A youth group under the auspices of Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL has demanded the immediate arrest of journalist Jackson Ude for alleging that the Imo state governor, Sen. Hope Uzodinma forged his Degree certificate.
The group in a release signed by Chief Goodluck Egwu Ibem and Comrade Kanice Igwe, President General and Secretary General respectively described the allegation as a defamation of character.
COSEYL while maintaining that the allegation is baseless , unfounded, ill-tempered and a total falsehood born-out of jealousy to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of governor Uzodinma insisted that he is a man of impeccable character and proven integrity.
The group expressed regret that the allegation against the Governor is a desperate attempt by Ude and those who hired him to distract the Governor from probing the financial dealings of past administrations.
COSEYL therefore called on security agencies to arrest Jackson Ude for false accusation , defamation of character, dissemination of false information to the public and prosecute him in accordance with the laws of the land , to serve as deterrent.
Read full release below
LEADERS (COSEYL)
PRESS RELEASE
ARREST JACKSON UDE FOR DEFAMATION OF CHARACTER.
We condemn in strongest terms the false allegation by one Jackson Ude, a journalist who accused the Executive Governor of Imo State , Senator Hope Uzodinma of Forging his University academic certificate.
These allegation is baseless , unfounded, ill-tempered and a total falsehood born-out of jealousy to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of a man that has worked so hard to always be on the path of truth and uprightness in his dealings . He is a man of impeccable character and proven integrity.
Senator Hope is a man of ‘Hope’. It is only a man without hope that engages in questionable behaviors and character because he doesn’t know what tomorrow holds for him. Governor Hope has always been on the path of honour and will never be involved in such an unspeakable act of condescending so low to forge any document, not to talk of a University degree.
It is very clear that Jackson Ude is a frustrated man without any means of livelihood cheaply hired by some disgruntled elements to cast aspersions to tarnish the good image of the Governor .
We are very much away that these senseless accusation came-up because of the Governor’s resolve to probe the financial records and dealings of past administrations. This distraction is just a cheap way of changing the narrative , but their plans is dead-on-arrival.
We would have ignored him hoping that he is bereft of fact , but because of the glaring prejudice for the government and the good people of Imo state informed our action and for posterity sake, we deem it necessary to respond to the callous and baseless assertion to save the general public from being misformed by the antics of detractors and misfits determined to misled the people.
Such write-up is not just geared towards casting aspersions on the Governor’s matchless integrity, but a conscious calculated attempt to pit his Excellency against the good people of Imo whose collective will as enshrined in the Constitution, the Governor swore to protect.
Jackson Ude should be told in plain language that despite the fact that politics is a leveller in the country , water still finds its course, Senator Hope has grown past the type of crude and local politics Jackson wants to engage him in.
We call on the security agencies especially the police to as a matter of urgency arrest Jackson Ude for false accusation , defamation of character, dissemination of false information to the public and prosecute him in accordance with the laws of the land , to serve as deterrent.
We therefore urge the Executive Governor of Imo State , Senator Hope Uzodinma to disregard the antics of his detractors and concentrate with the mandate freely given to him by Imo people to deliver democracy dividends and make Imo great.
Signed:
Chief Goodluck Egwu Ibem
President General
Comrade Kanice Igwe
Secretary General.
