The governor of Imo state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has canvassed for true federalism in the country so as to encourage equitable distribution of wealth and decentralization of power among the components of the federation.
Gov. Okorocha who bared his mind at the 2013 Nigerian Bar Association Law Week by Owerri branch held at Imo Concorde hotel, Owerri, also enjoin politicians to think more on how to better the lives of the people than future elections.
The governor argued that the state police should be encouraged to enable states as federating units to contribute in tackling security challenges threatening the Nigerian nation, adding that it will also be of great benefit for states in the aspect of crime prevention and effective community policing.
He also posited that local governments are not truly federating units but an addendum to the states which have the constitutional responsibility to oversee their existence.
Governor Okorocha further posited that as Nigerians ‘We have come to a critical stage in the country where we should put politics behind and find a way of putting food on the table of a common man in the country’.
He assured that the issue of Judicial Service Commission(JSC) in the state will be resolved soonest to pave way for the appointment of judges and magistrates.
Earlier in his keynote speech, a former member of Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Barr. Uche Onyeaguocha stated that the enemies of development of federalism in Nigeria have succeeded in creating the fear in such a way that anyone pursuing the expansion and growth of an ideal federal structure in Nigeria is seen as a secessionist and as such even as call for the independence of the other level of the federal structure is misinterpreted.
In an address of welcome, the chairman Nigerian Bar Association, Imo state branch, Barr. S.I Opara thanked Governor Okorocha for coming and applauded him for all his monumental achievements in the state.
Barr. Opara, however, appealed to the governor to resolve the crisis in the state Judicial Service Commission and employ more lawyers as law officers in the ministry of Justice for speedy dispensation of justice.