SPECIAL FEATURE

Governor Rochas christened his

campaign slogan and battle cry Imo
Rescue Mission Agenda.
His opening reflexes have justified that
slogan. Within his first week in office,
Rochas tackled some festering sores
that had offended the sensibilities of
the people of Imo State. These were
the Local Government Councils whose
election was a slap in the face of all
decent democrats and Imo State
Council of Traditional Rulers which
had been irreverently bastardized.
The new Governor yanked them
out and got them replaced; the one
with Caretaker Committees, and the
other, with more self- respecting and
respectable Ndi Eze.
Substructures, Infrastructures,
Structures and Superstructures
received Owelle Rochas' attention
within his first 100 days in office as the
new resident in Douglas House
Owerri.
The Concorde Hotel, former
Governor Sam Mbakwe's creation and
Imo State's Flagship edifice, was to get
a facelift and straightaway, the
decaying buildings that were originally
put in place to serve as legislators'
quarters, were deroofed and
rehabilitated and upgraded as
Concorde Hotel Complex.
The neighboring Commissioners'
quarters, which were sparsely
inhabited by only the Deputy Governor
and a few Commissioners, is being
totally refurbished and fresh paint put
on the tolerably strong houses.

Gov. Rochas Okorocha

Gov. Okorocha with the Crowd

The long abandoned Governor's

Lodge nearby, has been tackled and
is almost rehabilitated. Opposite the
area at the cenotaph, new structures
are going up to serve as Heroes
Square.
What the Governor now calls
Ikemba Ojukwu Convention and
Recreation Centre, within the
Concorde Hotel/ Governor's Lodge
Complex, is also receiving attention
as frenetic construction work goes
on all over the place.
Potholes on major Streets and
roads have been filled up and new
bitumen laid to give the roads a
smooth surface.
Traffic jam that was caused by
the potholes and ditches on the
roads has virtually disappeared.
Whatever traffic irritations that

still exist in Owerri now are

caused by poorly planned
traffic lights which the
Governor should address.
Schools and Health
Centres in the 27 Local
Government Areas have
received funds for their
rehabilitation or
reconstruction.
On balance, we at
NewsGrain commend the
Governor for living up to the
people's expectation within his
first 100 days in office.
We wish him more steam
as he ploughs through the
myriad of the socio-economic
challenges of our beloved Imo
State. WELL DONE, Owelle
Ndi Igbo.

Deputy Gov. Sir Jude Aghaso

Ne w s g r a i n Magazine