–We are determined to reclaim EPU for State-Okolie
By Martin Opara
As a subtle response to Suit No. HOW/585/202, filed by Orluzurumee Youth Assembly (OYA) in an Owerri High Court, in respect of the recovery of Eastern Palm University by the Imo State government, which came up at the Vacation Court, along Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, last Monday, former Governor Rochas Okorocha who is bent on taking over the university built with public fund, has assembled some social media goons and miscreants, comprising mostly youths without verifiable means of livelihood to discredit the Orluzurumee Youth Assembly, youth organization that is fighting a noble cause on behalf of Imo people.
when Uche Nwosu hosted Some of the youths now attacking OYA members.3rd right is Wilson Ahamefule
According to a reliable source who revealed to Thursday NIGERIA WATCHDOG, how Senator Rochas Okorocha, representing Imo West senatorial zone, in the National Assembly, on hearing that the matter is in court, convened an emergency meeting of his loyalists in Abuja, where they discussed how to deal with Orluzurumee Youth Assembly.
He also revealed that the former governor’s media aide, Sam Onwuemeodo, has been mandated to coordinate the propaganda machinery against OYA, with a view to discourage, and derail the group’s focus.
They are also said to have reached out and co-opted a known fraudster, Don Uba, who was arrested a while ago for allegedly defrauding journalists. The source also stated that, “Don Uba, whose arrest by the police, was at the instance of a petition written by a Punch Newspaper correspondent, Chidiebube Okeoma and other victims of his alleged nefarious activities, has been hired among others, to misrepresent facts, disparage, malign and insult OYA and it’s leadership”.
One of the steps the former governor’s hirelings have taken, is a release published on page 3 of 10th September edition of White Paper Newspaper, signed by Don C. Uba as secretary, and another unstable character, Arthur C. Madumere, as National president of non existent youth body, wherein, they claimed that, asking Senator Okorocha whose 8 year tenure as Governor of Imo State was a nightmare, to return Eastern Palm University to the state government, is an insult on Orlu leaders.
It was also gathered from a source that Arthur Madumere who is said to be on the payroll of former Governor Okorocha’s inlaw and Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu held a meeting with the former in Owerri, where it was agreed that he, Arthur and his cohorts should start defending Okorocha’s attempt appropriate Eastern Palm University that was from all indications built with state fund and licensed by the National University Commission as the second Imo State owned University.
The source further stated that, “the social media hirelings and others, whose mandate is to attack, malign and disparage the Trustees of Orluzurumee Youth Assembly receive thirty thousand naira (N30,000) monthly stipend from Sam Onwuemeodo, who is their coordinator. They have started justifying the payment, hence, we are not surprised about the press release in White Paper Newspaper”.
However, in a chat with this reporter, the Chairman, Education Committee of OYA, Engr. Christian Okolie, said, “no amount of threat, intimidation, or blackmail, will cow or deter us from the onerous task of ensuring that Eastern Palm University is recovered from Okorocha on behalf of Imo people or the lands on which it is built that was released by the owners for public use are returned to the landlords. We are determined to fight the battle to a logical conclusion. Hence, there will neither be surrender nor rethreat”.
Engr. Okolie, also revealed that, “Senator Okorocha, had earlier approached some of us through his aides and made mouth watering offers to dissuade us from going to court, but we, as leaders of a responsible and responsive organization that are passionate about the welfare, desire and collective wish of the people, shunned the offers, hence, the matter is in court. That is why they, as enemies of the people, have resorted to blackmail and spread of bare faced lies aimed at deceiving and misinforming the people”.
Continuing, Engr. Okolie, challenged Senator Okorocha to tender relevant documents in court, “if he is convinced that his acquisition of EPU followed due process, instead of hiring uninformed social media miscreants to deceive the people”.
He urged Imo people to courageously rise up, support and align with Orluzurumee Youth Assembly in the move to recover EPU from Okorocha, stressing that, if that is not done, a bad precedent would have been set, as every governor of the state, will be at liberty to use his position to acquire properties with public fund, at the expense of the state and her people.
