Government House, Owerri
Press Release
For sometimes now, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Imo State has continued to claim that Governor Rochas Okorocha has mortgaged the state to the tune of N62 billion loan from Zenith Bank. The party has made this allegation a recurring decimal. The party has continued to trade on this lie to blackmail the governor and the administration in general.
Against the backdrop of this allegation that has continued to be repeated by the Imo PDP, I challenge the party to provide the evidence of their claim within 7 days since it is expected that the party must have been sure of its facts before making them public.
In the text of the Press Conference, the party had on Thursday, October 31, 2013 which was signed by the state chairman of the party, Chief Eze Duruiheoma, the party said the Governor has mortgaged the state to the tune of N62 billion loan from the Zenith Bank. The onus now is on the party in the state to back their claim with evidence to be believed or apologize to Imo people for telling them lies.
It is also possible that the party has been making the allegation following the Governor’s load of achievements which the Imo PDP might be wondering where the money for the projects must have come from, and they therefore concluded that it must be loan. If 7 days is not enough for the party to provide evidence of their claim, the party can also be given 14 days to do so.
And as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, I promise to resign my appointment if the party comes up with evidence of the N62 billion and I will apologize to Imo people over my defence. This is the time to be serious with some of these issues.
If at the end of the 7 days, the Imo PDP is unable or fails to back their allegation of N62 billion loan with verifiable evidence, then the party has the moral duty to apologize to Imo people for deceiving them.
Sam Onwuemeodo
SSA, Media to the Governor
7th November, 2013
