Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

Immediate past governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha has asserted that elder statesmen, Paschal Dozie, Douglas Acholonu and Charles Ugwu cannot speak as elders in the state against his achievements because they are allegedly People’s Democratic Party (PDP) supporters.

Okorocha who was reacting to comments made by the elder statesmen on his achievements while in office, pointed out that they would have been right in their assertions if they referred to themselves as PDP elders.

Okorocha who was expressing his feelings through his Special Adviser on media, Sam Onwuemeodo said: “Chief Pascal Dozie, Chief Charles Ugwu, Chief Luke Ochulor, Chief Lambert Iheanacho, Prof. Francis Dike, Chief Levi Oguike, Prof. Anthony Awuzie and Dr. Douglas Acholonu whose names were listed as those behind the publication in question are all leaders of the PDP in Imo. And they would have made the right claim by saying that they are PDP elders instead of claiming that they are Imo elders.

“Being PDP elders and being Imo elders are not the same. They had claimed to be Imo elders to add credibility to their false claim and perhaps, to attract the public to believe them.

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“Chief Dozie and his enviable family are PDP and they have been contesting elections on the ticket of PDP. Chief Ugwu was the gubernatorial candidate of PDP in 2007 until the court said it was Chief Ifeanyi Araraume. Chief Iheanacho had aspired to be a senator on the platform of PDP, ditto, Prof. Awuzie. So they met Governor Ihedioha as elders of his party.

“Their claim that Rochas Okorocha achieved nothing contradicted what Governor Ihedioha himself told the Guardian Newspaper on Monday, August 19, 2019, Page 4, in which he accused Okorocha of spending N11.2billion on federal projects including the ultra-modern Police Headquarters, Prison Headquarters, hospitals for the Military, Police, Navy the Airforce, and the International Cargo Airport, and so on.”

He further asserted “Non-partisan Imo elders would not have pretended not to know that Imo had free education at all levels under Rochas and the administration developed Owerri, the state capital, opened roads, etal. And for Chief Dozie and co, to claim that Okorocha did nothing in Imo as governor was like claiming that Chief Dozie’s MTN and Diamond Bank do not exist. And Governor Ihedioha has not done any other thing since he came on board except trying to discredit Rochas’ achievements.

“Finally, elders whether they are of PDP or APC or APGA or AA or of any other party, are expected to always say the truth because only elders who say the truth can build a nation.”