– Former SSG still suffering from frustration of defeat – Imo CPS
As the governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma marks his first 100 days in office amidst pomp, pageantry and jubilation all over as a result of the fact that Imo is one of the very few states that had never recorded any index case of the Coronavirus, the immediate past Secretary to Government of Imo State (SGI), Hon Uche Onyeaguocha has accused the government of Imo state of claiming projects that were executed or initiated by sacked governor Emeka Ihedioha’s regime.
Onyeaguocha who featured in a Hot FM 99.5 Radio phone in programme said he can hardly assess the present administration considering the fact that the covid-19 may have hindered or slowed down some developmental projects but advised the government to toe the part of honour by not claiming projects done by Ihedioha within 7 months he was in office.
Of particular mention were the resuscitations of Adapalm and Imo State Water Board, all of which he said where in comatose before the Ihedioha’s administration. He revealed how the rebuild Imo government, through his office went into contract with a foreign agency to resuscitate the State Water Board, wondering how Governor Hope Uzodinma could now turn around to lay claim to same.
He vowed to make public relevant documents relating to the deal the foreign agency had with the Governor and how much was approved by the government as counterpart fund to achieve such feat.
A twist to the radio program was when Onyeaguocha described Uzodinma as supreme court imposed governor .When the moderator asked why such unguarded statement and requested for it to be withdrawn, as it was obviously against the judiciary and office of the Governor, Onyeaguocha threatened to walk out of the radio station if the moderator insists he withdraws the statement.
In his reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Oguwuike Nwachukwu described Onyeaguocha as a man who is just waking up from dreams over lose of his position as SSG, saying that by the time Onyeguocha opens his eyes properly, he will see the impressive work of Governor Uzodinma within his first 100 days in office.
Continuing,Nwachukwu said that Onyeaguocha is still lamenting what hit him. “If you are hit by a dangerous train, it will take you time to recover. When you recover, you are not going to talk normally. This is the case now with Onyeaguocha and we sympathize with him”, Nwachukwu averred.
He also stated that Imo people know what the governor has done within his first 100 days in office, stating that it is not for Onyeaguocha to remind them, boasting that the governor has done well in all sectors, whether in health, security or infrastructures. He stated that Governor Hope Uzodinma has achieved so much despite the fact that there is pandemic that has brought the entire world to a standstill. Speaking further, Nwachukwu said that only a mischievous and divisionary person will go about saying that the Governor has not done well.
Reacting to Onyeagoucha’s outburst, Barr Emperor Nnabuihe Iwuala, an Owerri based lawyer and former Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to former Deputy Governor of Imo State, Madam Ada Okwuonu said, “Barr. Uche Onyeagocha’s outing today at a Radio Station in Owerri was nice. But I take exception to certain use of gutter language and uncivilized remarks which he employed therein. It did not depict him as a supposed learned gentleman, an honourable former federal lawmaker, former governorship candidate, former Imo Chief Scribe and an elder statesman.
“Even when lawyers lose cases in court; even where it is very clear that a court made a mistake or is perceived to have wrongly arrived at a decision, the language used to disagree with the opinion of the court must remain civil, courteous and within the ambit of rules of professional conduct in the legal profession. The first duty of a lawyer is to protect the integrity of the court where he occupies a special seat as a minister in its temple. This duty he must do far above any other interest. Regrettably, I am highly disappointed with my learned colleague whose conduct should be a guide to his juniors in the legal profession.
“What has he got to pass on to younger lawyers? If he had not been a lawyer, I would have viewed this differently. If the integrity of the legal profession is thrown to the dust, then the essence of being a lawyer is of no essence. Politics (which is a dirty game) will come and go, but the legal profession which is an age-long noble one will remain”, he concluded.
