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Tag: Hope Uzodimma

  • You were installed as Gov through judicial fraud, not by God – PDP hits Uzodinma

    You were installed as Gov through judicial fraud, not by God – PDP hits Uzodinma

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State have accused the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma of coming into power through judicial fraud, and not by God’s will.

    This PDP stated this a press release signed by it’s publicity secretary, Collins Opurozor on Tuesday, 16th May and made available for newsmen.

    The statement reads; “The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has been drawn to a recent statement credited to the outgoing Governor of the State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, in a church service wherein he claimed that it was God who installed him as Governor.

    “Even though we know Senator Uzodinma to be sorely deficient in morality, sincerity and integrity, we had at least expected him to pretend to respect God by not spewing barefaced lies and blasphemy against the Almighty God right on His Holy Altar. But he has once again proven that leopard cannot change its spots.

    “To be sure, Senator Uzodinma was declared winner of an election he barely participated in and deservedly came a distant fourth position.

    He rode to power through the most satanic conspiracy enforced by the worst judicial fraud in the history of Nigeria. And wherever the forces of darkness reign, there is always blood, there is fire, there is weeping and there is misery. That is the case today in Imo State. It is the character of Satan to give with one hand and take with the other hand.

    “Our Party recalls that in the aftermath of Uzodinma’s infamous judicial victory, Justice Nweze of the Supreme had cried out, that the decision of the Supreme Court to create and impose a governor on Imo State would continue to haunt Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence forever. Till date, Imo has continued to be remembered whenever judicial travesty in Nigeria is discussed.

    “Justice Nweze also noted that Uzodinma, during the election tribunal, admitted that he hijacked the result sheets from the electoral umpire officials and completed the result sheets by himself. He concocted results from 388 nonexistent polling units without indicating the votes polled by other political parties nor the number of accredited votes. Nweze regretted that without evidence of meeting other constitutional provisions, the court misled itself into declaring Uzodinma as winner.

    “As a Party, we are duty-bound to remind Uzodinma that the God he mocked with his statement is not an author of fraud, criminality and injustice. The fraud that brought him to power turned Imo into a killing terrace, a field of agony, and a land of lack, deprivation and hopelessness. He cannot claim to have been installed by God when under his watch Imo has become a city of bloodshed and has plummeted in all indices of good life and good governance. This is not God’s desire for His people in Imo State. God is peace. He is also love and life. He is the ultimate giver of joy. But Imo today occupies the top positions in all the indices of social strife and misery in Nigeria.

    “Our Party, therefore, cautions Uzodinma to stop dropping the name of God in celebration of his abominable truncation of democracy and vicious usurpation of the people’s mandate in Imo State.

    “Imolites are aware that their covenant with God to reestablish a PDP-led administration in the State under Senator Samuel Anyanwu, which will wipe away tears, heal all wounds, offer succour to the masses, behead the monster of insecurity, make the land yield again, bring back those who have fled because of killings and make Imo safe again shall come to fruition on November 11, 2023. God never fails.”

  • Police begin manhunt for killers of Uzodimma’s kinsman

    Police begin manhunt for killers of Uzodimma’s kinsman

    The Imo Police Command says it has begun a manhunt for the killers of a retired military officer and Gov. Hope Uzodimma’s kinsman, Mr Tony Enoch.

    Enoch was the Presidential Campaign Council Chairman for Ahmed Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima election in Uzodimma’s Oru East Local Government Area (LGA).

    He was gruesomely murdered by yet-to-be identified gunmen in the state.

    Confirming the incident, the command’s Spokesman, ASP Henry Okoye, said the deceased was shot dead on Tuesday, while returning home from APC stakeholders’ meeting in Omuma area of the LGA.

    “It is true, he was shot dead by miscreants suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the armed group of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    “The Commissioner of Police has condemned the attack and ordered for the arrest of the assailants. We are currently investigating and on top of the situation,” Okoye said in an interview in Owerri.

