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Tag: Uche Nwosu

  • Nwosu counters Oshiomole, says I remain APC candidate

    The winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary for Imo State, Uche Nwosu, has described the decision by the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomole to substitute his name with that of Senator Hope Uzodinma as the governorship candidate as a violation of subsisting Court Order and unacceptable.

    Nwosu insisted that he remains the authentic candidate of the party, irrespective of Oshiomole’s announcement that he has forwarded Uzodinma’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s candidate.

    According to Nwosu, his candidacy is secured and cannot be truncated by the National Chairman or any other person, vowing that he will never abandon the mandate given to him by the party members to be their governorship candidate for the 2019 election.

    He expressed disappointment over Oshiomole’s action, adding that his statements and antics did not give hope to young people who hitherto had always looked up to him.

    In his words, “My mandate is still intact, I still remain the candidate of the APC, I am very much shocked with the National Chairman who is speaking from the both sides of his mouth as a man of that age I thought he would have been upright.

    “I am shocked that a man who has attained that age and who we should look up to as our role model has become somebody who many of us can no longer see as a role model again. I am shocked at the attitude of  the National Chairman which does not give hope to young people that mostly look up to him for years”.

    Nwosu however dismissed insinuations that he is defecting from the APC to pursue his ambition in another party, noting that he cannot abandon his mandate for any other party.

    He said, “I will not leave APC, I still remain the authentic candidate of that party, I still have a valid Court Oder restraining the party from submitting any other name and also restraining INEC from accepting any other name other than my name and the matter is in Court, so if they go anywhere and got another Court Order without knowing that there is a subsisting Court Order  that must have been done that in error, so the fact remains that I am the candidate of APC, it is just for a while and I will take up my mandate, I don’t have in mind to leave the mandate I  already have for another party”.

    Nwosu clarified further that, “the insinuation by the National Chairman that my ambition suffered setback because of the ambition of the Governor Rochas Okorocha is not true, my name is Ugwumba Uche Nwosu and not Rochas Okorocha, I am from Nkwerre Local Government Area, while he is from Ideato South LGA, there are two different things, if he has ambition to run for Senate and I have ambition to run for governor, so it doesn’t tally at all.

    “After all Oshiomole’s son is a member of the Edo State House of Assembly, who he nominated and he is the Chairman of the party and he is saying that Okorocha’s Senatorial ambition scuttled my governorship, he is a man that is supposed to  speak rightly and not deceive the people on air. I saw him on the Television when he was talking from both sides of his mouth, it is a pity that APC could have such a man as its National Chairman, I condemn his action and it is not acceptable”.

    Read Also: Anti-Oshiomole protest rocks Imo

    He submitted further that, “the same Ibrahim Agbabiaka Committee that conducted the governorship primary that Oshiomole is referring to as purported, is still the same Committee that conducted the National and State Assembly primaries, so how can you jettison the report of that same Committee”.

    He  urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the National Chairman of the party to order, stressing that his actions, especially as it bothers on the party’s primaries, may affect the victory of the party in 2019.

    Meanwhile Nwosu urged his supporters to remain steadfast, adding that, “we are not deterred, I am still in the race, if  Oshiomole thinks that he is a tin god at the secretariat that he can truncate people’s ambition, then my answer to him is that he is not God, he cannot stop my ambition, he cannot stop a divine mandate, he cannot stop the mandate of the people. I want to assure my teeming supporters that we are on the right course, not even Oshiomole can stop us, we are the right candidate and we will emerge victorious at the end of the day. I am very confident that I will be the next governor of the state in 2019”.

  • 2019: Okorocha sacks appointees contesting election

    …SSG, Chief of Staff, Info Commissioner affected

     

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, Wednesday relieved 13 of his appointees contesting the 2019 general elections of their respective positions.

    Those affected include the Chief of Staff to the governor, Uche Nwosu, who is contesting the governorship seat, Secretary to the Government of Imo State, Sir George Eche, who is also in the governorship race and the Commissioner of Information, Prof. Nnamdi Obiareri, who is contesting the Imo North Senatorial seat.

    Read Also:Imo guber: I’m not aware my SSG is running – Okorocha

    Others are the Principal Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Paschal Obi, Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Engr. Kingsley Uju, Commissioner for Trade,     Investment and Commerce, Chief Emma Ojinero, Commissioner for Gender and Social Development, Barr. Ngozi Njoku, among others.

