By
Ifeanyi Amos
His Excellency, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, the
Former Governor of Imo State, deserves that title. In character, vision and
action, after Dee Sam Mbakwe, he is the true governor, that has ruled Imo
State, since it was created in 1976.
Ohakim is a complete intellectual; Author of
many books and Apostle of the knowledge industry. He is therefore, a leader
with the inclination for the foundation, propagation and flourishing of ideas.
He is pragmatic. He dreams up an idea. He
visualises it. He articulates it. He formulates the tactics and strategies to
fecund that idea. He goes ahead to put it into action.
He is confident. He has a solid character,
having grew up and weaned by a humble and disciplined family with integrity. He
is conscientious; he is God-fearing in the true sense of the word. He is hearty
and compassionate. He cares about his family. He cares about his friends. He
cares, very deeply and with a reason, about the welfare, goodwill, progress and
prosperity of the people of Imo State. His people and truly; they are his
people, for whom he has worked for all his life and will continue to work for
and serve, all his life.
Ikedi Ohakim is a honest man. He is not a
man that will deceive people, his family, friends and associates. He will not
deceive the people of Imo State, his people and primary constituency. He will
never deceive the people of Imo State for any reason, whatsoever on Planet
Earth. When Ohakim was elected as the Governor of Imo State in 2007, he was already
a wealthy man of means.
He was a Management Consultant and
technocrat with a flourishing clientele and several business interests in
Nigeria and overseas. He came to lead Imo State, not to rip-off his people.
Nor, corner their commonwealth-money, lands, properties or investments; nor buy
out the investment interest of the people of Imo State, through shady deals and
fronts, and become richer. Imo people remain poor (like some people in his
position are now doing).
I have interacted with Ikedi Ohakim over
several years, very closely, indeed. He has two homes in Imo State. His
palatial Country-home at Isiala Mbano, which many governors in and after office
cannot afford, was built in the 1986, several light years before he came to
government. Throughout his four years in government as governor, Ohakim did not
add any block to that edifice, nor paint, nor extension, or even a garage. The
complex has remained the same while and after his adventure in government. He
did not enrich himself, by embezzling the money that belongs to Imo State, to
develop that property. It is still the way he built it, more than a quarter
Century ago. He did not steal government money to buy land, land and more
lands, in his village or in Owerri or elsewhere in the world or buy hotels and
acquire more hotels and guest-houses or begin hotel projects, so many in Imo
State; allocate government fund for the project, the project takes-off. At the
foundation, the project is abandoned, the money worth several billions of naira
disappears into thin air! Are you listening? Ohakim did not do that and can
never, ever do that. He is not a thief or gangster or dubious governor, who
gives one to Imo State and takes three for himself and family!
Ohakim’s other house, is in Owerri. It is a
small house to accommodate him whenever he is in town to do business, meet his
people and associates. Those are the only two residential properties that I
know he has. I can vouch for him, the innuendo, rumour or speculation if you
like, that people have circulated and still do that Ohakim has hotels in South
Africa; he has a refinery in Jupiter or Mars are all lies and figment of
imagination of the authors.
Ohakim does not need those things. He is not
greedy and kleptomaniac like we see around those in government in Imo State.
They want to acquire all the properties of Imo people, all the lands, all the
houses, all the hotels, all the markets for themselves and their family. Ohakim
cannot do that, he is pious, contented and well-brought-up.
The good people of Imo State, I have before
me as I write this piece, a book titled: “LEGACIES
THAT SPEAK VOL. 1”. It is authored
by Ikedi Ohakim: the man of the moment. It is beautiful. It is glossy. It is
produced in the best quality print and material. It is engaging and must-read.
It is written in vintage, classical, lucid prose-style; the kind of publication
you expect from Wole Soyinka, William
Shakespeare or George Orwell. It contains facts and figures of his dream,
vision and achievements as true, I mean TRUE Governor of Imo State between 2007
– 2011. It is amazing to say the least.
It was unveiled to the public last Saturday,
6th September, 2014, at a ground-breaking, colourful and
well-attended event, graced by PDP stakeholders: youths and adults, men and
women, at his lavish Country-home (built with his own hard-earned money, not
stolen from Imo State Government). It was a veritable political carnival!
It is a visibly high quality publication, in
content and production; legacy, as it is, of Ikedi Ohakim publications and
projects: solid, beautiful, useful, people-oriented, intellectual and valuable
for the digestion and education of his people: Imo people, who he has loved so
much and will continue to love and cherish and serve, truly from his heart,
soul and body, all the days of his life.
Going through that book from the stable of
the Grand-master of Imo State politics and development, I am astonished at the
mountain of achievements; of the man we can, once again, truly call the
Governor and leader of the New Imo State. These achievements, dream and vision
were largely unreported, infact, concealed from the people of Imo State for
obvious reason, and indeed, mischievous, wicked and clandestine mechanizations,
manipulation and gimmicks of his traducers, who claim to be messiahs, who hide
under the cover of broad smiles from the teeth, not from the heart, to deceive
the people of Imo State and deny them the blessings and favour that God
Almighty has allocated to them.
