Kinsmen of the former governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, have accused Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo state of whit hunting their son and sacked governor, Emeka Ihedioha with the allegation that he misplaced a whopping N19.63bn local government fund
The coalition of Owerri zone Socio Cultiral Organizations described what the style and manner adopted by the Imo state House of Assembly to probe the alleged missing N19.63 billion local government fund a pre meditated whit hunt against the former governor.
The group insisted that the rule of law and due process must be applied in the entire process for sanity and justice to prevail
The coalition, which includes “Olu Owerri, Obiriama Mbaise, Constituency for Owerri Zone, Oke Ovuru Ezue, Ezuruezu Mbaitoli, Ogbako Umu Ngor Okpala, Odinma Mbaise, Nzuko Umu Mbaise and Owerri Youth Assembly”, wondered why a probe of the alleged missing sum of money should be conducted with what it described as “a muddled up Interim Audit Report” when the use of Final Audit Report is the appropriate practice.
Rising from an extra-ordinary emergency meeting at the weekend at the “Ime Obi Olu Owerri” the coalition, which noted that it reviewed current issues in Owerri Zone and the state in general, in a 3-page communiqué made available to newsmen urged the state House of Assembly and all those concerned with the probe to tread with caution.
Chief Sampson Ogbo, who read the 11-point communiqué, said that it was funny, ridiculous and untenable for the state government to accuse their brother, who had served with dignity, in the highest office in the land as chief whip, deputy speaker and later speaker of the House of Representatives as well as a governor of the state of fraud, using a deliberately concocted Interim Audit Report that covered January 2019 to 31st December 2019.
“We know Hon. Ihedioha very well as our son in whom we are well pleased. We believe that he is not afraid of probe as he has already declared hence we urge that the rule of law and due process be followed in the entire process”.
The coalition which expressed shock at the level of impunity, fraud, lies, propaganda and deceit with which the state had been governed in the last five months of Senator Hope Uzodinma led APC administration, regretted that while the Owerri capital city is yet to witness the impact of the new administration unlike what obtained in the fourth month administration of Ihedioha, it expressed sympathy with indigenes in the state especially civil servants, students of both the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and Federal Polytechnic Nekede who it lamented would go back to sufferings over deplorable road networks.
