The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chief Ikedi Ohakim

  • Okorocha to Ohakim: Account for N200b you misappropriated

    …Forget guber ambition, ex-gov told

     

    Imo state Governor Rochas Okorocha has challenged his predecessor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim to give account of the N200 billion his administration misappropriated in four years with nothing to show for it.

    The Imo governor also demanded an explanation from the embattled former governor on how he squandered the N11 billion he appropriated for the phoney contract to dredge the Nworie River.

    Ohakim had during his declaration to join the 2019 governorship election and formal defection to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the platform on which Okorocha ousted him out of office in 2011, threatened to probe governor Okorocha if he returns as governor.

    He also vowed to lift the ban on tricycle in the state capital and return the relocated markets, especially the Owerri Main Market, popularly known as the ‘Eke Ukwu Owerri’.

    But the Imo governor in a statement signed by his Chief Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, lambasted the former governor for failing to give account of his four years in office as the justification to seek re-election.

    Okorocha also observed that the embattled former governor “has eaten his cake and can never have it”, adding that “Ohakim cannot even win election in his ward”.

    According to the statement, “the media had, weekend, quoted the former governor of the State Chief Ikedi Ohakim as threatening to probe Governor Rochas Okorocha among other unfriendly remarks, if he becomes governor again in 2019.

    “The former governor was said to have given that threat while declaring his interest to run for the governorship of the State again in 2019 on the ticket of APGA. He was governor from 2007 to 2011, and was defeated by Governor Okorocha even as incumbent. And since that 2011, he has been contesting for the governorship without success.

    “To us, we won’t dignify the governor with a response, but to only remind him what he failed or refused to do while making the declaration. It was an aberration for the former governor of the State for four years to declare to run for the position again without mentioning at least, one or two achievements of the government he led for the four years”.

    The statement continued that, “in simple logic, you go from the known to the unknown. Chief Ohakim would have told the less than five hundred people at the venue of his declaration what he achieved for the four years he was in charge as governor and then tell them what he left behind at the Government House that he has been labouring to come and take.

    “Chief Ohakim knows that nobody would have known that he made declaration for the 2019 gubernatorial election if he didn’t mention Rochas Okorocha. Hence, the angle of probe. He would have begun with himself to be taken serious. He would have given the assurance that he would find out why he failed woefully in his first outing and what he did with more than N200billion his government appropriated with nothing to show for it, including the N11billion on non-existent dredging of Nworie River.

    “Chief Ohakim had eaten his cake and won’t have it again. He cannot even win his Osu-Owerri Ward 2, in any election at the moment. He didn’t do well at all as governor. He wasted the four years. And that is the reason he has become an unattractive candidate to all the Parties in the State. He is anxious to fill some gaps but he does not know how to go about it”.

    It added further that, “he would have challenged Rochas Okorocha to publish his achievements and let him publish his own if any, on the same day so that Nigerians of goodwill can see for themselves and give their verdicts, for him to be taken serious.

    “He has been governor and the emphasis should be what he was able to do when he was the Chief occupant of the Douglas House and not the threat of probe. He should also explain why he was voted out in 2011 by Imo people and what has changed between that time and now. Or what would change between that period and 2019. The best advice anybody can give him is that he should find other things to do and forget about coming back as the governor of the State”.

     

  • Okorocha to Ohakim: show your achievements in office 

    Okorocha to Ohakim: show your achievements in office 

    Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, Thursday challenged his predecessor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim to publish his achievements in office.

    The Imo governor who was reacting to Ohakim’s claim that his administration owes Judges in the state 16 months salary, said that the former governor did not run an organized government and could not know that the salaries of Judges are not paid by the state government.

    The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, in a statement made available to journalists, stated that, “Chief Ikedi Ohakim was reported to have announced his desire to contest the 2019 governorship election in the state at a Press Conference.

    “While doing that, he never deemed it necessary to tell his guests one achievement  his administration recorded while he held sway as the governor of the state, from 2007 to 2011”.

    The statement continued that, “Ohakim also never told those in attendance what he would do this time if elected governor again in 2019 which perhaps he didn’t have the time or resources to do when he was governor.

    “He accused the Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha of owing Judges in the State 16months salary arrears and then threatened to go on protest naked if the salary arrears are not cleared by March.

    “When we read that report, we withheld our response with the feeling that the former governor must have been misquoted, and might do a refutal. He didn’t do that but rather maintained his position, occasioning this response.

    “We make hay to say this. If after being governor of the state for four years, the former governor didn’t know that the state government does not pay Judges’ Salary then something must have gone wrong somewhere and it is quite unfortunate.

