An aide to a former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, on Tuesday faulted a claim made by Governor Hope Uzodimma, that Okorocha begged him to disband a committee on the recovery of land set up by the state government.

Rather, the aide said the governor was envious of his principal’s achievements and was bent on running him down.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the former governor, Sam Onwuemeodo, said Uzodimma had also petitioned him before the Economic Financial Crimes Commission.

The statement read in part, “Governor Uzodinma has continued to make this claim without dropping anything on the table to back it up. He has made the claim a recurring blackmail issue.

“The truth is that Okorocha never asked Uzodimma to disband any commission. And there was no need for Okorocha to make such a demand.

“Uzodimma does not want the truth to be heard or told about the much orchestrated commission. He has only been using issues about the commission as blackmail materials.

“He was the one who also wrote several petitions to the EFCC on the same issues he told the commission to handle. “Governor Uzodimma has been envious of Okorocha in all ramifications.

Before now, Uzodimma told the world that Okorocha and his family had shared the Shellcamp Estate.

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His men went and sealed some of the buildings in the estate. And the real owners of the buildings in the estate began to be known. Not Okorocha and his family.  They could not bear the shame. And the story is the same everywhere.

“Gov Uzodinma also said in the boring and colourless interview that he has only one property in lmo.  And that was a land he bought from a family.

“Gov Uzodimma only proved us right. He simply confirmed what we have been saying. We have been telling those who cared to listen that Uzodimma does not believe in lmo State and her people.”

Onwuemeodo accused the governor of not having passion for the state, adding that that was the major reason why he was allegedly envious of Okorocha.