima Iwuchukwu as Chairman. Other members of the Committee are, Prof. JMB Nnadozie, Barr.Mrs.Ugochi Nnanna Okoro, Chief Dr.Lawrence Mbadiwe, Prof. Florence Emenalo and Sir.Ken Ejiogu.

Shamefully, none of the twelve voodoo higher institutions he outlined became operational in the eight years he presided over as Imo governor. Some of the enumerated 12 new voodoo institutions to be established in less than two months by Governor Okorocha are as follows; University of Agriculture and Environmental Services Aboh/Ngor-Okpala; Imo State Polytechnic is now University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences with a Campuses in Aboh/Ngor-Okpala and Umuagwo; Mbonu Ojike Polytechnic, Arondinzogu; Ahiara Polytechnic, Ahiazu Mbaise; Ehime Polytechnic at Ehime Mbano; Bishop Shanahan Polytechnic Orlu; University for Science and Technology, Onuimo; University of Creative Technology in Omuma Isiaku/Nkwerre; University of Medical Sciences at Ogboko; Imo Marine University in Oguta; Imo State College of Education, Ihitte Uboma.

It is clear that Governor Okorocha’s eight years as governor of the state did not make serious impact on him in terms of governance and prudence to know how many institutions of higher learning Imo State can financially operate.

This was a governor who could not fund Imo State University to optimum capacity in eight years. This was a governor that left Imo State University Teaching Hospital IMSUTH Orlu in its worst state since he became governor in eight years. No wonder he sunk Imo funds in building a dubious 27 Hospitals, which after eight years as governor he shamefully ended up with a record of not delivering a single built, well staffed and equipped public hospital for enjoyment of Imo people in eight years as Governor. His claim that the universities would be Public Private Partnership PPP driven is bizarre as he has no record of establishing a single PPP project in his eight years as governor of Imo State. Strange how he remembered all these lexicons once his exit has stared him on the face.

Recall that in the early part of this same Governor Okorocha’s first term, he announced the establishment of three campuses of Imo State University in line with the law of the institution which made it to be a multi-campus university.

He stated in 2012 that the move was to help decongest Owerri city and to create a better learning environment as the current IMSU location was no longer conducive for learning. The Governor took off with the building of Imo State University Campuses in Umuna for Okigwe zone, Ogboko and Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala. It was on that premise that the Governor began putting up structures for the IMSU campuses in Ogboko, Umuna and Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala.

During the Iri Ji Mbaise Festival in August, 2014, Governor Okorocha told Mbaise people that he had concluded work at the Aboh/Ngor Okpala Campus of the Imo State University to house the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. He made it categorically clear that the Campus would commence academic activities in eight months’ time. Eight years after, the governor has nothing to show than another bogus voodoo claim of establishing newly built University in the same Aboh/Ngor Okpala with just a name change.

Sometime in his first term the same Governor Okorocha announced the building of four new universities in Imo State.

He mentioned their names as, Imo European University Ogboko, Imo Turkish University Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala, Imo Marine University Oguta and Imo Caritas University, Umuna. He later in the same period announced the said the institutions as campuses of Imo State University.

The site at Umuna was for the relocation of the IMSU Faculty of Engineering and Environmental Studies; Aboh Mbaise Ngor Okpala was to house the IMSU Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine.

Eight years down the line, Governor Okorocha could not deliver the Faculty of Engineering and Environmental Studies Campus of the Imo State University in Umuna.

He could not deliver the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary services Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala.

The Imo Marine University Ossemotto remained a white elephant project after huge funds released and appropriated from the Imo 13 percent derivation fund.

The earlier proposed Imo State University Campus at Ogboko has been changed from Imo European University to Eastern Palm University all in the desperate bid by the governor to convert the project commenced and built with Imo public funds to his private property.

Upon the declaration of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as Governor, the same Governor Rochas Okorocha who could not deliver any of the four IMSU campuses he spent Imo funds on is bandying to have established twelve higher institutions.

Indeed Governor Okorocha sees Imo people as fools he can play with their brains.

This was the same way the Governor hoodwinked the people of Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area with a promise of building Imo College of Education project in the area.

After eight years, the Governor has nothing to show for the Imo State College of education beyond the building projects/contracts which has benefited only his friends and cronies.

It is a shame that a Governor who failed to deliver any new institution in eight years is bandying establishing 12 new higher institutions less than two months to his handover date. To successfully perpetuate his illegality, the Governor purports to have inaugurated an Implementation Committee on the new Tertiary Institutions.

The Implementation Committee and heads of the institutions were set up as conduit pipes to release late minute funds in the name of feasibility studies and field work in this late minute of the administration.

We wish to urge the good people of Imo State to ignore the Governor in his new dance of shame of building twelve new tertiary institutions in two months, when he barely funded the few institutions he inherited from his predecessors. Imo people should ignore the outgoing governor whose only aim is to mock Ndi Imo for giving me the opportunity to manage their affairs for eight years.

Is it no an irony that an administration that killed IMSUTH Orlu and denied IMSU Medical Students accreditation is promising establishment of Imo University of Medicine to be cited in Ogboko? What a shame.

If the Governor is so sincere, the minimum he should have done was to come clean and address Imo people regarding the status of the Imo State University Campus Ogboko which was commenced and built with Imo people’s funds and now criminally converted to his privately owned Eastern Palm University, Ogboko. There is no gainsaying that the hurried establishment of 12 new universities and polytechnics are all deliberate ploys to divert Imo people’s attention towards asking relevant questions about the Imo State University Campus in Ogboko which enjoyed greater funding from Imo State coffers under Governor Okorocha but now removed from the list of the bandied twelve new institutions.

We urge Imo people to put their trust in the incoming administration of Rt.Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as he has the integrity and capacity to address Imo people on what is good for the state looking at the state’s financial standing.

We assure Imo people that a government that does not play to the gallery is about to be enthroned in Imo. Indeed the days of voodoo governance will soon give way to fidelity and prudence in the management of public funds.