From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described Governor Hope Uzodimma’s one year anniversary celebration, the second in two months, as a desperate search for acceptance and legitimacy as he does enjoy the support of people of the state.
The party in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Ogubundu Nwadike, dismissed the Imo governor as a rabble rouser who was claiming ownership of road projects he did not execute.
Nwadike said Uzodimma had on February 27 celebrated his one year in office where he addressed stakeholders and reeled out his achievements, but because that event failed to achieve its desired effect, he had to on March 14 organised another show.
He said on both events, most prominent Imo citizens had shunned the circus shows.
“It is important to note that prominent citizens of Imo State were absent on both occasions. In other words, the real stakeholders of the state were not part of those events. So, who was Uzodimma talking to? What purpose has his circus show served, except to lead his unwary visitors by the nose?
“As a people-oriented party, PDP in Imo State has taken a hard look at the governor’s antics on both occasions and has come to the painful conclusion that the entire jamboree is a cocktail of lies and half truths aimed at misleading the people. It should be noted that Uzodimma celebrated his one year in office in January. Why is he repeating the same non-event in March? The answer is simple. The governor is scratching here and there in desperate search for legitimacy. His futile search continues.
“It was amusing, for instance to hear Uzodimma tell his beleaguered audience that he recovered his mandate through the court. Nothing can be as pitiable as this. The governor knows that he is a bad example in matters that border on democracy and legitimacy. The whole world is still aghast at the open air roguery and rape of justice that eventuated in his one-legged governorship. We know that the illegitimacy that brought him to power will haunt him to the very end.”
The PDP queried what Uzodimma had to showcase when he failed to attract a single direct foreign investment in the last one year or pay salaries and pensions to workers. It alleged that Uzodimma was claiming the credit he does not deserve as he was only working on roads that the administration of Emeka Ihedioha awarded and paid for.
“To underline the fact that Uzodimma has a penchant for rabble rousing, he claimed that his administration is constructing and rehabilitating 46 roads in the state in one fell swoop. A look at the list will easily reveal that we do not have more than 20 proper roads on that list. The rest are merely repetitions and duplications. Some of the roads mentioned are not even being worked on. They are still the way Uzodimma met them. There is, in fact, nothing to celebrate about Uzodimma’s claim in this regard. The people of Imo State are still moaning and groaning over bad roads more than one year after Uzodimma took over the reins of governance in the state, in the manner he did.”