Creation of Anim/Orlu State’ll guarantee Owerri, Okigwe producing Uzodimma’s successor –Alagbaoso

From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

Chief Jerry Alagbaoso, who represented Orlu/Orsu and Oru East federal constituency at the National Assembly, has expressed confidence that creation of the proposed Anim/Orlu State would give Owerri and Okigwe zones the opportunity of producing Governor Hope Uzodimma’s successor in 2028.

Alagbaoso, who is the founder and facilitator of the Triple “O” (Owerri,Orlu and Okigwe ) Initiative, while reacting to the recent controversy between the CEO of Zinox group, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, and another business mogul from the State, Chief Tony Chukwu, advised both stakeholders to partner to realise the proposed Anim/Orlu State, which he noted, would guarantee one of the zones to produce Uzodimma’s successor.

He recalled that Uzodimma and other lawmakers from the state had earlier proposed to the National Assembly on the creation of the new states.

Alagbaoso said: “You must have been aware of the request by Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, one of the Nigeria’s business heavyweights in Lagos, who asked Governor Uzodimma to leave the governorship seat for Owerri, wherein an Okigwe business mogul, Chief Tony Chukwu, countered it by saying Owerri people should transfer Imo capital to Okigwe.

“I know Chief Ekeh as a hitech guru, and Tony Chukwu as a successful businessman, too, and I hope they were not quoted out of context. If I was there in Lagos, I would have explained to them that the race for the governorship of Imo State in 2027 is not a matter of isosceles triangle, a scalene triangle is also involved.

“Consequently, there must be serious wider political consultations and agreement among the three sides of the scalene triangle.

“For Orlu, as a major part of the scalene triangle, to give way to other two sides, it means that my influential friend and in-law, Chief Eke and Chief Chukwu must work hard in facilitating the realisation and actualisation of the Anim State before 2027.

“Governor Hope Uzodimma and some of us championed Anim/Orlu State between 2011/2019 before Senator Osita Izunaso took over. So, I suggest that both leaders and their associates from Owerri and Okigwe zone should facilitate the Anim/Orlu State, which Governor Uzodimma championed during his time in the Senate, and was signed by us during our period in the National Assembly.

“We have been studying and watching the situation, and most of us who have represented the people in the areas of education, civil service, politics and business, are knowledgeable enough to appreciate the political equation of Imo State.

“Considering the views of Ekeh and Chukwu, I want to urge the Owerri and Okigwe zones to work harder to make the Orlu zone have its own state,” Alagbaoso said.