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Tag: Imo State

  • Bid to remove sealed warehouse property fails in Owerri

    THE police in Imo State have foiled an attempt by some people to cart away the property stocked in one of the warehouses seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Owerri, the state capital.

    The police also impounded two trailers allegedly deployed to evacuate the warehoused property and arrested 12 suspects in connection with the crime.

    The warehouse owned by Mrs. Nkechi Okorocha, wife of the immediate past governor of Imo State Rochas Okorocha, is situated along Aba Road, Owerri.

    One of the police officers at the facility said law enforcement agents moved in on a tip-off, adding that 12 persons were arrested in the act.

    Read Also: Native doctor, five ‘robbers’ held in Imo

    “Following a tip-off last night (Sunday), after two trailers had moved into the warehouse late in the night, a police team was dispatched to the premises,” said the officer, who spoke to journalists in confidence.

    “Those inside the premises, however, refused to open the gate. The police team therefore cordoned off the building till this morning (Monday, 30/9/19) when we stormed the premises. The two trailers were impounded and 12 persons arrested.”

    The spokesman of the state police command, ASP Orlando Ikokwu confirmed the incident, adding that the two trailers impounded were taken to the command headquarters, Owerri.

    Two months ago, the EFCC sealed some properties reportedly traced to former governor Okorocha, as well as those of his family members and cronies.

     

  • Imo: Can Ihedioha meet the expectations?

    The politics of Imo State has never remained the same since Governor Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged the helmsman. In this report, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports on the changing politics and the efforts of the new government to meet up with the high expectations of the people of the Southeast state

    THE intrigues that surrounded the last governorship election in Imo State left no one in doubt that whoever wins the race will be of special interest to both the Imo State stakeholders and other Nigerians eager to see good governance in the southeast state. Everyone therefore expected the then governorship candidates to be aware of the high expectations.

    So, as soon as he was declared winner of the election, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) promised to turn what he called the state’s “bad news to a good story.” He promised to do so by making fundamental changes in several critical areas, especially in the style of governance.

    One of such areas, he promised to do differently is the relationship between the state and the local governments, which until then was reportedly frosty. When he went to the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to collect his Certificate of Return, Ihedioha said, “For us in the executive, we shall run a government that is responsible in every sense of the word. For us, the local government administration shall be appreciated and seen as an arm of the government that is respected because that is where the grassroots people participate.”

    Considering the intrigues, allegations and counter-allegations that trailed the past government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha over his style of governance and his relationship with local governments in the state, many observers have been keen on seeing if Ihedioha will fulfil his promise to local governments and restore confidence in the state’s civil service.

    Though his government is just a little bit more than three months old, Ihedioha said he has already taken action on this critical area. “Another immediate concern we confronted head-on was the weakness of the state civil service due to high nepotism,  lack of motivation, delayed salaries  and under-payments by, sometimes, as much as 30 percent of salaries due. We, thenceforth, set up a review committee to look into cases of improper or irregular appointments, promotions and other related matters.

    “The committee has turned in its report and, subsequently, we have approved the restoration of payment of 100 percent salaries to all workers in the state, recalled all unjustly suspended directors, reversed some undeserved promotions and sponsored officers to capacity building programmes. Similarly, local government workers have been paid the backlog of salaries owed them by the last administration. I can tell you that there is a renewed sense of motivation in the civil service across the state today.”

    Another area observers identified as immediate challenge to Ihedioha’s government is the problem of the state’s economy; especially the irony inherent in multiple taxation but low Internally Generated Revenue (IDR). During the electioneering campaigns, Omo indigenes made this a major campaign topic.  So, while taking oath of office, Ihedioha pledged to change this story.

    In his 100 days address, he said: “we have signed into law, Executive Order 005, known as Treasury Single Account (TSA) Order to consolidate all government revenues under one account. We have also adopted other measures designed to plug leakages and increase Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) in the state coffers.

    “We cannot achieve the right growth as a state without a sustainable revenue generating system. The state has less than 5 percent of the working population of over two million paying taxes and this is not an acceptable position. We met an arbitrary tax collection system leading to leakages, fraud and all sorts of irregularities.

