Citizen Report: My Arrest And Detention On The Orders Of Ikedi Ohakim

Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha

 By Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha

Mr. Ikedi Ohakim the desperate governor of Imo State has done it again. In his desperate bid to force and re-impose himself again against the will and wish of the good people of Imo State, Mr. Ikedi Ohakim has ordered the arrest and detention of all opposition key men in the state on trump up charges.

The recent arrest of Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha is a proven test case. Mr. Ikedi Ohakim held an Emergency meeting with his men at his village mansion in Okohia ,Isi-ala Mbano Local Government Area on the 21st of March 2011. The topic of the discussion was on how to clamp down on the Key opposition members and have them detained till after the forth coming elections. They agreed that it would be difficult for the governor and the PDP to win any election under normal situation despite the assurances of Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (Professor Selina Okoh) that election materials would not be released on time to those areas where the opposition has very strong representations. They therefore came to the conclusion that key opposition members must be arrested on frivolous charges and  detained  till after the elections.

Meanwhile the posters of the main challenger to the governorship seat Distinguished Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Araraume has been defaced with “RIP” (Rest in Peace) inscription in the State capital, Owerri, Ikedi Ohakim personally ordered the defacement of Senator Araraume’s posters.

He also set up a committee that would ensure that his instructions that Senator Araraume’s posters and bill boards are defaced were implemented. This anti-poster committee is headed by one Mr. Paul .C. Nnawuchi who goes by the title “Owe of Owerri”. For the records, Mr. Paul C. Nnawuchi. (The Owe of Owerri) used to be a member of Senator Araraume’s Campaign Organization. But after the “Wuru-wuru and mago-mago” court of Appeal judgement in 2009 he crossed over to Ikedi Ohakim’s New Face Organization after Ikedi himself offered him a bribe of N20million, a new Toyota Camry Car with registration number “Ikedi Ohakim” and a contract of sewing clothes for government officials and ENTRACO women. It is equally necessary to note that as soon as Mr. Paul C. Nnawuchi moved into Ohakim’s Camp he became abnormal in behaviour and character just because   he collected money. He now moves about with hoodlums, thugs and street urchins in Owerri harassing and intimidating people. Yet this is the same Paul C. Nnawuchi who when his younger brother nda Henry Nnawuchi died in November 2006 (may his soul rest in peace), could not even sponsor his burial until Distinguished Senator Araraume rescued him from the embarrassment.

Now to the main issue of this write up.

 On Thursday the 24th of March 2011, I Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha at about 5:10am left my residence at Plot 98 Ikenegbu Layout Extension Owerri with three of my boys namely Chidiebere, Chikwado and Ugochukwu carrying about 1000 pieces of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume’s Governorship Posters and four containers of “Top Bond” glue gums. Our responsibility that early morning was to paste Senator Araraume’s posters. So I instructed Chidiebere to start from Kalu Ezera street, I asked Chikwado to start from Onukogu street while I asked Ugochukwu to start from Umez-Eronini Street. On my own, I started from Nwaturuocha Street. All these streets are located in Ikenegbu Layout Owerri. So I shared about 250 posters each and one top bond each to the four persons including my very self. We went to our different streets of assignment and started work.

At Nwaturuocha Street I was busy pasting Senator Ifeanyi Araraume’s posters when suddenly a white Hilux jeep with Government House Registration number pulled to a stop. Two men quickly came down from the jeep and threatened to shoot me if I should make any move. I looked closely and identified one of them to be Mr. Paul C. Nnawuchi (The Owe of Owerri). I said to him “Oh, nda Owe, owu gi”. He responded to me “Aboki dont’t owe me”. For the records, “Aboki Holdings” is my business name, so I am popularly called Aboki. Mr. Paul Nnawuchi then said “We have constantly announced over the media that nobody should paste posters that are not that of Ohakim and Jonathan in Owerri municipal. It is only you Samuelson that would disobey this directive. So Paul Nnawuchi and the other man attacked me and dragged me towards their Hilux jeep. Of course I resisted them and exchange of words started. Again for the second time, Mr. Paul C. Nnawuchi threatened to shoot me. There was a gun (a Pistol) at the hip of his trouser. To prevent or rather to avoid a case of accidental discharge I decided to follow them. They pushed me into the vehicle. My face hit at the car door which inflicted injuries on my face and as a result of that, my face became swollen and my eyes completely red.  They also took the remaining posters of Araraume and drove straight to Government House.

