•Faults Nwosu, Egwuatu, Cohorts On Misappropriation Claims
By Onyekachi Eze
The seeming schisms brewing in most of the Local Government Areas of Imo State following preparations for the September 21, 2024 Council polls may have eaten deep in Orlu LGA.
There are claims and counter claims rocking Orlu as events of the 2023 Assembly poll re-echoes.
While individuals with vested interest in the upcoming LGA election from the area had raised claim on who supposedly misappropriated the 2023 election funds, the embattled former Sole Administrator, Chris Mbarie has opened up on why his traducers are out to scuttle his Chairmanship aspiration.
The ex SOLAD who is believed to be the rallying point for the Orlu Council seat has posited that he neither has any skeleton in his cupboard nor operate a micky-mouse game as his opponents do.
Discountenancing the allegations that he (Chris Mbarie) misappropriated some funds brought in the 2023 State Assembly poll, he described such claims as laughable and unfounded.
Adding that, the lies peddled against him by some group of Orlu APC Exco was necessitated from his refusal to dance to their tunes which he said was an outright disobedience to the dictates and mandate of the Governor Hope Uzodimma’s 3R mantra.
Mbarie alleged that because he refused to enter into shoddy deal with the Orlu LGA APC Chairman, Stanley Nwosu known as Ochinanwata to be paying him a sum of two million naira monthly if he gets the APC Chairmanship ticket prompted the antagonism against him.
Mbarie opened up that Nwosu who had occupied some positions in government would allow himself to be roped into envy and pettiness because he has an aspirant (Henry Egwuatu) whom he is rooting for in the upcoming LG Chairmanship election, and allegedly gave the Party Chaiman some amount of money to guarantee his ticket with monthly entitlements if he finally wins the seat.
Mbarie also alleged that the said Party Chairman did not only pocketed the monies released to him for his Ward, but also did not deliver optimally as he should as an appointee to the government.
Honorable Pastor Chris Mbarie maintained that the attack on him is baseless and unjustifiable, considering the fact that while he held sway as the SOLAD, he was never found wanting in any way.
Rather, he boasted of serving to the best of his ability in accordance to the Shared Prosperity agenda of Governor Uzodimma.
Speaking on the said suspension against him, Hon Chris Mbarie faulted the move, pointing out that it is only his Ward Chairman and Leadership that is vested with such powers and not Ochinanwata and his cohorts who had purportedly been compromised for their greed and envy.
“I am the only aspirant with viable track record for the seat. This is a gangup against me because they know that I can defeat them and their aspirant overwhelmingly in the polls, but what would they do if not to do anything illegal to please their paymaster and account for the monies they have collected to give him (the other aspirant) the APC ticket.
“The kangaroo disciplinary Committee the party chairman instituted was just to ridicule and suffer my smooth sail for the race, but through Christ who strengthens me, they will all be disappointed, and I will never allow them bring disrepute to the governor. His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma is a man who believes in transparency and due process, I don’t know who empowered these men to sell their integrity for a plate of porridge yam.
“But if I may ask, why would a 2023 election discourse be brought up now just few days to the LGA Primary election? All these antics just to discredit me? Mbarie questioned.
However, the top contender, Chris Mbarie enjoined the apex leadership in Orlu LGA on tact before he is roped into unsubstantiated matter like this.
Mbarie concluded, “Let he who thinks he is more qualified than I am show his antecedents and what he has in stock for Orlu LGA and for the progress of Imo State. Days of bitter politicking, name calling and unfounded lies against another person has gone, people now believe in what they see and confirmed. I am strongly in the contest. I am tested and trusted”.
This newspaper also gathered that those said to be suspended by the LGA party Chairmen were Mbarie, the IMHA Member Hon Ikenna Ihezuo, and former Commissioner, Ikechukwu Okoronkwo.
Other Ward Chairmen whose signature were forged in the document however are said to be revolting over the ill-fated activity.
