The Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District in the national assembly has said those the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma assembled last Saturday to abuse him were not stakeholders of Imo State, but obviously members of the governor’s own faction of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Imo State.
He further said that most of them are those desperate to get Political Appointments from the governor, while some of them need Political Rehabilitation.
Okoroacha said in a statement by Sam Onwuemeodo, his Special Adviser that a meeting of stakeholders would not have held in Imo, and out of the five governors that had governed the State, only one, Chief Ikedi Ohakim was there. And he was reported to have joined the governor’s own faction of APC.
“No Senator from the State, former or present, since 1999 was there. No House of Representatives’ member, former or present, from 1999 till date was there. No Speaker, former or present since 1999 till date, was there, except the one who is also a member of his own Faction of APC. House of Assembly members, present and former, were not there except the current Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly who defected to the governor’s own Faction of APC.
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“Aside Prof. Marince Iwu who was there because his Junior brother is the Secretary to the State Government, no other prominent citizen of the State was there, including those in business, in politics and so on. Anyone in doubt should see the media Publications on the list of those in attendance.
“If the stakeholders of Imo State were there, they would have asked the governor to tell them what he had done with about N60 Billion Loan, N56 Billion Federal Allocation, N8billion ISOPADEC fund, N42billion Local Governments’ funds, IGR of N69billion and billions from Donor Agencies. They would have tried to find out what the governor has done with these billions. But the factional APC members-only abused Okorocha and left with their fuel or transport money.
“Real stakeholders would have asked why the governor has not paid Workers, Teachers and Pensioners for more than 12months now or why he sacked 108 ISOPADEC workers
“Sincere stakeholders would not have encouraged the governor to engage in self-help over matters with Court Judgment and cases on them pending in Courts of competent jurisdiction. Only factional party sycophants would have encouraged the governor to adopt the thuggery method.
“Again, the governor had talked about roads he claimed to have “Constructed and Rehabilitated”. The governor had made such a claim to further impugn the intelligence of the public. You either construct a road or you rehabilitate it. The governor could not have “Constructed and Rehabilitated” a particular road at the same time. We are only trying to decode or even download the disturbing claims for all to see.
“The truth is that most of the roads the governor had claimed to have “Constructed and Rehabilitated” were roads constructed by Okorocha. Otherwise, let the governor mention one virgin road he had undertaken its construction since he came on board. In Imo, the governor is known for the event “Patch – Patch”, because what he had done on some of the roads were “Patch – Patch” works.
“It is equally interesting to state that the magnificent Eze Imo Palace where the imaginary “Stakeholders’ meeting held and where the governor has been holding his major events was built by Okorocha. But he won’t say that so that those in attendance would not commend Okorocha.
“With the much-orchestrated stories of recovery, the governor has only embarked on blackmail trip and vendetta against Okorocha, otherwise the petitions for which EFCC and ICPC investigated Okorocha and the matters are in Court, were written by the State Government. Then, why not wait until the Courts find Okorocha guilty. Why the hurry? Sooner than later, the reason for this needless vendetta against Okorocha which is bound to fail would manifest.
“The governor had deceived the Court last Wednesday to grant him interim order of forfeiture after agents of government had invaded and looted the properties in question. And the Order was granted because they never informed the Court that there is a Judgment on the same properties by Justice T.N. Nzeukwu, and pending cases on the same properties before Justice J.K. Omotosho of Federal High Court Port-Harcourt; and Federal High Court Owerri, and High Court in Abuja Judicial Division and the reason we described the order of forfeiture, as belated and an afterthought.
“We know well-meaning citizens of the state. When they meet, we shall know that Imo Stakeholders have met. And not members of the governor’s faction of APC who are very few in number. They only held their factional meeting last Saturday”.
