United Nations rate Okorocha’s govt high on poverty reduction

The United Nations report on poverty rates in states in Nigeria showed that before 2011, the poverty rate in Imo State was 57% but by 2015, the poverty rate came down to 19%.

This disclosure was made by Governor Rochas Okorocha during a parley with over 200 journalists at the NUJ secretariat in Owerri on Monday.

Speaking during the interactive session which lasted for nearly 5 hours, the governor who was accompanied to the occasion by the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Mr. Acho Ihim, and some top government appointees said that he will not relent until he makes the State capital, Owerri, a model city that would attract investors.

Reacting to questions asked by journalists at the occasion, he attributed the reduction of poverty in the state to the success recorded by his administration in the free education programme.

He restated government decision to relocate the Eke-ukwu market from Douglas road to a better location, adding that it is not good to accommodate a major market at the center of the city. According to him, another SHOPRITE will be built to replace the Eke-Ukwu marked after it has been relocated.

Speaking further at the occasion, Governor Okorocha advised journalists in the state to desist from being used by aggrieved politicians to attack him and the ‘Rescue Mission’ government adding that in future, he may reconcile with such aggrieved politicians.

He cautioned the Editors of the Leader newspaper to be conscious of the ownership of the medium – The Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri- in whatever they publish, expressing concern that most of the news published by the newspaper could destroy the image of the church. He said it is wrong for the tabloid to publish news like a full blown political newspaper when it should set the pace for other newspapers because of what it represents.

He said his government has brought a lot of brand new things in the state and appealed to the people of the state to continue in their unflinching support for his administration because he means well for them and that all his actions and inactions have been in the best interest of the state.