    “To ensure a sustainable IGR regime, we took steps to reform the state Internal Revenue Service. From August 2019 all cash tax payments have been banned and the government has mandated the use of the PayDirect Platform with a single source sweeping of revenue. This has started addressing the issue of multiple accounts and leakages, and the IGR has grown from an all-time low of about 300m in July to 600m in August.

    “We have commissioned a Central Billing System which will drive the use of technology in tax collection. We have started a tax payer enumeration exercise with the attendant benefit of identifying the tax payers and ensuring they pay the right amount of tax to the right source.

    “A transformation of the revenue service built on the pillars of People Processes and Technology to ensure that we serve the needs of the populace in the most efficient and professional manner, by operationalizing the autonomy of the Imo Internal Revenue Service in line with global standards.

    “We have also listened to your issues on multiple taxation and commenced a tax harmonisation exercise in a bid to eliminate multiple taxation and streamline taxes in a manner that will only focus on the most relevant taxes to be paid.

    “Due to these strategic and fiscal responsibility moves, Imo State has gained positive image and is now on track to join the Open Governance Partnership league. It also now qualifies for performance-based grants of the World Bank as well as other multilateral development institutions. We are also currently developing the Imo Growth and Economic Development Fund. The fund will be unique in Nigeria and would serve as an investment catalyst for the Imo State economy.”

    The Nation observed that at the twilight of Okorocha’s government, another critical challenge in Imo State, especially in Owerri, the state capital, was water supply crisis. Mazi Ikechukwu Ukachukwu, who resides in Mbaise Road, Owerri, said “water scarcity in Owerri had almost become a norm, so much so that some of us did not believe it could be reversed in a short while. This is because we had burst water pipes all over the metropolis, buried in the muds. The neglect has taken a very long time. You will not believe that sachet water here has always been N10 even when it was still selling for N5 in Lagos.”   Ihedioha also said he has commenced action in this area: “For several years, the Otamiri Water Supply was not functional and our people in the state capital and its environs suffered untold hardships. We have therefore, provided what was required to get it working again. Specifically, water started running again in Imo on 24th July, 2019 after almost seven (7) years of dry pipes. In the same vein, work is ongoing to rectify cases of burst pipes across the major roads,” he said.

    His claims notwithstanding, some of his critics in the state, making reference to some of the actions attributed to Ihedioha at the dawn of his administration, like the demolition of some monuments erected by former Governor Okorocha, alleged that the new government may be doing more hype than it has actually accomplished in physical terms. “Is it everything the new government claims that we should agree with? I suggest the Ihedioha-led state government should go to the field and work instead of beating its chest so early in the morning. Though I do not agree with the way they condemned everything Okorocha did, I cannot deny that this new government seems more sensitive to the actual needs of the people. But they should leave Rochas alone and face the work for which Imo people elected them,” Kingsley Uzochukwu said.

    But Dr. Nicholas Nwulu told The Nation during the week that the present state government is determined to make the needed difference in the area of agricultural development. “If Ihedioha continues the way he has started, Imo will soon experience positive revolution in agriculture…,” he said.

    Steve Osuji, the Senior Adviser to the governor on Media, who listed “removal of massive heaps of refuse across Owerri and environs,” as one of his principal’s first areas of concern, told The Nation during the week that the Ihedioha-led state government has “initiated the revamping of Avutu Poultry, Adapalm and Imo Rubber Estates,” amongst other areas of interest in the agricultural sector.

    The governor himself also spoke glowingly of his interest in the development of the agricultural sector in his 100 days in office broadcast when he said: “Pursuant to our resolve to harness our agricultural potentials as well as generate employment, just a few days ago, we launched our Agricultural Roadmap which represents a comprehensive framework for self-sufficiency in food production, both for domestic consumption and for exports purposes. By our strategic location at the heartland of the South East and our endowment with the only international cargo airport in the region, we are certain that with the right investments, the state would harvest monumental benefits in this sector.

    “I am happy also to report that the first batch of 500 youths selected from all the 27 LGAs in Imo State will be sent to a modern farm at Nasarawa State, in a few weeks, under the Imo Youths in Agribusiness Programme (IYAP). Here, they would learn the best practices in tropical agriculture, after which they will be supported to start their own businesses in Imo State.

