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  • Udenwa: I will no longer contest for elective position

    Udenwa: I will no longer contest for elective position

    …urges politicians to avoid gossip, embrace clean politics

    Former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa, has advised members of his political structure, the Redemption group, and other politicians aspiring to elective offices to shun gossip and backstabbing, warning that such conduct could damage their political futures in Imo State and beyond.

    Udenwa, who governed the state from 1999 to 2007, stressed the importance of integrity and clean politics, noting that negative practices could undermine ambitions to seek elective positions at both state and national levels.

    Speaking while hosting members of the Redemption political structure in Owerri, the former governor urged them to believe in themselves and pursue their goals through honest means.

    “Whatever you want to be, believe in yourself, but don’t get to any position through gossip and backstabbing,” he said.

    Udenwa recalled that the Redemption group played a key role in his emergence as governor in 1998, adding that many of the achievements recorded during his administration were a product of collective effort and teamwork within the group.

    He disclosed that he has no intention of contesting any future elective office, explaining that he has deliberately stepped aside to allow younger politicians to seek leadership positions.

    However, he assured members that he would continue to offer guidance and play a fatherly role in supporting their political aspirations.

    Read Also: National secretary position: Mbah, Wabara, Udenwa, others back southeast PDP’s exit threat

    The former governor also expressed appreciation to those who commended his performance in office, attributing much of his success to the dedication and support of the Redemption group.

    He said, “People praised my administration, but it’s not my making, but the teamwork of all of us; we had enough principles that kept us going. My administration achieved success through participatory democracy, which is what I think Redemption meant.

    “Most of you want to play a greater role in the future, but I don’t want to contest any longer. Many of you are still young, but you have to be purposeful. I want you to keep redemption alive and take it to the next level. We were underdogs when it was established. I’m happy today that we’re a force to reckon with in the State,” he said.

    He advised Redemption members not to fight, quarrel, or criticize anyone, saying, “We are not a political party. Many Redemption members belong to different political parties – be it the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), or APGA. The most important thing is to be true to yourselves as Redemption members.”

  • National secretary position: Mbah, Wabara, Udenwa, others back southeast PDP’s exit threat

    National secretary position: Mbah, Wabara, Udenwa, others back southeast PDP’s exit threat

    Key leaders of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southeast have backed the zone’s threat to reconsider its relationship with the party if its choice of Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary is not respected for the umpteenth time.

    While Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu state, who is the leader of the PDP in the zone, said it was time for the zone to speak with one voice, the chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa, expressed fury over what they described as the party’s disrespecting and trampling of the region.

    The zonal caucus had vented its displeasure in a communique read by the Zonal Chairman, Chief Ali Odefa, at the end of a meeting by the Southeast Zonal Executive (ZEC) at the Government House, Enugu.

    It said the meeting was convened to nominate a candidate to complete the remaining term of the position of National Secretary in line with the directive of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, during its 600th meeting in Abuja.

    According to Wabara, it was to review the region’s relationship with the party that he described as trampling on the zone by the party persisting.

    “We have been trampled upon, not taken seriously. If such a position were vacant in the South-South, it would not be like this. And now, it has come to us. I mean, the usual thing is to play politics with the Igbo man. Yes, we may have to reconsider our stand as far as the party is concerned. But I trust the NWC,” he stated.

    Udenwa, on his part, said, “We are expecting that this issue will be finally ironed out once and for all. We do not want to be taken for granted by anybody again.”

    Rendering the communique, Odefa said, “The South East ZEC exhaustively deliberated on the directive of the NWC and came to the conclusion that it offered a sure pathway to peace, unity, stability, and progress of our party. Consequently, the ZEC unanimously recommended Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.”

    The South East PDP, however, regretted that it had to go through the process of nominating Udeh-Okoye severally since October 2023, and urged the NWC to not only immediately ratify his nomination, but also ensure that Arch. Setonji Koshoedo effectively occupies the Office of the National Secretary in acting capacity pending Udeh-Okoye’s ratification by the NEC.

