Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Former governor of Imo State, senator Rochas Okorocha has alleged that the recent utterance by the youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo claiming that he is not fit to be Nigeria’s president is blackmail engineered by governor Hope Uzodimma to discredit his person, affirming that it will not stop him from vying for president if he eventually decides.
Okorocha alleged that the governor actually did it to puncture the pronouncement made by an Igbo group known as the Movement for the Actualisation of the Nigeria President of Igbo Extraction (MANPIE) who called on him to run for president in 2023.
Okorocha who disclosed this through a press statement by his Special Adviser on media, Sam Onwuemeodo has also advised the governor to concentrate on governance of the State instead of attacking him.
“Governor Hope Uzodimma’s government was behind the blackmail in line with the script handed over to him by those who enlisted him against Okorocha, with regard to the 2023 Presidency.
“Hence, Governor Uzodimma has not committedly begun to govern Imo State. He is only after Rochas Okorocha. He was behind the story of Okorocha being unfit to be Nigeria’s President.
“Governor Uzodimma had done that to puncture the pronouncement by eminent Igbo sons and daughters from the five South-East States, operating under the aegis MANPIE who stormed his Owerri residence on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, to urge him to run for the 2023 Presidency and to inform him that they had adopted him as the Consensus Candidate for the position.
Also, the senator representing Imo west at the National assembly has condemned the demolition of the Somtochukwu hospital which he built during his administration, even as he said was part of Uzodimma’s ploy to distract the event of MANPIE.
He said “The same Monday, while the meeting with MANPIE was in Progress, Governor Uzodimma deployed caterpillars and pay-loaders to demolish one of Okorocha’s signature projects, the Somto hospital, Commissioned by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
“The governor did that to distract Okorocha from the beautiful meeting. And we are talking about a government that has Continued to stagger for almost eleven months now. Okorocha said.
“Governor Uzodimma had before that day also demolished one of the tunnels built by Okorocha. And this is a government that has not been able to meet any of its financial obligations. A government that has not been able to fill one pothole. A government that is only existing on few whatsApp platforms.
“And if after all the Consultations and Okorocha decide to run for the 2023 Presidency, he would do that because the issue is not Ohaneze President but Nigeria President. And Okorocha would like to be the Nigeria President of Igbo extraction and not Igbo President.
While challenging the governor on his achievements so far, Okorocha said Let governor Uzodimma publish what he has done with Federal Allocations, Local Government Allocations, ISOPADEC Funds, IGR etc, in 11 months and let us publish what Okorocha was able to achieve within the same period when he held sway as governor. This is the best way to go. And not hide and seek game.
“The government in Imo should reduce the war fronts. The government is fighting everybody and every institution. And arresting, detaining and arraigning Imo Citizens at random. Imo is not known for all these. The governor should change style and be focused. Okorocha claimed.
However, Uzodimma while responding to Okorocha through the State Commissioner for Information and strategy, Declan Emelumba said that the former governor was only seeking for relevance having lost all confidence from citizens of the State after his eight years tenure.
“Was the report credited to Uzodimma, what blackmail is he talking about when the source of the story was quoted, he is only seeking for relevance having failed the people of the State.Uzodimma said.
On demolition of the Somotochukwu hospital, Uzodimma said “who were the complainants when the place was demolished, did the doctors and nurses complain if that place was truly a hospital, it’s just a hideout for criminals.” Uzodimma claimed.