… Says Imo Gov is number one liar in Nigeria
The minister of state for education, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, has described Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State as number one lying politician in Nigeria following his allegation that the widows he ordered his commissioner for youths to manhandle last Tuesday during a peaceful protest in Owerri, the capital were carrying mock coffins and came from Abia State.
This is even as the minister has called on Governor Okorocha to render an unreserved apology to the people of the state for molesting and manhandling the women.
No fewer than five widows were hospitalized and several others severely brutalized last Tuesday following an attack on them by suspected youths of the All Progressives Congress, APC led by the state commissioner for Youths and Sports, Kenneth Emelu.
The women clad in black, and gathered along the Wetheral end of Okigwe Road, were confronted by the youths and manhandled while on a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with the Minister in Owerri the state capital.
The commissioner with his youths questioned the motive for the protest against the governor whom they said had performed creditably and deserved support.
But speaking with journalists on her arrival at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri today, Onwuliri said Okorocha must apologise to the people of the state especially the women if he ever wants to be accepted in the Igbo society after May 29, 2015 when he must have left office as governor of the state.
Onwuliri described the action of Governor Okorocha and his government against the women as barbaric and one that should be condemned by all.
The minister expressed disappointment over Okorocha’s action, stating that the attack on the widows by the governor and his commissioners was unprovoked and unwarranted, as according to her, the women were not demonstrating with coffin as alleged by the governor “but were merely expressing their grievances as I learnt”.
She denied ordering soldiers to unleash mayhem in the state, saying the women were only responding to lots of ugly things said about their patron and the federal government by the state government.
“It’s not true that I arranged for the soldiers to invade the state government house because I was not even in the state.
“The women were on a peaceful protest and the state government came out and manhandled the harmless widows. We don’t need anybody to tell the government to protect these women because they are harmless.
“The women felt aggrieved that’s why they came out to protest. A few days before then, the governor arranged APC women to stage a protest against me and nothing happened to them. So these widows decided that they should counter that because they have seen lots of things President Jonathan had done for them through me. But they were beaten up by thugs arranged by the governor.
“We also learnt that one of your colleagues the NTA journalist, Eric Etuk was not only beaten up but was stabbed by these thugs. That shows you that people came to attack innocent women with knives. Why would somebody send youths to attack women? The curse is placed there in the Bible”, she said.
Onwuliri stated that the governor was only trying to justify his beating of the widows by alleging that the widows came to government house with a mock coffin, an allegation she described as characteristic of Governor Okorocha, who she described as number one liar in Nigeria.
“The government is accusing the women of carrying mock coffin just to justify its actions against the widows. Imo State government is now a laughing stock before the international community for molesting and manhandling women”.
On her role in the alleged invasion of the state government house by soldiers on the day of the incident, the minister said “It’s not true that I ordered soldiers to invade Imo government house. Rochas should stop blaming me for his ugly actions against the women because I was not in the state that day. Why would I order soldiers to come and invade the government house? Am I a general? Am I the Chief of Army Staff or the President that I should order the soldiers?
“According to the women they had told security agencies in the state that they were going on a peaceful protest. They were just getting ready to go when they were pounced upon by these thugs sent by the state government”.