    The South East PDP, however, threatened to review its continued membership of the party should its position suffer further delay despite its agelong loyalty to the PDP.

    “The South East has consistently served as a stronghold of the PDP from inception. In PDP’s nearly three-decade existence, we have given our loyalty and all to the party.

    “Currently, while the party has been losing key members post-2023 general elections, the South East PDP is at the vanguard of strengthening the Party by rallying major opposition figures such as in Enugu where the Labour Party, LP, gubernatorial candidate, two LP House of Representatives Members, numerous members of the House of Assembly, among other stalwarts into the PDP fold.

    “Therefore, we hope that this time around, the position of the South East PDP regarding the Office of the National Secretary is accorded the honour and immediacy it deserves. This would bring closure to the needless lingering dispute over the matter.

    “However, if our position is not promptly implemented by the Party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward,” the communique concluded.

  • Okorocha: Udenwa, Ohakim left office broke

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has justified his plan to build houses for former Governors Ikedi Ohakim, Achike Udenwa, Evans Enwerem and the late Sam Mbakwe.

    According to him, the former governors left office poor, contrary to perception.

    Okorocha spoke at a breakfast meeting with reporters in Owerri.

    He said it was wrong to conclude that the former governors left office rich.

    None of the former governors, he noted, could be adjudged “rich by any standard after their tenures”.

    The governor noted that the initiative is to encourage people on the need to appreciate and honour past leaders, saying “having governed the state at one time or the other, they deserve to be appreciated’.

    He said: ‘Where is the wealth Sam Mbakwe was said to have accumulated for which he was imprisoned? Where is the wealth today? You need to see what the children are going through. Where is the wealth Enwerem, or Udenwa or Ohakim were said to have acquired?

    “Look around and show me where this wealth said to have been accumulated by the former governors is. It is not true. The problem lies with the perception of people. They have the feeling that once you are a governor, you must have gotten the franchise to acquire wealth, which is far from reality.”

  • N2.5b ‘fraud’: Udenwa, Fani-Kayode in trouble

    N2.5b ‘fraud’: Udenwa, Fani-Kayode in trouble

    Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives yesterday arrested former Imo State Governor Achike Udenwa over the disbursement of a huge sum of money during the 2015 presidential election.

    Of the N4billion withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), N2.5 billion was paid into the accounts of six chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including Udenwa, and the Goodluck Support Group (GSG).

    As of last night, Udenwa was still being detained at the Lagos State office of the anti-graft agency, which has launched a manhunt for a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.

    Of the six people implicated in the scandal, only a former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Usman, has been grilled by detectives.

    The details of how the cash was disbursed are: Fani-Kayode (N840million); Goodluck Support Group (N320million); Achike Udenwa and Viola Onwuliri (N350million); Nenadi Usman (N140million); Olu Falae(N100m) and Okey Ezenwa (N100million).

    Mrs Usman, who was granted administrative bail on health grounds, is expected for more interrogation in Lagos this week. She was said to have refunded N140 million. She signed an undertaking to make more refunds and forfeit two houses to the government.

    She allegedly owns an account, “Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited”, into which a substantial part of the funds was lodged and from where cash was disbursed to party chieftains.

    According to a source, Udenwa, who was allegedly picked up in Enugu was  flown to Lagos for questioning.

    A source in EFCC said: “As part of the ongoing probe of the N2.5billion illegally collected from the CBN for campaign purpose, our operatives have arrested a former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa. He was picked up in Enugu but now detained in Lagos for grilling.

    “He is expected to explain how he came about N350million with a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri.

    “Besides getting the list of  beneficiaries of the N350million, we are interested in how he will refund the cash, which was illegally taken from the CBN.”

    The EFCC has launched a manhunt for a former Aviation Minister Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, who “has refused to report to the agency for interaction”.

    “All attempts by our operatives to locate the whereabouts  of Mr. Fani-Kayode have failed because he has not only switched off his phones, he has virtually gone underground,” the source said, adding: “We will fish him out wherever he is. Having been watch-listed by the EFCC,  he cannot hide for long .”

