My attention has been drawn to a promotional write-up in “The NEWS” magazine edition of 11th October 2010, volume 35, No 14 with the title “GOVERNOR OHAKIM BREAKS NEW GROUNDS”. However, on page 33 where the promotional write-up started, it was captioned “TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP IN IMO STATE.
My attention has been drawn to a promotional write-up in “The NEWS” magazine edition of 11th October 2010, volume 35, No 14 with the title “GOVERNOR OHAKIM BREAKS NEW GROUNDS”. However, on page 33 where the promotional write-up started, it was captioned “TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP IN IMO STATE.
I wouldn’t have bothered to respond to the promotional write-up, but as a patriotic citizen I deem it necessary to respond to the obvious lies, manipulation and fabricated “ achievements” of the Ikedi Ohakim leadership as marketed by the magazine. Another reason why I decided to respond to the so called “achievements” of Ikedi Ohakim leadership as reported by the magazine was the mention of my name as one of those making things difficult for the government. In as much as I have great respect for “THE NEWS” magazine, I make bold to state clearly that its reporter Mr. Sidney Osaebu did not do a thorough job and on the spot inspection of the so-called achievements.
My rejoinder will prove me right as always. The magazine started by saying that Ikedi Ohakim was the Commissioner for Commerce and Environment in 1996 and that he devoted time and energy studying the business and social environment in the state and had presented position papers on how to accelerate progress in the state through human capacity and infrastructural development. The truth is that Ikedi Ohakim was never a commissioner for commerce and Environment in Imo State in 1996. He was Commissioner for Commerce and industry in 1992 and was on the verge of being sacked in November 1993 for allegedly stealing the then governor’s briefcase (at Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos) before the military took over government. Ohakim was among those chased out of Owerri in 1996 during the infamous OTOKOTO riot. In fact the house he was staying in at Dele Udo street Ikenegbu Layout was nearly burnt down but was spared when it was discovered the he was a mere tenant. He left his family in Owerri and ran to Lagos to continue his life as a renowned fraudster. The magazine stated that inter-alia “If a billion naira is budgeted for road construction, the philosophy is to ensure that a durable road is constructed in such a way that it will be most valuable to the state in every ramification”. It is a notorious fact that we have very bad roads in Imo State. The entire roads Ohakim leadership claimed to have constructed are “Dubai” roads because they don’t last long. Dee Sam Mbakwe constructed Over 90% of the roads in the state capital during his leadership of the state.
What Ohakim is doing is just to demarcate the Mbakwe roads in Imo State and call them “dualized” roads. Till this moment, a 15km road construction at AMULU MBIERI road from standard shoes industries road awarded in January 2008 at the cost of N1.3 billion naira and completely paid for, has not been done. So many minor and major roads in Imo State awarded for construction by the Ohakim government are yet to be done even though payments have been made.
These are verifiable. All these are in my petitions to various security and anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria. Another “achievement” of the Ohakim government in Imo State according to the magazine, “The governor ensured that 27 youths, one from each of the 27 LGA of the state won lottery to watch the 2010 world cup fiesta in South Africa”. If the truth must be told, the 27 youths were simply sent to South Africa for a jamboree and they spent only 4 days instead of the over 35 days the World Cup lasted. In fact it was alleged in close quarters that they youths were used to launder state funds to South Africa; hence they only watched the opening match and were forced to come back to Nigeria embarrassingly.
On the construction of classroom blocks in primary schools in Imo State, the contract was awarded to the 27 honourable members in the state House of Assembly.
This shows poor grasp of legislative responsibility. Our so-called honourable members in the IMHA today are contractors who have abandoned their legislative responsibilities. Except for just four legislators, the rest of them are just bunch of nonentities who do not know their left from their right including the speaker himself. On the issue of the so called clean and green project and destruction of illegal structures, nothing can be further than the truth. Ikedi Ohakim used an illegal agency (then) to destroy the properties and economic activities of the poor masses in the state.
