Over 5,000 members of the state owned security outfit known as Imo Community Watch met in Owerri at the weekend from their respective communities in the state, demanding immediate payment of their eight months salary arrears. They also demanded that the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Okorocha be removed, accusing him of incompetent leading to increase in criminal activities within the state.
The community watch members marched from the Imo International Conference Centre to government causing trafic gridlock and finally blocked all access leading to Government House Owerri.
Speaking with the zonal commander Anthony Ogbonna, he said that payment of salary and the removal of the SSA to the governor on security Okey Okorocha is the reason why they all convaged in Government House Owerri.
“His inability to advise the governor well on security matters has increased crime particularly the issues relating to kidnapping. Okey Okorocha promised our members training allowances and other incentives, but they are yet to be actualised. The governor has failed in all the promises he made during his political campaigns and our members are already feeling used for politics and dumped”.
Other members of the organisation who spoke exclusively to TheNiche revealed that the community watch members paid N10,000 monthly against as salary against N20,000 promised by governor Okorocha. The sum of N12,000 was paid by each of their members for their respective uniforms.
They alleged that non of their members have been issued identity card irrespective of the sum of N4,000 paid by each in this direction. Each member they also alleged has paid the sum of N2,500 for insurance over the years and non has been insured.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant on security Okey Okorocha has said that “the only person that will remove me from office is governor Rochas Okorocha and the allegations against me are not true. I have no skeleton in my cupboard”.
An insider in government house revealed that Okorocha is considering the disband of the Imo Community Watch hence according to him, the organisation is part of the huge financial burden he wouldn’t like to tag along with.
Meanwhile, the governor is said to have traveled out of the state for an official engagement, while the deputy governor has proceeded on his annual vacation abroad.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor Sam Onwuemedo confirmed that the traveled on official assignment, but was not patient to respond to other issues relating to salary arrears and other allegations relating to the activities of the Imo Community Watch before he angrily
switched off his phone.