A non-political group, known as Association of Concerned Indigenes of Imo State ( ACIIS), has commended Nick Opara-Ndudu, a banker and former commissioner , for his decision to vie for governorship position in 2019 election in Imo State, saying that it was a bold initiative that would liberate Imolites from current socioeconomic and political slavery in the state.
The group which spoke at the weekend in Owerri, through Zacchaeus Ikwonma, its acting Publicity Secretary, said “the current state of things in Imo State is tantamount to slavery and only a person with purposeful leadership ability can liberate Imo people from ugly situation. And it is for this reason that we are commending Opara-Ndudu for his bold step to mount the gauntlet for the liberation of the state.”
Ikwonma said that “in the last seven years, Imo State has been reduced to a fiefdom and run as a private estate to the exclusion of the people for the benefit of family members of the power- that-be and his cronies”, adding that “in Imo, live has become solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short for the people and it is personalities like Opara-Ndudu the Imolites need to put things right in the state.
He said ACIIS which is a nonprofit organization was formed to save Imo State from misrule perpetrated by the current administration in the state, adding “we are neither aliened nor affiliated to any political organization. Our objective is to defend Imo, and to rescue Imolites from the clique at the corridor of power. Hence, we resolved in our meeting at the weekend to commend Opara-Ndudu, who we believe can do the job.”
“Imo people want a selfless leadership; one who is devoid of cronyism, bootlickers, rent-seeking, impunity and manipulation as well as the subjugation and subordination of the state legislature to the apron string of the state executive, which has assigned it executive roles against the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” said the group.
Opara-Ndudu had late last year informed Imolites in the country and other parts of the world about his interest to run for governorship race in 2019 general elections on the ticket of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) pledging to put things right if given the mandate to run the State.