Inside Government House, Paul .C. Nnawuchi announced to all the Security men that he “caught Ikenna Samuelson tearing off Ikedi Ohakim’s posters and replaying them with that of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume”. He also placed a call to Mr. Ikedi Ohakim, Mr. Emma Ohakim, Mr. Zeek Martins Nnadozie, and so many other people that early morning of 24th March 2011. On my own, I came down from the vehicle and challenged Paul Nnawuchi to restate his allegation against me. He became cold and dry before me and all the Security operatives present at Government House. I told the Security operatives what really happened. I told them that I was pasting Senator Araraume posters on electric poles along Nwaturuocha street Ikenegbu before Paul Nnawuchi saw me. I also told them that if I had my way I would paste Senator Araraume’s posters at the gate of Government House and that no law in Nigeria forbids  me from doing so, whether Ohakim likes it or not. I went ahead and placed a curse on Mr. Paul C. Nnawuchi and my self at Government House. I cursed thus “If I tore or removed Ikedi Ohakim’s posters this morning and replaced same with that of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, then let me never see anything good in this life. Let evil follow me all the rest of my life. Let my children never be useful to me. But if Paul Nnawuchi intentionally accused me of tearing Ikedi Ohakim’s posters just to satisfy his pay master and score a cheap political point, then let him never see anything good in this life. Let evil follow him all the rest of his life and his children will never be useful to him. Amen”.

The security operatives panicked and said to Paul Nnawuchi, “Oga Owe, this is serious. Are you sure of what you have just reported? We don’t want problem. Paul Nnawuchi (Owe of Owerri) did not say anything but just bowed his head. I continued with my raking at Government House. So the Security Operatives including one man they called PG came to me and begged me to calm down. They also pleaded with me not to involve them in the problem. They equally said that  they were only obeying instructions and that they received a call from the governors C.S.O.   saying that they should keep me until he comes to work. I responded by saying,   “To keep me in this same Government House again?. This same Government House again? Over what offence? Everybody should get ready for the consequences”.

At this point, Paul Nnawuchi and the Security operatives started making calls to people. After a while the Security Operatives and P.G announced to me that another call has come directly them to take me to the state CID (Imo Police Command). They also blamed Paul Nnawuchi for making calls to Ikedi Ohakim, Emman Ohakim and the rest.

At the state CID department, the Security operatives from Government House, PG and Paul Nnawuchi made an attempt to hand me over to the most Senior Officer present at that early morning but the Officer refused. Rather he directed them to Shell Camp police. But they refused. On my own I explained to all the officers what truly happened. I also placed the same curse on Mr. Paul Nnawuchi. The Senior Police Officer at the CID department who is a Superintendent of Police (Supol T. Okoro) again expressed his unwillingness to accept me from P.G. Security operatives and Paul Nnawuchi.

The argument was going on until Mr. Zeek Martins Nnadozie arrived at about 6:15am. He discussed with Paul Nnawuchi briefly. Paul Nnawuchi thereafter told everybody present that there is an order from Ohakim that I should be detained indefinitely. I quickly called Mr. Zeek Martins (Ukwutukwu), “Ukwutukwu, so you are part of this conspiracy against me?” He did not say anything but just bowed his head, turned his back and left. Shortly after a message came to the state CID department that Ikedi Ohakim and Emma Ohakim has contacted the Commissioner of Police Assistant Commissioner of Police and the Assistant Commissioner incharge of the CID department. That I must  be detained indefinitely till after elections. Immediately, Paul C. Nnawuchi and the rest left the Police Command.

I pressured my way through. I made calls to my people all over the nation and alerted them of the conspiracy of Ikedi Ohakim, Emma Ohakim, Zeek Martins Nnadozie, Paul Nnawuchi etc against me. Of course counter directive came from “above” and I was not detained in the police cell. Rather I was kept in the office. The police were mandated to charge me to court the next day if I truly committed an offence. At this point let me state it clearly that the officers at Police Command (CID department) are responsible people who do not support evil and witch hunting of innocent citizens. Despite pressure from Ikedi Ohakim and his gang, the Imo police command refused to dance to their wishes.

After a while I was called to come and make statement. I made my statement stating the truth of what truly happened. I also cursed Paul C. Nnawuchi in my statement. The same curse I placed on him at Government House.

