A former Member of the House of Representatives, Hon Uche Onyeagaocha has again fired salvos at Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha accusing him of deliberately suffocating the All Progressive Congress, APC in Imo State in order to join another political party. He said the aim of the Governor is to weaken the APC and flee to another political party- the Action Alliance (AA).
He recalled how the Imo State Governor stifled his former political party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, a party he used its platform to win the 2011 governorship election and dumped it, only to jump to the APC.
Onyegocha is leading the campaign for Owerri Zone to produce the next governor of Imo State. He is a staunch member of the Imo Equity Movement.
Speaking while receiving the Ohaneze Youth Council, Owerri zone chapter, he said the Governor’s actions towards the APC in Imo State shows that he is planning to leave the party by destroying it, starve it of funds and destroy all necessary support it requires to grow.
He said rather the governor is giving all the funding and support to UGWUMBA Movement, a political structure set up to oil the governorship ambition of his son- in law and Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu.
Onyeagocha said “ Rochas had destroyed the APC in Imo State. He is not funding the party. All the party offices in the local governments are owing rents. APC members in Imo State are disillusioned and weak. The state headquarters of the party is in disarray. The party chairman moves in a bus without security. All this is done just to weaken the party so that he can the cross over to Action Alliance. He is running a selfish ambition”
He stated he came to the rescue of the party by using his personal resources to pay for APC offices in some local government areas in Owerri West, Ahiazu and Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Governments. He said he regrets campaigning for the Governor during the 2015 election and urged the people of Imo State to forgive him for towing such path in the past.
The Reps member said ” Please I beg the people of Imo State to forgive me for campaigning him during the 2015 election. I regret ever doing that”
He said he has facts to show how the state has been mismanaged by the present government, stating soon he will unveil how the allocations of the 27 local governments have been diverted by the present government. What we are having in Imo State is bad governance and this must stop. Imo State has been raped” he said.
Onyeagocha strongly backed the clarion call by Owerri zone to produce the next governor of Imo State in 2019, urging the people of the zone to rise up and claim their rightful possession.
“That is what Imo Equity Movement stands for. No amount of intimidation will cow us. It is the turn of Owerri zone to produce the next governor of Imo State in 2019. This is why Rochas is deliberately dividing the Owerri- Okigwe alliance so that his plans can work out for him”
He continued “He is scared that if Owerri Zone govern for eight years and Okigwe zone completes its four years and another tenure of four years, he will be politically irrelevant in the state no matter the amount of money he has. This is not a battle between Owerri and the people of Orlu Zone. It is a battle between us and Rochas. We should close ranks and stop him” he said
Earlier in his opening remarks, Leader of Ohaneze Youth Council, Owerri Zone, Aririguzo Emmanuel said the group is bent on ensuring that Owerri zone produce the next governor of Imo State in 2019. He commended the former House of Reps member for taking up the challenge to address the injustice meted out to the people of the zone.
Aririguzo condemned the kidnapping of Barrister Kinsgley Onunuju, the secretary of the Equity Forum, whom he said was abducted because of his persistent agitation that Owerri zone rightfully get the governorship seat of the state. He urged leaders of the forum not to be deterred or discouraged by the ongoing intimidation of its members.
He recalled that it was Owerri zone that gave Rochas victory at the 2015 governorship election in Imo State, stating that they will resist or oppose any move to deny the zone the Imo governorship seat in 2019.
Aririguzo advised that leaders of the zone should come together, close their ranks irrespective of political party affiliation and ensure that the zone does not lose the quest to actualize the mandate.