    In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, the Governor wished the affected appointees luck, while thanking them for their services.

  • I don’t believe in Zoning, says Imo governorship aspirant

    One of the governorship aspirants in Imo State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chuks Ololo has said that he does not believe in the principle of zoning being canvassed for across the state, saying he was not in the race to become the next governor of the State based on the zoning arrangement.

    Ololo said he was in the race for governorship of the state because he believes that he has something to offer and the capacity to put Imo State on the wheel of progress and not because he is from Owerri zone.

    While asking the electorates across the state to shun the sentiments of voting based on zoning, he said the people of the state should vote for the right and capable person to liberate the people from their challenges, adding that he offered himself for the position because of his desire to transform the State.

    He said “I am running for the governorship of Imo State on the platform that is to help us to bring about change and that change will affect Nigeria if Imo is changed because the State is a very big component of Nigeria.

    Read Also: Group plans workshop for Imo guber aspirants

    On zoning, he said “First of all I am not running my campaign based on the zone I come from. I am an Imolite and we have always believed in the best. I am not saying that I must be Imo State governor because I am from Owerri zone. What I am saying is that if the people see that I am not competent, they must not vote for me because I am from Owerri zone. Do not make me governor because I am from Owerri zone. Let the best candidate emerge to lead Imo State.

    “One thing I must do first is to go back to the foundation that was laid by those who created Imo State. There is a vision behind the State and my government will actualize that. We used to be the academic hub of the zone, but today Imo has lost that status. We must go back to look at how things went wrong and what would be the remedy. My target would be on the revamping of education in Imo State.

    “Under my administration, agriculture, which has been the bedrock of Imo would be revisited to get the desired result. I will empower our farmers to develop agriculture in the communities.

    “Also Imo State would be transformed into a technology hub of Nigeria. We must work to export technology to the outside world. We must begin to define what we would do with our natural resources in Imo State and produce to stabilize our economy. We can no longer depend on the money from Abuja to build the State. It is a shame that any time government does not bring money, the State is shut down.”

    On endorsement of Uche Nwosu by Gov. Okorocha, Ololo, who is also an in- law to the governor said, “I believe we are in a democracy, that an aspirant is anointed by someone does not change the fact that the race is open to all. Nigeria has matured to full democracy, so it is left for the people to determine who would be their leader.”

  • “Nothing like Coalition group in Imo APC” – Okorocha

    Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has described as faceless those claiming to be a Coalition group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    The Imo governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, described  those claiming to be ‘Coalition of Imo APC’  as “food is ready politicians” insisting that there is only one party in the state with him as the leader.

    Okorocha who was reacting to a recent publication by a group known as the Coalition of Imo APC, which gave the governor a 21-day ultimatum to reverse his support for his Chief of Staff, Chief Uche Nwosu for governor in 2019, noted that none of the Coalition members won his booth in the last elections.

    He described them as “attention-seeking and little-minded politicians, paid to disturb the peace of APC in the State”
    The Governor, further reiterated his support for Nwosu vowing that he will win the governorship election in the state.

    According to him, “and for their information, Uche Nwosu will win the ticket of the Party and win the election proper in 2019. If the Coalition has the Capacity, let them file behind a Candidate and let’s see how far they can go. Why are they bothered about Uche Nwosu’s aspiration? They have read the hand-writing on the wall and have discovered that the young man is the Candidate to beat. They are worried because Uche Nwosu is the man.

    Governor Okorocha continued that, “these are people terribly envious of the general and popular acceptance, the young Nwosu’s aspiration has garned across the political parties and political zones in the state, even several months to the election proper. And the youths are seeing the Uche Nwosu Project as their own, and they are on the same page with women, and of course with men who love progress.

    “There are more than ten registered political parties and about thirty-four governorship aspirants in the state. Let them take one of the political parties and throw their light political weight behind one of the aspirants and work for his victory if they can do that. But the truth is that these are internet politicians who cannot remember when they visited their wards last. They hold their scanty meetings at a roadside restaurant.

    “Their problem is that, of all the aspirants in APC and of all the aspirants in other Parties in the State, none can defeat Uche Nwosu. That is their headache” Okorocha”.

  • Nwosu’s critics are uninformed – Okorocha

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, on Thursday rose in defense of the governorship ambition of his Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu, insisting that he has not flouted any law by aspiring to govern the state.

    The governor said “Nwosu is not being maligned because he is not qualified to govern the state or has any negative security report against him except that he is married to my daughter and therefore should be disqualified.”

