The immediate past governor of
Imo state, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, on Friday claimed that the chairman of the APC
Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha “is hated even in the political party he
spent billions of Naira belonging to Imo people to build”, alleging that party
members see his successor as Devil.
Aside describing the incumbent
Imo governor as “a misnomer”, who has now become “an outcast in his own party”,
Ohakim challenged Okorocha to a popularity contest on the streets of Owerri to
see who is more loved by the people of Imo state.
Okorocha had identified the
Ohakim administration in Imo as the most hated and devalued of all the past
governments in the state, adding that ever since the ex-governor made public
his intention to re-contest the governorship position in the state, he (Ohakim)
has chosen to attack him in the media day in day out.
Responding in a statement issued
by his Chief Press Secretary, Collins Ughalaa, in Owerri, Ohakim pointed out
that Okorocha is already losing sleep over his (Ohakim’s) governorship ambition
in 2019 right before the kick-off of electioneering.
The ex-governor said he “cannot
run his mouth like a broken gong, the way Okorocha does” because both of them
are not on the same level.
He added that he “cannot descend
to the level of dishing falsehood, familocracy, land grabbing, conversion of
public assets to private use, corruption, inordinate acquisition of wealth and
mind-boggling stealing.
The statement reads, “No one
should tell Governor Okorocha that he is anathema when members of his party see
him as the Devil and dine with him with extraordinarily long spoon. And despite
his rantings, Imo people know he has become afraid of Ohakim just before the
race gets started. We can only assure him that his nightmare would end when
Ohakim wins the 2019 governorship election and is sworn in the second time for
one term only.
“We restate that Okorocha loathes
the truth but feeds on the lie. That Imo people resisted his
demolition/relocation of Eke-Ukwu Owerri, to the extent that a 10-year-old boy
paid the ultimate price, that in 2016 a young man jumped from the pedestrian
bridge at the Orlu Road Junction, Owerri, and took his life in broad daylight
after cursing the Governor, are pointers that Okorocha has been deserted. No
other sitting Governor in Imo State witnessed these. And perhaps these two are
Okorocha’s “fantastic” achievements.
“To cover his shame Okorocha
thinks that reeling out his so-called achievements could make Imo people like
him, but they are in such a hurry to see him leave instead. Okorocha’s
achievements are well documented, and they include: iberiberism (stupidity),
the highest infant mortality rate in the entire Southeast, dead healthcare
system, lack of potable water and rural development, contract failure, wastages
and financial recklessness, land grabbing, converting public assets to private
use, skyrocketing unemployment, bastardised economy, dead bureaucracy, N200bn
judgement debt, over N700bn debt, non-adherence to the rule of law and due
process, amongst others. Above all, the Okorocha family which had barely enough
to eat has suddenly become stupendously rich after Rochas Okorocha became
Governor. To Okorocha therefore, this, too, is an achievement worthy of
celebration.
“Ikedi Ohakim served Imo State
for four years without incurring a kobo judgement debt but Okorocha has wiped
out in advance the entire 2019 and 2020 Imo State allocations for the incoming
government just by recklessness and contravention of contractual agreements
leading to massive judgement debts. It is Imo people’s money that will be used
to pay the debts, not Okorocha family money. He is jittery that he will
eventually be called to answer questions on how he had mismanaged the well over
N1t while still incurring massive judgement debts.
“Governor Okorocha is ruing the
fact that Imo people have chosen to stick with Ohakim. That Ohakim remains the
issue in the politics of the state seven years after he left office shows he is
well loved by the people who also voted for him in 2011. They are appreciative
of his selfless service while he was in office as Governor, including his
fantastic healthcare system, 1,395 water schemes, Imo Mass Transport Service
(IMTS), Imo Housing Scheme, including the Nekede and Arugo gardens estates, Imo
State Investment Promotion Agency (ISIPA), the 10,000 jobs, Imo Job Center,
modernisation of the Judiciary, Agro Nova, Clean and Green, the new government
at New Owerri and the Ahiajoku center, etc.
“Imo people are also grateful that
Ohakim built 720km quality roads, including the road that leads to Okorocha’s
house in Ogboko, while another 325km were at various stages of completion
before he left office. If Ohakim had continued Imo State would have had a brand
new government house, a refinery, Oguta Deep-sea Port, Oguta Wonder Lake and
Conference Center, Imo Free Trade Zone, Imo Freeway of 150km linking 19 local
government areas with toll plazas, housing scheme for all, etc.
“I hereby challenge Governor
Okorocha that within one week himself (even though he is a serving Governor)
and Ohakim should take a walk along major streets in Owerri and test who is
more popular and who has been rejected by the people.
“Having failed the people these
seven years, Governor Okorocha should stop blabbing and begin to write his
handover notes to Dr Ikedi Ohakim in 2019. This alone will keep him busy
instead of losing sleep over Ikedi Ohakim who has been the darling of the
people.
“Imo people should wait for Ohakim’s next
letter to Governor Okorocha which will contain full indisputable facts and
figures of Okorocha calamity in the state. Only then can they know between
Okorocha and Ohakim who is a disaster. Media propaganda and microphone
theatrics will fail him this time like it has failed him all the time.”
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