A former governor of Imo State and Senator representing Imo West, Rochas Okorocha, has asked youths to stop venting their anger on traditional rulers because of failure of governance in the state.

Okorocha, who spoke on Wednesday, at Eziama Obierie in Nkwerre Local Government Area of the state, during the burial service of Jemaimah Nwosu, mother of his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, said “Imo is bleeding because of insecurity.”

Instead of taking violent approach, Okorocha, asked youths to wait till 2023 and vote out bad governance through an electoral process.

Okorocha, who wept, said this was not the same state he governed for eight years and handed over in 2019.

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He said six serving governors could not attend the funeral rites because of the insecurity in the state.

Okorocha said, “I want to appeal to the youth to stop venting their anger of bad governance by killing innocent citizens. This is not the Imo I used to know.

“This is not the Imo I was governor for eight years. I don’t support violence but I support protest through a proper channel. I urge you to wait till 2023 and use your PVCs to vote out bad governance.

“Six governors called me and told me that they wanted to be here for the funeral but I told them for them to be here they must have to move about in Armoured Personnel Carriers and hence they couldn’t afford it, they stayed back in their respective states.”