The attention of Orlu Political Consultative Assembly (0POCA) has been drawn to series of meetings convened by former Minister of Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho of Emekuku Owerri who was allegedly sacked in controversial circumstances including anti- party activities by the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration. These series of nocturnal meetings have apparently culminated to the inglorious formation of what he has christened ‘Imo Harmony Project’.
While acknowledging the constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of association and lawful gatherings, the premature and sole agenda of the so-called Imo Harmony Project which anchors on the succession of the Governor of Imo State, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma in 2027 at this early stage is a matter of great concern to OPOCA and other discerning minds.
On a sincere note, OPOCA would have ignored Capt. Iheanacho and his co-travelers except for the controversial communique released on 14th April, 2024, wherein they announced committees charged to prosecute premature and early campaigns for Owerri Governor of 2027.
It is a Common knowledge that OPOCA had earlier assumed position
of harmony, political understanding and seamless workability of Imo
Charter of Equity through a detailed correspondence to Imo Elders Council advising compatriots and leaders of Owerri and Okigwe zones to dismantle every perceived political encumbrances including the fandom legal action filed against the landslide and overwhelming victory that democratically guaranteed the second term of His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma (Onwa) and Orlu Zone under the renewed spirit of the Charter of Equity.
Considering the foregoing, the Orlu Political Consultative Assembly (OPOCA) wishes to restate and assume the following positions:
1. That OPOCA views this development as an orchestrated distraction to the second term administration of Dist. Senator Hope Uzodinma which has just taken off. What the governor deserves at this moment is nothing but the total support of all Imolites to enable the Governor
consolidate on the gains of his first term achievements geared towards taking Imo to a higher level of development and economic prosperity. We therefore reinforce our earlier stand that issues of who becomes the next governor of Imo State shall be democratically determined by our dear Governor and Imolites at the riped and appropriate time. Definitely it cannot be by blackmailing the Governor and the Imo Elders Council.
2. That the early formation of the so-called Imo Harmony Project Committees and structure for the purpose of staging premature campaigns for 2027 Owerri zone Governor is an affront to the present
government and a seeming parallel government which no doubt spells an illegality of some sort against known democratic principles.
3. That it is strange and unfortunate that Capt. Ihenacho has never activated any medium including his alleged selfishly driven nocturnal meetings to acknowledge the good works of the governor or commend him for the landmark reconstruction and dualization of Owerri-Mbaise- Umuahia road which Crosses his Emekuku country home and compound.
4. That rather than apologies to Imolites for (allegedly) truncating the Charter of Equity in 2011 alongside some of his kinsmen, Capt. Ihenacho to our Surprise is rather anchoring his nocturnal activities on Charter of Equity. Which Charter of Equity is Capt. Ihenacho preaching? Is it the particular one he and some of kinsmen destroyed in 2011 or that Conceived by Senator Hope Uzodinma which they vehemently opposed and never voted in support. OPOCA will subsequently be
releasing the unit and ward results of the last governorship election of these hypocrites to shame them.
5. That OPOCA had long expected Capt. Ihenacho and his co- travelers to perform the very first task of persuading his kinsman and the 2023 candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to withdraw and discontinue a legal action against the second term victory of Senator Hope Uzodinma, so as to pave way for smooth implementation of Imo Charter of Equity. Rather than dismantling
political encumbrances capable of derailing the 2027 smooth transfer of power to either Owerri or Okigwe zones, the former minister is busy chasing shadows at the risk of his zone. OPOCA views this ugly development as a mere hypocrisy hence Capt. Ihenacho believes that distracting the Governor through court cases mounted by his brother vis-a-vis his nocturnal approach to 2027 Imo Governorship wilI erroneously confer certain advantage to his inordinate quest to impose the next Governor of Imo state come 2027.
6. In our avowed determination to ensure Senator Hope Uzodinma enjoys political tranquility devoid of distractions thus strengthening him to deliver more developments and other dividends of democracy, we hereby seize this opportunity to call on Capt. Ihenacho to discontinue with the so-called Imo Harmony Project or be ready to contend with OPOCA. We cannot fold our hands and watch desperate politicians and self-centered power mongers constitute themselves as clog in the wheel of progress in our dear State.
7. We therefore call on the government of Senator Hope Uzodinma to take decisive action against political desperadoes and clandestine moves capable of heating up the polity as well as inordinate political structures likely to undermine the government of the state and overheat the polity again, considering the fact that the state is just recovering from volcanic insecurity largely heaped on us by
another group of political renegades.
Long Live OPOCA!
Long Live Imo State!!
Long Live our Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
