By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew| Owerri
There is growing disenchantment in Imo State following Governor Hope Uzodimma’s directive to restrict Government functionaries access to the Government House Owerri.
The governor gave the outstanding order in a close door meeting with his appontees and selected Stakeholders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State on Tuesday, 26 September, at the Exco Chamber Complex, Imo Government House Owerri.
Already, worried appontees are crying over lack of funds and logistics to travel to their respective wards and local government Areas to begin a grassroot campaign for the Govenor as directed in the meeting.
According to a source, the governor had directed his appontees in the meeting to stop loitering about, whereas there is a serious election by November 11.
Uzodimma ordered, ” infact, from today, every appointee should go to his/her wards and LGAs for grassroots campaign, I do not want any Appointee moving round the Government House to seek attention.”
However, worried appontees are querying how a grassroot campaign would be affective without funds and logistics to enable them take care of their families and love ones when they travel home for campaigning as directed by the Governor.
It was gathered that some of the appontees of the governor are finding it difficult to travel to their villages for the election because the governor is yet to release funds for them, majority of the appontees from Orlu zone extraction and Okigwe are afraid of going home as a result of insecurity cases in their Areas.
Investigation shows that some of the appointees of Governor Uzodimma are yet to be paid monthly salaries, while Special Advisers and Senior Special Assistants serving in his Shared Prosperity Administration have not been given operational vehicles to carryout official assignments.
Sources stated that some of the Govenor’s Special Advisers and Commissioners are currently a in serious cold war, as Commissioners have allegedly refused to accommodate the Special Advisers who were assigned to their respective ministries by the Governor, thereby restricting the Advisers from getting funds and gratification made for them.
“The unfortunate thing is that we appontees both Old and New can not go home for the governor’s Campaign without funds, because our people will kill us with JUJU.
“We only can hide here in Owerri because we do not have money. Even the fuel Subsidy Palliatives the governor promised Appointees are yet to be received.
“There was a time we heard rumors that the Govenor will pay each Special Adviser (4) four million naira, Commissioners (5) million naira and Senior Special Assistants (3) three million naira to cushion the effect of the fuel Subsidy, up till now we have seen nothing.
“No Commissioner Recieved rice to share for his people. Tell me how appontees can go to village without Funds, no impress is given to us and we are yet to receive Salaries for the month.
“Our people will kill us with JUJU hence we travel home for campaign without nothing.” Source said.
When contacted, Special Adviser to the governor on Media Engagement, Greg Nwadike confirmed the news to our correspondent.
He said, “there is nothing wrong with the governor’s directive. Uzodinma just gave an advise to appointees to go home for the election because there is no need for you to call your self a leader whereas you can not go home for Campaign.
“The Govenor’s directive is very much in order.”
