PRESS RELEASE: THE IMO SPEAKER MUST GO RALLY
The Youths Against Human Rights Violations and Corrupt Practices [YAHVCP] postponed the Imo Speaker Must Go Rally Scheduled for March 17th 2014. The Rally was postponed due to security reasons. A new date will be announced soon.
We also totally condemn the March 8th invasion of the Egbema residence of our National Cordinator Mr Kenneth Uwadi by armed uniformed officers. The invaders stormed Mr Uwadi's place in a crude military-like assault asking for him and ransacking his place. Uwadi's residence was invaded on the excuse that he wrote articles alleging that the Speaker of the Imo House of Assembly Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu looted Imo tax payers monies and that he was planning a mass protest to call for his resignation.
This unwholesome action is a flagrant abuse of fundamental human rights. It violates Nigerian constitution and international norms on freedom of expression. YAHVCP cannot and will not keep quiet and watch the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly walking freely after stealing over N3billion naira Imo tax payers money In a state where more than 80 percent of the population do not have access to potable/pipe-borne water supply. We condemn strongly the insensitive looting of Imo monies by the Speaker against the background of mass misery afflicting the vast bulk of Imo people. This anti-poor and self-serving conduct is why thousands of Imo youths are unemployed today. To us what this has also shown is that the problem of lack of youth employment in Imo State is not due to lack of funds to pay salaries but gross mismanagement and looting of our resources.
We are insisting that Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu should be investigated and removed as Speaker of the Imo House of Assembly. Uwajumogu does not feel that something is wrong with his colossal looting of public resources to gratify his lust for luxury. We are also calling for the investigation of 4 other members of the Imo House of Assembly for road contract scam. The members are Hon Stan Dara, Hon Ikechukwu Amuka ,Hon Ugonna Ozurigbo (OZ-B) and The Speaker's Chief of Staff Kodichi Anamekwe.
YAHVCP is aware that Hon Stan Dara, Member Representing Osu Constituency in the Imo House of Assembly And House Chairman of State And Rural Roads Monitoring Committee with his own loot from road contract scam has built a multi million naira Massive Farm at Irete in Owerri West LGA. Dara is also presently from his loot building a multi million naira Asphalt plant in Owerri and also owns several duplexes at Egbeada Housing Estate in Owerri. Dara's duplexes at Egbeada are painted dark green.
We are also aware that Hon Ikechukwu Amuka ,Member representing Ideato South Constituency and House member of State And Rural Roads Monitoring Committee with his own loot from road contract scam has built a multi million naira hotel (Eastern Emirate Hotel) located at World Bank Housing Estate in Owerri. Amuka is also building a second multi million naira hotel.We are also aware that Hon Ugonna Ozurigbo (OZ-B) of Nwangele LGA has from his loot in the contract scam turned his Kelvic Hotels Owerri of 12 rooms into a multi million naira Hotel.
We are also aware that the Chief of Staff to the Speaker Kodichi Anamekwe has with his own loot from contract scam bought 30 plots of land in Owerri and has built a multi million naira mansion at Achike Udenwa Estate near Concord Hotel. Anamekwe's landed properties can be verified at the ministry of land and survey in Owerri.He is presently building a Hotel in Owerri. All the road contract papers of road contractors in Imo State were signed by him. Who authorized the Chief of Staff to the Speaker to sign road contracts? You can see why the House members are silent in the face of massive fraud rocking the House .
YAHVCP is calling on all Imo people in Nigeria and Abroad to support us in every way as we fight this corruption in the Imo House of Assembly. We are giving the Imo House of Assembly 2 weeks to set up a probe panel to investigate this Uwajumogu-gate.In two weeks time we will release more information about the stinking smell coming out of the Imo Assembly. We cannot keep silent to this capitalist looting when our unemployed youths in their thousands have become a wild and homeless lot and socially disinherited.
WE WANT AN IMO STATE WHERE:
Government will LISTEN to the PEOPLE
Government will meet the needs and expectations of the people
Government will promote and defend the welfare of the people
Those in government will put public interest above their selfish and personal
interest
Those in government will stop looting our monies and be mocking
us by calling us paupers and never do wells
The Police , Judges and the Courts are not politically used to oppress the
people
We call on the good people of Imo State to rise against this Uwajumogu House of thieves masquerading as Assembly Members , a House that is neck-deep in corruption. As for us in YAHVCP, despite all this repression we remain undaunted.
Aluta continua! Victoria acerta!
Signed
Kenneth Uwadi
National Coordinator
YAHVCP
Amaka Didanda
National Media Affairs Director
YAHVCP