I need no campaign to return as Imo governor – Okorocha

Governor Rochas Okorocha, who recently failed in his presidential bid under the All Progressives Congress (APC), and quickly rushed back home to grab a governorship ticket from his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, has said he would not campaign vigorously for re-election in 2015; but rather his numerous projects would speak for him.
Governor Okorocha, speaking to members of media correspondents in the state, said, he believes he has managed the state’s resources well, to the extent that the Eastern Heartland State does not rank among the high debt-owing states, despite inheriting debts of over N29 billion from the previous administration, which include a N20 billion bond from the capital market.
He informed that Imo State owes only N12 billion, and not the N100 billion being rumoured around by those he described as members of opposition parties. He challenged them to visit the Debt Management Office (DMO), Abuja, to verify the debts.
Meanwhile, the governor said, he has paid all civil and public servants’ salaries in the state up-to-date, without owing a single month; adding that his administration began to pay the December 2014 salaries from 15th, which was completed before the 25th.
He advised political leaders to always have second office, and not rely solely on money got from political office; insisting that the absence of a viable personal business outside the political office leads politicians to be highly corrupt; as they want to go on stealing public money to maintain their lifestyle.
Governor Okorocha said his businesses have made him not to rely on public money; disclosing that he has just been paid N2.1 billion from a job undertaken by one of his companies, which was owed for over 7 years. “I’m still being owed N24 billion,” he stated.
On why he wants to seek a re-election, he said: “I’m coming back in 2015 because I’ve not groomed somebody for 2019. I would groom three persons, from among whom one would continue from where I would stop in 2019.”
Governor carpeted the President Goodluck Jonathan administration on projects in the state; stressing that in four years, the President has not visited the state, to commission any Federal Government executed project.
“Imo State is the worst neglected state by the president Federal Government. For about four years now, the President has not visited Imo State, to commission any project undertaken by the Federal Government. It is most unfair,” Governor Okorocha stated.
He gave a list of federal projects got by Imo State during mostly military regimes, and few got by civilian administrations headed by the South West.
“Projects like the Federal University of Technology Owerri, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, the Owerri – Onitsha highway were got when either the military was in power, headed by northerners, or few got during civilian administration by the South West. Since the South-South got into government, Imo State has not received a single project in four years,” the governor said.
He said: “I see General Mohammadu Buhari as an interventionist president, whose administration would stay in power for a short period, within which he would fix things up, especially the Boko Haram insurgency. He is the best bet for the South East zone because after north, it would be the turn of the South East.”