PDP looted Nigeria dry –Okorocha raises alarm

Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has accused the immediate past administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of causing the present parlous state of the nation’s economy.
Okorocha, who made the allegation yesterday, during the World Teachers’ Day celebration at the Heroes Square in Owerri, the Imo state capital, said the 16 years of PDP rule was the worst in the history of the country because it was looted dry.
He said: “The PDP destroyed the economy of the country through mindless looting of the nation’s resources after its 16 years in power, which will take the country over 10 years to recover. So, this is the problem which has affected every sector including the education.”
The governor was, however, quick to add that despite the bad economy, his administration had continued to pay special attention to the education sector in the state, stressing that education was the power of the state.
“Education is our power and it is the pivot of the Rescue Mission and not even the bad economy can deter us from investing in the education of our children because that is the only real legacy we can give to them. Today, because of the free education policy of this administration, the school enrolment has tripled in the last four years,” he said.
Okorocha stated that his administration would continue to improve the welfare of the teachers in the state and the learning environment.
Earlier, the state Chairman of Nigeria Union Teachers (NUT), Napoleon Emenike Aniche, who thanked the governor for his commitment to free and quality education in the State, however, appealed to him to look into the plight of retired primary school teachers whose pensions were yet to be paid.
The NUT chairman also appealed to the governor to lift the promotion ceiling of qualified teachers to grade level 17, saying it was the case in other progressive states.