Gov. Hope Uzodinma 'Shed Tears' Over Killings In Imo After Visiting A Community

“I am pained – I shed tears with what I have seen. The wealth created by my brothers and sisters has been burnt. Only God knows that I regard Izombe the same way I regard Omuma my place of birth.

“Hope Uzodimma is your brother. I would not have been a Senator without the kind of support I got from Izombe. I take Izombe as Omuma, my home town.

“It is painful all our sufferings, struggle and God answered our prayer. It brought us blessings. Instead of us continuing to see blessings we are seeing obstacles. God will punish those behind all these things happening.

“Please your anger should not boil over. I have told the army that the innocent must have peace. There must be peace in Izombe, there must be peace in Imo State – there must be peace in Nigeria.

“If there is any community in Imo State where civilization should be resident, it is in Izombe community. Izombe is a community where we have so many wise men.”

“Unfortunately this has happened. It is so sad. Your Royal Highness, I want to condole with you. We are here on a condolence visit, to identify with my brothers and sisters.

“What happened is very bad. It is condemnable. I must be with you because when I was struggling you were with me – when I was challenged you were with me, so if you are challenged, I will also be with you.

“We are wasting time with too many quarrels. Let us come together. Look at the homes belonging to our kinsmen who suffered to make a living – now burnt. As if it is not enough, they are even afraid to come back home.

“Must we continue to live this way? Is it not time for us to change? We just have to change because what is bad is bad and what is not acceptable in a society is not acceptable.

“I will never support anybody to kill anybody in Imo state. I will set up a committee that will come and assess the damages. Where the government will assist the owners, we will assist.

“Why we gave birth to these children is to grow and be useful to us and that they will listen to our advice. Let us advise them and what I want to tell you people; what happened will never happen again. We can’t suffer for years and waste all we laboured for in the past, just because of one foolish person. We will never allow it to happen again. I have seen how the houses were destroyed and how people abandoned their homes.

“I want to ask: are we in war? Not now that I am the governor what my governorship has come to do is to bring development and not destruction. I will send a committee to come and look into all the damages so that we can assist in repairing the damaged houses. I give the youths of Izombe seven days to return weapons in possession. I want to say this, I will disappoint my enemies and Imo State will continue to move forward.