By okey alozie
As the president is set to visit Imo for the first time since he assumed office as the number one citizen of Nigeria after 2011 election, the state chapter of PDP has accused the incumbent state Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha of allegedly planning to destabilize the arrangement put in place by the party for the president’s reception.
Addressing newsmen during a world press conference held at PDP state office, on Okigwe road, on Thursday, the chairman of the planning committee and senator representing Orlu Zone at the National Assembly, Chief Hope Uzodinma hinted that most of the posters and flex banners for the president visit have been allegedly destroyed by agents of Governor Rochas Okorocha who he said have no respect for Mr. President Dr Goodluck Jonathan.
Senator Uzodinma said that the Governor in a bid to frustrate PDP hiked the fee charged for Dan Anyiam’s Stadium Owerri slated to be the venue of the President’s reception.
According to him, PDP were forced to pay over N500m by Okorocha’s government to use the stadium as venue of Jonathan’s reception several tactics.
Speaking further, the Senator submitted that they party chieftain has resolved to obey the rules of law but must resist any further attempt by Okorocha and his men to cause further confusion and mayhem in the state. He boasted that Imo is PDP state adding that it was just accident that brought Okorocha into power.
Senator Uzodinma however described Governor Okorocha as a political orphan who has lost out from APGA and other parties but claiming to be an APC member. When contacted, the information commissioner, Hon T.O Ekechi denied all the accusation leveled against his boss. He however waned PDP to stop accusing Govenor Okorocha on unnecessarily
On the issued of the President’s visit, he hinted that the president will be in Imo to welcome PDP decampees numbering over 4,000.
In addition, he said apart from flagging off their campaign in Imo the president will also use the forum to interact with party chieftains and see for himself that Imo is truly a PDP controlled state. He therefore advised Okorocha and his men to start parking there properties out of Imo Government House “Imo is now a one party state”. He said that it provides the PDP the opportunity to make a clear, unequivocal statement that this state is unmistakably and irreversibly a PDP state. The rally will showcase to the whole world the incontrovertible fact that more than ninety percent (90%) of Imo political ‘who is who’ are in PDP. It will also demonstrate beyond all doubts that a vast majority of the different segments of Imo society such as; Professionals Groups Market Men and Women, Road Transport Workers, Artisans, Commercial Tricycle Operators (Kekenapep), Town Unions, Women and Youth Organizations and a host of others, are solidly behind the PDP. The rally will convenience even the most doubting of Thomases that no force known to man on earth can stop the PDP from taking over the government of Imo state come 2015.
Expressing further, the committee chairman said “For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to make it clear that all the political big wigs who left the party in 2011 have all returned to the party. From former Governor Achike Udenwa to Senators Ifeanyi Ararume and Chris Anyawu to Dr. Alex Obi and many others, all have come back to the family and you shall see them live tomorrow. Even more importantly, the massive turn-out at tomorrow’s rally shall leave no one in any doubt whatsoever that Imo state is, and will remain, a PDP state.
As the Igbo adage goes, when a woman marries two husbands she becomes wise enough to choose the better of the two. Our people have seen the difference between order and disorder. Our people have seen the difference between government by procedure and due process and government by whimsical malady. Our people have seen the difference between government by inclusion and government by exclusion. They have seen the difference between a true government of the People for the people by the people and a government of one family, for the family and by the family.
Distinguished Gentlemen of the Press believe me, Imo people have seen enough to know that the difference between Panadol and APC is like the difference between light and darkness. When you are in the light you at least know what is happening around you, but when you are in darkness you are like one in a perpetual abyss; all you get is the more you look the less you see.
On what Jonathan has done for Imo, Uzodimma said “I must admit that the tune for that change has already been set by the able Leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan. As. you must be aware, despite the highly regrettable mistakes of 2011, Imo state has continued to profit enormously from the administration of President Jonathan.
“You will agree with me that there is no gain saying the fact that in terms of infrastructural development, Imo has benefited quite a lot from the present government. With respect to roads, we can boast of federal government funded major dual carriage ways that are currently under construction in the state. They include Owerri-Aba dual Carriage way, Owerri-Umuahia Dual carriage way and Owerri-Portharcourt dual carriage way. There are many other roads in the state that have been done by the federal government through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“You will also agree that for the first time since the commissioning of the Imo Airport it has been transferred into a truly befitting Airport. The massive transformation of the airport was accomplished under the administration of President Jonathan. In no distant time the transformation of the Airport into the International Cargo Airport it was designed to be will be accomplished. When this is done Imo will stand to reap inestimable macro commercial benefits from the linkage effects of the now functional Akanu Ibiaim International Airport Enugu and the on-going second Niger bridge project, all made possible by the Jonathan administration.
“Distinguished Gentlemen of the Press, I am proud to also note that under the present Federal government Imo has benefited incredibly from human resource empowerment. As we speak it is on record that Imo state has a sitting Minister, Five Ambassadors, no less than ten (10) Chairmen of Federal Government Agencies and Parastatals, including such grade A commissions as the National Population Commission. Also in our kitty are no less than Five (5) Federal Commissioners and at least Fifty (50) Federal Boards and other appointments.”
Senator Chris Anyanwu, Chief Mike Ahamba, Chief Achike Udenwa and many other political Heavy weight will be reciving Jonathan’s Baptism of fire this Saturday” he said . in a related development the PDP woman leader, Hon Lady Nkechi Mbonu has accused Okorocha of deceiving Imo people with lies claiming to have brought free education.
The woman leader condemned in strong terms the claims of the Governor saying that it is the federal government that funds freed education in Imo. She mentioned most of the road project done by Federal Government to include dualization of Owerri Umuahia road, Ihite Uboma, Okigwe to Enugu road. She said apart from road projects, the Federal Government has given over 50 Imolites Federal appointments and have built ICT centres in various communities of the state. She also mentioned solar electricity project as part of the thing president Jonathan did to develop Imo. Lady Mbonu further disclosed that over 17 Imo women are in high position in the present federal executive.
