Some citizens of Imo State yesterday expressed shock and outrage over a threat allegedly made against Governor Hope Uzodimma by his predecessor, Emeka Ihedioha. They alleged the former governor in a leaked telephone conversation last Friday threatened that there would not be any peace in the state until Uzodimma vacates the governorship seat for him.
Although Ihedioha has denied making such a call, he is still insisting that the Supreme Court was wrong in pronouncing Uzodimma as the rightful occupant of the seat.
However prominent Imo citizens including Dr Kingsley Dozie, Nlemadim Nwankwo, Bishop David Ogbonnaya and Mrs Rachael Ugo condemned the desperation of Ihedioha almost three years after he was removed from office.
They also expressed shock that the interpretation of his telephone call is that he has been behind the series of insecurity plaguing the state for long.
According to Dr Dozie who is one of the vice presidents of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ihedioha had by his conduct and the phone call given away himself as one of the sponsors of insecurity in Imo.
He recalled that Ihedioha’s deputy, Gerald Irona had similarly boasted publicly that himself and his principal and PDP will make the state ungovernable for Uzodimma.
Dr Dozie therefore called on the security agencies to question Ihedioha and Irona to ascertain their level of complicity in the security crisis in the state.
Similarly, a labour leader , Nlemadim Nwankwo said he was still shocked that Ihedioha could descend so low to cause havoc in the state because of politics.
Said he”: We all know that he didn’t even have the constitutional requirements to be declared governor, so why this desperation?”
He noted that so many innocent people have been killed and the economy of the state destroyed because PDP wants to return to power at all cost.
Nlemadim Nwankwo urged both the PDP and Ihedioha to refrain from heating up the polity and wait for 2024 to represent themselves.
But in his own reaction to the news of the leaked telephone conversation, Bishop David Ogbonnaya averred that all who have been complicit in the security crisis in the state must answer to God for their actions.
Bishop David Ogbonnaya said it was heartless for politicians to engage in wanton destruction of lives and property in the name of power.
He urged security agencies to investigate the allegations thoroughly with a view to bringing the culprits to book.
In his reaction, Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba deplored what he called satanic desperation by Ihedioha and PDP to bring down the Government of Senator Hope Uzodimma.
He said the telephone conversation by Ihedioha has vindicated the state government which before now has blamed the opposition for the spate of violence in the state.
Emelumba said the Government will allow the relevant security agencies to do their job so that Imo people will know their enemies and their friends.