    “We have also commenced the establishment of a Rice Seed Farm Cluster on the Imo River Basin at Amumara  Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA. This programme will make Imo State self-sufficient in the production of improved variety of rice seeds with a view to strengthening our rice value chain. Experts in rice breeding, production and processing from the Africa Rice Centre at IITA Ibadan will be training our groups of rural young farmers to grow and process improved rice seeds.

    “We have also commenced the introduction of light mechanization to farmers in areas where full tractorization may not be possible.

    “The process for the rejuvenation of Imo ADP has commenced and plans are underway to train staff and reintegrate them back to intervention programmes that have suffered severe setbacks in the past as a preclude to granting access to reputable, time-tested investors.

    “It is noteworthy that, the Avutu Poultry Farm has been cleared for a full restoration to a world-class standard.  Similarly, Adapalm is being cleared through the relevant Committee and we would soon commence operations. The challenge of pending legal issues is being attended in order to clear the way for full optimization of its potentials.

    “Our state is set to host the only Agribusiness Park in Nigeria at Ngor-Okpala. This comprises an agribusiness academy, and a smart agribusiness centre, thus positioning the facility for revenue generation and job creation. In a few weeks’ time, we would begin the process of data capture of afffected Imolites in the upcoming agriculture revolution program targeting 400,000 participants between the ages of 15-64,” he said.

  • Tribunal affirms Gov. Emeka Ihedioha’s election

    The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Imo sitting in Abuja on Saturday affirmed the election of Gov. Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State.

    Delivering judgment, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Mallami Umar-Dogondagi, dismissed the petition of the candidate of the Action Alliance Party, Mr Uche Nwosu, for incompetence.

    In a unanimously decision, the three-member panel, also struck out  the petition of the All Progressive Congress, APC, candidate, Sen. Hope Uzodinma.
    Three petitions were filed by the governorship candidates of the Action Alliance (AA), All Progressives Congress (APC) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA),  asking the tribunal to nullify the election of Mr Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on the ground that he was unlawfully declared as the governor of the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The tribunal held that the three petitions challenging the declaration of Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), lacked merit.

    Read Also: Ihedioha: I have done my best in 100 days

    The petitioners, challenged the emergence of the PDP candidate as winner of the March, 9 governorship election on the grounds that the election was marred by irregularities.

    The tribunal held that candidate of the Action Alliance, AA, Uche Nwosu, Ifeanyi Ararume of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, and  Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress, APC, failed to establish their petitions against governor Ihedioha.

    The tribunal held that the petitioners failed to discharge the burden of proof placed on them by the law.

    Umar-Dogodaji stressed that Sen. Uzodinma of the APC was unable to prove his allegation that wrongful collation of results by INEC led to Ihedioha’s emergence as winner of the governorship election.

    NAN reports that Sen. Ararume and  Nwosu had approached the tribunal to cancel the election on the grounds that the declared winner did not meet the mandatory 25 per cent in two third of the local government areas in the state.

    On his side, Sen. Uzodimma, approached the tribunal and asked that he be declare him the rightful winner of the election, based on non-inclusion of results from 366 polling booths out of the INEC approved 388 booths in the state.

    NAN

  • ‘Killer’ prophet paraded in Imo

    POLICE have paraded a man dubbed a fake prophet who allegedly killed and buried one Christopher Anoruo on his church premises in Egwe, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.

    Also arrested were three persons who allegedly took part in the act on March 2019 .

    Parading the suspects at the Imo State Police headquarters, Police Public Relations Officer, Orlando Ikeokwu explained that the arrest of the suspects followed discreet investigations and hard work.

    The police spokesman said on March 11, 2019, the suspect and some other hoodlums, numbering three, entered the house of the deceased, robbed them of their valuables like phones, laptop and abducted the same, Hon. Christopher Anorue.

    “They took him out and about two poles away from his house, they assassinated him,” he said.

    Read Also: Travelling with tears on Imo roads

    The Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Ladodo ordered an investigation into the matter.

    He said through painstaking and discreet investigation, the phones of the deceased were traced to Hassan Kabiru and he was consequently arrested, adding that one Chimezie and Solomon Onyemaechi were later arrested also.

