By CHARLES IWUOHA

Fresh Facts have emerged on how Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has spent over $600,000 dollars to sponsor his appointees and party members to Jerusalem, with the sole charge that the Imo pilgrims should pray for his re-election.

This followed shortly after the party’s governorship primary election held in Imo, where the Labour Party (LP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and other opposition parties in the state had drawn the battle line against Uzodimma who is the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the governorship election scheduled for November 11, 2023 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

A Government House source who pleaded anonymity revealed that the Governor has been so much afraid of his re-election bid, immediately after the party primary election which produced Imo ex-Senators who were his colleagues in the National Assembly, to challenge him in the November guber poll.

The source revealed that Uzodimma carefully selected categories of people who would be traveling to Jerusalem for the prayers, which include his sole administrators in the various Local Government Councils, Commissioners, members of expanded executive, appointees in the local governments and boards, and top party executives.

Others are the pro-Uzodimma support groups in the state, pro-government union leaders and top dignitaries in the state who are key players in his shared prosperity administration.

Meanwhile, newsmen who visited the Imo State Government House in Owerri, the Imo State Capital City on Friday, had sighted not fewer than 1,000 people in uniforms, waiting for the Governor’s arrival from Abuja in the noon hours to address them before their departure.

However, it was uncovered that some of the lawmakers in the state, who are not happy with the Governor, rejected the pilgrimage tourism offer, while others sent their personal assistants, friends and family members to go on their behalf, while top party officials whose names were not disclosed sold their slots for money.

A very close appointee to the Governor who did not want his name in print, told newsmen that the purpose of the Jerusalem visit was to pray for the Governor’s re-election.

Our source further revealed that the Governor did not spent not less than S600,000 to accomplish the pilgrimage tourism project.

However, Journalists were authoritatively informed that 100 people left for Jerusalem on Friday after the Governor’s address as the first batch, while the second batch would soon leave.

It was further gathered that so many of the Pilgrims who went in proxy of their respective principals had vowed not to return to Nigeria so soon.

Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Information, Declan Mbadiwe Emelumba, and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Oguwuike Nwachuku, proved abortive as at press time.

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