Tobias Sylvester
The Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha has warned the state Governor-elect, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, to desist from giving directives to financial institutions in the state over their dealings with the state government.
Ihedioha had urged financial institutions in the state not to engage in new transactions with the government and warned that anyone who engaged in such transactions did so at their own risk.
Governor Okorocha reacting in a statement issued by his chief press secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, on Friday in Owerri, said that the Governor-elect has no constitutional powers to issue such directives, adding that Ihedioha should exercise patience until May 29 before he would start issuing directives to banks on the financial dealings of the state. He said:
“Emeka Ihedioha, who was declared winner of the governorship election in the state by the Prof Francis Ezeonu, does not have the right or locus standi yet, to harass or give directives to the financial Institutions in the state over their dealings with the state government.
“The media report quoting Ihedioha to have given such directive is unfortunate and a sign of ugly things to come. Otherwise, Ihedioha should not have been the first, of all the governors-elect in the country, to issue such directive.
“We are also not surprised at his issuing the directive because as a PDP man, his interest, first and foremost, will be the treasury of the state, and the policy or the slogan of share the money will soon come back, but he should exercise patience and wait till he is sworn in.
“He shouldn’t be in a hurry. There is a government in place and until May 29, 2019, that government should continue to carry out programmes and policies for the same purpose.
“To begin to harass or give directives to financial institutions in the state is an act of hostility. Financial Institutions in the state should disregard such directive and continue to do the right thing and take the right action.
“The best that the governor-elect can do is to confront the outgoing government when he takes over on any financial transaction he has reservations at.”
