It is no news that the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, and the former Governor of Imo state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has had a falling off since Uzodinma assumed the gubernatorial seat. Governor Hope Uzodinma has recently opened up on the reasons for this in a recent press update while briefing leaders of the All Progressives Congress at an enlarged meeting of the state caucus of the party at the Government House, Owerri on Saturday.
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He alleged that he fell out with former governor Rochas Okorocha because he refused to dissolve investigation panels set up by the immediate past governor Emeka Ihedioha’s administration. Governor Ihedioha had constituted numerous panels to investigate Owelle Rochas on many alleged fraudulent dealings while in Government and in the process the panels exposed many fraud schemes and unbalanced remunerations in the past Government’s regime. It was in the heat of these investigations that he was ousted by the Supreme Court judgment.
“There were two requests Okorocha made to me when I became governor. The first was to dissolve the panels set up by Ihedioha to probe his administration. I refused to grant the request because I think the mood of the Imo people was in support of the probe and the continuation of the work.
“I told him to hold on so that the probe commitees would finsih with their work before we close the panels. And I also told him that if there was money he could return, he should try and return them because the Imo state Government now doesn’t have any money to work”
“We will be happy to partner with him and recieve the monies”
“The second request was to allow Dan Nwafor to remain chairman of APC in the State.”
“I akssed him why and he said he wanted to run for presidency and he needed to have someone on his side in the party. ”
“I said to him, have you asked me what I want to run”
“What if we are running for the same thing”
“I also declined that request and told him that the party rules were there to guide everyone on the matter.”
The governor alleged that Okorocha made the request to pave the way for his ambition to run for the presidency in 2023. The governor further stated that Okorocha asked him to recall the sacked elected Local Government Chairmen and that he refused to grant any of the requests for the former governor.
The governor also used the opportunity to present his performance and what he was able to achieve for the people of Imo state, since 14 January, 2020 as the governor of the state.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK