In what appears more to be more of case of “One week, One Trouble” for the Imo State government, the decision of the governor to rename some roads in the state capital is generating controversy, even as the volte face on the Assumpta Avenue from President Muhammed Buhari is causing stir.
At the end of the expansion of two major roads, sign posts of Muhammed Buhari Road that replaces Assumpta Avenue to Govt House, Owerri, was raised, while that of Sam Mbakwe also came up. Hardly did these sign posts of name changes spent a day before contentious reactions started trailing the exercise.
A protest purported to have been written by the Knights of the church went online concerning the change of Maria Assumpta Avenue to Muhammadu Buhari Road by the Imo State government.
The purported write up said to be signed by one Sir Steve Nwokeocha, 1st Trustee, KSJI, Abuja Grand Commandery, was said to have heightened tension in the church prompting the state government to make a U-turn.
Trumpeta learnt that the State governor was unwilling to engage in a confrontation with the Catholic Church in the State, especially that of Owerri Diocese, where the maverick cleric, Archbishop Anthony Obinna presides. Since 2011 Okorocha entered government House, Owerri, there have been minor skirmishes with the church ranging from the alleged abortion law, pre 2015 election debate to Assumpta rebuilding N50m cheque. With 2019 election fast approaching, the State governor is said to be unwilling to have a confrontation with the Catholic Church, a dominant religious organization said to have capacity to decide the fortunes of politicians during elections.
Apparently aware of the supposed adverse effects of a frosty relationship with the church, the governor had no option than to succumb in changing the newly named Buhari back to Assumpta Avenue. Unlike Okorocha who keeps to his decisions on matters of governance, a swift move was made to reverse the action.
Meanwhile, despite the name change, divergent views have resumed over the choice of returning Assumpta Avenue from Control Post to Warehouse Roundabout and allowing Buhari Road from the Warehouse to Govt House, Owerri.
Though, the Catholic Church is yet to make an official statement over the new decision, but residents of the State are claiming that the original Assumpta Avenue runs from the Control Post Roundabout, to Govt House Roundabout after crossing the warehouse, the new Buhari Road starts from. Notable Owerri indigenes like Jachimike Adide in a facebook post also stated that the Control Post to Govt House, Owerri, is the real Assumpta Avenue.
Others also contend that in the past, there was no bank on the road except for the old CBN office, arguing that the preference of calling the road “Bank Road” was a recent mere creation by members of the public because of the existence of new generation banks with offices in the road adding that the official road bears bank road in Owerri before now. Therefore, it was wrong and an incomplete delete of the encroachment of Buhari Road name in Assumpta Avenue, they argued.
In a similar development, two top officials of the Imo State government; Prof Nnamdi Obiareri and Sam Onwuemeado commissioner for Information and Chief Press Secretary to the governor respectively, appear to be at different points of view over the incident. While the information commissioner in a statement made public stated that it was not a deliberate intention to rename the Assumpta Avenue and strongly apologized for inconveniences, the governor’s spokesman accused the social media and opposition of making such claims of change of the name of the road.
Obiareri in a statement said “This is to inform the public and particularly the highly respected body of Roman Catholic Faithfuls in Imo State and beyond that Okporo Uzo Assumpta or Assumpta Avenue Owerri stays.
“At all material times, it was never the intention of the Imo State Government to rename the said strategic road which spans from Assumpta Cathedral (beginning from the Holy family statue built by the Rescue Mission Government) and terminating at Warehouse House Roundabout Owerri.
“Okporo Uzo Assumpta or Assumpta Road Avenue is symbolic for both religious and historic reasons in Imo State and these facts are not lost on the Government and people of Imo State.
“All inconveniences occasioned by the initial oversight or error of wrongly
installing a street sign suggesting a renaming of the street is highly regretted.
However, Onwuemedo also added in a different form by stating that “For the umpteenth time, we have subtly told our audience that the opposition to Governor Rochas Okorocha’s administration in Imo only exists on the social media. This is the fact. The social media has become their own tool and they have been doing it unwisely, ungodly and unintelligently.
“The latest of their balderdash was the claim that the government has changed Maria Assumpta Avenue to Muhammadu Buhari road, for which they, as usual, claimed that Owerri was boiling.
“And our only concern is that some people who should know better and detach falsehood from the truth at times fail to do this. And that is the reason we are now responding. Otherwise, we cannot be spending our God-given time responding to frivolities.
“In their jaundiced trip, they wrote “Owerri Capital of Imo State boils as an unconfirmed report by Steve Nwokocha had it that Maria Assumpta Avenue, Owerri has been renamed to Muhammadu Buhari Road”.
“They continued with their gimmicks “In a letter read before Church Leadership members on Sunday, 24 December 2017 disclosed that the governor of Imo State Owelle Rochas Okorocha, (?) Assumpta Cathedral Road Owerri after President Muhammadu Buhari”.
“The purported letter containing these badly written and maggot infested claims was signed by non-existent “Sir Steve Nwokeocha, 1st Trustee KSJI Abuja Grand Purportedly Commandery”.
“In the first paragraph of their thrash, the name was Steve Nwokocha, and while signing their kind of letter, the surname changed to Nwokeocha. And these elements could not tell the readers which “Church Leadership Members” the claimed letter was read to. The whole thing was a scam. And some folks in the Church of Jesus Christ were behind it. It is unfortunate.
“The truth is that Muhammadu Buhari Road begins from Government House Roundabout and ends at the popular Orlu Road Roundabout. Maria Assumpta Avenue begins at Control post Roundabout and stops at Warehouse Roundabout. The indications are all there boldly written for all to see.
“Those behind this ungodly step were playing dirty politics. Hence, they talked about Owerri boiling, because they have seen or heard that most of Imo people who came home for the Christmas were shocked to see the high level of transformation in the State especially in Owerri, so much that most of them confessed that they could not recognize Owerri again. Which is true.
“And for the avoidance of doubt, if the government has got any reason to change the name of any road in Owerri it would go ahead to do so without succumbing to blackmail or intimidation. And also take responsibility. These people should be made to understand this fact.
“It is equally important to once again appeal to this particular elements to always pursue peace and ensure peace as enjoined by God and not to always fan the ember of trouble or crisis.
“During the campaigns for the 2015 election, it was this particular clique that branded Rochas Okorocha Alhaji in Government House and Okoro-Hausa. They also came up with the allegation that the Chapel in Government House was a Mosque.
“Same people equally were behind the falsehood that Rochas, Buhari and APC would Islamize the country if the APC wins 2015 election. And also claimed that the cheques of N50million the government gave to them for the renovation of their Cathedral bounced when they actually cashed the cheques. There was no refuttal from them over the false story of bounced cheques and there was no thank-you letter to that effect.
“They did not also show any sign of gratitude to the government over the N450m given to the mission schools.
