The National Vice Chairman (South East) of Labour Party, Chief Innocent Okeke, has said that the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma will be voted out of office come November, 11 because of his non challance and failure to ensure the security of lives and property of Imo people who have for no fault of theirs been made victims of frightening and unprecedented level of insecurity and attendant challenges.
Chief Okeke, who stated this while addressing journalists recently, expressed regret at the frightening level of insecurity in the state which according to him, “has resulted in the mass destruction of lives and property including public institutions like police stations, most of which the Hope Uzodinma administration has not deemed fit to renovate or reconstruct, especially in Orlu zone where most people have deserted their homes”.
The Labour Party Chieftain further stated that, “prior to Governor Uzodinma’s assumption of office, Imo State was a tourist destination but since he came on board in January, 2020, the state has become a theatre of sorrow, blood and all kinds of absurdities that have made her lose her pride of place in the comity of states”.
“Now that the Imo State governorship election is about eight weeks away, all residents and indigenes of the state are aware of the level of insecurity which has become a burden to the people who are desperately yearning for a secure and peaceful environment that is devoid of unnecessary bloodshed, killings, arson, kidnapping and other vices which the Hope Uzodinma administration can not guarantee now and in future. Hence, the only option is to vote Uzodinma out and usher in a Labour Party led government that has a blue print of action that will nip insecurity and attendant challenges in the bud”.
Responding to a question, about the November, 11, election, Chief Okeke said, “the will of the people will prevail because, gone are the days when the power of incumbency used to take precedence over the collective will of the people. As long as the people have expressed their desire for a charge of baton in Imo State, considering the level of back wardness, infrastructural decay and overwhelming insecurity, Governor Uzodinma’s time in Government House will expire on November, 11, 2023”.
On the assurance that Labour Party will get the mandate of the people, he said, “I can assure you that the people will troop out en-masse to vote for Labour Party, no matter the level of harassment, intimidation and arm twisting because they have suffered a lot and have decided to do the needful for themselves and posterity”.
“Some people are blindly saying that Uzodinma fixed the Owerri-Orlu road, Owerri-Okigwe road etc. Are these all that governance entails? If you fix the roads and the people are dying in their numbers as a result of insecurity, who will ply the roads?
“It is no longer the issue of power of incumbency, it is now going to be determined by the will of the people, a will to make positive change. The change that will usher in a new lifestyle to recover the lost glory of Imo State,” he said.
“The primary duty of any government is to secure the lives and property of its citizenry. The moment you secure a better environment for the people to live, thrive and do their businesses without any molestation, other things are secondary.”
When asked if Governor Uzodimma has failed in securing the lives of the people he said, “has he won in that area? Don’t you see the level of insecurity in Imo State? The whole of Orlu Zone – the 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs), you cannot walk freely because insecurity has become the order of the day. No single police presence. No matter the opposition a government faces the number one thing they will put in place is the policing of the environment.”
