IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

Chidiebube Okeoma, Owerri

There was controversy on Wednesday after a former commissioner for commerce and Industry in Imo state, Ifeanyi Araraume Junior emerged the senatorial candidate of Labour Party for Imo North Senatorial district.

This was even as the original candidate, Okorondu Nwachukwu, rejected the development.

Nwachukwu told our correspondent in a telephone conversation that he remained the authentic candidate of the party for the senatorial district.

He informed our correspondent that he had filed an action in court to challenge the "illegal emergence" of Araraume.

Nwachukwu accused the state chairman of Labour Party, Amby Onyekwere, of conniving with non members of the party to cause disaffection in the party.

He disowned a letter wherein he allegedly wrote withdrawing his participation in the election.

Nwachukwu said that his signature was forged and vowed to get justice in court.

He said " please don't mind what they called Labour Party primary going on in Isiala Mbano for Imo North Senatorial district. I am the candidate of the Labour Party and I didn't withdraw from the election. I didn't write any letter. I am in Abuja and I am in court."

Araraume, while addressing LP members at Isiala Mbano Local Government Area on Wednesday said that his candidacy would ensure victory for the party.

The candidate in company of state officials of the party, said that the process that produced him was credible.

Araraume whose father, Ifeanyi Araraume senior was in the Senate between 1999 and 2007, had contested and lost Peoples Democratic Party senatorial ticket for the district on May 25 to a businessman, Emma Okewulonu.

The LP chairman of the party in the state, hung up on our correspondent after he introduced himself to him.

He refused to pick subsequent calls put across to his mobile line.

But a lawyer, Emeka Ihejirika, said that Araraume's candidacy would not see the light of the day.

Ihejirika, said that the new electoral act makes it impossible for anybody to "highjack" another person's mandate.

He said that Nwachukwu would regain his mandate in court.

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, has announced popular actress Funke Akindele as his running mate for the 2023 general elections.

Adediran, fondly called Jandor, unveiled the Lagos-born actress on Tuesday as the duo staged a rally alongside supporters across the streets in the Ikorodu area of the state. Jandor, who also announced the choice of Akindele as the PDP deputy governorship candidate in a series of tweets, urged the residents of Lagos to work with them.

Stressing that the actress would add more value to his candidacy, he explained that he took the decision based on the clear understanding of the task ahead and the need to work with a co-visionary with shared passion for the emancipation of the good.

According to the PDP flagbearer, the journey demands focus, resilience, and tenacity, and Akindele is large-hearted with a well-known history of service and advocacy. He also described his running mate as ‘an Ikorodu-born success story’ who has positively transformed the society through several of her projects.

By Collins Opurozor

It is already public knowledge that within the past eighteen months, Hope Uzodinma of Imo state has borrowed nearly N70 billion. The Debt Management Office and Nigeria Bureau of Statistics have both affirmed that the total debt stock of Imo is now slightly above N205 billion, having risen from about N141 billion within these past few months. Yet, a peep into Imo state reveals an entity in disarray, where salaries and pensions are never paid, infrastructural decay widespread, health prospects getting poorer and mass penury becoming endemic.

Also, it is pertinent to add that under Uzodinma, Imo has received about N143 billion as local government allocations from the Federation Account. Today, it is bewildering that there is no project in any local government in Imo which Uzodinma would claim to have done with this gargantuan sum. Not even one!

The sources through which the Omuma-born politician fritters away Imo state resources as well as the humongous loans have remained quite unknown until now, except of course the known issue of the man's obsessive love for private jets and expensive champagnes. Little did Imo people know that diamond wristwatches, each of which costs about 800,000 dollars, have always adorned Uzodinma's wrists. Two of such wristwatches would amount to almost N1 billion. And Uzodinma wears them. Such insane and intolerable waste is part of what gulps public resources in Imo!

What makes this issue deeply provocative and evocative of mass outrage is that all the relevant rating boards in Nigeria have continued to rank Imo highest in all the indices of social misery. For instance, while the state leads the way in youth unemployment in Nigeria with 83%, the Imo also has the highest rates of infant and maternal mortality in the South East.