    Similarly, the police paraded about 13 suspected cultists, arrested on their way from an initiation in an 18-seater bus.

    “Our stop-and-search team on suspicion decided to search them. It was discovered that they are members of the Black Axe confraternity. A locally made pistol, wraps of Indian Hemp and live ammunition were recovered from them.”

    Speaking to newsmen, leader of the group, Nkwocha Chinaza explained that they had initiated 13 new members the same day. He further stated that they were students of Imo State University, Owerri and Alvan Ikoku College of Education, respectively.

    In another development, the Police paraded a ‘Prophet’ and other suspected killers of one Princewill Ezeji in Emii, Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State.

    Ikeokwu said that command received an information on a missing person, one Princewill Obinna Ezeji and swung into action leading to the arrest of the fake prophet who was later discovered to have killed Princewill “who bought a Toyota Camry car and went to his Prophet with the sum of N10,000 and some drinks, to show him the car and ask for his blessings , in appreciation of God’s favour.”

     

     

  • Travelling with tears on Imo roads

    Commuters in some communities in Imo State are daily passing through hell because of dilapidated road network, writes CHRIS NJOKU, Owerri

    The sorry state of roads in Imo State evokes tears from the people who daily experience agony in their quest to earn a living.

    Roads, such as Douglas to MCC-Uratta, Fed Poly Nekede-Ihiagwa, Okigwe and World Bank, tell tales of dilapidation and abandonment.

    Okwu Uratta community in Owerri North has been cut off from the neighbouring communities because of erosion, which has ravaged it over the years.

    A visit to the community shows a picture of gloom and hopelessness as the people are battling to save their houses from collapse.

    Gully erosion has eaten deep into the soil.

    The president-general of the community, Val Okara, told The Nation that people sleep with their eyes half-closed each day it rains.

    “The gullies have taken its toll on the environment including houses that have caved in due to the threatening soil erosion.

    “Our community, which is about two kilometres to Owerri, needs urgent assistance from the state and federal governments, spirited individuals as well as private organisations.

    “We don’t want to resort to protest or be a thorn in the flesh of the government. We are pleading to Governor Emeka Ihedioha, the Federal Government and other spirited individuals to urgently come to our rescue and rehabilitate our road; our houses are at the verge of collapsing as the edges of our buildings have been eaten by erosion.

    “Our community is the landowners of Imo State University, Aladinma Estate and Owerri Club and traditional owners of Lake Nwaebere. It is however shameful that some prominent individuals in the state are living in this area and are doing nothing to attract government presence to the community,” Okara said.

    An indigene of the community, Okay Osuji, applauded Governor Emeka Ihedioha for his interest in the rehabilitation of some dilapidated roads in Owerri, urging him not to lose sight of the fact that Okwu Uratta owns the land housing IMSU.

    He noted that most of the student hostels are located on the road leading to the community.

    “It is a crying shame that the all-important Ikenegbu-Okwu Road has been abandoned by successive administrations for long. We believe it is time the government rehabilitated this important road for benefit of the community, students, and state.

    “Road rehabilitation to and inside Okwu Uratta willsave the community from the scourge of perennial soil erosion,” he added.

    Like Okwu-Uratta, the road that leads to Federal Poly, Nekede, Ihiagwa, and FUTO is now a nightmare to motorists, commuters and traders.

    A trader at the Industrial Cluster market, Uche Ekewho, who regularly plies the Nekede Poly-Ihiagwa Road, said the people have suffered so much as a result of bad roads.

    “Our businesses are affected as motorists have doubled their transportation fare. We need palliative measures because the situation has worsened our plight,” he said.

    Some students of the two federal institutions say they can no longer bear the pains arising from the bad roads as the transport fare keeps on increasing each day.

    The 45-minutes journey from Owerri  to Ihiagwa now takes an hour due to deep potholes on the road. Following this, commercial drivers have doubled the transport fare from N100 to N200 while Okada riders charge as much as N300 a trip.

    Kelechi Emetoh, student of the Federal University, Owerri (FUTO), says he spends N500 a day on transport to the school, adding that most times buses do not ply the road because of deep gullies that dot the road.

