The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has said that politics is not war and advised his political opponents to stop the violence and killings in the State in the name of politics.
The Governor made the statement at the All Saints (Anglican) Cathedral Diocese, Egbu in Owerri on Sunday.
Addressing the congregation at the end of the Church Service, the Governor reminded his political opponents that power comes from God “and as a believer in God, I am bound by conscience to do the right thing as a Governor.”
He told the politicians to stop attending Church Service on Sundays and resort to financing violence and the shedding of blood of innocent Imo people the next day.
The Governor promised not to disappoint the reasonable expectations of Imo people.
He commended the Bishop of the Diocese, Rt Rev Geoffrey Enyinnaya Okoroafor for the choice of his Homily which he said he benefited from.
Governor Uzodimma also congratulated the members of the Cathedral, men and women, and pleaded with Imo people in general to “have a rethink on what is happening in the State, characterised by violence, killings and destructions and orchestrated by the illegal release of over 1840 prison inmates at the Owerri Correctional Centre by unknown gunmen.”
The Governor said despite the huge amount of money spent in stemming the level of insecurity in the State, people had continued to be afraid because of the experience of the past.
“I don’t blame the people because they live with the fear of the past phenomenon,” he said.
He however appealed to the people not to sit at home any longer on Monday, reassuring them that the government had done a lot on security.
“Please come out on Monday, open your shops, you have a Government that will protect you. Let us take back our State. We have no other State we can call our own,” he added.
He said as a Governor he was only holding the common patrimony of Imo State in trust, insisting that “the earlier we understand ourselves and come together, the better.”
On the request of the Bishop for the reconstruction of the road from Toronto Road Safety Junction to Naze, the Governor promised to make it a priority project based on available resources, stressing that he would not give a contract he was not able to pay for immediately.
But in the interim, the Governor promised to do the landscaping of the Cathedral premises and that of the Bishop’s Court to make entry and exit easy. He also made a donation of N5million on behalf of his wife, the First Lady, for the women’s ministry of the Cathedral.
On the present hardship faced by the people as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy, Governor Uzodimma assured that soon, people would be happy as plans were afloat to ensure that the price of the dollar comes down, and fuel prices nosedive with the commencement of local refining in few months’ time. He requested all to be patient with the Government at all levels.
In his Homily drawn from Exodus 18:13-26, Bishop Okoroafor appreciated the Governor for his good works in the State and encouraged him not to relent despite the challenges and distractions.
Bishop Okafor, who said that Governor Uzodimma’s works in the State were there for everyone to see, encouraged him to remain focused even as he reeled out the catalogue of things the Cathedral had benefited from the Governor, both directly and indirectly.
He reminded the Governor of the story of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, who recommended to Moses that those entrusted with responsibilities must be trustworthy, honest, sincere, not take bribe and accountable at all times.