    It was learnt that the assailants forced the remains of the deceased into the boot of his car after killing him.

    They later abandoned the car close to Awo-Omama Technical College.

    It was learnt that the remains of the ex-military personnel were uncovered by a villager, who noticed the pool of blood dropping from the boot of the vehicle.

    “The villager raised alarm, attracting other villagers to the scene,” a native of the area told NAN on the condition of anonymity.

  • Uzodimma secures APC guber ticket for second tenure

    Uzodimma secures APC guber ticket for second tenure

    Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo on Friday secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket for his second term bid.

    Uzodinma, who was the sole contender in the primary election that took place in Owerri, polled 63,618 valid votes.

    The Chairman of the seven-member 2023 Governorship Primary Election Committee, Rear Adm. Williams Kayoda (rtd.), said that 64,667 delegates from the 305 wards of the 27 Local Government Areas were accredited for the poll.

    Kayoda said that the exercise was conducted in compliance with the party’s Constitution, 2022 Electoral Act (as amended), the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the guidelines provided by the national leadership of the party.

    “During our short stay, we appointed ward and local government area committees for the purposes of the election.

    “My mandate was to follow democratic principles, ensure that it is constitutional, legitimate, morally supported and legally binding.

    “In line with that mandate, we have conducted the primary election through direct primary in all the 27 Local Government Areas,” he said.

    Kayoda described the exercise as peaceful, rancour-free and hitch-free with the support of the governor.

    In an acceptance speech, Uzodimma thanked the delegates and party faithful for the confidence reposed in him.

    “The victory of today’s event is a victory dedicated to God almighty and a victory that I will cherish for a long time.

    “For me, I see it as a mark of confidence from the members of our great party and entire Imo people at large,” he said.

    He recalled that he had consulted God in prayer before contesting election and that God had never disappointed him.

    “Looking back, you will agree with me that from where we met Imo state in 2020 and where we are in 2023, there is a huge difference.

    “If that is what touched your heart to challenge me to continue, I assure you that I will do my best not to betray this confidence you have reposed in me.

    “I pray that God almighty will give me the courage, wisdom, knowledge, resources to take Imo to its destination.

    “When you go home, pray for me.

    “The Imo you see today would have been three times better, if not for the huge money we spent fighting insecurity, but God almighty has intervened.

    “Going forward, we will double our speed,” he said.

    He urged the party faithful not to express fear, in spite of the propaganda, harassment, death threats or intimidation from the opposition parties, especially as the election drew nearer.

    Earlier, the state Chairman of the party, Mr MacDonald Ebere, said the governor’s victory was not surprising to the people of the state.

    “What you have done under three-and-a-half years of your administration is next to none.

    “Imo people are proud of Uzodimma’s signature projects, infrastructure development and economic policies.

    “For all you have done and for all Imo people, there is no dissenting voice,” he said.

    The Imo governorship poll comes up on November 11.

  • Imo Governor sacks Labour Commissioner, Ford Ozumba

    Imo Governor sacks Labour Commissioner, Ford Ozumba

    Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has sacked the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Ford Ozumba.

    The Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, in a statement on Saturday, said the sacking was with immediate effect.

    Uzodimma was said to have directed Ozumba to hand over all necessary documents to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Productivity immediately.

    While there was no reason given for the sack, it may not be unconnected with the rift between the Nigeria Labour Congress and the governor.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that NLC had accused officials of the Uzodimma Government on Tuesday of disrupting its state congress and unleashing mayhem on workers exercising their rights to elect their leaders.

    The NLC president, Joe Ajaero, in a statement on Tuesday, had declared the union’s indefinite industrial action in the state.

    Ajaero said the NLC had instructed its State Councils across Nigeria to prepare for the State Delegates’ Conference for the election of new leadership in all the council areas of the country.

    He alleged that the Imo State Government “sought to influence the outcome of the elections in the state,” by offering gratifications to the delegates to vote for their “chosen candidates.”

