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Iheanacho Nwosu, Abuja
Chief Ikedi Ohakim, who governed Imo State between 2007 and 2011, believes that he is the man to beat in the 2019 governorship election in the state.
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, the former governor in this chat with Sunday Sun dismissed claims by incumbent Governor Rochas Okorocha that he has retired him (Ohakim) and some other prominent politicians in the state, saying that Okorocha was merely ranting. He spoke on the Imo retirement saga and other issues both within and outside the state. Excerpts:
What is your response to Governor Rochas Okorocha’s claim that he has politically retired you and few others?
It is unfortunate that the Nigerian society does not review people’s background each time they present themselves for an elective position. People ought to have a deep check on the mental, health states, antecedents and educational background of anyone seeking election into public office. Behaviours of some serving governors in Nigeria have gone beyond control to the point that their immunity needs to be reviewed. There is urgent need for the executive and legislative arms of the government to quickly rise to the occasion and rescue our democracy from people who are bent on returning us to dictatorial era. Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha has gone haywire and requires urgent attention by a professional psychiatrist. What is happening in Imo State today is having a place in the Guinness world record. Imagine a situation where a serving state governor will wake up in the morning without pants and singlet, move around Owerri in Jalabiya, with full armed security agents and himself to supervise the destruction of people’s homes and businesses. That is a pure disgrace to the office of governor and governance in general. Something must be done as soon as possible to rescue the soul of Imo State.
His recent statement that he has retired me politically was a laughable one. The names he mentioned alongside mine are the people he is afraid of. It was in January 2013, that Okorocha went on national television to tell the world that I embezzled N100 billion that I purportedly raised from the capital market. He made other allegations against me, which up to date, he was yet to prove. The true story about the N100 billion bond was that we went to the capital market and raised N18 billion bond to finance some critical development projects. Out of that money, N13. 3 billion was handed to his government after I left office in 2011. In addition to that, I handed over to him N26.6 billon, excluding investments. He obviously lacks the confidence to approach the market to get the second tranche of the money I raised using discipline. Okorocha has succeeded in retiring so many legacies made by my government and other previous administrations. I will mention a few of them. Dan Anyiam Stadium has been turned into grazing land by herdsmen. He has retired our dear Heartland Football Club and several other tourist attractions in Imo State. He intends to retire everybody and take over Owerri municipal, but it will be met with strong resistance. I handed over 1, 395 functional rural water schemes to Rochas, but none is functional now. In 2011, the entire Imo State had 20 mortuaries, but the figure rose to 58 in 2018, an indication that mortality rate has skyrocketed. And it is partly due to inhuman policies and programmes of the state government. Okorocha is the only governor in the history of Nigeria that has attracted 30 negative editorials from different media houses.
Why have you not considered legal option to clear your name on this allegation of financial embezzlement the governor leveled against you?
There is no need to approach a court for that. Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) is there to set the records straight and they have issued a statement in that regard. They have attested to my credibility and accountability in resource management, especially as it had to do with the bond.
However, I had approached the court in several other issues other than the bond, which I got ruling in my favour. So, approaching a court in this matter would be unnecessary. Imo State government, today, is faced with over 250 court cases out of which 102 are related. The governor has consistently disobeyed court orders. His action on Eke Ukwu Owerri was contrary to a court judgment. He disobeyed the order and unleashed pain and misery on the people. I told the world last two months in the course of my declaration for the governorship contest that serving Imo judges were being owed 16 unpaid salaries and the governor denied it. I was forced to petition superior authorities. He managed to pay them six months salary. In the past four years, no retired judge has received any entitlement.
Is it not possible that the governor’s reason for demolishing houses in key places, especially Owerri was in line with his government’s urban renewal programme?
It was totally against what my administration planned. Master plan is the guidance to any urban renewal project and there is master plan handed over to him. That plan which I had the privilege of seeing, being a governor, was designed to make Owerri one of the best cities in the world and not Africa. What Okorocha is doing in Owerri could best be called urban damage and not renewal. Okorocha, from all indications, was on a mission to inflict pains and anguish on Imo people. Everything in Imo state now belongs to Rochas and his family. I predict that Owerri will be worst hit than any other city in this year’s rainy season.
Are you saying that there has not been any good thing(s) achieved by the governor in the last seven years?