    Okorocha, who spoke during a media parley with journalists at the Government House, Owerri, maintained that Nwosu is the only aspirant among his political followers who can provide the kind of leadership that would not discriminate against any part of the state.

    He said: “I don’t want a governor of Okigwe, Owerri or Orlu zone. I want an Imo governor whose governorship will reflect on all the zones.”

    According to the governor, the criticisms that trailed the endorsement of Nwosu’s governorship ambition by the local government areas in the state made him the most popular aspirant in the state.

    Okorocha added: “Nwosu has not done anything contrary to the constitution of the country that forbids him from running for governor or any other position. I have gone through the constitution and the Electoral Act and I did not see anywhere the issue of son in-law is mentioned as a condition that will determine who is qualified to run for election.”

     

     

  • 2019: Nwosu will win, Okorocha assures APC supporters

    …I have retired all godfathers

    Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, has assured the supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that his Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu has what it takes to win the 2019 governorship election.

    The Imo governor disclosed that his support for Nwosu’s governorship ambition is not for any personal gain but but the conviction that he will make a good governor, judging by his acceptability, which he said cuts across the three zones of the state.

    Okorocha who spoke when political leaders, women and youth groups, as well as traditional rulers came to endorse Nwosu at the Government House, said that he would want to hand over to a governor that will discriminate against any zone but will see the entire state as one deserving of equal attention.

    He assured that Nwosu will win the 2019 governorship election,  irrespective of the objections of the political ‘bigwigs’,  adding that the power to elect a governor resides with the people and not few political elites and godfathers, adding that,  “I have no doubt that Nwosu will win the governorship election considering his pedigree and humble background” .

    According to the governor, “Nwosu has learnt the ropes and is better qualified than any other aspirant. Nwosu is the least of the political children I have trained but I don’t know any of them as much as I have known Nwosu, I took him up when he was just nobody and he  grew to the height he is now, his only sin is that he is my son-in-law, how about the Njemanze’s, the Bishops from Egbu, they occupy every position in Egbu without considering who and where they came from”

    He continued that,  “Nwosu will win in 2019, don’t be afraid , I am there, I have retired the Arthur Nzeribes, the Udenwas, now I will retire the rest of them finally, I know them and they know me, their plan is to push me so that they can get the Senate, it’s a lie, i will run for the Senate as well”.

    Speaking on President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration for a second term, Governor Okorocha assured that “he will win again, just like he did in 2015”.

    He said,  “Buhari will win again and again, after Buhari, the turn will come to South East and it will be the turn of Okorocha”

  • 2019: Igbo will reject PDP’s VP offer -Nwosu

    …drums support for Buhari’s re-election

     

    All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant and Chief of Staff to the Imo State governor, Uche Nwosu has said that the Igbo will turn down the offer of Vice President by the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019.

    Nwosu noted that supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election in 2019 is the best option for the Southeast, adding that the zone cannot afford to scuttle its chances because of a ‘Greek’ gift from the PDP.

    He assured that Ndigbo will benefit more if President Buhari is re-elected, instead of repeating the mistakes of 2015.

    According to him, “Vice Presidential slot in any party including the PDP is a complete waste because what a President can achieve in one day, a Vice President cannot achieve in eight years. The Igbo should not be distracted by any offer from opposition parties but should remain focused and support President Buhari”.

    The Chief of Staff, who was reacting to the President’s recent declaration to run for second term, described it as a good omen for the Igbo, adding it will quicken and brighten the chances of the Southeast to produce the next President as the only zone that has not produced a President yet.

    “If President Buhari is re-elected, it there means that we have only four years to wait but if any other person emerges as President from any other zone, what it means is that we will have to wait for another eight years. This is our best chance and the Igbo should grab it with both hands”, he maintained.

    According to Nwosu, “with the emergence of President Buhari for second term, the Igbo will only have to wait for four years before producing the next President, it will bring  the Igbo closer to the Presidency by 2023. So there is need for every Igbo man irrespective of political party affiliations should support Buhari’s re-election bid”.

    He continued that, “aside from the Igbo Presidency which the Buhari’s second term will secure for the Igbo, he has also done very well for the Southeast. Take the second Niger Bridge for instance, work is going on and you can see it, not the fluke that was done by former President Goodluck Jonathan. The only man that talked about the Port Harcourt-Enugu road, the Onitsha-Enugu road, is President Buhari.