    “This meddlesomeness was resisted by the delegates who refused the unholy offerings and baits to vote for their chosen candidates,” he said.

    The president claimed that the state government was enraged by the delegates’ rejection of their offerings and resorted to violence ostensibly to disrupt the exercise.

    “When it was obvious to the government and their goons that their stooges were going to overwhelmingly lose in the elections, thugs who were armed to the teeth descended on the delegates inflicting various degrees of injuries on them, chasing them away and carting away materials meant for the conduct of the elections that was supposed to be at the heart of the conference.”

  • PDP, APC trade words over Gov. Uzodimma’s scorecard in 3 years

    PDP, APC trade words over Gov. Uzodimma’s scorecard in 3 years

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo have disagreed over Governor Hope Uzodimma’s scorecard within three years in office.

    Recall Governor Uzodimma assumed office on Jan. 14, 2020, following a judgment of the Supreme Court which affirmed his victory at the 2019 governorship election in the state.

    While the PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr Collins Opurozor, said Uzodimma’s three years were enmeshed in economic stagnation, mass penury, insecurity and infrastructural decay, the APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Cajetan Duke, dismissed the statement.

    In a statement signed by the PDP publicity secretary and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri, Opurozor argued that the greatest casualties of Gov. Uzodimma’s emergence are the Imo people.

    He alleged that Uzodimma had, in the past three years, worked so hard to ensure that all the institutions of democracy in the state are dismantled and full-blown dictatorship firmly established.

    Opurozor further claimed that bloodshed, poor healthcare, collapse of education, dearth of agricultural productivity, conscription of the political space and violation of human rights have become the order of the day.

    “For instance, the local government system, which is a mechanism put in place to expand and sustain the democratic space and spread democratic values, has been destroyed in Imo State.

    “This is a huge tragedy! Imo is a state that has over 70 per cent of her entire population living in the rural areas.

    “Yet, the only channel through which governance can be delivered to the people has been completely run aground,” he contended.

    Opurozor also claimed that in last 36 months, Uzodinma had received from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) a total of N180.6 billion meant for the Local Governments in the state.

    “Today, there is nothing on ground that shows that even a kobo has gotten to the Local Government Areas.

    “Sen. Hope Uzodimma must, without any further delay, tell Imo people where he kept the N180.6 billion belonging to the Local Governments,” he said.

    He argued that Uzodimma had made incessant borrowings a state policy which had plunged the state into irredeemable debt slavery.

    According to him, Imo is currently the most indebted Igbo state, with a debt profile which stands at N220 billion.

    “That means that the regime of Sen. Uzodinma has doubled the debt profile in less than three years and the fundamental question is: What has the regime done with over N100 billion it has borrowed so far?”

    He said in spite of the borrowings, Uzodimma had made no effort at re-jigging investments in the hugely vital agro-industrial sector where Imo has major comparative advantage.

    “What Senator Uzodinma really needs to explain to Imo people is how he diverted a whopping sum of N56 billion on the pretence of constructing the 36-kilometer Owerri-Orlu road.

    “Does the administration in Imo want the people to believe that a kilometer of road was done at the rate of N1.5 billion?

    “This same Craneburg Construction Company, which works for Uzodinma, has also done the Lekki-Epe Road in Lagos State and the Ibadan Circular Road in Oyo State.

    “In both instances, even drainages and terrains rougher than Imo, the cost never exceeded N450 million per kilometer, but in Uzodinma’s Imo, the cost of a single kilometer of road by the same company suddenly became N1.5 billion,” he said.

    Opurozor estimated that the 2023 budget revenue of the state would be sourced from FAAC, 13 per cent derivation, internally generated revenue, intervention grants would amount to N120.6 billion.

    He maintained that Gov. Uzodimma is already planning to spend N475 billion within the year with the deficit of N354 billion which would be raised through borrowings.

