Satisfied with the manner Governor Hope Uzodimma has handled the challenge of insecurity in Imo State in the face of scarce resources, President Muhammadu Buhari has agreed to support the government with additional funding as the Governor plans to engage more manpower ahead of Christmas.

The President gave his words on Tuesday when Governor Uzodimma paid a working visit to Aso Rock Villa.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting with Buhari, Governor Uzodimma said the President addressed the issues he raised with him satisfactorily.

His words: “The prominent among the issues is just the increasing insecurity in the Southeast. I know that despite the activities of the bandits and unknown gunmen, recall that the correctional facility in Owerri was broken and over 1836 inmates were released.

“Since that time they’ve been on rampage, committing all sorts of crimes; kidnapping, robbery and other sorts of crimes in the state and there is need for us to really clean up the state because you know that this period of Christmas is so important to our people and we want to ensure that those coming home to spend their Christmas will have a conducive atmosphere to enjoy their Christmas and then celebrate the season.”

On Governor Uzodimma's request for more manpower and financial support from Buhari he explained: “Yes, we asked for support with additional man power and also I asked for some kind of funding to support the security situation in Imo State and Mr. President graciously approved.”

Governor Uzodimma also spoke to the reporters for the first time on the just held Anambra Governorship election in his capacity as the APC chairman of the election campaign committee, saying that “Anambra election, of course, you know the election has come and gone and other things may be post-election activities.”

“Of course, I was able to explain to the President, how we tried in the election, we campaigned very rigorously and we also converted a lot of people to APC. The election was greeted by voter apathy and a high level of insecurity in Anambra and the turnout was very low. Other decisions or positions will be taken by the leadership of the party. I’ve done mine as the chairman of the campaign committee.”

On the decision of the candidate of the APC, Sen. Andy Ubah to challenge the outcome of the poll in court even when President Buhari as the leader of the party had congratulated his opponent, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, Governor Uzodimma explained: "Andy Ubah’s going to court or not going to court has nothing to do with Mr. President, congratulating somebody, whom INEC has declared winner of the election.

“Of course, he is President of all, he’s not the President of one political party, he’s the President of all political parties and the President of all the candidates in that election. Of course, in every contest, a winner must emerge and in the wisdom of INEC and to the best of their ability, they’ve declared the results of the election.

“The same Electoral Act that allows INEC to declare results of an election, also allows aggrieved candidates to seek for redress in court, if they so desire. But every other thing will be the decision taken by the candidate and the party. I’m not the party, I’m not the Chairman of the party, I’m not the leader of the party, I just did an assignment as the Chairman of the campaign committee.”

The Governor also spoke on the chances of the APC retaining power in 2023 after the general election refusing to agree there are circumstances that can deter the party from retaining power.

His words: “What is the prevailing that will make APC not to win? Is it prevailing that you are not aware that the President is of the APC extraction? Is it that you don’t know that 22 states in the country belong to APC? Is it that you don’t know that APC has the majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives? Is it that you don’t know that out of the 774 local government in the country that the APC is controlling the majority? Have you not seen the number of people decamping into the APC?

“The mood of the country is that the President is doing very well and the mood of the country is that APC, given the peculiarity of this time, where insecurity has taken over the globe, where COVID-19 has ravaged every place in the world, from one variant to another variant, yet we are able to come out from recession.

“The way the Central Bank has managed to see that we are still afloat, the way all the intervention policies of the government, including the stimulus package rolled out by this government, to ensure that the negative impacts of COVID-19 is not grievous on our people. So I’m very confident, I’m a proud member of the APC and I think we’ll do our best to ensure that the confidence reposed in the party by Nigerians is not betrayed.”

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