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Tag: Imo State

  • ‘You’re a shameless politician’, Okorocha replies Uzodinma

    Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha,  on Sunday, took a swipe at the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last general election, and Senator representing Imo West Senatorial zone,  Senator Hope Uzodinma over his recent media attacks against him.

    The Imo governor, described Uzodinma as a “shameless” politician who, besides being engaged to destroy APC in the state, can do worst things to curry favour if given the opportunity.

    A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo,  read that,  “within one week, Chief Hope Uzodinma, the governorship Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), in Imo State, has had series of interviews in almost all the national newspapers. And his target in all the interviews was Governor Rochas Okorocha. He has also invaded the social media with his insults on the governor.

    “Interestingly enough, the kind of courage and boldness Chief Uzodinma displayed or exercised in all his media outings against Governor Okorocha only showed that he has no shame. And he could do worst things if he has the opportunity”.

    According to the statement, “Chief Uzodinma contested the governorship election in the State with the ticket of APC and he could not win in his own Oru East local government. He could not win in any of the 27 LGAs in the State, and never came second or third in all the LGAs but only came fourth and he has the audacity to be granting interviews and talking balderdash.

    Read Also: How Okorocha wrecked Southeast APC, by Uzodinma

    “He has only confirmed that he was only used as tool to destroy Imo APC. And they have promised him Ministerial appointment and that is the reason behind his current media Campaigns and to be listened to, he has to be insulting Governor Rochas Okorocha.

    “Chief Uzodinma and co told the world that governor Okorocha had finished politically, that they were the ones holding the ace of APC in the State. And today, Nigerians have seen or known who holds the franchise of APC in Imo and in the Southeast”.

    It continued that, “at least, the outcome of the 2019 election spoke volume. It showed that like Governor Okorocha had said, Chief Uzodinma didn’t contest the 2019 governorship election in the State to win. He only came to be a tool in the hands of those who wanted to kill APC in Imo and South-East in general for reasons best known to them.

    “The 2019 poll also showed that Ugwumba Uche Nwosu is loved by Imo people to a very large extent and he was the most popular governorship Candidate. He won the 2019 election with the real votes of Imo people but INEC decided to announce someone with fictitious figures winner.

    “Chief Uzodinma could not produce even one House of Assembly member. But Ugwumba Nwosu produced about eleven House of Assembly members, two Federal House of Representatives members and one Senator for Okigwe zone on the platform of Action Alliance, (AA). And all those who won election on the tickets of APC are all Governor Okorocha’s men.

    “The truth is that falsehood does not endure. But truth endures. Even at the moment, only Governor Okorocha has the capacity to rebuild APC in Imo and in the South-East generally with the support of the AA Chieftains led by Ugwumba Uche Nwosu.

    “In case men like Hope Uzodinma do not know, Governor Okorocha will outlive them, outlive their mischievous politics and their gang up. In their effort to destroy Okorocha’s politics, they messed up the entire State with their Collaborators.

    “Chief Uzodinma should pursue his Ministerial appointment with decency and leave Governor Okorocha alone. Mischief does not pay at all”.

  • There’s plot to silence Okorocha politically -Onuoha

    Chief Bonocks Onuoha is the National President of Greater and Better Nigeria Development Initiative (GABNDI). In this interview with Muyiwa Omobulejo, he highlighted some major issues in the political landscape of Nigeria, particularly Imo State. He said Governor Rochas Okorocha remains the best governor of the 4th Republic. Excerpts

    In your opinion, why did the candidate Governor Rochas Okorocha supported fail in the last election?

    It has to do with the candidate. That is the only place I will tell you my great Governor Rochas Okorocha got it wrong. By bringing his Son-in-law to succeed him, he got it wrong. No. that was not good enough! I must confess. Imo people felt he didn’t see any other person in the whole of the state except his son-in-law. They believe he wanted to take them for granted and with that he missed it all. That is why they didn’t vote for Uche Nwosu.

    But some people are saying he wanted Nwosu to cover some things for him?

    Which thing? What atrocity? His government is the only government that brought free education in Imo State. He fed our children in the school. Nobody was killed in his reign in government. No MASSOP/IPOB boy was killed or detained in his tenure. So what atrocities are you talking about?

