Imo government taunts opposition about Buhari’s visit, urges residents to ignore sit-at-home ‘rumour’

Imo State Government has said that the opposition in the state will continue to fail in their bid to undermine the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma and that of President Muhammadu Buhari.

It also urged Imo residents to ignore the sit-at-home rumour and go about their normal businesses.

Douglas House, in a statement, yesterday, asserted that Buhari’s visit to Imo, last Thursday, was generally adjudged a huge success by men and women of goodwill, but that the opposition had been looking for a way to discredit it and embarrass the President.

In the statement, the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Governor, Oguwike Nwachuku, accused the opposition of publishing fake videos on social media to mock the President during the visit.

He added that they would “continue to fail.”

“In their desperation, they doctored and proceeded to post, on social media platforms, a misleading video on President Buhari’s remarks during his Town Hall Meeting with highly respected Igbo leaders, in total disregard for the good intention of the President’s remarks.

“The opposition mischievously posted a lie that Buhari told Uzodimma, ‘I will be careful with your future invitations’,” he stated.

According to him, Buhari had begun his speech with humorous remarks about being pleasantly surprised by how Uzodimma was able to pull Igbo leaders to Owerri to receive and interface with him, contrary to the intention of the visit.

Though the CPS agreed that Buhari remarked, “I will be careful with your future invitations,” he noted that the opposition misinterpreted the remark.

He explained that Buhari, in appreciating Uzodimma and the good people of Imo for the superlative hosting, said he would want to be as prepared as the governor and the state next time he would be visiting, avoid surprises.

In another development, while addressing the congregation after yesterday’s service at the Government House Chapel, Owerri, said that those behind the sit-at-home rumours had been identified and would soon be arrested and prosecuted. 

He thanked Imo people who supported and contributed to the successful hosting of Buhari last week while wishing those who worked to sabotage the visit well but urged all to search their consciences in whatever they do.

The governor requested petroleum marketers to immediately revert to the normal price in the state, as the government would not continue to fold its arms and watch them mete out hardship on the people by selling their products in the black market.

“Any filling station caught selling its products in the black market will not only be sealed, but we will make sure the licence is revoked,” he warned.