Ihedioha should stop impersonating me, says Okorocha

Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has accused the governor-elect of the state, Emeka Ihedioha, of impersonating him.

In a statement yesterday by Okorocha’s Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor was irked by the recent actions of Ihedioha, reminding him that he was still handling the affairs of the state as embedded in the constitution.

Okorocha, who also criticised the two committees raised by the governor-elect, said it smacked signs of lack of vision of what governance entails.

“Owelle Rochas Okorocha is the governor of Imo State as we write and for Chief Emeka Ihedioha to be acting as governor and conducting activities meant for a sitting governor is impersonation. And he should be advised to maintain certain level of decorum or decency.

“Again, for Ihedioha to set up what he termed transition technical committee of 139 members and that of the governorship inauguration committee of 323 members shows that he does not even know what the governing of a state is all about. He, therefore, needs some tutorials in that regard.

“In less than 30 minutes after the reported fire incident at the Imo Airport, Ihedioha rushed to the airport to inspect damages caused by the fire and also issued directives to the management of the airport. Did he do that in his capacity as what? Is he the governor of the state?

Besides, the governor has replied his critics against property acquisition allegation, saying that they (property) are in some cities in the country that it would be difficult for anyone to count them.

Okorocha, who spoke with journalists yesterday at the Government House, Owerri, said that he owned property beyond Imo State, including Lagos, Abuja and other cities.

He said: “They cannot count all my property. They should not only count here (Imo). They should come to Abuja and Lagos to count my property. I hear some people are making noise. They should stop wasting their time.”

He also debunked the allegation that at the twilight of his administration, he was selling government property, such as cars and others, dismissing such as untrue.

“It is not possible. They said I have sold cars and others. It is not true. The government that starts with lies, will end with lies,” he said.

However, Okorocha has for the umpteenth time urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue him Certificate of Return, having been declared the winner of Imo West Senatorial District election.

He insisted that he was convinced he won the election and returned despite the claim of “under duress” by the Returning Officer.

The governor also claimed that he was convinced that his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, won the election in the state.

Meanwhile, the Imo State governor-elect has warned all the banks and financial institutions to desist forthwith from issuing financial aids, such as loans, overdrafts and other forms of credit facilities to the outgoing governor, Rochas Okorocha.

Ihedioha, in a statement signed by his media aide, Chibuike Onyeukwu, warned that such applications and requests, allegedly hurriedly made, should be dishonoured.

But in a reaction, one of the media handlers of Okorocha, Onwasoanya F. C. C. Jones, regarded the statement as “puerile, uninformed and betrayal of knowledge.”