HOPE UZODIMMA: Supreme Court Victory, Lawful – Duruihuoma
As various political parties in Imo State bustle with activities in preparation for the forthcoming gubernatorial election, Eze Duruihuoma, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN) has described as “incorrect”, the notion which condemns the process that produced the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, in the 2019 general elections.
Duruihuoma argued that although most individuals have expressed discontentment with the verdict as delivered by the Supreme Court, yet the process that produced the incumbent Governor ought not be tagged unlawful.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with famousreporters.com at his office, in Owerri, over the week, the Elder Stateman, without mincing words, insisted that the Governor’s emergence as lawful, pointing out that the process of vote counting does not determine the winner of an election.
Meanwhile, it is no longer news that Imolites have on different occasions, lamented that they never elected Senator Hope Uzodinma to be their Governor, hence the nickname “Supreme Court Governor”,
In his words:
“Honestly speaking, I don’t understand the distinction, because the process of becoming a governor, becoming an elected person, doesn’t stop with the counting of votes. When the votes are counted, usually any of the participants that is aggrieved will take his anger, grief or dissatisfaction to the tribunal and that starts another process. So, until there is a final stamp from that area, nobody can say yes, I am truly elected, I don’t know the decision between supreme courts and whatever, Supreme Court did the job.
“It is possible some people don’t like the judgement, but to say that the Governor didn’t emerge from a lawful process, I don’t think that is correct”, he said.
On the present condition of the state, he regretted that the spate of insecurity ravaging the state had drained joy and happiness from all and sundry, thus leaving them in utter fear of the unknown.
Moreso, he asserted that businesses in the State’s capital and its environs, which he pointed out had, over the years, blossomed particularly in the hospitality industry, had, long been crippled by the extant pandemonium.
“Well it depends on what one is looking at; nobody will be happy or take any joy in the insecurity being witnessed in imo state today.
Imo state is known to be a very peaceful state that is why within a space of ten years, there were more hotels in Imo State than you can find in so many state capitals. In fact, the hotel development in Imo State is only comparable (even though I don’t have the statistics, I think it’s comparable to Abuja.
“So, hospitality business thrives only in a secured, peaceful environment. So, that’s why I said Imo used to be a house of peace where people trooped down to.
“Those days, if you had ever been misfortune of searching for a hotel room in Imo State, in Owerri on a weekend, you will understand what I am talking about. The entire place, the hotels big and small each and every one of them all the hotel rooms are booked up, I don’t know how it is like now because I no longer visit Owerri rather I live in owerri and so I don’t know how the hotels are surviving
Earlier, the former chairman of National Population Commission, (NPC) and Elder Stateman prided in his immense contributions to states politics, recounting on his expected advisory role towards the advancement of the sector and the state in general.
Furthermore, he emphasized the need to allow the younger generation in corridors of power, saying they could make more meaningful impacts, as it were.
“I’m an Elder Stateman though I’m interested in politics, because at the root of our lives, politics affects the way you and me live. Now, we cannot talk about Imo State without putting politics into it and that is also applicable to Nigeria.
“As an elder statesman, I see my role as advisory; I place myself in a position where I should be able to advise anybody on what I think is right. So, in that sense I prefer to play that role now. For the better of my life, I have since in the 20s, been in the war front, fighting political parties. Thank God younger ones who are more even informed and aggressive have shown their interest. So, we should allow them room to also try to do those things we try to do or maybe do them better, but we should be available to advise them.”