    “Today we have a Cargo Airport in Owerri and President Buhari did it and today, Anambra state has been enlisted among the oil producing states, all these and many more are done by President Buhari, President Goodluck didn’t do it for us.

    “So when you look at the whole scenario you will find out that President Buhari has a lot to offer the Igbo. Remember that the South West played a very clever game and today they are better for it but we are crying, that is the more reason we should support Buhari to avoid another mistake.

    “And besides the anti-corruption war the man is fighting is yielding great results and you cannot start such war and abandon it half way. We need to give him time to complete all these numerous work he is doing in the country.  What President Buhari is doing, is laying a solid foundation for whichever President that will come after him to build on”.

    Commenting on his governorship ambition, Nwosu assured that the APC will come out of the primaries stronger, stating that, “if I emerge as the APC candidate, I will work with all other aspirants and it will be a win-win situation for everyone. We are not going to leave anyone behind because we will need all shades of opinion and wealth of experience to move the state forward”.

    Read Also: Kalu predicts Igbo presidency in 2023

  • Uche Nwosu will do better than me as Governor –Okorocha

    Governor Rochas Okorocha has said that Chief Uche Nwosu who he has preferred to succeed him would do better than him as governor because he has known all the secrets behind the success story of his governorship in the state.

    Okorocha spoke when the leaders and stakeholders of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Mbaitoli Local Government Council where the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere comes from came to endorse Uche Nwosu for 2019 guber, weekend, at the Nick Banquet Hall with the governor stating that the story of the amazing achievements of the Rescue Mission Government in the State would not be complete without the outstanding role of Uche Nwosu.

    His words, “there is no project of this administration that Uche Nwosu didn’t make contribution in terms of ideas and dedication to see the Project completed. He knows the secret behind all the successes we have recorded. He knows how we have done all we have achieved without complaining of paucity of fund like those before us had done”.

    He continued, “If I allow any of these people aspiring to become governor in 2019 to take over, it won’t be long before Imo people would begin to regret my exit because I know the sacrifices we have made to achieve all these as a government. But for Uche Nwosu, he knows the whole secret and I have no doubt, he would do better than me. And when that happens Imo people may begin to forget me. But I want him to do better than me”.

    On the Deputy-Governor, Prince Madumere, the governor said he is his son but noted that the issue of who succeeds him as governor in 2019 goes beyond certain sentiments because the fate of the state and her people is paramount in taking decision to that effect, adding that he knows who is who in the Rescue Mission Political family.

    He continued, “I want someone who would continue with the laudable achievements or programmes of the administration like free education. Someone who would have regard for all classes of people including the markets women, artisans and so on. Someone whose head would not be blown up by power. Someone who would allow the Government House remain open for all categories of people. Someone who would not witch-hunt or go after those who criticize or abuse him. Uche Nwosu is the man”.

    He added “If you are a father with many children, you should know each of them who has the capacity to do what. And when you are giving them responsibilities you put your findings into consideration. You try as much as you can to put a round peg in a round hole to avoid leakage. That is the truth”.

    He thanked Mbaitoli people for their support and also reminded them that the local government is one of the major beneficiaries of the administration’s major projects and major programmes, commending them for coming in their large number with their leaders to endorse Uche Nwosu because they have seen he is the best.

    He challenged some politicians in the state trying to make out issues from Uche Nwosu’s endorsements to bring out whoever they think is better than Uche Nwosu so that Imo people can select between the two.

    He stated “Our people should as much as possible avoid this blind politics of division called Zoning and embrace all inclusive politics, than to polarize political power along zonal or ethic section. What Imo needs is a governor that can drive the state wholesomely and continue the developmental strides already established by this Rescue Mission Administration and deliver further dividends of democracy to the yearnings of our people”.

    Speaking on behalf of the leaders and stakeholders from the Local Government, Chief Ugochukwu Onwusereaka told the governor that they have looked at all those aspiring to be governor in 2019 and that Uche Nwosu stands out as the best option and that is why they have come to join the rest of Imo people to declare support for the Uche Nwosu Project.

    He said it was not surprising to anybody in the state that Uche Nwosu is the man adding that the avalanche of endorsements from all quarters were clear indications that most people know that the pendulum would point to his side, commending the governor for all he has done for Mbaitoli people.

