Okorocha: Uzodinma has displayed thuggery in governance — he wants to be feared

Rochas Okorocha, former governor of Imo state, says Hope Uzodinma, his successor, has displayed criminality and thuggery in governance. 

The former governor was arrested on Sunday for unsealing a property seized by the Imo state government.

The property which reportedly belongs to Okorocha’s wife is said to be under investigation.

The senator was released on Sunday night after the intervention of the south-east governors forum.

Speaking on Monday, Okorocha said Uzodimma is creating “unnecessary tension” and has made the state unsecured for residents.

“Governor Hope Uzodinma is going in a very wrong direction, that he might not end up well with. Now, Hope Uzodimma, for what happened yesterday, has simply displayed criminality, thuggery in governance, and is creating unnecessary tension, where there is no need for it,” he said.

Okorocha said Imo state has become unsecured, adding that: “Now, you go to Orlu, you see killings, that even the air force fighter jets, for the first time in history after the war, would come around Orlu. You see, yesterday alone, 10 houses were burnt in Oguta.

“Every day, people are being killed, intimidated by the governor and his thugs. Now, I don’t know what the governor wants to achieve, but I think he wants to make everybody fear him. He has also introduced a law through the Imo house of assembly that empowers him to detain people at will. That law is barbaric and must be condemned.

“Since he came into office, what he has achieved so far, is it the demolition of a 1,000-bed hospital, the Douglas Somto hospital, built by me? He has demolished the tunnel at Port Harcourt road, built by me, for the reason that it is substandard. And till today, more than 50 excavators and payloaders cannot break the tunnel.

“They left it there, abandoned. He has also demolished all the roundabouts that have brought beauty and safety of roads in our society. And he has not replaced them with anything. Now, he has left that and rather than making peace, he wants to rule by intimidation, and that’s not acceptable in any way.

Okorocha also accused the Imo governor of failing to pay workers, pensioners and sacking people at will.

He said Uzodinma has delved into a full-fledged “personal attack” on him and his family.

“First, the governor reported matters to EFCC, to ICPC, claiming that I used Imo’s money to build some properties,” he said.

“The case has been in court and till today, there hasn’t been any proof, by any court of competent jurisdiction that has traced any fund to my account. Yet, Hope has insisted on reporting the case to EFCC and ICPC and now he has decided to use the police.

“Uzodimma must be called to order. It took restraint for me to tell my aides not to release any live bullets yesterday because there would have been deaths. I hate to see my hand with blood. But they took advantage of that and did what they did. Today all my cars are still parked there, destroyed.”

The senator thanked the presidency for its timely intervention in the matter while warning the Imo governor to “take the path of caution”.