There is absolutely nothing good that could be attached to his name. There is no quality project that Rochas has built and he should prove me wrong. It is not by appearing on national television and newspapers to claim that he has built world-class infrastructure in the state. Our people have grown beyond that. We are wise people, educated and well traveled set of people that could not be easily deceived. He is just being economical with the truth, both to himself and the people of Imo State. The governor has put Imo in debt profile that generations unborn would struggle to pay. Budget IT reports indicated that Rochas has borrowed N95 billion since 2011 to date. But in my calculations, he has borrowed over N200 billion, when added to contractors’ unpaid debts, judgment debts, unpaid salaries and pensions. Yet over N1 trillion has been realized as revenues. I’m very sure that Imo would have been like London if I had received 25 per cent of revenue that Okorocha got. He has obviously reached a stage that requires that he be properly examined by team of medical experts.
You highlighted laudable things you did during your time as governor, why then did Imo people turn against you in the 2011 election?
There are claims in some circles that Imo people turned against me in 2011, but that is untrue. The truth of what transpired was that I won the 2011 election. I can prove it to the world. I have the certified true copies of election results. But there was heavy injustice during that 2011 elections and unfortunately, I was one of the victims of the systematic injustice. The worst was that I could not get justice in the court. In addition to that, there were strong external forces that were determined to unseat me.
They invaded Imo because there was fear that I was nursing a presidential ambition. They kidnapped the senior INEC officials, particularly the returning officer at the peak of the elections and took them to unknown location in Onitsha, Anambra State. They were kept there until after the elections. The uncertainty led to the conduct of supplementary elections even when records confirmed that I won the election during the first ballot. So, Imo people never turned against me in that election. In fact, they are regretting that decision today as can be seen in their daily lamentations.
Governor Okorocha is currently enmeshed in controversy with the Catholic Church, the same way you were locked in a battle with the church. Do you see everything as politics?
No, Okorocha’s case is not politics, it is different from mine. What happened in my own case was pure politics. It was well planned to turn the church against me. It reached a point that they composed a song against me and was distributing it until they were arrested by security agents. As they claimed, I neither touched nor knew a Catholic priest that made those allegations. The person in the centre of the game later confessed that such thing never happened, but that was after the damage had been done. The church regretted it too, but all came after the deed has been done. Many people apologized afterwards and I was left with the only option of forgiveness. I learnt a big lesson in that incident and Imo people too learnt theirs as well. They have tasted two delicacies and they would be the ones to give the testimony. It is said that when a woman marries two husbands, she will know the batter one. Imo people know better now, nobody can deceive them and tell lies about me. I fear for post-Okorocha period because he will not have any records to fall back on.
You declared to contest the governorship election next year under the PDP; but there are rumours that you have joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Which is correct?
That is untrue. I indeed declared to contest governorship seat of Imo State and intend to do that under PDP. If there is need for otherwise, I will be the one to say it to the world, either through a press conference or press statement, and not through rumour. Some people like to feast on speculations and the effect is more devastating. Not too long ago, they went to town with rumour that I have joined APGA, now it’s SDP. I have observed that political contest in this period thrives on propaganda, and people use that for the purpose of distraction. If I am to join another political party, I won’t be quiet about it and it won’t be done in secret. The summary is that I’m still a member of the PDP and I intend to contest under the platform.
What are your chances of getting the party’s ticket?
My chances are very high. Being elected governor under the party is an edge for me. I also command high respect and influence in the party. In addition to that, our people are wiser and better informed now that people that took over after me were insincere and propagandists. The people are now aware that all the allegations against me were untrue and orchestrated to malign my personality and reputation. I am not one of those greedy politicians who are after political office to enrich themselves. You can’t link me to any property in Owerri apart from the three-bedroom bungalow allocated to me in 1992 as a commissioner. The house was bombed in 2014 by some reactionary forces, but God helped me to rebuild it few months after. I’m neither corrupt nor a thief. I also never embezzled any money as alleged by my successor. All the contracts I awarded in my period were reviewed several times by Okorocha and no fraud was found therein. Imo people had value for all the money we spent while in government.
Even with the allegations of embezzlement and other impunity against the party at the national level?
Disregard those allegations. They are all political strategies being employed by APC to turn Nigerians against the party. But unfortunately for them, Nigerians know the truth and have regretted their decision in 2015 and are ready to make amends. There is no doubt that PDP did a lot for this country in its 16 years in power. The party has penetrated the heart of every Nigerian.
Senator Ifeanyi Ararume is from the same Okigwe zone with you and both of you are in the race. Would it not jeopardize your chances?
No, it will not. It is true that we are from the same zone. But Senator Ararume has every right to contest the election. I must also inform you that it is not only me and Senator Ararume that is contesting from the Okigwe zone, we are five persons at the moment and there are possibilities that the number might increase. Aside people from my zone, other candidates would come from other zones. However, my case is different because I have only a tenure to spend and power will move to other zones. It is even better for me to assume the position this period because I am the only one that will hit the ground running from day one. I have the records of buildings and assets that I handed over to him in 2011 that need to be recovered.