    “The loans would be solely dedicated to expanding Uzodimma’s political war chest and financing sundry other electoral malpractices, including massive vote buying.

    “Already, agents of Imo APC have started distributing forms, requesting for bank accounts and PVC details of Imo voters so as to commence the first phase of this brazen electoral fraud,” he alleged.

    He claimed that the party had intercepted credible intelligence about the planned role which the Uzodinma-backed Ebubeagu Militia would play in this process of derailing democracy in the state.

    He therefore urged the Inspector-General of Police to immediately disband Ebubeagu Militia, claiming that since Ebubeagu began its operations in the state, insecurity, killings, abductions and arson have risen astronomically.

    But dismissing the claims however, the APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Cajetan Duke, said the PDP should rather praise Uzodimma for the giant strides of development in the past three years.

    Duke said: “We are glad today that the opposition PDP has confirmed by the contents of their press conference of the reconstruction of the Owerri-Orlu road.

    “Their argument on the cost of the project is neither here nor there!

    “PDP should stop reminding Imolites of their seven months illegal occupation of Douglas House and the unimaginable looting of our common patrimony.

    “When they talk about the January 14th, 2020, landmark judgment of the Supreme Court, Imo PDP validates our position that the insecurity in the state is politically contrived,” he added.

    Duke contended that the PDP’s argument on borrowing had reduced opposition politics to a roadside gossip as borrowing to fund investment in the critical sector of the economy was not a crime.

    “Almost three years in office, nobody, including the opposition PDP, has accused Gov. Hope Uzodimma of converting public wealth to personal and private uses.

    “No one has accused the governor of building a new house or renovating his old house in the village.

    “Nobody has accused Uzodimma of appropriating any public land or asset to himself or any member of his family since inception of this administration,” he argued.

    The APC publicity secretary further described PDP’s accusation of borrowing money to compromise the forthcoming general elections as an “acknowledgement of defeat”.

    He said Imo PDP was only intimidated by the popularity of the APC-led shared prosperity administration of Gov. Hope Uzodimma.

    “Their strategy is to do everything humanly possible to discredit the outcome of the forthcoming election.

    “While they were busy labouring, albeit in vain, to undermine this administration, the Supreme Court, today nullified the Imo West senatorial primaries of the PDP,” he added.

  • Chief Uwazurike shocked over death of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide President, Prof Obiozo

    Chief Uwazurike shocked over death of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide President, Prof Obiozo

    Lawyer to Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, has expressed shock over the death of the group’s President, Prof George Obiozo, describing him as a star in academia.

    In his words: “It’s with shock but with gratitude to God ? for a life well spent that I learned of the death of the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide as announced by the government of Imo state. Prof George Obiozo has been a high flier all his life. In academia, he was a star.”

    According to him, the late President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, in political life, excelled in the appointments he held both during the military and civilian governments.

    Uwazurike added: “In retirement from government services, he was elected the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide on Jan 20, 2020. In almost 2 years of service, he stood like a rock of Gibraltar, even in the face of health challenges. We salute him for his Life of service. Rest in peace, Great man!!!’

    Chief Uwazurike shocked over death of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide President, Prof Obiozo
    Chief Goddy Uwazurike

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that it was alleged that the news of the death of the late president-general of the apex Igbo-Socio cultural organization was hushed for about 48 hours.

    Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State announced the death of Prof Obiozor late on Wednesday but that was after speculations over the death had been published on some news portals.

    Announcing the death of Obiozor in a statement late on Wednesday, Governor Uzodimma said: “On behalf of the government and people of Imo state, I, Sen Hope Uzodimma, the Executive Governor of Imo state, sorrowfully announce the passage of a great Son of Imo state and Nigeria, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, worldwide, Prof George OBIOZOR.

    “A renowned academic, an exceptional diplomat and statesman and a tenacious patriot, Prof George Obiozor passed on recently after a brief illness. The death of this foremost Igbo leader and former NIGERIA’S ambassador to the United States and the State of Israel, is a big loss to Imo state, the South East and the entire Nigeria.

