War of words: Okorocha, Ihedioha yet to sheathe swords

OWERRI — The verbal war between Imo State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, has taken a more dramatic dimension even after the near bloody clash between their supporters during last weekend’s New Yam Festival at Mbaise. Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha While Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to the Governor on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, described what the governor passed through at Mbaise as unwarranted, unprovoked and unnecessary verbal attack, the Personal Assistant, PA, to the Deputy Speaker on Media, Mr. Chibuike Onyeukwu, demanded unreserved apology from Okorocha for defiling the reverred age-long Mbaise New Yam Festival. “The Deputy Speaker and other Mbaise leaders, believe that it is the Governor who actually owes the Mbaise nation an apology for disrupting the event after coming late in his characteristic manner and defiling the treasured cultural values and tradition of Mbaise New Yam Festival,” Onyeukwu said. Continuing, Ihedioha’s PA reasoned that by walking out on the people and failing to accompany the Ndi-Ezeji to the yam barn for the customary Ito-Ji, the Governor displayed utter disrespect and immense disregard for Mbaise land and her tradition. “It needs to be made clear that the Deputy Speaker’s remarks as a well cultured, civilised representative of the people were simply at the instance of Mbaise people and a correct reflection of how they felt and still feel about the abandonment and sheer neglect they have suffered in the hands of Okorocha’s administration,” Onyeukwu said. He wondered why the Governor, who found it convenient to ignore several invitations to attend Iriji Mbaise in the past three years, suddenly decided to attend this year’s edition for obvious sinister political reasons. The Deputy Speaker’s aide used the opportunity to ask the Governor to list the projects his government had done for the Mbaise people and compare same with the appreciable life-changing Federal Government’s projects and programmes in infrastructure, education and vocational empowerment he (Ihedioha), had attracted to the state. In his own reaction, Onwuemeodo said before the New Yam Festival, “the governor and Chief Ihedioha have no problem of any kind to the best of the knowledge of Imo people and Mbaise people in particular, except that Ihedioha is aspiring to succeed Governor Okorocha in 2015, which is not a sin.” Onwuemeodo alleged that when Ihedioha was called upon to address the audience, “instead of using that ample opportunity to tell the crowd what he has been able to attract to his people for the 12 years in the House of Representatives or what the PDP controlled Federal Government has been able to do for Mbaise people or Imo people in general for 15 years or what the PDP governments in the state for 12 years were able to do, he opened another round of attack on the governor, telling the people how all the projects of Okorocha’s government were inferior.” - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/war-words-okorocha-ihedioha-yet-sheathe-swords/#sthash.hR5N3Vl2.dpuf