In prevalence of cancer, Imo similarly comes first in the South East and stands out as the only state without any state-owned

Chidiebube Okeoma, Owerri

A former governor of Imo State and senator representing Imo West, Rochas Okorocha, on Sunday accused the state government of auctioning his private vehicles, those belonging to his aides and Rochas Foundation Colleges.

Okorocha, in a statement issued in Owerri, the state capital, on his behalf by his spokesperson, Sam Onwuemeodo, accused the governor Hope Uzodiinma-led administration of engaging in tyranny.

The statement disclosed that the vehicles in question were impounded on February 21, 2021, at Royal Spring Palm Estate in Owerri, when Okorocha, his aides and government officials clashed at the estate, which led to the arrest of the former governor.

The statement said that they had evidence that the state government had begun the auctioning of the vehicles, including bank payments.

Part of the statement read, “Okorocha was taken to the Police Headquarters to meet with the CP, according to the police officers on the operation.

“Others arrested were detained for weeks before fourteen of them were arraigned at Magistrate Court 4 and charges levelled against them. They were granted bail after three sittings by the court and the matter has been going on.

“The expectation was that, the Police who carried out the operation, must have taken into custody, all the vehicles recovered at the scene of the attack or incident, including buses belonging to ROCHAS FOUNDATION COLLEGE, and taken them to the Police Headquarters and not to the Government House.

“Or, the cars would have been taken to the court, where some of the owners of the Cars recovered at the Hotel, have been standing trial, especially when the Vehicles may be tendered as exhibits in the course of the trial .

“Unfortunately, the vehicles were taken to the Government House and not to either the Police Headquarters or the Court where some of the owners of the Vehicles have been standing trial.

“The government has gone ahead to auction the private cars of the former governor of the state, those of his security personnel, those of his aides, political associates, those of Rochas Foundation College and so on, who were with him on the day the attack at Royal Palm Hotel took place. In doing that , they had thrown caution to the wind. And you ask, on what ground were the vehicles auctioned?

“ln all the cases involving Okorocha and the lmo State Government, including the one decided by Justice Njemanze (rtd), which is now at the Appeal Court, the government never mentioned Okorocha’s personal cars and those of his aides, associates, his security details, Rochas Foundation College, et al , for any reason. Why auctioning his vehicles and those of others?

“Aside these vehicles, there are valuable materials and documents in some of them, including lnternational Passports, and one had expected that the police would have taken all those items or materials and documents into their custody.

“And if the government could auction the private vehicles of the former governor and his aides and associates, it means they must have also shared the important materials and documents we are talking about among themselves.

“They must have also disposed of other assets with cases on them, either at the High court or the Appeal Court.”

When contacted, the state Commissioner for information and strategy, Declan Emelumba, said that Okorocha’s spokesperson was misleading the public.

Yesterday, 8th July 2022 saw the inauguration of the Imo Youth Parliament (Second Assembly) at the Imo Youth Centre Owerri that led to the emergence of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ekewuba Eze (Member Representing Oguta LGA Youths) and the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Akuchie Stephen (Member Representing Mbaitoli LGA Youths). 

The Imo Youth Parliament, a structure under the aegis of the Nigerian Youth Parliament (NYP) is a Legislative and Developmental Training Institution, created to strengthen, reinforce and consolidate efforts in empowering Young People through meaningful Youth representation in driving Nigeria’s developmental agenda.

The Youth Parliament sits and deliberates on matters of national importance as it affects youth development and is mirrored after the Nigerian Senate with functions, roles, responsibilities and businesses carried out in like manner as the Nigerian House of Representatives. 

Speaking at the event, the Special Adviser to the Imo State Governor on Youth Affairs, Hon. Eric Uwakwe charged the Parliamentarians to represent their constituents in good faith, maintaining integrity and make laws for the best interest of the people. 

The Honourable Commissioner for Special Duties, Hon. Okey Anusiem took time out to school the Parliamentarians on how best to navigate the waters of leadership and effective representation. 

The Clerk of the Imo State House of Assembly ably represented by the Head of Legislative Department, IMHA, Mr also educated the newly inaugurated Parliamentarians on the rudiments of legislation and proceedings of the Hallow Chamber.

The event was graced by dignitaries involved in governance, social work and lots more.