    It is just his succession plan that worked against him. Imo people didn’t welcome that idea at all, and that was how his problem with the people started; had it been that he chose someone else as the governorship candidate and made his Son-in-law the deputy, it would have been okay. Nobody would have blinked an eye. He wouldn’t have fallen apart with the people. Any way; as the case may be, everybody is born to make mistakes because we are not God and when you make mistake, you learn from it.

    What about his Certificate of Return as Senator Elect?

    I, Chief Onuoha is calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release the Certificate of Return of Governor Rochas Okorocha because what they claimed that Rochas did, is even minimal compared to what so many of them did and yet their certificates were given to them. They should not persecute him for nothing. They should release his certificate to him immediately.

    Do you think there is any reason they want to withhold the Certificate of Return in the first place?

    Yes! In 2015, APC was saying that if the Southeast vote for Buhari, the presidency will be zoned to them in 2023. In 2019 they still maintained to give it to the Igbos but some said it is the Yoruba’s turn. Immediately after the election, we started hearing that the Northerners will cling to power till 2031. So this is the way they want to remove Okorocha from the scheme of things. They don’t want him to be positioned at all ahead of 2023. They know that he has the ambition to become the President of Nigeria one day. He was born and brought up in the Northern part of Nigeria. He knows everything about them and if Igbos are to get the presidency in 2023, Okorocha remains the only one that can stand them in 2023. That is why they want to silence his ambition now. The same way they will stop any other person that will be a hindrance to them to govern till 2031.

    You claimed Okorocha is the best governor of Imo State. What about former governors of the state?

    The former governors, Achinke Udenwa and Ikedi Ohakim’s achievement put together is not worthy of what Governor Rochas Okorocha’s government achieved in one year. I don’t want to start mentioning his achievements one after the other, because if I start mentioning them, this interview will not be over today. But what I want you to do is to just take a look at the picture of the capital (Owerri) nine years ago and then look at the picture of Owerri today. Then you’ll understand what I’m talking about. The beauty of the city today shows clearly that Rochas Okorocha worked every day tirelessly of his eight years tenure in office without resting for one minute so as to achieve what he had achieved in Owerri and beyond. Today, Owerri is a real capital. Owerri is a new heaven, a place of relaxation, a place of emulation. Owerri is now a place you can do any type of legitimate business and you will be happy every day. Owerri is too beautiful. All these and many more are done and achieved by Rochas Okorocha within that short period. We, the Imo people, are supposed to say thank you to someone who have done and achieved this great feat for our state.

  • Ihedioha’s tenure on intellectual high ground

    Emeka Ihedioha will take the oath of office as the sixth democratically elected governor of Imo State on Wednesday, May 29, a dream come true both for himself and for Imolites who have suffered for long.

    Expectations are high, from the ruling class and from the masses.

    Imo presently plumbs the depths of despair and mediocrity. Governor Rochas Okorocha threw to the dogs due process and the rule of law, the cornerstones of good governance and elevated insouciance to an art.

    That was to be expected, though, from a man who declared from the outset that “I do not believe in the use of files or in due process. Due process is due corruption; whenever I wake up, I move where my mind directs me.”

    The consequence of such buccaneering disposition to governance is predictable.

    Imo is a wasteland, literally; a devastated, barely inhabitable place, so much so that living in the state dehydrades spiritually and emotionally.

    Eze Madumere, Deputy Governor and Okorocha’s political sidekick, put it this way at an All Progressives Congress (APC) fund-raiser late last year:

    “What Okorocha has done to the socio-economic status of this state, quote me, will take 25 to 30 years for the state to recover. The level of damage is simply unimaginable.”

    There couldn’t have been a worse testimonial.

    This is the sorry state Ihedioha will inherit on May 29. And he is under no illusion that rebuilding Imo will be easy.

    But he comes prepared with his four-legged agenda of good governance, human capital development, job and wealth creation and integrated infrastructure development.

    His approach to governance is inimitable and inspiring.

    In a country where razzmatazz soars above substance, Ihedioha says he will tread – out of the two roads which diverge in a wood – in the words of Robert Frost in his poem The Road not Taken, on the one less travelled by, using the compass of intellectualism to navigate his way.

    Will Ihedioha’s approach make any difference? Time will tell. But Imo people are already seeing the difference and are rejoicing

    Activities leading to his inauguration spans four days, starting with an interdenominational church service on Sunday, May 26 at the Grasshoppers’ International Stadium Owerri, and culminating in his swearing in at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, on May 29.

