The Imo State Government has expressed disappointment over what it described as unwarranted, unprovoked and unnecessary verbal attacks against Governor Rochas Okorocha by Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, at the Iriji Mbaise festival held last Friday at Chioma Ajunwa Stadium, Ahiazu Mbaise.

According to the Senior Special Assistant (Media) to the governor, Sam Onwuemeodo, after those attacks and the fruitless effort made to prevent the governor from addressing the people, the state government had waited till Sunday, August 17, to see whether Ihedioha could apologize, all to no avail.

Onwuemeodo stressed that before the Iriji event, the governor and Ihedioha had no problem of any kind to the best of the knowledge of Imo people and Mbaise people in particular, except that the latter is aspiring to succeed Okorocha in 2015, which is not a sin.

Meanwhile, Ihedioha has expressed shock and amusement to a statement by the Imo State Government asking him to apologize to Okorocha over the unfortunate disruption of the Iriji Mbaise Festival last Friday, saying instead, it is the governor that should apologise for “defiling Mbaise New Yam Festival.”

In a release made available to newsmen in Owerri, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Chibuike Onyeukwu, blamed officials of the Imo State Government and cronies of the governor for their inability to advise their principal appropriately but rather chose what he described as “the ignoble path of dishonour” by attempting to feed the Imo people with bare faced lies and half truths.

Onyeukwu stated that the infantile attack on the office and person of the Deputy Speaker does not make for any logical estimation in the eyes of Imo people.

“In fact, they simply confirm the fact that the governor holds Rt. Hon. Ihedioha in trepidation and is at a loss as to how to address his growing popularity and acceptance among the Imo people vis-à-vis his (Okorocha’s) fast declining rating among the people”.

He dismissed the statement by Onwuemeodo that the deputy speaker failed to welcome the governor to the event as a blatant and an indication that either state government officials present were not paying attention to the unfolding programme of the day or were just simply out to do mischief.