Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has asked for a comprehensive list of Imo sons and daughters serving various jail terms in US prisons, along with the offences they committes, tried and convicted.
Okorocha made the demand when Mr. John Bray, the US Consulate General in Lagos paid a courtesy call on him at Government House, Owerri, Wednesday saying that the state has some of its sons and daughters in U.S prisons, some of them guilty as charged, while others are victims of social circumstances, a statement by Mr Sam Onwuemeodo, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor said on Wednesday.
The governor said, “We have many of our sons and daughters in U.S. prisons. Most of them are languishing in jails. Some of them are guilty as charged, and some of them victims of social circumstances. I want to appeal that the names of such Imo sons and daughters be made available to me with the offences they have committed so that we take a look at them. If they are people we can bring back on bail, we will do that and bring them back to the state and provide for them as hope has come to the state.”
Governor Okorocha continued, “We are concerned as a people and as a government. We want the dossier of such our sons and daughters. We want to see how the state government can facilitate their release and integrate them back into Imo community. ”
Okorocha, “The great partnership between Nigeria and the U.S. has been of immense help to the state and most of the Imo sons and daughters have got themselves equipped technologically as a result of being trained in the USA. We need assistance in the area of communication especially upgrading the Internet facility in the state. This will help in connecting the state to the rest of the world.”
In his short speech, Bray said he had come to the state to look at the political, social, economic and cultural issues as they affect the south-East zone.