    In-between those two events are others. There will be an arts exhibition at Ahiajoku Convention Centre and a novelty football match at the stadium on Monday, May 27.

    On Tuesday, May 28, there will be an inauguration lecture at the Ahiajoku Convention Centre and a mega youth concert at the Grasshoppers’ Stadium.

    Of all these events, the flagship is the inauguration lecture.

    The Inauguration Planning and Handover Committee headed by Chris Okewulonu is pulling all the stops to ensure it achieves its academic, political and leadership purposes, as directed by Ihedioha, because the lecture is a roadmap of the direction the new administration is headed.

    John Nnia Nwodo (lawyer and economist, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, former Minister of Civil Aviation and Information and Culture), will deliver a keynote address on Problems of Governance in Today’s Nigeria: The Imo Challenge to set the tone for the intellectual harvest.

    The inauguration lecture will be delivered by two outstanding Imolites.

    One of them is Leo Stan Ekeh, philanthropist, businessman and Chairman of Zinox Technologies, a company that has the WHQL certification, the first in sub-Saharan Africa, and the NIS ISO 2000: 9001 QMS Certification.

    He will speak on Creating a Model Imo Economy.

    The topic lays emphasis on Ihedioha’s “Rebuild Imo” campaign mantra, which points to a new beginning anchored on knowledge and human capital development achievable through good governance.

    The icing on the intellectual cake will be Ernest Ebi’s lecture.

    He is a financial guru, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) where he handled policy and corporate services portfolios for 10 years and had oversight over External Reserves, International Economic Relations, Trade & Exchange and Research Departments.

    Ebi will speak on Transitioning From Poverty to Wealth: Infrastructure as the Linchpin.

    Just like Ekeh’s topic, the idea is to give Ebi, who chairs Ihedioha’s Transition Technical Committee, the latitude to explore the promise of Imo, and the challenges vis-à-vis the huge expectations of Imolites.

    Paschal Dozie, another quintessential entrepreneur who has played pre-eminent roles in national and global economic development, will chair the occasion.

    The special guest is Peter Obi, former Anambra State Governor and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Vice Presidential candidate in the 2019 election.

    Imo State is agog with expectations. A public lecture presaging the inauguration of a new administration is novel.

    Ndi Imo are looking forward to this fulfilling intellectual exercise and the reality of a new era, and a new beginning is gradually sinking in.

    But it couldn’t have been anything different. For the first time since the state was created in 1976, the affairs of Imo will be superintended by two accomplished lawmakers.

    Some say it is poetic justice that this era comes right after the one that had absolute disdain for due process and the rule of law.

    Ihedioha had a 12-year stint as a federal lawmaker, which culminated in him becoming House of Representatives Deputy Speaker in 2011, and Speaker between May 27 and June 5, 2015, following the withdrawal of Speaker Aminu Tambuwal when he moved on to Sokoto as Governor.

    The deputy governor-elect, Hon Gerald Irona, a chemical engineer and grassroots politician, was elected twice as Councillor and in 1998 became the youngest state Secretary of the All Peoples Party (APP), which transmuted into the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), before his election into the Imo State House of Assembly in 1999.

    In 2011, he was elected into the House of Representatives where he served as South East representative on the Selection Committee and later Gas Resource Committee Deputy Chairman when Ihedioha was Deputy Speaker.

    To borrow a local parlance, Imo State is getting two for one. It promises to be an interesting episode in leadership voyage.

    Ndi Imo, and indeed fellow Nigerians – scandalised by the inexplicable tomfooleries and monkeyshines in the Igbo Heartland in the past eight years – await the new dawn.

    The inauguration lecture points to the direction the new government is headed.

    It will be an administration where the intellect of philosopher kings who possess a love of knowledge, as well as intelligence, as characterised by Plato, rather than the gut instincts of one man, will rule.

    • Amaechi, Managing Director of TheNiche newspaper, is the Chairman of the Inauguration lecture sub-committee of the Imo State 2019 Inauguration Planning Committee

  • VON DG under fire for attacks on Okorocha

    The Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, (VON) Osita Okechukwu has been cautioned against further attacks on the Imo governor, Rochas Okorocha.

    The Chief Press Secretary to the Imo governor,  Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, urged the VON DG to leave the governor out of his politics and his trademark of blackmail.

