From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Ahead of the November 11 governorship poll in Imo State, a group known as Imo Technocratic Elite in Australia, has endorsed the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Senator Athan Achonu for the exalted position.
The endorsement was contained in a statement issued by the group and made available to newsmen on Wednesday.
According to the statement jointly signed by Professor Samson Ibekwe, and Dr Jude Nnabuikem, Chairman and Secretary of the group respectively, “Imo State is in coma and requires urgent resuscitation to avoid total decimation”.
The statement said that after a careful perusal of the antecedents and resume of the various governorship candidates, the group which is apolitical, settled for Senator Achonu “based on his track records.”
“Senator Achonu has the capacity, exposure, experience and competence to re-launch Imo to the path of peace, stability and prosperity, the statement said “.
The group decried the spate of senseless killings and bloodbath in the state, warning that if nothing urgent is done to halt the dangerous trend, the state might not survive for too long.
” We don’t need any soothsayer to tell us that Imo has become a theatre of war since APC took over power through the backdoor in 2020. Ever since then, Imo has known no peace.
” Blood flows on Imo streets and villages with no end in sight. Nobody is taking responsibilities yet we have a Government in power. Non state actors have taken over the land of our birth. Pain and anguish have been unleashed on our people.
“Imolites have become refugees in their own land. Our communities are now deserted as unknown gunmen have turned them into slaughter ground. This is not the Imo of our patriarchs! Something urgent has to be done to liberate Imo from political hijackers behind our ordeals.”
The group also decried infrastructural collapse in the state as well as the condition of workers and pensioners who it said, had suffered gross neglect by those in power.
“Imo has become the laughing stock of the South East due to misgovernance and lack of visionary leadership. There is near-collapse of infrastructure. Workers and pensioners in Imo are treated as prisoners of war.
“Criminality has been on the increase, and this must not be allowed to fester. Time has come for Imolites irrespective of their political differences to jettison party affiliations and unite for our liberation. We must come together as a people and rescue Imo from antidemocratic forces holding us down.”
The group said that besides the personal antecedents of Senator Achonu who had demonstrated preparedness for service while at the Senate, the massive transformation in the neighbouring Abia State which is the only LP-controlled state in the country, “convinced us that Imo will advance under Labour Party.”
It, therefore, urged the people of Imo particularly youths to reject monetary inducements at the forthcoming poll and vote for competence and capacity.
“We appeal to our people in Imo irrespective of their political parties, to unite against political oppression and slavery. We must, like Abia State, take over our state from the hijackers for the good of all. Now is the to place the future of Imo above other considerations.”
The Imo Technocratic Elite in Australia promised to support Senator Achonu’s governorship bid until “it is actualised for the good of all.”