IMO STATE CHARTER OF EQUITY: Allow Uzodinma Complete 8-Years Tenure, Elder Stateman, Duruihuoma Urges Imolites

By Charity Uwakwe

As various political parties in Imo State bustle with activities, in preparation for the forthcoming 2023 November gubernatorial election, an Elder Statesman, Eze Duruihuoma has made a hearty call, urging Imolites to support the incumbent Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Senator Hope Uzodinma to ensure his landslide victory.

He argued that denying the incumbent Governor the opportunity to complete his outstanding four years tenure would tantamount to aberration of the State’s Charter of Equity.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN),
made the call over the weekend, during an exclusive interview with famousreporters.com, in Owerri, noting that a strict adherence to the Charter of Equity, would ensure a tranquil coexistence among the senatorial zones in the State.

“You see, in terms of Governance, Hope is completing four years. Most people will agree that four years ordinarily will not be enough to leave a legacy behind and you don’t go into Government and come out without leaving things to be remembered for.

On whether Uzodinma could be rated higher than the PDP candidate, Chief Samuel Anyanwu (aka. Sam Daddy) as regards providing the people with good governance, he said:

“Well, let me just simply talk about, Sam daddy, Sam daddy is my friend I cannot bad mouth him. Sam daddy and his deputy are my friends. In fact, I can also proudly claim that I played a role in there emergence but that is not what I am talking about now; I am talking about Governance.

Continuing, he added: “I think Hope should be given another chance, another four years. Like I said, those other gentlemen are my friends and I wish them well. But all things considered I think Hope should be allowed to complete his tenure. And again, there is something I personally have clamoured for and that is ‘Charter of Equity’.

“I pushed for it, fought for it. Rochas comes from my place so I know this particular issue made me unpopular among my people when I said, no Rochas should not go, that it was the turn of Okigwe. I pushed hard for it and it cost me some of my integrity among my people but for the fact that I have a solid reputation among my people, I would have been an outcast, I would have been somebody who everybody avoided at that time, but somehow, I overcame it; I survived it because I knew I was on the side of truth.

On the extant insecurity ravaging the State, Duruihuoma reiterated that the place of the Charter of Equity in fostering the progress, security and unity of the State remained indispensable.

Furthermore, amidst regrets, he envisaged the likelihood of a persistent fracas in the State as could be instigated by any attempt to deny Uzodinma the completion of his 8-years term.

“So that Charter of Equity is something IMO STATE needs and needs so much. At least on the basis of that Charter of Equity, let Hope Uzodinma complete his eight years tenure and at the end of which the zoning arrangement will go to Owerri. Some people are suggesting that it is the imbalance that is in Governance, that is Orlu, having a monopoly of power that is causing the insecurity.

“Well, like I said before, I don’t have the facts. So, I cannot come to that conclusion. But, assuming, for purposes of argument, that is it, the answer then is the Charter of Equity, because in that way, everybody will have a bite at the shell and nobody would be cheated. So, Hope completing him eight years is the answer, but if he is denied that, the problem will insist.

However, he argued that the Governor must not be mistaken for a Messiah, hence none is either, but, stated pointedly that Uzodinma had outperformed all of his predecessors, when placed side-by-side.

“Hope is not a Messiah; nobody is a Messiah but if you have to compare him with some of the people who have been on the saddle in recent times including Okorocha, Hope is so many poles apart.”