When I challenged the legality (or otherwise) of the ENTRACO agency, Ohakim ordered that my Kerosene business network in the state capital should be destroyed. It is on record that Ohakim used an illegal ENTRACO to destroy Imo State between August 2007 and April 2008. But he spared the rich in the society who has illegal structures. For example ALADINMA ROYAL SUITES, a hotel built on sewage and water channel was not pulled down. Garden Park business centre was not destroyed but was relocated to another place plus N5 million-naira compensation. Oweaya business centre was relocated to another place plus N10 million compensation. So many illegal structures of the rich are today still standing in the state. So when I stepped out to challenge this one sided demolition of properties in September 2007 through my popular articles then entitled “ IS OHAKIM THE TYPE OF GOVERNOR IMO NEEDS”? (Part one to part ten), “IMO STATE: ANOTHER HOPE BETRAYED” (Part one to part ten) and “How THE IMO HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY MEMBERS ARE ASSISTING OHAKIM TO DESTROY IMO STATE” (Part one to part ten); Ohakim simply ran to the state assembly for cover and rescue. He appealed to the Speaker of the IMHA Mr. Goodluck Opia to help him pass the bill on ENTRACO so as to legalize the destruction of properties in the state.
This was done in April 2008 and Ohakim signed it into Law in August 2008. Because of the pressure I mounted with my campaign and crusade against the destruction of properties, the destruction stopped. But Ohakim himself felt humiliated by my courage, boldness and practicability to stop him from destroying properties of Imo citizens. So he instructed ENTRACO to destroy my Kerosene network in the state capital. Before then I was the biggest Kerosene dealer in Imo State with several outlets and network and with 17 people working for me directly. I am a licensed Kerosene peddler and I buy directly from Port Harcourt Refinery.
I am the state Deputy Chairman of Surface Tank Kerosene Dealers Association (STKDA). I am also into Engine Oil and other petroleum products ventures. Indeed I contributed to the socio-economic and political development of the state before Ohakim happened into governance. Till today the poor masses whose means of livelihood were (illegally) demolished and assassinated are yet to be compensated. Rather Ohakim forced the poor masses through ENTRACO to buy umbrellas, canopies tarpaulin etc, at exorbitant rates and still allowed them to stay at the so called illegal places to operate. All these have been over flogged in my numerous articles and viewpoints published.
At this point, let me state clearly that the Special Adviser to Ohakim who claimed in his response to “THE NEWS” magazine that he destroyed his father’s house first before embarking on the destruction of other peoples properties (on the order of the governor) did not say the truth. His Fathers house (a one storey building) is still there standing along school road and facing the EKEONUNWA MARKET OWERRI. Now let me talk about the pictures and photographs in “THE NEWS” magazines depicting and showing Ikedi Ohakim achievements in Imo State. Please see the pictures attached.
PICTURE 1- This showed a purported “President” Goodluck Jonathan on an official to Imo State commissioning numerous projects.
TRUTH – Our distinguished President Goodluck Jonathan has never visited Imo State to commission any project either in his capacity as President or Acting President. The picture in question was when then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan represented Yar’Adua on the 15th of November 2008 to commission a so called IRROMA EQUIPMENT which later turned out to be a big fraud on the people of Imo State. Hence pressure was mounted on the Imo State House of Assembly to disband and dissolve IRROMA, which they did by dissolving the board headed by Engr. Ebere Udeagu.
PICTURE 2 – This showed a purported road (Orlu road Owerri) constructed and dualized by the Ohakim government.
TRUTH – The road in question was never constructed by Ikedi Ohakim government but by Dee Sam Mbakwe government in 1981. Ikedi Ohakim merely demarcated the roads at cut threat cost.
PICTURE 3 – This showed a dual carriage way in Okohia – Isiala Mbano L.G.A. TRUTH – The land used in constructing the road in question belongs to widows and aged parents in Okohia Isiala Mbano. It was forcefully taken away from them. Again the road led to where Ohakim built a private heliport behind his backyard mansion which he renovated with state funds. In December 2008, the widows and aged parents in Isiala Mbano marched to Ohakim village mansion (BURMA RETREAT) to demand for compensation for the forceful taking of their over 2000 plots of land by Ohakim.
PICTURE 4 – This showed a dualized Egbu road project with street lighting.
TRUTH – The road in question is a Federal government road which was rehabilitated by the same Federal Government through the input of Senator Eze Ajoku in 2006. Ikedi Ohakim merely demarcated the road from CHISCO Transport point to OANDO filling station point (2 ½ km) at cut throat price. He invited President Yar’Adua to commission the road on the 25th of July 2009 but Security report prevented the President from doing so.
