By Okey Alozie
Information gathered by this newspaper has it that all is not well in the Rescue Mission arm of the Action Alliance, AA, the party adopted by followers of Owelle Rochas Okorocha after their preferred choice for governorship of APC, Chief Uche Nwosu was denied the party’s ticket.
Trumpeta learnt that in the process of trying to get those who would run for offices of the newly adopted AA, a bargain was entered into by the leader of the Rescue Mission in the State with some candidates of the party.
The process led to about 18 members of the Imo State House of Assembly joining AA where they were handed tickets to run for various positions. Other appointees and Okorocha’s loyalists who lost out in their quest for elective positions in APC were also lured into AA with a promise to be handed a princely sum of N30m.
Apart from members of the House who were promised the N30m, those of the PDP, comprising members for Ahiazu, Aboh and Ezinihitte Mbaise were also considered in the deal, prompting them to join AA.
Findings by the newspaper indicate that many of the APC candidates who joined Nwosu and picked the ticket of the party to gain from the N30m are yet to get the promised monies, except for those of the former PDP in the Imo Assembly. It was learnt that to convince them about the race, half of the promised money was made available while others are yet to get their own.
It was further gathered that barely a week to the National Assembly elections and that of State Assembly/ Governorship coming up upper week, the AA candidates who are yet to receive the promised fund are worried about the development.
The inability to receive the fund is said to have slow-paced the campaign movements of the AA candidates who feel they are being used to aid the popularity of the party the governor’s son inlaw wants to ride into power with.
Some of the House members were reported to have avoided the plenary session that was used to pass the new Budget last week.
According to a source, the reason why majority of the House members, including those loyal to Okorocha in AA, kept away from the passage of the budget was to express annoyance over their inability to receive the election grant.
“We are not only worried, but surprised that the amount has not been received while campaigns are gradually coming to an end. You can see, we that joined AA are not happy that is why we kept off from the House the day the budget was passed”.
The source further revealed that the aggrieved candidates may not go further in their campaigns to market the AA until the agreement fee is paid.
Meanwhile, another round of crisis is now rocking the rescue women group in the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State.
Apart from some of the women pulling out to join the Coalition with their uniform, some joined Governor Okorocha’s campaign team for Senate while others are part of the Ugwumba campaign team in a different uniform.
There are few women, mainly teachers and other Civil Servants who abandoned the work place to join the First Lady, especially in the distribution of school bags to communities.
These group of women call themselves Ugbo Nneoma” members and they are to visit 165 centres with the First Lady to share bags to primary pupils and students in secondary schools.
The whole thing became exposed few days ago when the campaign of the rescue mission started.
While Okorocha’s campaign in Orlu was peaceful, that of Nwosu in Onuimo and Okigwe was also normal but without a clash of uniforms among the women. Onuimo women no longer see Ugochi Nnanna as their leader “one of the women who spoke under strict anonymity to our reporter said Nkiru Oluehi is their authentic leader because she bought them new uniforms.
The women revealed that the most acceptable leader of Ugwumba women team now is Nkiru Oluehi, therefore other uniforms that do not bear the same colour with the one introduced by Nkiru Oluehi can be termed to be illegal.
Those putting other uniforms were isolated at the rally. Reports revealed that the yellow and blue blouse initially used by Ugwumba women is no longer acceptable because many coalition members appear with the uniform at the ceremonies. Now that Uche Nwosu is in Action Alliance (AA), a new uniform was introduced with new leadership but some women appear in the old uniform at rally thereby bringing division among the women of Ugwumba campaign team.
Besides those who claim to be women leaders are no longer accepted by those they claim to lead.
One of the aggrieved women told our reporter that she is always annoyed whenever she sees those unacceptable leaders climbing the podium to talk about 2019 election.
The more aggrieved women of Ugwumba team have demanded that Nwosu should step into the matter and resolve the uniform crisis.
