COMMUNITY
leaders from the three senatorial districts of Imo State, yesterday, told the
state House of Assembly to, without delay, commence the impeachment process of
Governor Rochas Okorocha who they accused of turning himself into a tyrant in
the way he was managing the affairs of the state.
The Imo
leaders’ anger was as a result of the demolition of the ancestral Ekeukwu
market initially known as Ogwumabiri market and the killing of a 10-year-old
boy, Somtochukwu, from Anambra State during the protest against the demolition.
In a related development, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, also called for the
resignation or impeachment of Okorocha for his alleged “flagrant disobedience
of subsisting court orders.” This is even as the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri
Ecclesiastical Province, Dr. Anthony J. V. Obinna, has decried the shedding of
blood in Owerri.
Briefing
journalists in Abuja, the leaders from Owerri, Okigwe and Orlu senatorial
districts under the umbrella of Concerned Imo Leaders who wore black attires,
signifying mourning, claimed that the state had been sliding and that the event
of last week’s demolition of the Ekeukwu market and the alleged murder of four
persons were the climax of its sliding. Spokesperson of the group, Chief Sam
Obaji, flanked by the immediate past chairman of Nigeria Electricity Regulatory
Commission, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi; the leader of Owerri socio-cultural
organisation, Dozie Owerri, Chief Tony Anyadike, and Okey Ikpe said Governor
Okorocha had turned himself into an emperor and was heating up the polity in
the state.
They said:
“As political, social and cultural leaders from across Imo State, we address
you today with sorrowful hearts at the happenings in our beloved Imo State,
especially the destruction of lives and property in Owerri during last
Saturday’s unlawful, reckless and unprofitable demolition of the ancient and iconic
Eke-ukwu Owerri Main Market. “At the wake of that demolition, four persons were
killed, many more wounded and property worth billions of naira destroyed by
armed military personnel on the instruction of the state government.
Killing of
Somtochukwu
“Most
heartrending is the killing of 10-year-old Somtochukwu Igboanusi of 9,
Oguamalam Street who hailed from Anambra State. That child was gunned down as
he tried to clear wares from his father’s shop. “Since Governor Okorocha
assumed power in Imo State, he has managed affairs of the state in a manner
that suggests he has a hidden agenda against the Owerri Senatorial Zone and the
entire people of Imo State. “His unplanned urban development project has
resulted in the complete dilapidation of roads in the state capital, the
flooding of major streets in Owerri whenever there is slight rainfall and the
complete deterioration of physical and social infrastructure in the entire
state.”
Atrocities
The group
that chronicled the alleged atrocities of the governor since he assumed office,
including deceit, demanded “that in view of Governor Rocha’s clearly
established leadership incompetence and serial blunders on the most elemental
duties of governance, he should honourably resign as governor of Imo State. “That
if Governor Okorocha refuses to resign, members of the Imo State House of
Assembly should immediately proceed to impeach him from office as governor of
Imo State. “That the government of Imo State should refrain from further
violation of the court orders in respect of these demolitions. That the
President should institute a judicial commission of inquiry into the
circumstances of the use of armed forces personnel in this unlawful operation
and ensure anyone who played a role in this unlawful deployment of the military
should be prosecuted according to the law.”
Protesters
not Owerri indigenes
Okorocha But
reacting to the development, Governor Okorocha in a statement by his Chief
Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said the protesters are not Owerri indigenes.
The statement issued yesterday read: “The fact is that those behind the press
conference in Abuja today (yesterday) or involved in protest over the
relocation of Ekeukwu Market are not Owerri indigenes but few politicians from
the state mostly of the PDP extraction who are only keen in coming back to
power in the state in 2019 after Imo people had voted them out in 2011 and also
voted against them in 2015. “The Owerri indigenes are here in the state and are
happy with the level of development in Owerri courtesy of Governor Rochas
Okorocha. “Afterall, the PDP governments in the state for 12 years had tried to
relocate Ekeukwu Market but could not do so because they lacked the political
will and they were not keen in developing the state.”
…NBA kicks,
as Obinna decries blood shedding
Also
yesterday, the NBA chairman in the state, Mr. Lawrence Nwaketi and Archbishop
Obinna made their views known, while addressing the press at different fora in
Owerri. Nwaketi fumed that “the governor has glaringly abused some provisions
of the Nigerian Constitution, which he swore to protect.” Making particular
reference to the invasion and destruction of Ekeukwu Owerri Market, Nwaketi
recalled that there is a subsisting High Court order, restraining the state
government, its servants and agents, from tampering with or relocating the
market, pending the hearing and determination of the suit. Nwaketi, however,
called on Imo people to begin the process of recalling their lawmakers “if they
fail to remove the governor”. In the Archbishop’s word: “Government should ask
itself if the relocation of Ekeukwu Owerri market is worth the drop of any
person’s blood. The sad death of the 10-year old boy, Somtochukwu Ibeanusi,
portrays government in very bad light.” On the alleged movement of Ekeukwu
Owerri to Egbeada, Archbishop Obinna sought to know if the Governor was bent on
totally obliterating the name of the ancestral market. “I have it on record
that the issue of Ekeukwu Owerri is in court, but I really can’t say why Imo
State Government did not respect the High Court order”, Obinna said. Answering
a question, the Archbishop said that “a patriotic Catholic, who does not want
his name mentioned, has announced a donation of N1 million to the bereaved
family”.
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