Leave Okorocha alone, Imo govt tells Ihedioha

  • Says N130b debt allegation is false

Imo State government has expressed dismay at what it described as ceaseless media attack on Governor Okorocha by Deputy Speaker the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, who it said did not join the governorship race in the state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to win election, but to attack the governor on daily basis.

IhediohaA statement by the Senior Special Assistant (Media) to the Governor, Sam Onwuemeodo, explained that since Ihedioha joined other aspirants in his party for the governorship of the state, he has not made any public speech without casting aspersion on Okorocha, wondering if one of the conditions given to him by his party to guarantee him ticket is that he must attack Okorocha on the pages of newspapers.

Said Onwuemeodo “For instance, less than 24 hours after the state government had dethroned Eze Cletus Ilomuanya as the traditional ruler of his Obinugwu Autonomous Community and Eze Cosmos Onyeneke as the traditional ruler of Lagwa, the first person in the state to attack the governor on that was Hon. Ihedioha and he did that without having the proper information on the incident.  And he has remained the only Imo man who openly attacked governor over that popular action.”

He also recalled that on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, Ihedioha accused the governor in the media of having incurred N130billion internal debts, which contradicted his party’s claim of N250bilion debt.

“All these are lies just fabricated and aimed at scratching the overwhelming popularity of Governor Okorocha among the populace in the state,” Onwuemeodo said, stressing that the truth of the matter is that Okorocha’s government does not have N130billion debt whether foreign or internal.

Challenging him to come out with facts to contradict the government’s position, Onwuemeodo said that by virtue of his position as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Ihedioha has the capacity to access any document within or outside Nigeria.

“Let him bring the document to back his claim or stop disturbing the peace of Imo people.

“It is also a truism that Hon. Ihedioha is not yet Governor Okorocha’s opponent for the 2015 election because he is not the candidate of the PDP yet.

“He has to pick the ticket of PDP before becoming Okorocha’s opponent.  Let him unfold his manifesto to Imo people and leave Rochas alone,” Onwuemeodo stated.