By CHIDI NKWOPARA

Owerri – IMO people virtually emptied into the Dan Anyiam Stadium Complex, Owerri, yesterday, as Governor Ikedi Ohakim  publicly declared his intention to run for a second term in office.

Apart from the declaration, there was the ceremonial handing over of the appointment letters to some of the beneficiaries of the 10,000-job placement recently offered by  Ohakim.

Addressing the crowd, Ohakim recalled that his administration lifted the 16 years embargo on employment in the state civil service.

“We have offered 10,000 jobs to our unemployed graduates to join the teaching and civil service of the state. This is in addition to over 20,000 other jobs created in sectors like the Clean and Green Initiative, IROMA and commercial agriculture,” Ohakim said.

He disclosed that within the next few weeks, his administration will disburse N2 billion soft loans to farmers for agricultural purposes, adding that few months ago, 2,700 petty traders from the 27 local  councils received interest-free loans under the government’s micro-credit scheme.