Youths angry over diversion of Amnesty funds
The Chairperson of Southern Governor’s Wife Forum, Nneoma Okorocha was on a routine tour of dilapidated school buildings in Ohaji Egbema LGA in her capacity as the Chairman of the Amnesty Committee Constituted by her Husband, Governor Rochas Okorocha when her convoy was attacked by youths on February 10th.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Mrs Okorocha’s itinerary met stiff resistance in Awarra part of Ohaji/Egbema when aggrieved youths of the area attacked her convoy. Apart from jeers and boos which greeted her convoy, stones and dangerous items were thrown at the vehicles that led her to the place.
On noticing that it was the convoy of the wife of the Governor who came in company of political leaders in the area, youths started hurling dangerous weapons at them forcing the cars to make a U-turn. The first lady’s convoy, sensing danger, sped away quickly before torrents of stones landed at their vehicles. Some unlucky persons who were part of the convoy did not escape unhurt as part of their vehicles were damaged by flying missiles.
Okorocha’s wife who was hurt and disappointed by the action of the rampaging youths was said to have expressed dissatisfaction with the APC leadership in the area led by the Deputy Chief of Staff ( Operations) for failure to be fully incharge and control the youths.
A member of the ISOPADEC Board from the Awarra Court Area, (name withheld) was also not lucky, as part of his vehicle was bashed by the rampaging youths who pursued the convoy until it left the community.
Politics Nigeria further discovered that the spontaneous reaction of the youths was based on the non fulfilment of several promises the Okorocha government made to the people since it came into power in 2011. Apart from the absence of electricity after years government assured of power supply, the area lacks other basic amenities like road, pipe borne water, health centres and good schools.
Investigation revealed that the people of Ohaji /Egbema witnessed public power supply before Okorocha came into power in 2011, but his entry to government house brought darkness to the area. The public power supply ISOPADEC paid in the past was stopped by Okorocha forcing PHCN /EEDC to stop power supply. The Governor had kicked against the state paying PHCN bills for a certain area.
More annoying to the people that warranted the violent conduct is the non fulfilment of the promises made to the repentant militants when they surrendered arms under the state government Amnesty Programme sometime last year. The Amnesty programme is under the watch of Nneoma Okorocha as the Chairman and Hon Kingsley Chima Uju, Deputy Chief of Staff from the Area as Vice Chairman.
But the aggressive youths accused the state government of deceit and using the Amnesty programme as a conduit pipe to siphon the 13% Oil derivation money paid into ISOPADEC account.
The aggressive youths further accused the state government of not instituting any measure to not only rehabilitate the repentant militants but also rehabilitate them after surrendering arms.
It would be recalled that at a celebrated occasion, armed youths and cultists surrendered their arms to embrace Amnesty Programme of the State government. Eight months after, nothing has come out of it fuelling speculations that the repentant militants have been tricked in the process.
Worried by the development, the government announced that it has paid N200 million to PHCN for reconnection of the area with power supply and another N20 million to rehabilitate the Ex- militants.