    “I have no doubt that both Nigeria and the international community will miss his profound intellectual contributions and wise counsel on national and global issues. His burial arrangements will be announced in due course by the family.”

  • Ohanaeze: Gov Uzodimma confirms death of George Obiozor

    Ohanaeze: Gov Uzodimma confirms death of George Obiozor

    Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has confirmed the death of the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, worldwide, Prof George Obiozor.

    According to Governor Uzodimma in a terse statement, the death of the foremost Igbo leader is a big loss to the State, the South East and the entire country.

    Uzodimma in the statement disclosed that the burial arrangements of Prof Obiozor would be announced in due course by the family.

    The statement reads: “On behalf of the government and people of Imo state, I, Sen Hope Uzodimma, the Executive Governor of Imo state, sorrowfully announce the passage of a great Son of Imo state and Nigeria, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, worldwide, Prof George OBIOZOR.

    “A renowned academic, an exceptional diplomat and statesman and a tenacious patriot, Prof George Obiozor passed on recently after a brief illness.

    “The death of this foremost Igbo leader and former NIGERIA’S ambassador to the United States and the State of Israel is a big loss to Imo state, the South East and entire Nigeria.

    “I have no doubt that both Nigeria and the international community will miss his profound intellectual contributions and wise counsel on national and global issues.

    “His burial arrangements will be announced in due course by the family May his great and gentle soul rest in peace”.

  • 2023: I am coming to serve Nigerians, not to be a boss – Tinubu

    2023: I am coming to serve Nigerians, not to be a boss – Tinubu

    Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Tinubu has said if elected president in 2023 he will serve Nigerians and not be a boss.

    Tinubu stated this in Owerri on Thursday at a town hall meeting with South-East private sector drivers, including manufacturers, investors, traders, entrepreneurs and artisans.

    He told business and political leaders in the  South-East to ignore Imo’s Gov. Hope Uzodimma at their own peril while expressing delight over Uzodimma’s developmental strides and called on Nigerians to join hands with him and the APC to bring prosperity and renewed hope to the country.

    Tinubu called on all people of goodwill to vote for progress and to be part of the nation’s golden future and never to allow those who put the country backwards to come back again.

    Tinubu emphasised that Nigerians had the resources and the capacity to move forward as against incessant lamentation.

    ”I am coming to serve the people and not to be their boss. I brought progressive governance and forward-looking government and not the type that will take Nigerians backwards, ” he said.

    Tinubu encouraged the business community to continue to support him, adding that if elected president, he would create an enabling environment that would make their businesses more prosperous.

    “We will develop a code that when activated, will make their goods and services easy on the roads of Nigeria,” he said.

    In his remarks, Uzodimma said the reason for the town hall meeting was for the business leaders to interrogate some of the challenges and issues they were facing in their businesses, for provisions to be made in the APC candidate’s manifesto.

    Also, National Chairman of APC, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, said he came as a witness to what the stakeholders meeting of businessmen and women with their presidential candidate in the South-East would do with the interface.

    He described the meeting as strategic, adding that it was “organized for a unique people, the business group who are the major drivers of the nation’s economy”.

    The meeting was also attended by Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau and his Ebonyi colleague, among others.

  • Uzodimma never faulted Appeal Court judgment on Kanu – Imo govt.

    Uzodimma never faulted Appeal Court judgment on Kanu – Imo govt.

    The Imo Government has refuted a social media report that Gov. Hope Uzodimma faulted the Appeal Court judgment which acquitted detained leader of the proscribed Indigenious People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.

    The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Declan Emelumba made the refuttal in a statement he signed in Owerri on Friday.

    Newsmen reports that the Appellate Court, on Thursday, quashed the allegations for which Kanu was arrested and detained as well as discharged and acquitted him.

    Emelumba described the report as “fake, embarrassing and infantile”.

