By Ishaya Ibrahim
As the comments by Senator Hope Uzodimma, Imo State governor, during his first outing to Aso Rock since the Supreme Court installed him governor, continues to generate controversy, his predecessor, Emeka Ihedioha, on Saturday joined issues with him.
In a chat with state house correspondents shortly after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, Uzodinma claimed, among other things, to have restored water and electricity supply to the state secretariat.
But reacting on Saturday, Ihedioha said such claims were tissue of lies.
A statement by Chibuike Onyeukwu, Ihedioha’s media aide, said, “We wish to inform the general public that all the claims made by the Senator concerning the Supreme Court judgement, the matters arising from it, restoration of pipe borne water and electricity, as well as payment of all outstanding salaries owed Imo workers, are blatant lies and deliberate distortion of facts, aimed at currying legitimacy.”
“It is however not surprising to us, that Senator Uzodimma has resorted to telling lies to the people of Imo and Nigerians on the true state of affairs in Imo State.
“Firstly, we bear no grudge on his statement that the Supreme Court can not review its January 14, 2020 judgement. That is the extent he knows, in order to sustain his deception and illegitimate government. Truth remains that he is quite convinced that his position is founded on clear illegitimacy. Hence, he is not expected to say anything different from what he feels will interest his very few supporters.
“Senator Uzodinma by claiming that time for election petition has elapsed was playing to the gallery. He engaged in a failed ambush of the Supreme Court. The Court knows that Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha has a very good case as shown in all the glaring facts of the matter and so does not require his lame opinion.
“On his false claim that he paid all outstanding salaries of Imo workers, it is on record that Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha restored the salaries of the entire workers in the service from 70% to 100% as well as pensions and they were paid as and when due to Imo workers until the Supreme Court judgement.
“Senator Uzodimma also claimed that no governor had visited State Secretariat, Owerri. This is the height of mockery of the collective workforce in the state. It is well known that Rt. Hon. Ihedioha visited state Secretariat on the 2nd of July, 2019. During that visit, he addressed very happy and ethusiastic workers who genuinely threw their support behind his administration. But from media reports Senator Uzodinma on arrival at the Secretariat, met a hostile and gloomy staff who are still in shock at the pronouncement that put him in the position he is illegitimately occupying.
‘His claim that he restored water and electricity supply at he Secretariat is another sheer falsehood. It is on record that the Rebuild Imo Administration ensured that electricity as well as pipe borne water were restored after 8 years at the Secretariat on the 13th of September, 2019, following the express directive by His Excellency to the Ministry of Public Utilities and the Imo State Power and Rural Electrification Agency – I-POREA, one of the agencies created by Ihedioha administration. The reactivation and reticulation of water in the state was later achieved, leading to clean pipe-borne water running again in parts of Owerri city for the first time since 2011. Imo people can testify to these facts.
“We reckon that few days ago, Senator Uzodimma assured his audience that he was going to continue from where Governor Ihedioha stopped. Little did we think that he meant taking credit for the signature project achievements by Governor Ihedioha.
While it lasted, we would implore him to desist from further attempts to pull wool in the eyes of the people with lies.”