Now, for the avoidance of doubt, let me
quote from Chapter I: IN RETROSPECT, of this master-piece of a
book: “There was a yesterday in Imo State, that yesterday provided a huge
opportunity for the government of Governor, Ikedi Ohakim to redefine governance
in the state and send a clear message of our potentials and possibilities under
a credible leadership as against “bubuyayaa” and “Itantiology”.
Yet, another quotation from the PREFACE of this 21st Century
treatise: “The NEW FACE OF IMO AGENDA”
of the Ohakim’s administration delivered on promises in line with the
measurable development indices based on the strategic pathways and logical
frameworks of the new face development plan.
“Infrastructure development policies were
not determined or predicated on cosmetics or populism but purely re-creative
programmes supportive of real growth and economic value”.
Oh yes! You have heard that Ohakim’s
government, was not based on cosmetics; build government houses and
infrastructures with cheap labour and cheap materials, or populism or of Keke
riders, who are graduates, but have no job provided by government, who end up
as ‘Keke riders’ prowling the streets for passengers, who bleed in their hearts
to pay the fares because, their businesses and therefore, their income are
collapsing! There is poverty in the land of Imo State today.
Ohakim’s projects, were not conceived,
planned and executed at the Bush-Bar in Government House, with the Governor
wearing Knickers and riding bicycle to the bar to meet his Commissioners,
Advisers and Contractors; and issue contracts with the word of mouth; not
Tender Board, no tender, but to anybody that smiles to him!
Imo state today is ruled by a civilian
cavalier, who issues orders, decrees, and contracts from his knicker pocket!
Therefore, in simple word: there is no government in Imo State today. What Imo
people have, is an emperor who hyponitises and brainwashes his people and keep
them under spell! They don’t see, they don’t hear, they don’t complain, they
don’t cry or smell anything because they have no eye, mouth or nose to do so.
All have been sealed.
During his tenure, Ikedi Ohakim had a grand
dream and vision for Imo State. He conceived a Master-plan for industrial
development of Imo State, with several functioning industries to manufacture
goods and services and create wealth and thousands of jobs for unemployed Imo
youths, roaming about the streets.
Ohakim is the only Governor that knows about
the Master-plan and technology, for comprehensive drainage system for Imo
State, having understood that the topography of Imo State is a valley.
Ohakiim planned a Petroleum Refinery for Imo
State, to utilise the enormous oil and gas deposits buried in the soil of this
God’s own state.
Ohakim planned an interlocking connectivity
of roads and bridges with several flyovers within and outskirts of the city of
Owerri, to ease traffic congestion.
By 2011, water taps in houses and streets
were gushing out clean water like Victoria Falls.
But, all that dream and vision was
truncated, in 2011 by a Hurricane; call it Catherina or Janet if you like. The
Hurricane came, initially like sweet breeze of the Bar-Beach in Lagos. Then,
gradually, it became harmful and totally destructive.
What Imo State has become today is simply
put: a Ghetto; I mean, a slum. The water taps are as dry as the desert; not
even an Oasis anywhere. The roads are constructed today, tomorrow, you find
potholes and gullies everywhere. Traffic jams are now as constant as the
Northern Star!
The flyovers, conceived by Ohakim, are being
scratched with wheel-barrows and shovel, instead of giant Cranes and
Earthmovers. No idea how to go about it.
The free-education programme, that was
manipulated and used as a gimmick to chase Ohakim out of office, is
half-baked, deceitful and strange.
Teachers are recruited into the classrooms without basic training in
educational psychology and skills. Many of them have no idea how to write
Lesson Notes. They are there to teach what they don’t know.
The free school uniforms, imported from
China or Taiwan, perhaps, when local tailors are idle, have become eye-sore.
School children wear one school uniform for three years! No replacement.
All the promises of free books, school bags,
and shoes have become mirage. They have become unfulfilled promises, to deceive
Imo people to win votes.
So, Ikedi Ohakim is on his way back to
Douglas House to finish what he started. He will chase the deceits and
kleptomaniacs out of the place. He will restore the lost Glory that has been
denied Imo people, by a government that build houses and roads with inferior
materials; the savings, nobody knows what has happened to them.
Ikedi Ohakim, will surly return! In Part II
and Part III of this three-part serial, you will read about the fraud that has
become Rescue Mission. You will read about the dream and vision that Ikedi
Ohakim had for Imo State that was lost: stolen by enemies of the State, who
came to government, not lead and develop the state, but to feather their own
nests.
It is explosive, it is revealing. It is
vintage! Keep a date with me, please.
Ifeanyi Amos, is
a Journalist and Media Consultant, based in Owerri
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