BY Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has denounced calls for the arrest and prosecution of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, saying the agitators were working out a blackmail script.

The party in a statement made available to Vanguard, said the call was directed at intimidating the tribunal judges hearing the election petition case between Ohakim and Governor Rochas Okorocha who was elected on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA.

The party’s statement issued by the publicity secretary of the state chapter of the party, Chief Blyden Amajirionwu, followed reports of a demonstration by some youths at Government House, Owerri.

The demonstrators had called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to arrest Ohakim and other top officials of his administration over what they described as the misappropriation of funds during their stewardship of the state.

“The idea and timing of this unpopular demonstration, leaves no doubt in our minds that, it is a mere conspiracy and blackmail by the present day Government in Imo State against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The protesters only played out their script,” the publicity secretary said.

“The EFCC and ICPC are commissions who are very responsive to their assignments. The past PDP administration in Imo State, led by Chief Ikedi Ohakim as Governor, left indelible marks in the areas of health services, education, massive provision of infrastructures, road rehabilitation and reconstruction etc. Also, the details of financial activities of every state in Nigeria is known to the Anti-graft Commissions more than any independent group.

“The timing of the action of these hired twenty-one youths, who went to Government House, can easily be understood. The perpetrators no doubt want to catch the fancy of the Tribunal Judges. They planned to use the opportunity to blackmail the former Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim who through his party, the Imo PDP, has presented overwhelming evidence of the illegitimacy of the present administration in Imo State.

“It is the prospect of the success of the PDP case, that has sent this illegal and increasingly unpopular administration into panic and paranoia. The result is the renting of a few street boys to do a road show which agents of the State Government transmitted to news media which in turn relayed them undiluted, the same way that their sponsors intended.”

”This is a familiar practice and we are sure that neither the crime busting agencies nor any body else were deceived. The Imo PDP advises our respected youths to avoid being used by a government that has in a short period, disappointed Ndi Imo. They talk about misappropriation and embezzlement.

“Those who live in glass houses don’t throw stones. In one breadth alone, the August 2011 allocation that accrued to Imo State was above N14b. We are yet to notice any changes. Rather, Civil Servants have not been paid, we still experience very bad road network. 10,000 youths have lost their jobs. This is the time our youths should go into sober reflection and ponder over a government that talks so much and does nothing,” the party said as it encouraged its supporters to remain unshaken in the hope of recapturing power in the state.