2nd Yr in Office: Rochas offers ThanksGiving to God, urges Imolites to be strong in prayer

The Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has called on the people of Imo State to place God first in everything they do and to be strong in prayers.

He gave this advice during his thanksgiving mass to mark his two years in office and Imo Freedom Day at Maria Assumpta Cathedral Owerri on Sunday.

He recalled that during the supplementary elections on 6^th of May 2011, the people of Imo State came out en-masse to liberate themselves from the forces of bad governance which has bedeviled the State over the years.

He assured that his administration was poised towards transforming the State into a mega city with massive infrastructural development such as road construction, construction of 305 primary schools, 27 general hospitals, Imo Conference Center, Ikemba Ojukwu center and many others.

In his sermon earlier, the Cathedral administrator, Rev. Fr. Andrew Nkwocha, urged Christians to always pray for their leaders and those in authority to enable God direct their footsteps aright and stressed the need for leaders to see themselves as servants and not masters.

Fr. Nkwocha commended the State government for the massive developmental projects in the State and appealed to government to create more jobs for Imo youths in order to reduce crime rate and unemployment in the State.

He also urged detractors to retrace their steps from their dubious acts so as not to truncate the progress made by the present administration in the State.

High point of the occasion is the award of Grand Patron of the Catholic Men Organization (CMO) Assumpta parish to Owelle Rochas Okorocha and some of his cabinet members.

Dignitaries present at the church service include, the wife of Imo state Governor Her Excellency, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Sir Jude Ejiogu, the Secretary to the Government of the State, Prof. Anthony Anwuka, the Chairman of Council of Traditional Rulers HRH, Eze Samuel Ohiri, the Deputy Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Pharm. Donatus Ozoemene, Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and other top government functionaries.