My Attention Has Been Drawn To The On Going Demolition Of Somto Hospital Owerri, On The Directive Of Governor Hope Uzodinma.
For The Records, Somto Hospital Was Built In Memory Of An Innocent 12
Year Old Boy Who Was Callously Killed By Soldiers During The
Demolition Of Ekeukwu Market Owerri In August 2017, On The Directive
Of Then Governor Rochas Okorocha.
Before The Ekeukwu Owerri Market (An Ancestral Market) Was Demolished,
I Called For Caution, And Pleaded That The Market Should Not Be
Immediately Demolished Or Phased Out, Rather, A Graduated Module Be
Adopted. Unfortunately, My Advise Was Not Taken. Eventually, The
Market Was Demolished. . Also, An Owerri Son Appointee (From Emekuku
Axis) Who Held A High Profile Position Was Removed From Office Because
He Reportedly Cautioned Against The Demolition Of The Ancestral
Ekeukwu Market.
Despite The Fact That I Was Supporting The Owelle Rochas Okorocha Led
Leadership, I Angrily Jumped Into The Boxing Ring To Attack And
Condemn Rochas Okorocha For Demolishing That Market Without Showing
Human Sympathy And Against Court Injuction. I Wrote A Nineteen Page
Article To Express My Annoyance. In That Article, I Brutally And
Mercilessly Death With The Then Commissioner Of Police, Mr Okey
Ezike… Please Google….. “Ekeukwu Owerri Market Demolition : There
Is No Peace For The Wicked”, For Details.
As Far As I Am Concerned, “Somto Hospital” Is Not A Hospital, But An
Uncompleted Hospital Project.
During The 2019 Campaigns, Some Governorship Candidates Promised To
Bring Back The Ekeukwu Owerri Market On The Same Spot It Was, If
Elected. Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, Dr
Ikedi Ohakim
, Senator Hope Uzodinma, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume And A Few Others,
All Pledged To Rebuild Ekeukwu Owerri Market. I Never Supported Their
Aspirations To Govern Imo State. I Supported Ugwumba Uche Nwosu,
Because He Had And Still Has What It Takes To Give Ndimo An Improved
Version Of The Dee Sam Mbakwe Leadership.
In Fairness To Governor Hope Uzodinma, He Is Executing His Programme.
Emeka Ihedioha Would Have Demolished Somto Hospital For Ekeukwu Owerri
Market To Bounce Back. Ikedi Ohakim Would Have Done Same. Senator
Ifeanyi Araraume Would Have Done Same Thing…………….On A
Personal Note, His Excellency, Governor Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha Would
Have Brought Back A Remodelled Ekeukwu Owerri Market, While
Immortalizing Master Somtochukwu Ibeanusi By Dedicating A Police
Station Inside The Market To His Name………
Now, Thousands Of Displaced Traders Within And Around The Demolished
Ekeukwu Market Have Turned Into Nuisances, By Blocking Roads With
Their Wares…….. Do You Blame Them? Mbaanu. Do You Chase Them
Around? Mbaanu. They Are Already Frustrated Traders. Hope Uzodinma
Has Decided To Rebuild The Demolished Market, So That These Traders
Can Go Back To Meaningful Trading. Everything I Propounded That Would
Happen After The Demolishing Of Ekeukwu Market Have Come To Pass.
Over Three Years Since The Demolition Of Ekeukwu Market, Traders Have
Cumulatively Lost Over N100 Billion, Owerri Indigenes Collecting
Informal Taxes Have Lost Over N700 Million, Owerri Municipal Council
Has Lost Over N2 Billion, Imo State Government Has Lost Over N700
Million, Shop Owners And Landlords Have Lost Over N20 Billion And Yet,
Somto Hospital Built In Replacement Has Not Yielded One Kobo For
Anybody Or Government……… I Stand To Be Challenged.
Five Weeks Ago, Hope Uzodinma Goofed Crazily By Laying The Foundation
Stone For The Take Off Of The Rebuilding Of Ekeukwu Market, While
Somto Hospital Structure Was Still Standing………….. Honestly, I
Nearly Attacked Him. I Had Expected Him To First Demolish The
Uncompleted Somto Hospital Project Before Laying The Foundation Stone
Of #
Hospital Project Is Being Demolished, I Want Ndimo To Support It..
Nobody Is Witch Hunting Rochas Okorocha On This Matter. This Is The
Gospel Truth. I Support Hope Uzodinma 100 Percent On This.
Conversely, I Am Calling On Misinformed Imo Citizens Who Are Already
Condemning The Demolition Of Somto Hospital To Match On Their Break Of
Condemnation, And Reason Rationally Along The Lines I Have Adumbrated
Above.
Anytime Governor Hope Uzodinma Misfires Or Goofs, Trust Me, I Will
Punch Him Very Hard And Without Mercy. But On This One, He Got It
Right, And Deserves A Very Big Applause.
I Rest My Pen.
Hon Dr Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha
Fcai, Mkda (Ekenwohia Ndigbo)
16/11/2020