    Drivers are also complaining of visiting mechanics frequently due to damages caused by the potholes to their buses.

    Apart from this, a driver, who gave his name as Emeka, said: “Sometimes, we pass through the villages to avoid these potholes but street urchins who barricade these adjoining pathways, collect N150 each trip to compound the hardship.”

    The traditional ruler of Umudibia, a host community of Federal Poly, Nekede, Eze Godwin Merenini, appealed to Ihedioha to come to the aid of the people. He said the condition of the road has negatively influenced economic growth in the community.

    Ihedioha appealed for patience and understanding. Flagging off one of the critical roads marked for rehabilitation recently in Owerri, he promised to begin work on these roads as soon as the rains stop, adding that the government had approved the award of contracts for the reconstruction of 14 critical roads across the state to reduce the suffering of the people, with a flag off of one of the most ambitious rural road construction projects in the country.

    He said the project valued at N13.5 billion “is the World Bank Assisted Rural Access and Mobility Projects (RAMP) involving over 70rural road networks with a cumulative distance of 381 kilometres across most of the 27 LGAs of the state.”

    Until his promise is fulfilled, the agony continues for the people. They need good roads to travel.

  • Rescuers of Bayelsa accident victims kidnapped in Rivers

    GUNMEN at the weekend abducted four travellers, who rushed to an accident scene in Elele, Rivers State, to rescue the victims.

    It was learnt that victims of the accident were persons from Bayelsa State, who were returning from a traditional wedding in Mbaise, Imo State.

    They were reportedly travelling on a Toyota Sienna car when the vehicle crashed into another.

    A popular Ijaw youth and social media activist Prince Elayo Ekete and the driver of the Sienna car were said to have died on the spot.

    Eyewitnesses travelling  from Bayelsa were said to have rushed to the scene to rescue the victims when kidnappers seized them and took them away.

    Another source said the kidnapped victims were abducted after they had successfully rushed other victims of the accident to a hospital.

    Read Also: No mosque was demolished in Rivers- Northern youths

    A source, who witnessed the incidents, said, “The wedding was attended by most social media activists from Bayelsa across political party lines. Ekete and seven others were returning from the occasion and they got to Elele when their vehicle had a head-on collision.

    “Ekete and the driver died on the spot. But five others were rushed to a hospital in the area. But four of the rescuers were abducted by kidnappers.

    “The kidnappers went to the accident scene, recovered personal effects of some of the victims and called one of the rescuers asking him to come to a particular place to collect them. When they got there, the gunmen seized them”.

    One of the injured victims of the accident, Dina Adiva, confirmed that some persons, who came to rescue them were kidnapped by unknown gunmen and prayed for their freedom.

     

     

  • Lawmaker cautions Okorocha over utterances

    The Chairman, Imo State House of Assembly Committee on Public Safety, Intelligence and Securities, Frank Ugboma, has cautioned the former Governor Senator Rochas Okorocha against utterances and actions that could lead to anarchy in the state.

    Ugboma, who represents Aguata Constituency, condemned the alleged beating of the Chairman, Imo Committee on Recovery of Government Property, Mr Jasper Ndubuaku,  by thugs while on official assignment in Okorocha’s residencein Owerri, the state capital.

    He told reporters in Lagos that the physical attack on Ndubuaku was wrong because he was carrying out official assignment for the state.

    Ugboma said: “In 2011 when Okorocha took over from Chief Ikedi Ohakim as Imo governor, he made Dr Placid Ekwueme, his recovery committee chairman and no one attacked him even when he attacked and took away things from people in the road. Ekwueme went to peoples’ homes   to recover alleged stolen property and nobody stopped him.

    “Why is Okorocha bitter and angry now? Okorocha’s reaction is an affront on a sitting governor and his statement an insult on all of us. It is also a disservice to his office as a lawmaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as a former governor of the state.”

    He advised Okorocha to seek redress, if he feels aggrieved, instead of making utterances that may lead to anarchy in the state.  Ugboma added: “Any action or statement that may incite people must be taken and treated seriously as treason of sorts considering the state of security in Nigeria.”

