Palpable tension has gripped high ranking officials of the Imo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC, as information available has it that principal officers who held sway during his first tenure of Governor Hope Uzodimma may not return to office
Uzodimma was last week sworn in to start another four year term.
Since he took the oath of office to complete another four years on January 15 2024 after winning the November 11 2023 governorship election, the Imo State Governor is yet to name any principal official.
Unlike in January 14 2020, when the Supreme Court declared him winner, Uzodimma is yet among others a Chief of Staff and Secretary to State Government believed to be key figures in the administration of a state
Moments after he was declared winner by the Supreme Court in 2020, Uzodimma appointed Chief Cosmas Iwu and Barr Nnamdi Anyaehie SSG and CoS respectively.
But with the dissolution of the Exco a day after he was sworn in to end the life of the tenure, our correspondent learnt that the governor is taking his time to get new aides signalling that fresh persons may be appointed to come on board other than the immediate past officials.
A top Government House source in Owerri who spoke in condition of anonymity informed Impartial Observers that “the reason why His Excellency (Uzodinma) is taking his time to appoint key officials after Swearing-in is because he is searching for worthy replacements for some offices like that of Chief of Staff and Secretary to the State Government”
Asked if Iwu and Anyaehie won’t return, the source offered that if the governor had wanted them to stay he would have re-appointed them immediately.
“Don’t you see the hand writing on the wall arising from the delay? If he had wanted them to come on board, he would have appointed them immediately after the dissolution” the source added.
Though, both Iwu and Anyaehie are still spotted around in government quarters and near Uzodimma, feelers are strong that they may not return to office held in the past four years as the governor is shopping for another set of appointees to move
