By Tunjj Adedeji
As the brouhaha over which zone is entitled to produce the next Governor of Imo State gathers steam, a former member of the House of Representative and All Progressive Congress, APC chieftain, Hon Uche Onyeagocha has said that Chief Uche Nwosu, Chief of Staff to the Governor would not succeed his father in-law, Gov Rochas Okorocha and become Imo next Governor, advising Okorocha to focus more on his presidential election and support Owerri candidate come 2019.
Onyeagocha who stated this on Wednesday at the NUJ Secretariat PortHarcourt road Owerri where he spoke as a special guest during the 2017 World Press Freedom Day, themed: Critical Mind For Critical Time, Media Rule In Advising Peaceful Just And Inclusive Society.
The former Lawmaker who took Gov Okorocha to the cleaners at the event accused him of wanting to run a third term in office hiding under Uche Nwosu and Ugwumba Movement, a development he described as injustice to Owerri zone.
According to Onyeagocha, “Whether Okorocha likes it or not, it is the time of Owerri zone and it’s not negotiable. All blocks and wards in Owerri zone have men and women with capacity to govern the state. If Okorocha wants a third term he should go to the national assembly to re-amend the constitution of Nigeria to suit his desire and aspiration.
“We agreed that zoning should not last forever but it should stop only when Owerri zone and Okigwe zone have had their turn of Sixteen years. If our Governor does not respect zoning, why did he choose a Deputy Governor from Owerri zone and the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly from Okigwe zone?
“I strongly believe those positions were chosen in the spirit of zoning and given other senatorial district a sense of belongings”.
He pointed out that anyone supporting a candidate from Orlu zone will fail because the people of Imo State already know that it is the turn of Owerri zone.
Hon Onyeagocha further disclosed that the last time, a person from Owerri zone emerged as a Governor of Imo State was in 1992 which was Twenty five (25) years ago in the person of Chief Evans Enwerem who only spent just one year and ten months in office.
The Lawmaker queried why all billboard projecting all government policies in the State should be inscribed powered by “Ugwumba Movement” when Imo State has the Ministry of Information saddled with such responsibility even as he advised Okorocha to allow Information Ministry do their job. He urged Engr Obinna Nsirim, Commissioner for Information, Tourism and Public Utility to take up responsibility.
