A pressure group OBI FOR NIGERIA, yesterday 4th July 2024, in a press conference has called on the leadership of the Labour Party, The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, His Excellency Peter Obi, and the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Joseph Fubara, to pay close attention to the Labour Party Member, representing Port Harcourt Federal constituency 1, Mr Manuchim Umezurike, stressing that there are dangerous signals suggesting that he is a sleeper mole in the camp of the Rivers State Government.
The copy of the press statement as obtained reads;
CALLING ON THE ATTENTION OF THE LABOUR PARTY, THE GOVERNOR OF RIVERS STATE AND ALL WELL MEANING SONS AND DAUGHTER OF RIVERS STATE AND NIGERIANS TO A TEETHING PROBLEM.
1. It is with a sense of urgency that we have convened this press conference to address issues that affect governance, the representation of a people and the preservation of our democracy and collective patrimony. We have watched quietly but sadly the events that have gone by since the conduction of the 2023 elections and the current happenings is not one we are willing to ignore.
2. In the 2023 elections the good people of Rivers State voted massively for the Labour Party both at state and National level and our mandate was stolen in broad day light by the then Governor Ezebuwo Nyesom Wike.
3. It is public knowledge that the only mandate we secured as a people was that of the Federal House of Assembly for Port Harcourt Constituency 1 which was won by Mr Umezurike Manuchim.
4. Ever since Umerzurike Manuchim made it to such an elevated position, we are yet to see his value at the Federal House of Assembly. He has passed no bills or has he contributed in the plenaries.
5. We have copies of minutes from the floor of the National Assembly to show that since Umezurike Manuchim assumed that office, he has not been actively representing the people who gave him the mandate. Rather, he has been hobnobbing with members of the People’s Democratic Party in anti-party activities, so much so that he lives in the Government House of The Rivers State Government.
6. As a free citizen, Mr Umerzurike has the rights to relate with anyone or people he so decides but has not right to abandon his responsibility which he was voted for. Mr Umezurike Manuchim has not sate for up to ten plenaries since he was elected. As a matter of fact, he has not been in the hallowed chamber for the last five months or more. He has been in Rivers State, moving everywhere with the Simplified Movement, while also having anti-party meetings with members of the APC. We did not vote for him to be part of a movement at the expense of representing the people.
7. The Federal House of Assembly Member being the only elected office holder from the Labour Party in the 2023 election has neither being at his party office in Rivers State nor has he had any meeting with the leadership of his party at the still level even up to this moment.
8. Also of concern is his constant association to the undermining of the party with the former leadership of the party led by Dienye Pepple and the former South-South Chairman, Ruben Favour. In the thanksgiving ceremony for the Governor at the Elekahia Stadiun, Mr Umezurike Manuchim, introduced Dienye Pepple as the Chairman of the Labour Party In Rivers State, thereby willfully undermining the National leadership who appointed Hilda Dokubo as the current chairman of the Labour Party in Rivers State.
9. Aside the fact t6hat the National dissolved the leadership of Dienye Pepple for anti-Party activities which Mr Umezurike was also a key partner to and suspending Deinye Pepple alongside others for anti-party activities, as court Judgment we obtained in suit no: PHC/753/CS/2023, in the court of Justice I Andango, set the argument of Deinye Pepple and co, aside for lack of Merit. But in the face of all of these, Umezurike Manuchi has continued to undermine the state leadership of Hilda Dokubo, even to the point of planning to create a parallel leadership at the LGA levels and Ward levels with the goal of compromising the structure in Favour of his pay master Nyesom Wike. This we receive as credible intelligent reports. If the Labour Party will sit with folded arms and watch this slide, we will not. We the people voted for him.
10. We know the role he played in the 2023 election being a tool used by Governor Wike used to sell out the Mandate of our Principal, Peter Obi and the state election as a bargaining tool to keep his mandate from being stolen. Knowing him as a chameleon, we advise the Rivers State Government to distance themselves from the person of Mr Umezurike Manuchim as we suspect him as a mole and a spoiler for Nyesome Wike. This explains why he left his job in Abuja, seeking to curry favour and win the heart of the Governor.
11. While one may say, Politics is a game, we want the Governor to reflect and ask why this law maker is always in the Rivers State Government House while his colleagues are in Abuja working.
12. We have not seen any constituency project from the lawmaker; he is unpopular in his region and only rode on our mandate and votes to get to that position. He has turned his back on a vast majority of the people who voted for him, assuming a god like posture. His unpopularity was also obvious during the thanksgiving for the Governor at the Elekahia stadium as he was unable to mobile up to fifty supporters from the entire Port Harcourt Local Government with twenty wards. He hid under the hard work of the leaders of the simplified movement.
13. As we approach the LGA elections, we have all eyes on his as Rivers people having received credible reports of his plans with Dienye Pepple and Ruben Favour to play the spoiler role in Favour of Governor Wike. We are taking responsibility, especially as people who voted him into power and will not allow their nefarious plans to work. The Chief of Staff must forthwith stop any interference between Umezurike Manuchim and the Governor to reduce compromise and the filtering of valuable information to an enemy of the state.
14. Since the Labour Party, knowing fully well that Umezurike Manuchim has chosen not to work as elected but to live in the Government House, chasing after the Governors car from one place to another, we have taking it upon ourselves being our constitutional rights to begin the process of his recall and are calling on everyone from Port Harcourt Constituency 1 come forward to sign the recall document which will be made public soon. We would rather have his seat vacant than have a traitor who is paid to do nothing but enjoy our collective patrimony. This way he can live in the Government house to his fullest.
15. It is very pertinent to state that this call is for the interest of our democracy. It is our responsibility, to hold elective officers accountable and to lay a precedence that the votes of the Obidence cannot be toyed with. This move is to protect our Rivers people and we will fight this to a logical conclusion. Mr Umezurike Manuchim must be booted out of the National Assembly as his being there is useless to us as a people, a waste of our resources and a risk to our democracy.
Signed:
Tony Chinda
Leader, OBI FOR NIGERIA RIVERS STATE.
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