The members of the Unpaid Imo Contractors (UPIC) who recently protested the continued refusal of Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha and his Rescue Mission Administration, to pay them outstanding cost of road construction projects and other sundry contracts, have eventually petitioned the President elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (GCFRC) drawing his attention and appealing for his timely intervention to their plight and predicament.
Relying heavily on General Buhari’s renowned credential as an anti corruption crusader, the Unpaid Imo Contractors who insist that they were criminally short changed by Governor Rochas Okorocha and his agents such as Ikechukwu Amuka, and Stan Dara posit that the fraud perpetrated by the Imo State Government against the contractors will form the basis for assessing, appraising and determining Buhari’s readiness to match his words with actions, no matter whose ox is gored. It was on this basis that they described the victory of Buhari at the now concluded Presidential election as timely, imminent, auspicious, inevitable and highly desirable since it will open a new vista of opportunities for the deprived, deceived, cheated, marginalized and neglected to present their experiences under Okorocha for scrutiny and probe.
In an a advertorial signed by the UPIC Chairman Rev. Udogadi Ononiwu, Secretary, Comr. Uche Madu and PRO Comr. Emenike Uzor, the aggrieved contractors lament that while their creditors have seized all the assets and property they pledged as collaterals, family up keep has remained a problem. Lamenting the ugly situation which has rendered them incapacitated, ridiculed and frustrated the contractors said, “Sir we need not state that ours therefore provides a test case upon which your severally assured war against corruption cheating, deceit, dubious award of contracts and criminality can be prosecuted, appraised or assessed”. Meanwhile the death toll of the lamenting Unpaid Imo Contractors has continued to increase with one more of the members reported dead in early hours of Tuesday April 7, 2015.
The latest was the announced death of one Innocent Okoro following complications arising from high blood pressure he developed having been suffering the psychological trauma and disgrace of watching his family go without food for days and lack of clothing. The Njaba LGA born former prosperous business man was reported to have developed high blood pressure when efforts to get paid for road projects he invested his life’s earnings and loan obtained from several banks could not materialize. The unpaid contractors have therefore gone into yet another deep mourning and grief. This latest death brings to a total of 21 of their members who met their untimely death while protesting Okorocha’s high handedness.
It is their contention however that the coming of General Muhammadu Buhari will usher in a new lease of life since he would not condone the injustice meted out to them since they have all the documentary evidences, correspondences and payment vouchers to prove their cases. They also renewed their appeal to Governor Rochas Okorocha to consider the hopeless faith of their children and wives and address this issue once and for all.