    He said that the report was the handiwork of mischief makers, enemies of government and disgruntled members of the opposition aimed at dragging the governor’s image to the mud.

    He added that the governor, as a law abiding citizen, believed in the rule of law and could not have queried the judgment as insinuated by the fake news.

    ” After the series of successes recorded by Uzodimma in governance and other national assignments, disgruntled opposition and purveyors of misleading information have been trying to whittle down his popularity.

    ” Those familiar with the character of the state governor will affirm that he has never criticised the judiciary even when judgments did not go his way in personal matters.

    ” It is the height of mischief and perjury for anyone in the state to attribute such a comment to Uzodimma,” he said.

    He, however, advised managers of public information to be circumspect in the discharge of their duties.
    He further advised Nigerians to ignore the fake news as neither the governor nor any of his aides had reacted to the Appeal Court judgment on Kanu.

    ” The fake news did not attempt to answer the fundamental questions of 5Ws and H,which are who, what, when, where, why and how, concerning any news story. This renders it fake and unprofessional,” the commissioner said.

  • Amid tight security, Buhari commissions projects in Imo

    Amid tight security, Buhari commissions projects in Imo

    Amid tension after the Indigenous People of Biafra declared Tuesday as sit-at-home, President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated the recently reconstructed 36 Kilometres dualised Owerri-Orlu and the first phase of the 53 Kilometres dualised Owerri-Okigwe roads.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that President Buhari performed the inaugurations as part of his one-day working visit to the state, the second since September 2021 as residents of the State observed the sit-at-home order declared by the IPOB.

    The President also inaugurated the reconstructed and refurbished Imo House of Assembly Complex in new Owerri, along Port-Harcourt road, Owerri.

    Speaking in Amaraku, Isiala-Mbano Council Area, Buhari commended Gov. Hope Uzodimma for his quintessential efforts towards the development of critical infrastructure in Imo.

    He called on Imo people to keep faith with the governor and promised support for the government and people of the state.

    “I commend Gov. Hope Uzodimma for these wonderful projects and I do hope that it will improve movement of goods and services as well as positively impact the socio-economic activities of the state,’’ the president said.

    Also, Gov. Uzodimma said that the two roads qualified as part of the best in Nigeria, adding that they would “remain signature projects” of his government.

    He stressed the socio-economic potentials of the roads as “vital to the recovery of the state” and thanked the President for honouring the people of Imo with his visit.

    “As part of our 3R mantra, we are recovering roads in Imo and by the grace of God and the continued support of President Muhammadu Buhari, Imo people will be happy that we served them.

    “History is being made today. This is a clear indication of our commitment to development of infrastructure. God bless all of us and may God bless you, President Muhammadu Buhari,’’ he said.

    It was, however, observed that despite the sit-at-home order by the IPOB, a mammoth crowd of residents and party faithful were present to receive Buhari.

    In a statement on Saturday, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said IPOB was simply implementing an existing order to lock down Biafraland any day its leader would appear in court at Abuja.

    The statement read in part, “The global family and movement of IPOB wishes to announce to the general public, especially Biafrans, that Tuesday, September 13, has been declared a day of civil action in the form of sit-at-home in Biafraland.

    “Tuesday’s civil action is very important for two reasons: First, our leader’s Appeal Court hearing that was supposed to be on October 11 has been brought forward to September 13, 2022.”

    However, Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the State, Declan Emelumba had declared the readiness of security operatives to ensure the President visited without glitches.

    “Nobody can threaten Buhari. He is the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Imo is one of the states he governs and he is free to visit it. Security is in top gear and I can assure you that his visit will be successful,” the commissioner stated.

    TNG reports that Buhari arrived in the State via the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport by 10.46 a.m. where he was received by Uzodimma and members of the State Executive Council.

    He also inspected the military guard of honour and exchanged pleasantries with government officials before proceeding to Banana Junction, Orlu council area, on his first port of call.