    Fani-Kayode is rated as “the chief beneficiary” of the disbursement of the slush funds as he allegedly received N840million, paid in three tranches into his Zenith Bank, Maitama branch account with No.1004735721.

    The EFCC source gave the details of the transactions from Mrs Usman company’s accounts to Fani-Kayode and others.

    The source said: “The first tranche of payment involving N350million hit the account on February 19, 2015. Another N250milion was also paid into the account on February19, 2015 while N240million was similarly credited to the account a month later; precisely March 19, 2015.

    “The balance on this account as at 31st December, 2015 was N189, 402.72.”

    The Goodluck Support Group allegedly received N320million

    Falae allegedly received N100m through Marreco Limited, a company in which he is listed as chairman. The fund was credited into the company’s United Bank for Africa Plc account No. 1000627022 on March 25, 2014. The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation has denied any wrongdoing.

    “Both Achike Udenwa and Viola Onwuliri got N350million in two tranches. The first tranche of N150million was paid into their joint account with Zenith Bank on January 13, 2015. The second tranche of N200miilion was credited into their account with Diamond Bank,” the source said, pleading not to be named because he is not permitted to talk to the media.

    Okey Ezenwa is believed to have received N100million.

    Fani-Kayode has said that he got the cash for campaign purposes and that he rendered and account of how it was spent. He never knew the source of the cash, he said.

    Udenwa said: “The money was disbursed with approval from the presidential campaign headquarters. It was not paid into my personal account.”

  • Udenwa, Fani-Kayode, Falae named in alleged N3.1b fraud

    Udenwa, Fani-Kayode, Falae named in alleged N3.1b fraud

    Fani-Kayode (N840m), Goodluck Group (N320m), Falae’s firm (100m), Udenwa and Onwuliri (N350m), Nenadi Usman (N36.9m), Okey Ezenwa(N100m)

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered how N3.145b was paid into the accounts of six chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and Goodluck Support Group (GSG) by the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) in the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.

    The beneficiaries include a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and leader of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae; a former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Usman; a former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa; a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Viola Onwuliri and Mr. Okey Ezenwa.

    According to  a source in the anti-graft agency, the cash was paid by the CBN into the account of the Ministry of External Affairs Library, from where it was moved into the account of Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited.

    “It was from the Joint Dimension’s account with Zenith Bank that the money was shared to various individuals and organisations for purposes that are not stated,” the source said.

    The details of how the money was shared are: Fani-Kayode (N840million); Goodluck Support Group (N320million); Achike Udenwa and Viola Onwuliri (N350million); Nenadi Usman (N36.9million);and Okey Ezenwa(N100million).

    Giving an insight into how the funds were remitted into the recipients’ accounts, the source said: “Fani-Kayode allegedly received N840million, paid in three tranches into his Zenith Bank, Maitama branch account with No.1004735721.

    “The first tranche of N350million hit the account on February 19, 2015; N250milion was also paid into the account on February19, 2015 while N240million was paid on March 19, 2015.

    “The balance on this account as at 31st December, 2015 was N189, 402.72.

    “The Goodluck Support Group allegedly received N320million

    ” Chief Falae allegedly received N100m through Marreco Limited, a company where he is chairman. The fund was credited into the company’s United Bank for Africa Plc account No. 1000627022 on March 25, 2014.

    “Both Achike Udenwa and Viola Onwuliri got N350million in two tranches. The first tranche of N150million was paid into their joint account with Zenith Bank on January 13, 2015. The second tranche of N200miilion was credited into their account with Diamond Bank.

    “Nenadi Usman was paid N36.9billion through her Zenith Bank account no. 1000158311 on 7, Kachia Road, Kaduna. Ezenwa was paid N100million.”

    Investigators are probing why the PDP leaders got the cash.

    The source said: “Detectives are trying to decipher the motives for the payments.

    “But as things stand, the fact that most of the payments were made in the weeks preceding the last presidential election leaves very little to the imagination.”