    The governor’s aide in a statement made available to journalists,  stated that “The Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu has continued his media attacks on Governor Rochas Okorocha even when one had thought that with the 2019 elections he should have stopped his insults on the Imo governor having seen that the election had proved that without Okorocha there is nothing like APC in the South-East and in Imo in particular.

    “Mr. Okechukwu had in his latest media vituperation accused the governor of ruining the APC in South-East”.

    The statement read further that, “Governor Okorocha had toured the whole of Southeast when nobody believed that APC was going to see the light of the day. He won the governorship for the party in Imo, won 24 out of the 27 members of the House of Representatives, won one Senate and five House of Representation Seats, all for the party.

    “But prior to the 2019 election those playing the politics of 2023 in 2019 recruited men like Osita Okechukwu against Governor Okorocha, blackmailing him at the least opportunity they had, and gave the erroneous impression that without Okorocha, they could fly in Imo and South-East generally with APC.

    Read Also: Okorocha a great achiever — Osinbajo

    “But in the 2019 election, the fact spoke for its self, that Okorocha truly holds the ace of APC both in Imo and in the South-East generally. And a careful look at the 2019 election results showed that Okorocha was incharge except that with the crisis men like Okechukwu created in Imo APC, INEC Capitalized on that and I did some strange things.

    “Incidentally, and interestingly too, Osita Okechukwu is playing his own politics on the pages of newspapers and most of the times attacking Governor Okorocha unprovoked. He lost all the elections in his booth, ward and local government. On the day of the Presidential election he was warned by the PDP guys not to come out and he never came out.

    “We challenge him to publish the results of his booth, ward and local government in all the elections. He does not talk about APC in his State, but always talking about Imo APC because he knows, that is the only State in the South-East APC is grounded before they used wicked blackmail and unfounded propaganda to inject virus into the party.

    “And all those who won elections in Imo on the ticket of APC are all members of the Rescue Mission Government which Owelle superintends. The Action Alliance Candidates who won their elections were also those displaced in APC including the governorship Candidate of Party (AA) Uche Nwosu who won the governorship election with the correct votes and not with inflated figures.

    “Finally, Mr. Okechukwu should try to build APC in his ward before continuing his insults on Okorocha”.

  • Oshiomhole, other APC leaders behind my ordeal, says Okorocha

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has attributed his current political travails to some national leaders of the All Progressives Party (APC) whose emergence he objected to.

    Okorcha accused the said national leaders of the APC and “other political adversaries” of instigating the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and related agencies against him and members of his family.

    He also blamed the said political adversaries for why the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to issue him with a certificate of return after being declared the winner of the last election in lmo West Senatorial District.

    Okorocha raised these allegations in two fundamental rights suit he filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/474/19 and FHC/ABJ/CS/475/19.

    Listed as respondents in the suits are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the State Security Service (SS) the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

    Of all the respondents, it is only the SSS that has responded by filing counter-affidavits as at Tuesday when the cases were mentioned.

    In the counter- affidavits, filed by G. O. A. Agbadua, the SSS faulted Okorocha’s claims and denied planning to arrest either the governor or members of his family

    In the application filed for Okorocha, his lawyer stated that he “has found himself in a politically adversarial position to some powerful members of the APC over the choice of the national officers of the party before and since the convention of the party was conducted to elect new national officers of the APC.

    “The applicant had supported a candidate for the position of National Chairman of the APC other than the current incumbent, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole and by reason of various events that occurred at the time including the detention of Mr. Adams Oshiomhole by the EFCC on allegations of corruption it was assumed that the applicant was a party to that incident.

    “Some of the supporters of Adams Oshiomhole at the time are currently very influential in the Federal Government of Nigeria, which is controlled by the APC.

    Read Also: Okorocha: INEC lacks power to reverse my election

    “These individuals including the said current National Chairman have decided to carry out a vendetta and revenge against the applicant including instigating the respondents against the applicant upon their spurious conclusion without evidence that the applicant is guilty of corrupt practices as Governor of Imo State.

    “The respondents, proceeding from this position that the applicant is guilty unless proved innocent, between 2017 and now, have extended not less than 25 invitations to the applicant In purported investigation of projects executed by the into state government In a bid to find some material to justify their conclusion that he is guilty of corrupt practices.

    “This witch hunt, is clearly politically motivated, baseless, and has been designed only to discredit and humiliate the applicant in a bid to decimate him politically.

