The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has asked Governor Hope Uzodimma to tell citizens of the state what happened with the proposed dredging of Urashi River.
A project that was flagged off in May 2023 but has clearly not kicked off after over eighteen months.
This was made known through a statement made available to newsmen and signed by the state publicity secretary, Lancelot Obiaku.
He said, “Ndi Imo would recall that the State Governor invited then-former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and many other prominent Nigerians, to flag off what they called the hydrographic survey and dredging of the proposed sea route from Oguta Lake, Urashi, Degema, to the Atlantic Ocean. This was amid much funfair. However, more than eighteen months after, nothing, absolutely nothing, has been done, which confirms our stance that it was all along a money-stealing venture.
“This is a project for which the State government never bothered to let the Imo people know the level of the State’s commitment to it in terms of cost and time of delivery. They also vehemently refused to tell the people whether they were dredging for the sake of dredging or whether the Federal Government and the National Assembly had secretly or publicly approved a Sea Port for Imo State.
“We know that the whole idea was to create a false impression that the Government was actually doing the project so that they would divert billions of taxpayers’ money to private pockets. It was gathered that the flag-off alone cost the State N1.9billion.”
He submitted that the project is an elaborate hoax and it is obvious that the government of the day lacks the character and willpower to pull it through.
“We challenge the State Government, particularly the Governor who waxed lyrical over the project throughout 2023 to openly declare what they have done since its flamboyant and costly flag-off. Imo people will appreciate concrete evidence that they actually mean business and have not been playing to the gallery all these while just to create a conduit to further siphon off billions of naira from the State’s coffers as they have always done.
“Ordinarily, a responsible and sincere government would have been doing this without external prompts, but as a 419 government, we are not surprised at the turn of events. It is in the DNA of the Uzodimma-led administration to be extraordinarily dubious.”
Reacting through the commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Declan Emelumba, the state government said the project is being processed methodically.
They advised the party to Undertake on the spot assessment of the project for proper update.