By Chinyere Nwaneri
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Imo State chapter has condemned the double celebration of Gov. Hope Uzodimma’s one year in office which it described as a jamboree full of lies and half truths aimed at misleading the people.
The party made the observation in a Press release signed by the Publicity Secretary, Mr Ogubundu Nwadike and availed the News Echo newspaper.
It regretted that Uzodimma had no moral justification celebrating a stolen mandate which he claimed to have won in the court. The release further lamented that the real stakeholders and prominent Imo citizens were absent at the ceremony which it claimed was populated by his friends and supporters.
Excerpts of the release reads-
“Does Uzodinma have the morality to come before our God of justice with a mandate that has defied logic and sound legal reason? Question is, on which political party platform did Uzodinma contest the 2019 governorship election? It is on record that the Supreme Court, on 20th December 2019, in a landmark judgment, in a suit challenging the eligibility of Uche Nwosu to participate in the election, affirmed the dual candidature of Uche Nwosu on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Action Alliance (AA). The Apex Court went ahead to disqualify him, on account of a breach of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“But what is Uzodinma really showcasing in one year? Is it the inglorious mark he left by putting Imo in the list of states that did not attract a single direct foreign investment in the last one year? How can the governor claim that “things are indeed looking up in the state” when salaries and pensions are not being paid?
“A regime that deploys thugs to flog frail and aged citizens who, peacefully protested against unpaid pensions and gratuities cannot claim to have the interest of the people at heart. Today, civil servants are groaning under the excruciating pains occasioned by selective and non-payment of salaries in most cases 11 months arrears.
“Then, to underline the fact that Uzodimma has a penchant for rabble rousing, he claimed that his administration is constructing and rehabilitating 46 roads in the state in one fell swoop. A look at the list will easily reveal that we do not have more than twenty proper roads on that list. The rest are merely repetitions and duplication.”