    “Sometime in May 2017 the 4th respondent, acting in furtherance of the plan of the applicant’s political enemies, invaded the applicant’s house in Jos, Plateau State and while holding his staff and family members hostage ransacked the entire house in the hope to find something incriminating against the applicant.

    “The matter became a subject of litigation in the Jos division of this honourable court over the validity of the search warrant the 4th respondent relied on for that invasion and although the court found that the search warrant was valid, it also confirmed at page 22 of the judgment, based on the admission of the 4th respondent, that nothing incriminating was found against the applicant.

    “Rather than give up their pursuit of the applicant, the respondents acting on the instigation of the applicant’s enemies, have continued the vendetta against the applicant.

    “Upon the conclusion of the senatorial election held on the February 23rd 2019 into the national assembly, the applicant was duly elected as senator to represent Imo West Senatorial District by the majority of lawful votes cast in the election.

    “The applicant’s political adversaries within the APC were embittered by the applicant’s victory at the polls and have sworn to ensure that the applicant is either not sworn in as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or is removed for not fulfilling the constitutional minimum attendance requirements.

    “In this regard, they instigated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withhold the applicant’s certificate of return on the unfounded allegation that the Returning Officer was coerced to declare the applicant the winner of the election.

    “Not satisfied with the withholding of the applicant’s certificate of return, those powerful forces with the APC have commenced fresh spate of attacks against the applicant on the baseless allegation that he embezzled the funds belonging to Imo state government in order to ensure that the applicant is politically decimated.

    “The plan has now reached a crescendo and desperation in view of the failure of the respondents to find anything incriminating against the applicant and the decision now taken is to arrest and detain the applicant as soon as he hands over power to the newly elected governor of Imo state on the 29tln of May 2019 and using the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, detain him indefinitely in order that cause may be found to have him removed from his seat as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to which he was recently elected.

    *The plan has also been expanded to include a reign of terror against the applicant’s political, business associates and family members including his wife and children Uioma Rochas, Uju Rochas, Uchechi Rochas, Ahamefula Rochas, Amen Rochas, Amamchi Rochas, Uzoma Anwukah and Uche Nwosu.

    *The applicant has not committed any offence to warrant the incessant threats of arrest, detention, the harassment and terror being unleashed upon him and his family.

    “It is therefore important that this honourable court as the “Fundamental Rights Court” intervene to ensure that this abuse of power and misfeasance in public office by the respondents against the applicant is abated and the fundamental rights of the applicant to be presumed innocent until proved guilty, to liberty and freedom of movement are enforced.

    “Unless this honourable court intervenes to enforce and/or secure the enforcement of the applicant’s fundamental rights to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and to freedom of movement and liberty by making the orders sought in this application, the 1st to 6th respondents will be used by the applicant’s political adversaries for the purpose of their infringement as stated above.

    “The applicant apprehends from the above that his fundamental rights and those of his staff, associates and family members are about to be infringed by the respondents in Abuja as soon as he commences his next assignment as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “This honorable court has the power to grant the reliefs sought in this application to enforce the applicant’s fundamental rights.”

    The SSS, in one of its counter-affidavits, said it is not aware and not part of any plan to arrest and/or detain the applicant (Okorocha) over alleged investigation of the applicant.

    “The 3rd respondent (SSS) did not meet with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concerning the applicant.

    “The 3rd respondent has not invited the applicant or any member of his family and/or staff for investigation.

    “Where there is a course to commence any investigation whatsoever against any person including the applicant the 3rcl respondent follows legal procedures in conducting investigation.

    “The Applicant cannot stop security and law enforcement agencies from conducting investigation.”

  • Support Buhari to end killings, Nwosu urges Nigerians

    As Nigeria battles the mounting insecurity in the Northern parts of the country, the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in Imo State, Uche Nwosu, has warned against politicizing the situation to advance any form of political interest.

    He rather enjoined Nigerians to jettison all forms of sentiments and rally round President Muhammadu Buhari to end the current security challenges across the nation.

    Nwosu who advised Nigerians to come together irrespective of political and religious affiliations and support the “concerted efforts” of the present administration to tackle the security challenges, noted that it takes collaboration between the people and the government to effectively surmount all forms of criminality.

    According to him, President Buhari has so far shown commitment in addressing the security issues in the North East and other parts of the country and should supported by every Nigerian.

    In his words, “Nigerians should assist the Federal Government and the security Agencies to remedy the situation. The problem we have in Nigeria unlike other developed countries is that people see security issues as solely the business of the government and security agencies. As citizens we should assist the government to fight insecurity by providing useful information and being patriotic”.

