Following protests over the renaming of Maria Assumpta Avenue as Buhari Road, the Imo State government has reversed its order and allowed the status quo to remain.
As it is, the new Buhari Road goes back to its original name, Maria Assumpta Avenue.
The reversal was on Wednesday announced by Imo State Commissioner for Information, Prof. Obiaraeri N.O.in a statement he issued.
“This is to inform the public and particularly the highly respected body of Roman Catholic faithful in Imo State and beyond that Okporo Uzo Assumpta or Assumpta Avenue Owerri stays,” the statement reads.
The government explained that it was never its intention to rename the road as it recognized its historical and religious significance.
Expressing regret over the earlier action, the government stated: “All inconveniences occasioned by the initial oversight or error of wrongly installing a street sign suggesting a renaming of the street is highly regretted.”
READ ALSO: Owerri Boils over Governor Okorocha’s Renaming of Road for Buhari
It would be recalled that the renaming of the popular Maria Assumpta Avenue after President Buhari had attracted sharp criticism from the people of the state.
Considered to have historical and religious significance, it was not expected that the avenue would be named after anyone.
Particularly angered by the development were the Catholic faithful in the state.
In protest, they destroyed the board on which the new name was written.
They said the renaming of the road was an insult to the Catholic Church.
They said while no one was against the governor honouring anyone, he should not have changed the name of the avenue in question.
Some also suggested that Governor Rochas Okorocha should have created an entirely new road to honour the president.
Many said Okorocha was only playing to the gallery alleging that he had become very unpopular among the people of the state.
