Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State have taken a swipe at a former lawmaker, Emeka Ihedioha for attacking the National Secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu after he visited the state Working Committee to interact with them on party’s way forward.
The leaders who issued the warning under the auspices of Imo PDP Stakeholders League asked Ihedioha to cover his face in shame for hijacking monies realized from primaries and meant for the offsetting of salary arrears of staff of the party in Imo.
In a release signed by High Chief Nicholas Osuigwe (Coordinator), Barr Chukwuka Ibekwe (Secretary), and Lolo Joy Ngharamike (PRO) respectively, the group said that due to the hijack of party funds by Ihedioha and cohorts, PDP could not pay its staff salary for over year.
The statement reads:
Press Release
IMO PDP STAKEHOLDERS LEAGUE
24 Hours After Visit To Imo SWC Members: Ihedioha Unleashes Media Attack On Senator Anyanwu, PDP
It is regrettable to inform our party members, leaders, critical stakeholders and the public that twenty four (24) hours after our National Secretary, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu met with the members of the State Working Committee of PDP in Imo state on a one day working visit, Chief Emeka Ihedioha has unleashed media attack to give the visit a bad impression with a view to embarrassing our party and its National Scribe.
We are appalled that all efforts by party leaders to bring good name and membership boost to PDP has always been viewed by Chief Ihedioha and his supporters as threat to their political future, hence the only way to remain on ground is to destabilize our party at all cost.
It is worthy to remind our leaders, critical stakeholders and committed members that the visit to the state party secretariat by the National Secretary has been described by Chief Ihedioha and his supporters as the return of a prodigal son.
Painfully, during the visit to our party office, the state Chairman, Engr Charles Ugwuh, Secretary, Nze Ray Emeana and the Organizing Secretary, Law Biaduo separately gave stricken revelation that the party’s staff have been owed for over one year salary without anyone saying anything, including Ihedioha, who parades himself as the owner of Imo PDP.
It is regrettable to inform our teaming supporters that this is happening after the said Emeka Ihedioha has held our party structure on the jugular by hijacking all monies realized from the sale of forms, few months after the party’s primaries in the state.
We are aware that some of the monies earmarked for the purposes of offsetting the salary arrears of our party staff was ceased and diverted to private use by Emeka Ihedioha and his cohorts.
It is therefore shameful that after claiming to be the sole “Lord” and leader of our party in the state, Emeka Ihedioha has not deemed it fit to release or donate any dime to the SWC to assist in offsetting the salary wage bill of our party staff. The most painful part of it is that most of these staff have families they cannot carter for again due to this inhuman treatment by Ihedioha.
Our pain is not that Emeka Ihedioha has successfully made away with all funds meant for our party, but his continued insistence that he will not release any dime to enable the leadership of our party in the state pay the staff is most unwholesome and wicked.
It is our firm belief that PDP is currently in dire need of funds, and we thank the National Secretary, Senator Anyanwu for donating N7 million to party members and N500, 000 to the staff of our party as urgent palliative respectively.
We also warn members of the SWC not to allow Emeka Ihedioha any access to the N7.5 million donated by our National Secretary during the one day working visit, as doing so will amount to complicit and betrayal of trust reposed in them at this critical time.
As leaders and members of Imo PDP Stakeholders League, we condemn the attitude of Emeka Ihedioha and his supporters for doing everything possible to drag our party image to the mud.
Signed
High Chief Nicholas Osuigwe
Coordinator
Barr Chukwuka Ibekwe
Secretary
Lolo Joy Ngharamike
PRO