    Nwosu added that, “This is a phase we are passing through and I believe in the capacity and ability of President Muhammadu Buhari to secure this country. We must pray for our country and our leaders. People should not politicize the security challenges; rather all hands should be on deck to tackle the problem”.

    Meanwhile, reacting to the vote of confidence passed on the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by 75 political parties on the conduct of the 2019 general elections, Nwosu said that the electoral umpire performed well in terms of preparation and logistics.

    Nwosu however submitted that the efforts of the Commission to conduct credible election was sabotaged by the adhoc staff engaged to handle the election proper.

    Read Also: Common man is Buhari’s priority, says Osinbajo

    He insisted that the decision to engage university Professors and lecturers as Presiding Officers was the greatest mistake made by INEC during the 2019 elections.

    He therefore advised against the use of adhoc staff in future elections, adding that “one of the best ways to strengthen the electoral system is for the commission to permanently do away with auxiliary staff and recruit more Staff instead”.

    Nwosu added that, “I want to advise INEC to stop making use of adhoc staff. These adhoc staff was the ones who compromised the last elections. They can take bribe and compromise the system because they know that INEC can neither query nor sack them.

    “The permanent staff know that they can be dismissed if found guilty of any wrongdoing and as a result, tread with caution during elections but the  adhoc staff come with predetermined mindsets which is just come and collect money and compromise the process because they know that INEC can neither query or sack them. This is not good, INEC should recruit enough people so they can have the enough manpower to conduct and supervise the elections without involving outsiders.”

  • Imo: Dead people among those that voted for Ihedioha – Nwosu

    The Imo State governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in the March 23 gubernatorial election, Uche Nwosu, has disclosed that dead people were among those that voted  in the three Local Government Areas of Aboh Mbaise, Ezinihitte Ahiazu in the governorship election.

    Nwosu who spoke with some journalists in Owerri, Sunday, stated that forensic investigation carried out on the ballot papers used in the March 23 governorship election revealed that hundreds of dead people were among those that voted for the declared winner of the election and candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Emeka Ihedioha, in three aforementioned Council Areas.

    The AA candidate, who was granted leave by the Governorship Election Tribunal to inspect the electoral materials, described the findings as shocking and unbelievable.

    He disclosed further that what was declared as the final result of the governorship election by the Returning Officer, Prof. Francis Otunta, did not in any way reflect the actual figure as uncovered during the scrutiny of the voting materials and the Card Readers used during the election.

    Read Also: Nwosu vows to reclaim mandate in Imo

    According to him, “it was shocking to discover that dead persons were among those that voted for the PDP candidate, Emeka Ihedioha in Aboh Mbaise, Ezinihitte and Ahiazu Local Government Areas, where he got unimaginable figures. After the election and the results announced, I made it clear to my supporters that there was no election in Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu and Ezinihitte. I told them that my results were changed in favour of Ihedioha. After we got Certified True Copies of the election materials, to our greatest surprise, we discovered that hundreds of dead people voted for Ihedioha. We have people who came to tell us that the names of their relations that died long ago were in the list of registered voters and they actually voted.

    “We also discovered to our utmost dismay that what the Returning Officer, Prof. Francis Otunta declared was totally different from the total number of registered voters that the Card Reader recorded, especially in those three Local Government Areas. “I have never seen this high level of manipulation and electoral fraud, but I have high hopes in the judiciary and that’s why we are relying on the Tribunal to get justice”.

    Nwosu, who said that there were actual voting in the areas where he won, challenged anybody to come out with prove to the contrary.

    In his words, “there was credible election in the areas where I won. People voted and the figures were justified. I challenge anybody to go and check the results of the local government areas where I won, unlike the three local government areas aforementioned”.

     

  • We are in arrears in salaries, pensions payments, Imo State tells court

    The Imo State Government has told a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja that it was currently owing salaries and pensions.

    Also, one of the state’s bankers, Zenith Bank Plc, has disclosed that it gave Imo State Government a N10billion loan in 2016, which it was yet to be fully repaid.

    The information are contained in court papers filed by Imo State and Zenith Bank in reaction to a garnishee proceeding initiated against the state governor and three others by a firm, E. F. Network Nigeria Limited and Mr. Gideon Egbuchulam.