    “One knotty question that confronts the investigators is the figure behind Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited, the account where the fund was warehoused before being wired to the beneficiaries.

    “The shadowy figure could help unravel the mystery surrounding the payments, once the veil is lifted.”

     

  • My unfulfilled dreams as a governor

    My unfulfilled dreams as a governor

    What is your take on the nation’s current political situation?

    As I said before, Nigeria has always managed to survive. At times, it seems that the nation will crash tomorrow. But from there, it gets up again. So, we will continue to survive but under very big strain. At the same time, we should not take things for granted. See what is happening in other parts of the world, such as the Middle East. One after the other, there were demonstrations in Morocco, Egypt, Libya, Syria and other parts of the world. That means that people are becoming more and more aware of their civil rights.

    And most of the problems are economic. The gap between the rich and the poor is too wide. We are not saying that everybody should be equal, but we must keep that gap close enough. These are some of the things we should not take for granted and believe that nothing will happen. Let us not stretch our luck to the breaking point. Let us ensure social justice and equal opportunities for everybody. These are some of the things that if we do, the country can survive.

    Let us also harness our resources. It is not only oil but also solid minerals. Let us invest enough in agriculture and manufacturing. These are the real sectors of the economy where we should put in enough resources and develop them. We have been talking about electricity for decades and nothing seems to be improving. We cannot develop as long as the real sector is not developing. The real employers of labour cannot employ. The highest employer of labour today is the government. That is very wrong. In the developed economies, the government employs a very small percentage of the work force. Not more than about five per cent. Here, the private sector is almost dead. These are some of the issues we must tackle if the country is to be peaceful.

    What I think is going on is that our nation has been on a continuous drift and that drift has not been halted, and it has affected our lives in all sectors-economic life, social life, anything you can think of. Nothing seems to be working. I think that something needs to be done. Otherwise, we would get to a point where we would not be sure of what is going to happen next.

    Why has it been difficult for people like you to disregard their political affliations and come together to do something?

    Even if the elite want to transform this country under whatever name you give it, they must carry the people along. If you don’t carry the people along, whatever you are doing becomes elitist. Now, the wants of the ordinary people are not so many. They want three square meals a day, ability to send their children to school, attend the hospital when they are sick and secure jobs for their children after they leave school, and so on. So, these are the basic needs of the ordinary man, and no matter what you are transforming, if you don’t carry them along and you don’t try to meet with these needs, you will never succeed. It means you are doing an elitist transformation where only the elite gain.

    So, let us see how we can look very seriously downwards and see what the man on the street wants. We have enough resources to meet these wants.

    We have had almost 40 years of military rule. Will you say the country is moving forward with democracy?

    I would say we are moving forward, but it depends on which direction. We are moving forward, and you should know that there is a learning process. A lot has happened. A new leadership has emerged. The only problem is that we are not as committed as our forefathers-the Ziks, the Awolowos, the Aminu Kanos, the Sardaunas, and so on. In their time, they were so committed and the fight was different. The fight was against the white man and the aim was to gain independence for Nigeria, which they achieved.

    Unfortunately, we have not been able to manage ourselves well thereafter. And this happened because after the white man left, we started fighting ourselves. The struggle for power has been raging since then amongst ethnic groups, political parties, religious bodies, and so on. So, that has been the confusion and the ordinary Nigerian is the worst for it.

    Recently, you raised the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State. What do you think are the chances of the party in Igboland?

    I see a very bright chance for APC. The South-East has followed PDP from the beginning till now and has nothing to show for it. In 2011, we had a body called Igbo Political Forum and we were working seriously towards having an Igbo President elected. Our target then was 2019. Our ambition then was that at the latest, by 2019, Igbo presidency would become a reality. But we scuttled it,

    2019?

    Yes, 2019, at the latest. But we messed it up because of selfish needs. Some people jettisoned the organisation in the last minute and worked for themselves and not for the Igbo. And today, as far as PDP is concerned, there is no plan for Igbo presidency. In APC, 1 think we have an opportunity. I tell the Igbo that if they work hard under APC and support the party, my projection is that by the year 2023, an Igbo man will be President.