    “The National Judicial Commission (NJC) pays Judges’ Salaries. If the NJC handles the salary of Judges, then, the former governor was either distributing falsehood or has become overwhelmed by Governor Okorocha’s achievements that he didn’t know what to say again against the governor and his administration than to resort to jokes”.

    It added further that “we are always painstaking when handling issues concerning prominent citizens of the state like Chief Ohakim who had also governed the State, otherwise we would have made certain calls. And in any case, he didn’t run an organized government and didn’t therefore know who was paying who.

    “Let Chief Ohakim publish his achievements for the four years he was governor, with their locations, or publish all the achievements of the PDP governments in the State from 1999 to 2011, or publish the achievements of all those who had governed the state from 1976 when the state was created to 2011 when Rochas came on board and let Rochas publish his own achievements. Let there be issues and not petty lies”.

    The governor’s aide also stated that “Chief Ohakim also ran for the governorship primary of his party in 2015 and came third, which means his party members still have reservations over his tenure as governor from 2007 to 2011.

    “If one good tenure deserves another, should Chief Ohakim’s abysmal tenure also deserve another? The answer is NO.

     “We want to appeal to the former governor to look for another issue to talk about and not the issue of Judges’ Salary because the State does not pay Judges’ Salary”.

  • Commercial activities grounded as Owerri monarch is laid to rest

    All markets and business places in Owerri, the Imo State capital were on friday shutdown as the paramount ruler of Owerri Eze Dr. Emmanuel Emenyonu Njemanze (Ozuruigbo V of Owerri) was laid to rest in his palace.

    Vehicular movements were also restricted as most of the major streets that used to be congested were almost deserted. Residents of Owerri reported that cannon shots started booming as early as 1am and continued until 12 noon.

    Eze Njemanze, whose reign was relatively peaceful, ascended the throne in 1989 and joined his ancestors in May 2016.

    The corpse was last taken to Government College Owerri where he was a pioneer student for a brief lying in state before a burial service at the Cathedral of Transfiguration of Our Lord (CATOL), where family members and Owerri indigenes turned out in large number to bid the monarch farewell. There was also a colourful road walk by youths in royal dresses.

    In his sermon the officiating Priest and the Anglican Bishop of Owerri, Rt. Rev. Dr. Cyril Okorocha stated that the quality of a man was not measured by his wealth, adding that the late monarch lived a life worthy of emulation and commendation.

    He prayed God for the repose of the soul of the departed monarch and the fortitude for the family to bear the loss.

    The burial was witnessed by eminent Nigerians including the former Governor of the State, Chief Ikedi ohakim, the Deputy Governor of the State, Eze Madumere ,  Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Minister of state for Education, Prof. Anthony anwukah Chief Mike Ahamba SAN, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, former Military Administrator of the State, Senator Ike Nwachukwu and Amb Kema Chikwe.

    Others were Amb. Jude Agbugba, Livy Uzoukwu SAN, Ken Njemanze SAN, Prof. Viola Onwuliri,  Dr. Pascal Dozie and Hon. Onyewuchi Ezenwa among others.

  • Okorocha to complete abandoned Oak Refinery

    Okorocha to complete abandoned Oak Refinery

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, Wednesday assured that his administration will complete the abandoned Oak Refinery started by his predecessor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim as part of the industrial drive of the state government.

    The Governor, who gave the assurance during an interactive session with journalists at the Government House, said that he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese experts concerning the construction of the Refinery, as a continuation of his discussions with the Federal Government on the need to build a refinery in the state.

    Meanwhile the Governor, who just returned from an overseas trip, justified the recent suspension of workers, stating that the decision may be unpopular but in the best interest of the state.

    He noted that the amount paid by the state as salary every month is far in excess of what accrues to the state from the Federation Account.

    According to him Imo collects the smallest Federal Allocation among the states in the Southeast but has the highest salary structure, adding that, “in December Imo get N1.9 billion and our monthly wage bill was N4.2 billion and we cannot continue to operate with this deficit. Our five oils wells are shutdown, I have been managing this situation for long time because I don’t want outsiders to know our true financial position. The decision we took to suspend indolent and lazy workers is in the best interest of the state.

    “The Governor warned that no worker will frustrate the state government anymore, stressing that, “this bogus salary scale was smuggled in by the civil servants shortly before I took over. If salary payment is for compensation then we should share the Allocation among all Imo people monthly. We cannot continue to source for N3 billion monthly to pay salaries every month. The only saving grace is the Local Government Allocation.”