Peter Uzoho
The Imo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has lambasted the state Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, for declaring that N19.63 billion was missing from the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) of the 27 Local Governments Areas of the state under the watch of the immediate-past administration of Hon. Emeka Ihediora.
The Imo PDP said that Uzodinma’s mischievous allegation of missing billions might be a deliberate scheme for his administration to loot the resources of the state.
The Imo main opposition party in a statement yesterday signed by its Secretary, Mr. Ray Emeana, taunted the governor as being in a desperate search for legitimacy that had evidently eluded him.
“Evidently looking for the legitimacy that has eluded him since he stole the mandate given the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Hope Uzodinma and his henchmen now believe the best way to go is to spread falsehood against his predecessor, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, and the seven-month administration that many still remember with some nostalgia.
“The PDP is particularly concerned that the mischievous allegation of a missing N19.63 billion from the JAAC of the 27 Local Governments may be a deliberate scheme by the Uzodinma administration to loot the resources of the state by shouting in the market place about money that is not yet missing but would be missing by the time they finish with their creative accounting.
“Besides, this latest desperate attempt at muck raking may also be designed to hoodwink Imolites and distract their attention from the lack of performance and ineptitude of the current administration which is being described by our people as a ‘push and start government’.”, the Imo PDP said.
It maintained that as the major opposition party in the state, it will insist on zero tolerance for government and governance by lies and mendacity.
According to the PDP, “consequently, the party hereby charges the Supreme Court-imposed governor and his henchmen to stop the drama and face the real job of addressing the challenges of Imo people, even when the whole world is well aware they are exercising a mandate procured from court”.
It described the Uzodinma-led administration’s allegation that a whopping N19.63 billion belonging to the 27 LGAs was misappropriated as “false, malicious and baseless”, adding, “it may be necessary to educate Uzodinma and his cohorts on the procedure for auditing the local government accounts”.
The Imo PDP however, noted that the Ihedioha administration was guided by the principles of rule of law and due process and that it instituted the system of constituting panels of inquiry to investigate any allegations of impropriety against its predecessor.
While adding that Ihedioha’s government never gave room for unnecessary media trials, the party stated that never in the history of Imo State had such level of patriotism and desire to uplift the plight of Imolites been seen, as he practically and demonstrably dedicated himself to the service of the people (upper, middle and lower classes).
“The reward for exemplary good work cannot and should not be blackmail. We, as a party, call on Imo people to rise up and demand a stop to gutter propaganda as a way of governance,” the PDP added.