    2023?

    Yes. We’ve got to be realistic. I said latest. It is possible we get it in 2015. But my personal projection is that latest by 2023, we will get it.

    After who and who might have ruled?

    The way things are going, whoever rules from 2015, by 2023 at the latest, an Igbo man will get it.

    Even if Jonathan comes back? Are we making an assumption that an Igbo man will become President after him?

    No, I’ve never believed that the next President after Jonathan will be an Igbo man. That has never been part of my plan. Knowing Nigeria the way I do, I don’t want to be over-optimistic and then promise our people what cannot happen. I don’t see President Jonathan handing over to an Igbo man.

    Why is an Igbo leader like you talking this way?

    It is not possible. We know the trend. Even when I was in PDP, I was part of the extended caucus that signed the minutes of that meeting we had in the Villa, where we agreed that after Obasanjo, a northerner would rule and after that, it would come down to the south. So, within PDP, there is no hope that after Jonathan, another southerner or an Igbo man would move straight into the Presidency. This was the calculation we had in 2011, and we told our people then that we had an option. That was the time we met with the northern group under Adamu Ciroma. And we had an agreement. It was in the papers. It was published and we signed.

    Do you actually realise the social implication of what you are saying?

    What is it?

    You are telling your Igbo kinsmen that…

    (Cuts in) I haven’t said anything other than that ‘latest’. The meaning of ‘latest’ here is that they can also have it earlier if they work hard. I want to be on the safe side and I say if we work hard, latest by 2023, an Igbo President would emerge.

    Would emerge?

    Yes.It may be shocking to you, but that is the truth of the matter. Those who promised us 2015, where are they (laughs)? The same people who promised us 2015 are the people telling us today that Jonathan is entitled to a second term. So did they not know in 2011 that he would be entitled to a second term?

    So, when you people were pursuing the presidency in 2015, Igbo wasn’t even in the agenda?

    Yes. What realistically we were thinking at that time was 2019. They promised us 2015, but realistically, we knew that was 2019. I know you are shocked. You will be shocked. You want me to say we will have Igbo president tomorrow. You can’t have it without working for it. What’s the organisation on the ground? What contacts have you made? Or is it that by 2015 an Igbo man will be president?

    Be realistic. We lost 2015 in 2011. If we had followed the programme in 2011, probably we would have had it in 2015 or 2019 latest. This is the truth. I will never believe that a South-South president will hand over to a South-East president. I said then and I’m still saying it today, that it would be impossible in the Nigeria context. So, why not work for something that is possible? There was an interview Chief Edwin Clark granted; I think it was in June. I saw that interview as being frank.

    What did he say?

    He said that the Igbo were not yet prepared for the presidency; that they had not started any move to run for the presidency of this country. He said the South-South started in 2003, and he concluded by saying that when the Igbo are ready, they would help the Igbo.

    So getting prepared to run for a Nigeria’s presidency has now been turned into an ethnic and violent affair? That is the kind of preparation I see the North making.

    No matter the method they use in their own case, the question we are asking ourselves is, what is the method Igbo people are using now?

    Let me return the question to you. What are you people doing to produce a president of Igbo extraction?

    There are many groups. But for those of us in the APC, we look at what is happening today, an Igbo man could probably in 2015 indicate interest. My party has not zoned anything. We have not decided where the presidency is going. So, the Igbo man could have a chance in 2015.

    Assuming he does not make it in 2015, whoever gets there, the Igbo man can now prepare very well and see that by 2023, an Igbo man would be President. That’s the situation.

    Your calculation does not even work?

    Why?

    Because you have assumed that after Jonathan, it will not be an Igbo man but a Northerner…

    Yes. But I didn’t say a Northerner. You didn’t hear me mention any ethnic group (laughs)

    Okay, I concede. Now, it would be any group after Jonathan and Jonathan may end his tenure in 2019 if he is re-elected in 2015?

