Okorocha: Criminals Are More United Than Ordinary Nigerians

Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, said on Wednesday that insecurity has continued to worsen because criminals were more united than the ordinary citizens. 

Okorocha, who is the current senator representing Imo west senatorial district, stated this while speaking to State House correspondents after a meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Senator said as a way to address insecurity in the country, he had sponsored a bill seeking constitutional recognition of traditional rulers as chief security officers of their communities.

“I said our traditional rulers must be given their roles in becoming the chief security officers of their communities rather than governors or local government chairmen.

“Let the traditional rulers become chief security officers of their communities because every security challenge is local and it emanates from a community; it is arrested at the community level, it cannot escalate to the state level.

“My question is why should 50,000 criminals defeat 200 million people in Nigeria?

“The reason is that 50,000 criminals are united and the 200 million Nigerians are not united; so those bills are what I sponsored.

“It is not a question of bills, but how impactful are your bills in the lives of the people that you represent and the nation at large?”

While some reports said Okorocha’s visit to Osinbajo may be unconnected to his feud with Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, the Senator had said the visit was  personal. 

He also spoke on some of the properties linked to his family that were recently sealed off by the Imo State Government. 

Okorocha said, “I am still waiting to understand the reason why all the attacks because before, the allegation was that the money used in building was government money.

“Now it has changed; it is no longer the issue of government money, but that it is built on the green verge and allocation where government house was supposed to be built. I am still waiting and only time will tell.

“But let it be known that I was Rochas Okorocha before I became governor and I am still Rochas Okorocha after serving as governor.

“Government House never made me. I was who I was before becoming governor. Rather, I would say that becoming governor was a sacrifice on my own part.”

The Senator said with time the truth about the sealed property would come out. 

“…what is very important is that we are all products of the law and we must try as possible to keep to these laws.

“Talking about the property in question; the schools–the East High College, the Rochas Foundation College, the Royal Spring Palm Hotel and the University area– all charitable outfits of Rochas Foundation.

“I brought them back home to encourage investments in my own state.

“I am a father; I am a leader of that state and I am trying to make sure that things don’t escalate beyond control; but for what [they] have been doing to me, I am human; I can bear it just for peace to reign,’’ he said.