A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Uche Onyeagocha has lambasted Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha for soliciting for birthday gifts from ” impoverished APC members in the state”
The APC chieftain was particularly irked over some gifts the governor received from members of the party from Owerri West Local Government Area who presented to him ten bags of rice, one cow,ten bags of rice, one cow and drinks to celebrate his 55th birthday.
In a statement, Onyeagocha said he is protesting against the governor’s habit of soliciting and receiving gifts because it makes the party members poorer.
Part of the statement reads:
“I have decided to protest against this your bad habit of soliciting and receiving gifts from our poor APC faithfuls every Christmas and on your birthdays from each of the 27 LGAs in the State. By your action, you make these folks poorer. Note that your method of soliciting is but subtle coercion.
“May I remind you that these poor APC faithfuls grudgingly present these gifts to you. They do so on the false belief that they will get some patronage from you.
“In case you think that these gifts are a show of peoples love for you, I will want to see how many gifts you will receive on your 57th birthday or during Christmas of 2019 when you will have left office. You ought to be giving these poor party faithfuls rather than taking from them.
“It is a common Igbo practice that when poorer people bring food gifts to the rich which otherwise they badly need, you thank them for their thoughtfulness and return the gifts to them to take care of themselves” he said.
Onyeagocha who has been vocal against the Okorocha government said it is shameful for the governor to be soliciting by coercion and receiving gifts from party faithful that has been impoverished in the last six years.
He advised “If you do not refrain from this bad habit forthwith, you will be bringing curse on your family because God is hearing the silent complaints of these impoverished citizens”