    You can’t assume. I’m talking from the point of view of APC. And from the point of view of APC, are we expecting Jonathan to be re-elected? No. You are asking me, but I cannot tell you what any other person is doing on the APC point of view. I’m calculating that if the Igbo don’t make it in 2015, we must definitely work hard for it. Nobody will dash you the presidency. It means that the Igbo should come into APC and work hard for it.

    So, your ‘hard work’ is in the context of APC?

    Yes, in the context of APC. That is why I cannot speak for PDP. I’m speaking for APC. For me, the PDP is gone.

    Gone, in terms of?

    I mean our chances in PDP have gone. We lost it in 2011. I tell you the truth, no matter the way you see it, we lost it in 2015. We need to start positioning ourselves through APC to be sure that if we don’t make it in 2015, because my party has not in any way said the presidency is zoned to this side, we must begin seriously to work under APC and achieve it latest by 2023.

    But there is still a problem there?

    What problem?

    A lot of Igbo people see the APC as a Yoruba party.

    Some say it is a Yoruba party, others say it is a northern party. Why can’t we make it an Igbo party? That is why we’ve got to work hard in APC. You can see the baptism it is getting. Some say it is a Yoruba party. Some say oh, it is a Hausa-Fulani party. They just give these tags to scare our people away. APC is a Nigerian party and a lot depends on how you work on it. If in the 2015 election we work hard, I promise you, APC will take a minimum of three states out of the five in the South-East. And that will be the beginning.

    Can you name the states?

    I don’t want to name them. Any of the five is an opportunity.

    Would you take Anambra?

    By the grace of God. That would be the beginning.

    You already have Imo State, right?

    Yes, we have Imo State. So, we will add one more. And I said minimum. Supposing we take all the five. Mind you, it is not the powerful people that vote; it is the grassroots people who would look at the APC as a party that wants to cater for the ordinary people. And by the time we release our manifesto, by the time we start working, start our campaigns, you will see that the ordinary man will see that that’s where his salvation lies. So, he can leave the elite in the PDP.

    We hope to be in control of the centre. For us to execute our programmes, we hope first and foremost to grab the centre. We’re not joking. It’s not a question of dragging people out of the centre. And the group that needs the APC most is the Igbo.

    What makes you think so?

    Yes, I think so because when our states key into the programmes of APC, we will see development in Igboland. That is one. Again, the Igbo presidency we’re talking about becomes more realisable, unlike in the PDP where there’s no programme for it. But some leaders come out and say you will get Igbo presidency tomorrow morning only for them to get ‘settled’ with contracts, etc. When they get these things, as far as they are concerned, Igbo Presidency can wait. We’re not like that in APC. We are quite dedicated.

    Are you going to run for Senate again under APC?

    I can tell you, I took part in the formation of APC. I was one of those who planned the merger, and at the time we resolved that, we took our ambitions and put them in our pockets. By the time we finished merging and the party settles down and everything has been put on ground, you can come up with your ambition.

    So as at today, I cannot say what I’m going to run for. I’ve not even given it a serious thought if I’m going to run for something or not. Our preoccupation as at now is to put APC on the ground. Having been registered, registration is just one step. The next thing is to put it on the ground, and that is what we are all working towards. As for our individual ambitions, everybody has his. But it’s not an issue yet.

    What is your guiding philosophy about life?

    My guiding philosophy about life is to act according to my conscience at all times. Once I consult my conscience, whatever it tells me, that is what I do. And when I do it, I have no regrets. But once my conscience is not clear on an issue, I will not try it. But I believe that we are all human beings. Even when probably you have been placed in a better position, you must try also to help those who are down to get up. These are the things that guide me in life.

    I try to treat my fellow human beings as humans and always regard whatever position I find myself as a temporary position, because no position is permanent. I believe in it so much. You can be there today and tomorrow you are down, next tomorrow you are at the top. But what kills many of us is that when we find ourselves in certain positions, we think that it will last forever. One day, you will come down. If you have that at the back of your mind, it will make you to behave well. It will make you to treat others as you will like to be treated. My philosophy of life is for me to act according to my conscience. That is the summary of my philosophy.

