Loyalists of Governor Hope Uzodimma and die hard 3R mantra advocates, are murmuring and are gradually losing patience over the delay by the governor to reconstitute his cabinet.
Some of the governor’s supporters who spoke to INNONEWS on strict condition of anonymity to avoid being victimized, said they are at a loss why the governor has continued to delay his appointments, four months after he dissolved the State Exco.
Governor Hope Uzodimma, had in April, sacked 20 Commissioners and retained nine of them. A month later, he sacked over 90 Special Advisers and Senior Special Assistants, SSAs.
Information Commissioner, Declan Emelumba had said the sack were part of measures, to “rejig” the administration.
Four months after the sacking spree, Governor Uzodimma has kept his loyalists and appointment seekers in suspense, a development which has led to grumbling and murmuring among some of his loyalists.
He had recalled two Commissioners- C.C.Osuala (Budget and Economic Planning), and lately, C.O.C Akaolisa, as Attorney General amd Commissioner of Justice.
Akaolisa’s recall had sparked controversy after the State government recanted that he was never sent packing from the State Executive Council in the first place.
However, despite the sack of his aides, some of them accompany the governor on official engagements and go on to use their official government vehicles.
A check by this newspaper revealed that some of the sacked appointees,mainly SAs move around in government vehicles, a clear disregard of the governor’s directive that all sacked appointees return all government properties in their custody.
A watchdog group, Imo Awareness Coalition, IAC, had in a statement signed by its spokesman, Fidelis Echendu, said it makes mockery of governance for sacked appointees to use official government vehicles.
“It makes nonsense of governance and makes mockery of the government of the day for those in the employ of the State government relieved of their official duties to continue to be availed government properties for use” part of the statement read.
This newspaper had exclusively reported last month that Governor Uzodimma may appoint new Commissioners and SAs after the Congresses of the All Progressive Congress, APC.
The outcome of the ward congress seems to have further polarized his loyalists, who in a despertae bid to take hold of the party structure at the grassroots, engaged in underhand tactics.
From Ikeduru to Obowo, down to Ahiazu Mbaise, APC Chieftains, including Uzodinma’s political henchmen, are at logger heads, as they are entangled in the scramble for the party structure at the ward level.
However, the delay by the governor in announcing fresh appointees, is no longer going down well with some of his die hard supporters.
One of them told this newspaper “We are losing patience over the delay. Four months after the expanded Exco was dissolved, no appointments. It is worrisome. The wheels of government grinds slow when there are no appointees.
“Key sectors such as Education, Health, Agriculture are in limbo. Filth is returning to the streets of Owerri and environs, because no one is in charge of the environment and sanitation.Everything cannot be done from Government House.
“The state is stagnant and the opposition are beginning to say, the governor and very few persons around him seem to be the only ones happy in the system, while those who stood with him, right from when he joined the guber race to his emergence as governor, are certainly unhappy because they have been left out.
“Why delay the appointments, four months after sacking the Exco.
“How does he intend to energize his political footsoldiers when there are no appointments, to empower us fight the opposition in our various political hamlets.
“Or better still, how would this administration give effect to it’s policies in key sectors of the State, which will propel the economy, when there are no appointees to take charge of machinery of government.
“We hope he is not emulating Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, who sacked his appointees and it took him five months to make fresh appointments and by the time he reconstituted his cabinet, there were many lost grounds.
He continued “2021 is a year any serious government will do all it can to deliver dividends of democracy to the people. The ongoing roads construction and reconstruction across the State is commendable, but more ought to be done.
“Next year, 2022 is a political year, much emphasis will be on politics rather than governance. 2023 is election year. First quarter of 2024, Imo will go to the polls for guber.
“This year, is far gone already. Four months is already off without appointees and much still needs to be done” he stated.