Article: Why Imo State Government Is Keeping Activist Samuelson Iwuoha In Jail

 Activist Samuelson Iwuoha

By Kenneth Uwadi

Wherever And whenever there is death, flesh also becomes visible; and if one observes closely too, some vultures must be lurking around the corner to feast on the flesh. Indeed, vultures are evil birds; if not how could one possibly explain away the fact that they are always available, and are at their best, nodding their ugly heads in sadistic happiness, only when the news is about death and the resultant availability of flesh? No sane human being deliberately fraternizes with them unless that person too is evil. But vultures are not the real focus of this write up; but much more seriously, this article is aimed at drawing out some striking similarities between the evil bird of prey, the vulture and the current evil men we have in Imo State that are holding the position of Governor of Imo and Speaker of Imo House of Assembly.

The Imo State Governor and his friend Mr Benjamin Uwajumogu ,our influential thieves are even worse than the vulture since they witch-hunt activists and mercilessly corner the resources meant for the development of the entire Imo for themselves, their families and friends, while the helpless poor masses of Imo State are left to waste away, dying needlessly of hunger, avoidable/curable diseases, joblessness and extreme suffering. Whoever tries to speak against the thieving Governor and thieving Speaker of Imo State is framed up and dumped in prison custody. Once they catch you and dump you in prison, your case will never be heard by the court. It will be come today come tomorrow.

These two shameless vampires in Imo State are extremely greedy, short sighted, deep folly and corrupt. They are shamelessly looting Imo LGA funds . They have killed ISOPADEC and Adapalm. They lack the knowledge, foresight, patriotism, tact and diplomacy needed to build a modern, organized society. They have become totally besotted by extreme luxury and other paraphernalia of office. They enjoy using the best industrial products of the developed world and like moving about in their fine/well planned cities, but would never think of replicating the good things they use, see or observe in these places in Imo State. Yet, Imo is well endowed with all the relevant natural resources.

Today Governor Okorocha and Benjaming Uwajumogu are still keeping in prison Uwajumogu’s former media aide, Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha who opened up on the fraudulent activities being committed by the speaker, using several fronts including his Chief of Staff, Kodichi Anamekwe, his Acting Senior Special Assistant on Media, Emeka Ahaneku and his sister, Chidinma Uwajumogu. Samuelson and his wife were arrested on June 3, 2014 over the alleged murder of one Mr. Franklin Okolie in Owerri. Till today the family of Franklin Okolie have told the world that Samuelson and his wife are not responsible for Franklin’s death. But Samuelson is still in jail held by the two influential thieves in Imo State who have instructed that he should remain in jail till after 2015 election.

The children of the couple, Nwachinaemere, 10 years and Adannaya 8, are going through untold hardship as a result of the continued incarceration of their parents. Everybody in Imo State including the blind know that Iwuoha is framed so as to keep him away from releasing documents indicting Uwajumogu the Imo House of Assembly speaker of corruption.

When Activist Samuelson Iwuoha discovered the monumental fraud going on in the Speaker’s office, he officially requested both the Speaker and the Executive Governor of the state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, to set up a probe panel to look into the activities of the fronts that the Speaker surrounded himself with. But because the speaker is fully involved in the fraudulent activities of his fronts, he reacted by issuing Iwuoha a query. He replied and stood by his allegations and requested again that the probe panel be set up. A kangaroo panel was set up with the speaker's bosom friend as chairman. The panel never made public its findings.

The Speaker’s Chief of Staff, Anamekwe, awarded roads contracts on behalf of the Speaker. Some of such road contracts include the constructions of a 3.0km Umudim-Umubochi road and the 5.0km Ubaraogwu- Amiri road in Oru East Local Government area awarded to Eamdar Construcion Nig. Ltd and the Construction of 2.15km Mgbara Umuoji road in Ohaji Egbeme Local Government Area awarded to Emtony Global Connections Ltd.

Through various manipulations in award of road contracts, state funds running into billions of naira were diverted and used by the dishonorable Speaker to acquire eye popping properties scattered across the country and abroad. The properties the speaker acquired with alleged stolen funds include a N500 million naira Asphalt plant along Onitsha road Owerri, acquired in the first quarter of 2012, several mansions along Chief Ben Uwajumogu Street Federal Housing Estate Umuguma Owerri – West LGA, acquired in 2013, JASMINE Hotels and suites behind Imo Concorde Hotel valued at over N70 million and opened in November 2012, over 200 plots of land located in Owerri West LGA and acquired in 2013, renovated, furnished and converted his father’s village one storey building at Ihitte/Uboma LGA into a palace at a value of over N400 million, built two other mansions in Ihitte/Uboma, renovating his father’s Hotel (Eastern Comfort) in Umuahia to the tune of over N100 million, acquired mansions in Aba and Umuahia, acquired a crush rock industry in Ebonyi State to the tune of over N760 million naira in 2013, converted the Imo State Liaison Office Abuja into his personal property.

The Imo State government reportedly “leased” out the five floor state liaison office for 20 years at the sum of N70,000,000 million to Imo Speaker, who in turn ejected all Staffs of the office forcefully in August 2013. So far, Imo Speaker has spent over N750 million in converting the edifice into a Hotel. The Imo Speaker is presently developing a hotel in Lagos valued at over N500 million naira.

In other to stop Iwuoha from exposing them further Mr BenjaminUwajumogu and Governor Okorocha hurriedly framed Iwuoha for murder and placed me on wanted list. My crime is that I called on the Speaker to resign from the House for these contract scam and employment racketeering. My question still remains “ how can a man who borrowed N10.6 million from Chief Athan Achonu, N11.5 million from Chief George Eguh and N15 million from Chief Tony Chukwu and mortgaged his father’s properties at Aba and Umuahia in Abia state during the 2011 electioneering campaign become a billionaire within two and a half years if he is not a thief “ How much is Uwajumogu’s salary and allowances.

I am against looting of Imo tax payers money in a state where 80% of her citizens live on less than 600 naira per day, in a state that has almost 10,000 children on the streets-children without parental care, without shelter. We must reject corruption. We must not accept it as normal. Corruption is like cancer. Cancer makes lives exceedingly miserable. Corrupt politicians are punishing the rest of us. They don't show respect to the common good of the citizens, thereby retarding development. Corruption in public office in all its manifestations is a dehumanizing evil force that must be fought with all the energy that we can muster. We must not allow Imo State to be painted as a State that tolerates or even encourages corruption.

I on behalf of the Youths Against Human Rights Violation And Corrupt Practices (YAHVCP) hereby demands for the immediate release of Activist Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha . The Speaker is running for Senate yet he is holding a man and his wife in prison. What cruelty. See what an aspiring senator is doing. I call on labour, the press, pro-masses organisations and individuals, nationally and internationally, to condemn the unlawful arrest and detention of Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha since June 2014 and demand his immediate release.

(Uwadi is from Mmahu-Egbema , Imo State. He is the Coordinator of Youths Against Human Rights Violation And Corrupt Practices (YAHVCP))