    Are there things you remember today with regrets? Are there things you could have done differently if given another opportunity?

    Of course, yes. For everybody, it has to be. You cannot, with hindsight, review what you did for eight years and find all of them quite in order. There must be a few that you believe that, well, given hindsight today, I would have done them differently. There are always.

    Can you give examples?

    I may not be able to give a lot of examples, but I would say that one of the things that I want to do that I did not do well, was the issue of technical education. I remember it till today. I had a philosophy that I wanted to do real technical education, which meant establishing artisan schools, craft schools. I think that is what we lack. We can have all the engineers in the world, all the doctors, but we don’t have artisans. That is an aspect of my administration that I think that I did not do quite well.

    Secondly, it was my ambition to link up the three cadres of health management; that is the primary, secondary and tertiary health. I did not quite link them up. There were some of these things I failed to do, which I think I should have done. But in any case, lack of resources also contributed to it; not that I did not know that they should be done.

    Another thing I believe I would have done differently is the issue of Imo State University. I thought of establishing two major campuses of the Imo State University, but I could not get them working. The teaching hospital in Orlu, the College of Engineering in Okigwe, I started them but I could not get them to the level I should have got them to before I left. These are some of the things I could not achieve as I desired. Subsequent regimes should be able to continue from where I stopped.

    What did you accomplish during your tenure as governor?

    What makes me feel happy most when I remember Imo State is not the structures on ground, but the human capital I was able to build. To me, that is what makes me feel happy. In my time, I had this poverty alleviation programme and it helped a lot of people. When I go to Imo State today, you see market women I would not even remember recounting what my poverty alleviation programme helped them to achieve. I have had many of such experiences and they gladden my heart. It is not just the issue of structures.

    In my time, we did not have so much money, but we were doing some contracts. We made sure that we distributed them well. It was not a question of getting one contractor to build everything. We distributed them and spread them among contractors from the three political zones, so that the idle youths in the villages would find work to do. This made me happy. I remember the state secretariat in Owerri, which has 10 large buildings. The buildings were given to 10 individual contractors spread among the three senatorial zones in the state. Anytime I visited the construction site, I felt happy seeing youths who would have been idle in their villages working at the sites. These engagements prevented them from taking to crimes. All these made me happy.

  • No leadership tussle in Imo APC— Okorocha, Udenwa

    No leadership tussle in Imo APC— Okorocha, Udenwa

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and Chief Achike Udenwa, also a former governor of the state, yesterday cleared the air on the speculated leadership tussle in the state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    They maintained that they have been working closely to advance the party in the state and the entire South-East zone, adding that the rumour was a total lie.

    Addressing newsmen shortly after the  two day meeting that was brokered by some leaders of the party, Okorocha said the essence of the briefing was to clear the air on the alleged disunity in the party.

    According to him, “The unity of our party has been signed, sealed and delivered and victory for our party come 2015 is assured.”

    He also announced the formation of the Elders Council of the Imo State chapter of the APC, which according to him, has Chief Udenwa as chairman, while  Senator Osita Izunaso will serve as secretary.

    Speaking in the same vein, Udenwa debunked insinuations that he was at loggerhead with the governor, describing it as a complete lie.

    The former governor, restated the position of the governor that there was no division in the party as all the leaders are operating on the same page.

    He added, “We are here to redefine leadership to Nigerians. As for Imo State, there is only one united APC. It is the only political party with structures down to the ward level.

    “We urge you all to join us as we are hoisting a new flag in Imo State.”

    According to Udenwa, “APC will retain its government in Imo State and will go on to install an APC government at the federal level in 2015.

    “We have given the PDP opportunity since 1999 till date to make an impact but unfortunately, there have been no change in the living standard of Nigerians. Now is the time for change and it beckons the APC.”

    Also at the peace parley were the Imo State Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon.Benjamin Uwajumogu, Col. Lambert Iheanacho, Hon. Uche Onyeagucha, Senator Osita Izunaso, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), among others.