PICTURE 5 – This showed tractors distributed to Local Government by IRROMA to open up rural communities.
TRUTH – IRROMA has no office anywhere in Imo State. It has been disbanded by Imo State House of Assembly. The tractors in the picture are likely not properties of IRROMA.
PICTURE 6 – This showed workers making Imo "Clean and Green"
TRUTH – The women in the picture plants flowers only for the flowers to be removed after 8 weeks, and another set of flowers replanted. Ohakim has wasted billions of state resources just on flower-planting While his “brother governors” are building industries in their respective states.
PICTURE 7 AND PICTURE 8 are of the same misplaced priority as in picture six.
PICTURE 9 – This showed Refuse Bins ready for use.
TRUTH – Ikedi Ohakim forced Imo People through ENTRACO to buy the plastic dustbins at the cost of N20,000 = as against less than N3,000 in the open market.
It was after Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha mounted pressure through his article entitled – “AND THE MADNESS CONTINUES IN IMO STATE” published in May 2009 that Ohakim recoiled in his timidity. The plastic dustbins are still parked at the ENTRACO office along Okigwe road Owerri.
PICTURE 10 – This showed Trucks acquired to clean up the state.
TRUTH – The trucks acquired are of substandard quality hence most of them have broken down.
PICTURE 11 – This showed security Patrol vehicles fitted with World class communication equipment parading all nooks and crannies of the state.
TRUTH – The patrol vehicles were donated to the state government by banks operating in the state capital. This is just the honest truth.
PICTURE 12 – This showed Ohakim vaccinating a child against polio.
TRUTH – A public show of vaccinating a child is not a quality of a good leader.
PICTURE 13 –This showed a Big Fish harvest at Umuna.
TRUTH – The Fish farm is not a product of the Ohakim government. PICTURE 14: This showed a picture of a renovated hospital ward.
TRUTH – Public show of a renovated hospital ward is not a good quality of a leader. Other state governors are building hospitals.
PICTURE 15 AND PICTURE 16 – Showed pictures of Oguta Lake and its resorts. Ikedi Ohakim never built the resort nor did his government attract any tourist to behold the beauty of the lake.
PICTURE 17 – Showed picture of a water project. The truth is that some of these water projects are NDDC and MDGs projects. PICTURE 18: This showed a picture of court of Appeal.
TRUTH – The house in question is an old colonial building built in the 1950’s but which Ohakim converted to court of Appeal and repainted. I have taken time to explain the pictures showing the so called “achievements” of Ikedi Ohakim as was shown in “THE NEWS” magazine so that the whole world would know the real truth.
The government of Ikedi Ohakim is a complete culture of corruption. I have successfully proved this in my numerous published articles, viewpoints and write-ups. Of all the governors that have governed Imo state, Ikedi Ohakim remains the most selfish, greedy, wicked, destructive, morally bankrupt, and demonic. Our Dear Dee Sam Mbakwe is remembered for his people-oriented leadership. But Ikedi Ohakim is already being remembered for the following.
(1) Destructions of properties of the poor masses.
(2) Looting of state and LGA funds
(3) Money laundering Activities
(4) Conversion of the Seat of Power in Imo State to a place where people are head butted, flogged( koboko) and stripped stark naked.
(5) Using state funds to acquire choice properties across the globe (6) Kidnapping and Abduction activities.
For sure, Ikedi Ohakim will never contest 2011 election. The people of Imo State have taken a definite stand against him. Ohakim can never eat his cake and have it back. The battleline is already drawn. This political battle must be fought so that Imo people can be liberated. Therefore using media house and other means to deceive the Presidency, PDP and the country will never work. The people of Imo State have taken their destiny in their hands.
By: Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha (The conscience of Imo State) Social Crusader and Facilitator) SLAP Initiative 07032934037
Plot 98 Ikenegbu Layout Extension Owerri – Imo State, Nigeria 8th October 2010 [email protected] Copies forwarded to over 85,000 email addresses.
NOTE: SLAP – Initiative is a leadership initiative based in Imo
State. It stands for Safeguarding Leadership Accountability and
Productivity
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