Loyal disciples of the Rescue Mission government of Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha have already begun lobbying their principal seeking to be recommended for Federal Government board appointments.
This is coming barely few days President Muhammadu Buhari told APC members at the party’s NEC meeting in Abuja that Federal Government boards and agencies will be reconstituted to accommodate party members.
The President also said he will re tool his cabinet to acomodate more party leaders as ministers.
The announcement has generated interest from Okorocha’s loyalists who are now lobbying to be recommended for federal jobs.
A source said aside assembling their CVs, they are also reaching out to family members and other influence peddlers around the Governor to facilitate their recommendations.
Two categories of lobbyists have already emerged within the Governor’s camp-those who lost out in the list of commissioner nominees recently released and sent to the Imo State House of Assembly for screening and those who want their names replaced with those earlier recommended for such appointments in 2015.
President Buhari had admitted that his plans to appoint Board members in 2015 was stalled by the poor state of the economy which was not buoyant enough to carter for them.
This newspaper can also recall that the sacked Secretary to Government of the federation,Babachir Lawal was saddled with the task of harmonizing the list of Board appointees from State Governors and party leaders. The harmonized list, if any, never saw the light of the day.
With hopes that a new list of nominees for appointments will be considered from State Governors and party leaders, some of Okorocha’s men are hopeful that they ought to be acomodated for their loyalty and more importantly for their faith in the Rescue mission in the last six years.
One of the interested Board member hopeful revealed to this newspaper on conditon of anonymity that the Governor has to use this “window of opportunity” at the federal level to reward his loyalists for their steadfastness and more importantly to enable them fight for his succession plan to install a successor in 2019.
“This is the time to balance the equation.In this government, only a few set of persons have been carried along and settled. I believe you know those I am talking about.Some of us have been patient with Owelle and I think the reward for our patience has come” he said.
No word has emanated from Okorocha on who his nominees for Board appointments will be but it was learnt on good authority said some old names earlier recommended will be dropped and replaced with new ones.
“For instance, we understand that in the list of nominees sent in 2015, Benjamin Uwajumuogu, now a serving senator was included.He cannot take up such appointment now because we all know his political leaning to the opposition forces in Imo APC and besides he is now a senator” he said.