Publish State Accounts Now, Archbishop Tell Okorocha

Imo State Government has been challenged to publish the state accounts so that the citizenry would know the proper financial health of the state. The Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Dr. Anthony J. V. Obinna, who threw the challenge to Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday, while delivering a sermon at Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, also argued that the publication of the financial state of affairs would enable the citizenry to know the true
position of things. “Lack of salary creates room for murmuring. It is necessary that parents receive their salaries and pensions to take care of themselves and their families. When parents do not provide for their families, it will lead to murmuring”, Archbishop Obinna reasoned. It was the considered opinion of the Archbishop that there was no cogent reason why workers and pensioners should not be paid if the state was buoyant. “If there is money, why is it not being used to pay workers and pensioners? If there is no money, it is important to let people know. Lack of accountability and transparency could lead to murmuring”, Archbishop Obinna said. The cleric insisted that since government account was not a personal thing, it should be made public, if the government truly wants to be accountable, as well as wish to dispel doubts regarding misuse of public funds. “Publish the account so that everybody will know that there is no money. But as long as Nigeria is considered a rich country, as long as oil is still flowing, everybody is looking up to see when the oil money will get to the state”, Obinna said. He then prayed God to touch the hearts of those who are keeping the monies to release it so that things will positively change.