    F. Network and Egbuchulam are, by the garnishee proceedings, seeking to attach all funds owned by Imo State and three others in banks, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for the purpose of satisfying the N1.05billion judgment given by the Supreme Court on March 8, 2019 against the state governor and three others.

    The Supreme Court, in the judgment, given against  the Governor of Imo State of Nigeria, the Attorney General, Environmental Transformation Committee and the Ministry of Petroleum and Environment, affirmed an earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the judgement given in favour of E. F. Network and Egbuchulam by a High Court of Imo State.

    On April 17, 2019 Justice Bello Kawu of the High Court of the FCT,in Kubwa heard an ex-parte motion by E. F. Network and Egbuchulam and granted garnishee order nisi, ordering the 17 banks listed in the motion to show cause why the garnishee order should not be made absolute.

    It is in reaction to the order of April 17 that the Imo State Government, Zenith Bank and some other banks filed affidavits, giving details of their financial dealings with the state.

    In the document filed for the state and three other judgment debtors, the Attorney General, Milithus Nlemedim (SAN) prayed the court not to make absolute, the garnishee order nisi it granted on April 17 this year.

    In a supporting affidavit deposed to by Christopher Izima, the judgment debtors stated that: “Imo State Government is presently in arrears of salaries and pensions of civil servants.

    “The grant of the garnishee will bring untold hardship to the entire citizenry and government of Imo State.

    “All money’s appropriated in the Imo State Appropriation Law are in the custody of public officers.

    “The judgment debtors strongly dispute the sum of money claimed as interests by the judgment debtors in this garnishee proceedings. It was not properly and correctly computed.”

    They queried the competence of the garnishee proceedings, which they described as an abuse of court’s process, claiming that the judgment creditors had initiated a similar proceedings before another court.

    The judgment debtors urged the court to decline jurisdiction, claiming that the applicants failed to obtain the consent of the Imo State Attorney General to initiate the garnishee proceedings.

    Zenith, on its part, sought to be excused from the proceedings, claiming that the state government was indebted to it.

    In an affidavit deposed to by Solomon Unamka, Zenith Bank stated that: “The 3rd garnishee (the bank) was served with an order nisi made by this honourable court on 18th April 2019.

    “Further to the service of the said order nisi, the 3rd garnishee conducted a search on its records and hereby states as follows:

    “The judgment debtor, Imo State Government is heavily indebted to the 3rd garnishee to the tune of over N9,400,000,000 as it has a credit facility from the 3rd garnishee.”

    Unamka said the state got an “Excess Crude Account backed loan” of N10billion from Zenith Bank on 26/01/2016, with a tenor of 240 months.

    He added that Imo State also maintains with the bank, a loan account: 3700236696, with a current balance of N9,422,588,166.78.

    “The balance in the account: 3700236696 cannot be attached because the 3rd garnishee has right of set off on the said account.

    “The 3rd garnishee humbly seeks to be discharged from this proceedings by this honourable court,” he said.

    In its response, Guaranty Trust Bank said none of the judgment debtors has account with it, but that it has an account with the name:  IMSG Internally Gen Reve (IGR).

    GTB stated that, although the current balance in the account was N64,997,774.44k, the money is already “subject of earlier extant garnishee orders in six other cases

    Of the 17 banks ordered by the court to show cause, almost all of them have responded, with many claiming that the judgment debtors do not maintain accounts with them.

    When the case came up on May 3, 2019, Justice Kawu agreed with Nlemedim to first hear the objection filed by the judgment debtors.

    Lawyer to the applicants, Anthony Agbonlahor did not object, but sought time to reply to all the responses filed by the garnishees, particularly the objection by the judgment debtors.

    Justice Kawu consequently adjourned to June 25 for the hearing of the objection.

  • Protests over relocation of Imo Polytechnic

    Aggrieved protesters from Ohaji-Egbema Council Area of Imo State on Monday barricaded the exit and entrance gates to the Imo State Polytechnic Umuagwo to stop the planned relocation of the school by state government.

    Students and Staff were trapped as they could not enter nor leave the school premises while the protest lasted.

    It will be recalled that the state government recently upgraded the Polytechnic to a full- fledged University and subsequently got the approval of the National University Commission (NUC).

    Thereafter the State government ordered the Polytechnic now known as the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences be relocated to its new site at Ehime Mbano Local Government Area.

    The protesters, who were mainly youths, vowed to continue until the state government rescinded the plan to relocate the Polytechnic.