  • Aide outlines Ihedioha’s accomplishments in first 100 days

    The special assistant to the Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, on Research Ogu Bundu Nwadike has said that no less than 20 accomplishments have been recorded by the state government in its first 100 days.

    Nwadike was reacting to the claim by former governor Rochas Okrocha that Ihedioha’s government lacked direction and has nothing to show thus far.

    But Nwadike said in the ‘First 100 Days’ of Ihedioha’s government, he has repaired the faulty foundation upon which the state was being run under the previous government.

    “Right from the beginning, Governor Ihedioha set up a Transition Technical Committee (TTC), which worked and provided the guiding template and framework for the rebuilding of Imo State.

    “The TTC comprised some of the best intellectuals, technocrats and professionals. The TTC was very thorough in providing the compass by which the new administration will be navigated. I am privileged to know that the governor and his administration have decided to religiously abide by the step by step guide of the recommendation by the TTC,” he said.

    He added that the government believes in following the due process of the law in awarding contracts. He said on September 4, the government would flag off the rehabilitation of 16 major roads in the three senatorial zones of the state after the diligent procedure has been completed in their award.

    He argued that in the first 100 days, every segment of the state has been touched, including floods and erosion control, water scheme, education, health and security.

    He said the state civil servants now receive full payment of their salaries while the verification of pensioners who were last paid in 2015, would soon commence after the government completed verification of their status.

     

     

  • Ohanaeze youths warn Ihedioha over ‘arrest Okorocha order’

    The  Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council on Friday deplored the order by Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State that the people of the state should arrest his predecessor, Senator Rochas Okorocha and warned that the statement was capable of sparking anarchy.

    Okorocha himself called the governor a tyrant for ordering his arrest..

    Ihedioha issued the order on Thursday after some youths believed to be  sympathetic to Okorocha allegedly  assaulted  the Chairman of the Recovery of Government Properties, Mr. Jasper Ndubuaku, while trying to invade a property of the former governor.

    Responding to the governor’s statement, the President General of the Ohanaeze Youths,  Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said it was a threat to democracy  and should be reversed immediately.

     He asked for the intervention of the South East Governors and other Igbo leaders in the current face-off between the Imo governor and his predecessor.

    His words: “We call for the immediate intervention of the South East Governors and Igbo leaders as we ask Imo State religious leaders, traditional rulers, State House of Assembly to join Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide to intervene.”

    Read Also: ‘Votes were allotted to Ihedioha’

    Besides, he asked the people of the state especially the youths to  “suspend any action pending the outcome of the peace parley with the duo,” while urging Okorocha to “stay away from the state at the moment until the dust settles down.”

    He added: “We believe that Governor Ihedioha will see the wisdom and rescind the decision to arrest Okorocha.

    “We urge him to suspend the activities of Jasper Ndubuka committee on the Recovery  of Government  Assets until the situation is under control.

     “We will not allow any South East State to be under the control of a sole administrator under State of Emergency.”

  • Scandal in Imo Assembly over forged signature

    FRESH scandal is rocking the Imo State House of Assembly following allegations that the Speaker’s Chief of Staff, Mike Ohaka, forged his boss’ signature in a letter to Vice Chancellor of the Imo State University, Prof. Adaobi Obasi, requesting the employment of 46 persons.

    A source close to the Speaker said the Vice Chancellor, on receipt of the letter, called the Speaker to complain that the University was not recruiting and cannot employ the people he forwarded their names.

    The bemused Speaker, Chiji Collins, denied writing the letter, insisting that he did not recommended anyone for employment.

    Efforts to reach the VC were unsuccessful but the university’s spokesman, Ralph Njoku-Obi, denied knowledge of any such letter, saying such letters go to the VC directly.

    Read Also: Imo poll: the guilty are afraid

    Meanwhile, Ohaka insisted the letter was signed by the Speaker.

    He said: “Yes the letter was signed by the Speaker but the names were not anything close to 46. The Speaker asked us to write the VC to assist few people get a job in the University, and he was the one who signed the letter. I did not forge his signature”.

    Collins, however, denied any knowledge of such letter. “I am not aware of any such letter and I didn’t direct anyone to write to the Imo State University or any other institution in the state for job placement. He should show the copy of the letter, if he told you there was a letter I signed,” he said.