Top Nigeria Governor Under Pressure Over N330 Billion LG Funds
Top Nigeria Governor Under Pressure Over N330 Billion LG Funds
The Mazi Organisation (TMO) on Tuesday held a fiery press conference in Owerri, accusing the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led administration of mounting a campaign of intimidation, blackmail, and malicious falsehood targeted at silencing Dr. Chima Matthew Amadi, a prominent voice for transparency and accountability in Imo State.
Addressing journalists, Cajetan Duke, spokesman of TMO, said the group had convened the briefing to alert Nigerians on the “dangerous dimension governance has taken in Imo,” under Governor Uzodimma describing the smear campaign launched through the Greater Imo Initiative (GII) as “a hatchet job” designed to divert attention from the burning issue of missing local government allocations.
According to TMO, Dr. Amadi’s only “crime” is aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s call for the release of constitutionally guaranteed local government funds as affirmed by the Supreme Court. Quoting records from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Duke said that between 2020 and 2025, over ₦330 billion accrued to Imo’s 27 LGAs, yet council headquarters are derelict and no functional projects exist.
“This truth, backed by data, is what unsettled the Uzodimma government,” Duke said, recalling Dr. Amadi’s keynote lecture at the Catholic Men’s Organisation conference in Owerri where the revelations were first laid bare.
Campaign of Intimidation
The TMO accused the governor of deploying aides and sponsored groups to malign Amadi, mocking him as “Alhaji without a village,” lodging petitions, and issuing direct threats to his life. The group also condemned a controversial letter from the Imo State Internal Revenue Service demanding ₦17 million in alleged back taxes from Dr. Amadi, describing it as illegal and a crude attempt at harassment.
“This latest demand, alongside death threats from faceless groups, is not about tax,” Duke insisted, “but part of a sinister plot to eliminate him by all means necessary.”
Demands for Probes
TMO demanded that the EFCC, ICPC, and Nigerian Police immediately open forensic investigations into the alleged disappearance of local government funds, ecological and UBEC allocations, and international interventions such as WHO and USAID support. The group further called on the Imo State House of Assembly to publish details of all loan approvals granted to the administration.
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“We insist that every kobo that accrued to Imo since 2020 must be accounted for,” Duke declared.
Wider Implications
The organisation warned that the campaign against Amadi also carried a hidden agenda of discrediting INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. “Using Dr. Amadi as bait to malign Prof. Yakubu and the integrity of our electoral system is the height of cowardice,” TMO charged, demanding an apology from the state government to both the INEC Chairman and President Tinubu.
Call to Action
In conclusion, TMO urged all patriotic Imolites, civil society, and pro-democracy groups to resist what it called “the slide into lawlessness” in Imo. TMO warned that if any harm befell Amadi or his associates, Governor Uzodimma must be held responsible.
“Imo has endured enough. The hemorrhage must stop. The looting must end. The truth must prevail,” Duke said, reaffirming support for Dr. Amadi and calling him a mirror reflecting the government’s failures.