    But the government dismissed the protesters as a bunch of misinformed and misguided youths.

    The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Rochas Okorocha, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo in a statement said: “The attention of the Rescue Mission Government in the State has been drawn to a misleading protest by few misinformed youths who claimed to be indigenes of Ohaji against the new University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Aboh/Ngor/Umuagwo

    “It is very unfortunate that some enemies of the State have decided to play politics with everything including the development and progress of the State and her people, otherwise why would any group sponsor needless protest against the new University, which its operational licence has been got and everything needed for its take-off has been put in place”.

    It went on: “The government had few days ago explained that, following the establishment of the Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at the premises of the Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo with Campus at Aboh/Ngor, the Imo State Polytechnic has been relocated to Ehime Mbano with a Campus at the Site of Ahiara Polytechnic, Ahiazu Mbaise.

    “The interest of the State government under Governor Rochas Okorocha has been the even development of all the parts of the State.

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    “Indigenes of the State who love the State and its development have been congratulating the governor for this feat.

    “It is therefore surprising that some youths should allow themselves to become tools of such needless protest in the hands of those who do not have any iota of love for the progress of the State and the prosperity of the people of the State.

    “Why should youths in their right senses protest against the siting of a University in their area which its operational licence has been received? Our people should always detach petty politics from the lofty ideal of developing the State and prospering the people”.

    The government advised “the leaders of Ohaji should take the bull by the horn by correcting the impression this wrong move by those youths on protest has created especially when the staff of the Polytechnic have nothing to lose.

    “We have also heard that the owners of the private hostels in the area, working with some soul-less politicians were behind the few youths on protest at the front gate of the former Polytechnic.

    “It is unfortunate that few individuals, because of their personal interest could rise against the overall interest of the state and Ohaji people in particular”.

     

  • Oil tanker fire averted in Imo

    Thousands of Imo State residents scooping petrol from a fallen tanker were saved from a possible explosion, reports OKODILI NDIDI

    It was like a movie scene. Hundreds of Owerri residents threw caution to the wind as they swooped on a fallen petrol tanker, scooping fuel from the immobilised vehicle. They were not discouraged nor checked by the danger that often attends such foolhardy ventures. It was time for brisk business.

    The young and old were busy scooping the fuel in the scorching sun and selling to motorists. Within a twinkle of an eye the scene of the accident along the ever busy Port Harcourt Road was crowded.

    Unmindful of the danger that was lurking, the mob continued fetching fuel that had formed a big pool on the ground, while some discerning motorists abandoned their vehicles on the road and ran for their lives as the atmosphere charged to explosion point.

    According to some of the women who own shops close to the scene of the accident, it was “manna from heaven”. They did not consider the gory tales and pictures of charred remains of people who were unfortunate enough to be involved in petrol explosions.

    Many of them could have ended up roasted beyond recognition if there had been a fire outbreak but what could have been a major tragedy was averted, thanks to the prompt response of the Imo State Police Command, which carefully dispersed the frenzy crowd and cordoned off the area.

    Before then, the tanker with registration number XK 748 AGL which was coming from Port Harcourt to one of the outlets in Owerri, had spilled its content of 33,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit on the road.

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    The tanker was said to have run into a deep gully at Umuguma Hospital Junction in Owerri West when the tank side of the lorry slid sideways and overturned, pouring the entire content on the busy road.

    Residents, not deterred by the looming danger of possible fire outbreak, trooped out in large numbers to scoop the glittering liquid.

    One of the motorists who avoided the scene, Mr. Kingsley Udeke, said, “At first when I saw the gridlock, I thought it was an accident but when I started perceiving a strong smell of fuel, I knew something was wrong. At a point I could no longer breathe because the smell had become very strong. I was afraid that it could explode at any moment. I had to pull off my car and run away as far as I could.

    “We thank God nothing happened at the end of the day because it could have been very disastrous, our people were playing with fire, it was very unfortunate that people don’t learn from others mistakes”.

    Another motorist, who didn’t want his name in print, blamed the economic situation in the country for the actions of the women and children who came out to scoop the fuel.

    He said, “The speed with which the people came out to scoop the fuel, showed the level of suffering in the land, it doesn’t matter to them what the risk could be, so long as they get something to eat and take care of their children”.

    He urged the Federal Government to repair the failed portions on the Owerri-Port-Harcourt to avert such accidents.