     

  • 2019: Imo Speaker, 19 others endorse Nwosu

    …why we are backing Okorocha’s Chief of Staff- Lawmakers

     

    The Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Acho Ihim on Wednesday led 19 other members of the House, under the aegis of Team Nwosu, to endorse the governorship ambition of the Chief of Staff to the governor, Chief Uche Nwosu.

    Ihim who read the position of the Lawmakers  during a press conference at the Kelvic Suites in Owerri, insisted that Nwosu remains “the best and most plausible panacea to the issue of disjointed and often abandoned projects syndrome that has hitherto constituted a clog in the wheel of progress in most instances”.

    He argued that the decision of the 20 Lawmakers to ensure that Nwosu takes over from Rochas Okorocha as the next governor was taken in the overall interest of the state, adding that, the legacies of the Okorocha-led administration “are so good and too numerous to be left in the hands of those who may not have any inkling of what they are, where they are or how to sustain them”.

    According to the Speaker, “in a bid to ensure continuity of the numerous democratic dividends of the Rescue Mission Administration in Imo State, 20 members of the Imo State House of Assembly have affirmed their resolve to project, support and back in its entirety Ugwumba Uche Nwosu as the next governor of Imo State after His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha come 2019”.

    He continued that “the Lawmakers singled out for mention the reality of the free, qualitative and compulsory education programme in Imo State which virtually all past governors and even the present crop of those jostling for governorship of the state to have said is an impossible task. Our people deserve Ugwumba Uche Nwosu for a continuation of this people-oriented policy to bring succor and hope for the poor and rich in the state”.

    The Lawmakers therefore resolved as follows; “that we the Honourable members of the Imo State House of Assembly recognize unequivocally Owelle Rochas Okorocha as the supreme leader of the ruling party in Imo State, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “That as Executive Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has done exceedingly well in governance hence deserves our commendation as representatives of our various constituencies.

    “That as an integral part of the Owelle success story, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu is eminently qualified to paddle the canoe of the development of Imo State and will continue in the already established successes of the Owelle administration.

    “That we support unequivocally the governorship aspiration of Ugwumba Uche Nwosu. We therefore call on all Imolites everywhere to ensure that this aspiration comes to fruition”.

    the Lawmakers that signed the endorsement letter, were Hon Ozuruigbo Ugonna (Nwangele), Chinedu Offor (Onuimo), Hon Uju Onwudiwe (Njaba), Hon Ngozi Obiefula (Isu), Hon Max Odunze (Orsu), Hon Ikechukwu Amuka (Ideato South), Hon Arthur Egwim (Ideato North) and Hon Kennedy Ibe (Obowo).

    Others were Hon Nkem Nzeruo (Oru East), Hon Lugard Osuji (Owerri Municipal), Hon Henry Ezediaro (Oguta), Hon Chukwuemeka Loyd ( Owerri North), Hon Victor Onyema (Owerri West), Hon Uche Agabige (Orsu), Hon Chika Madumere (Nkwerre) , Hon Uche Ejiogu (Ihitte Uboma, Hon Emma Orie (Ohaji-Egbema) and Hon Lawman Duruji (Ehime Mbano).

     

  • Okorocha commends Police for drop in crime rate

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, on Monday commended the state Police Command for the ‘drastic’ reduction of crime rate in the state through effective policing.

    He said that his government is committed to the protection of lives and property of the citizens of the state.

    The Imo governor gave the commendation during the commissioning of refurbished crime fighting vehicles at the State Police Command Headquarters.

    Represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Uche Nwosu, Okorocha stated that since the assumption of office by the current Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, criminal activities in the state has dropped to the barest minimum.

    He disclosed that funds have been approved for the different security agencies to refurbish their vehicles, including the Army, Police and Nigeria Security Civil and Defense Corps (NSCDC).

    He said, “Mr. Commissioner Sir, you have done better than your predecessor. These vehicles remind me of the Structural Adjustment Programme which is that vehicles can be refurbished to their almost new state and I commend your capacity to turn things around”.

    According to him, “it takes a man of vision and capacity to think and also know how to do it. And I commend your capacity and capability”.

    On his part, the State Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike stated that crime is on a downward trend in the State.

    He disclosed that raids on criminal hideouts will be enhanced based on intelligence and information provided by the public.

    Ezike said “let me thank our people for always providing useful information. I assure you that we will continue raids on criminal hideouts in the different localities. While we will continue our visibility policing, so that anywhere you turn, you will see Police personnel protecting lives and properties”.

    Ezike disclosed that a total of 15 vehicles have been refurbished to enhance policing in the State.