The next morning being 25th March 2011, my IPO (Inspector Remy) told me that I would be taken to court. I responded, “No problem, my lawyers are already waiting”. Shortly after, Supol T. Okoro also came to me and told me to get ready for court. I responded, “My three lawyers are already in Court waiting”. Few minutes after, Paul Nnawuchi came. He saw me and greeted me. He felt sober. I did not respond to his greetings. Rather I tongue lashed him before my IPO and Supol T. Okoro. Another round of quarrelling ensued but the two police officers brokered peace. Paul Nnawuchi thereafter apologized to me and pleaded with me to make peace with Ohakim. He childishly said that Ohakim would win this election and that the Police, Vigilante, INEC and the Army are in Ohakim’s pockets. As he was speaking I was looking at the smallness of his mind. Paul Nnawuchi concluded by saying that everybody has now joined Ohakim including top people currently in ACN. (He mentioned few names).He also said that even in areas ACN would win, that Ohakim had concluded arrangement to make sure that there would be over voting which would naturally nullify the results in those areas.

Few minutes afterward, Supol T. Okoro and I went to Court in his Toyota Camry Salon vehicle. My IPO Inspector Henry joined us in Court. At the court I met my three lawyers led by Barrister F.N.Nosike. We all first went to Magistrate Court 1. OH yes, the same Magistrate Court 1 presided over by my Chief Magistrate Victoria Isiguzo. But she quietly turned down the matter for obvious reasons. We then went to Magistrate court 4 presided over by Magistrate Ogoma. I was quickly granted bail and the matter adjourned till April 27th 2011. I went home first before heading to a political rally at Ugwu Ekwema along Egbu road Owerri.

(Iwuoha is Facilitator of the SLAP Initiative)

News Release: President Obama Speaks On Libya

President Barack Obama

At 7:30 p.m. EDT, President Obama will deliver an address at the National Defense University in Washington, DC to update the American people on the situation in Libya, including the actions we've taken with allies and partners to protect the Libyan people from the brutality of Moammar Qaddafi, the transition to NATO command and control, and our policy going forward.

Watch live at 7:30 p.m. EDT at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Article: Presidential Debates, Reno Omokri’s Hypocrisy And Pat Utomi’s Complicity

Pat Utomi

By Dr. Anthony Fernandez

The presidential debates organized by the so-called Nigerian Election Debate Group (NEDG) is scheduled to start today. Ordinarily, it would have been unnecessary to devote a penny worth of ink on this charade, but a drivel in defence of the NEDG and by extension President Jonathan, written by one Reno Omokri and amplified by Pat Utomi, himself a presidential candidate, on his Facebook page has made this rebuttal imperative.

The fact that the three major opposition candidates have resolved to boycott the debate has put paid to any claim legitimacy and credibility that the NEDG would like to bask in. I shall take Omokri’s point in defence of the NEDG line by line and show how empty and inane it is.

1) Omokri is surprised that the trio of Nuhu Ribadu, Ibrahim Shekarau, and Muhammadu Buhari had decided to boycott the NEDG because, according to him, “the President did not participate in the NN24 debate broadcast on the DSTV network”.

Omokri is “disappointed by their actions and most especially by the action of General Buhari in joining the other two candidates because he at least is a former leader and ought to have been guided by nationalistic motives in the things he does”. My question to Omokri is: why didn’t President Jonathan, for nationalistic reasons, attend the NN24 debate?

2) According to Omokri, “The reason given by the trio is that they are boycotting the BON debate because the President did not attend the NN24 debate which they claimed is more credible”. He goes on: “But the question that begs an answer here is this-Are they debating for the President or for Nigerians? Leaders ought not to be reactionary. It has been said that leaders do not do things as a reaction because another person has done something. Rather they do things out of an exercise of their will by electing to make a choice based on their principles. That is called being proactive. If we are to be reactive then our actions are being controlled by the person we are reacting to.” What nonsense. My question to Omokri is: If Mr. Presidents feels he has the prerogative to attend the debate he wants, why can’t Omokri and his ilk extend the same prerogative to other candidates? If you must know, Mr. Omokri, they are debating the president and for Nigerians. That debate was meant to be an appraisal of Jonathan’s tenure and by extension PDP’s 12 years of misrule.

3) According to Omokri, “The Presidential debates are meant for the education of Nigerians and boycotting them to pay back the President for not attending the NN24 debate only portrays the trio as being more interested in settling a political score than in communicating to Nigerians.” Omokri, why is that if the president boycotts a debate, it doesn’t amount to settling a political score?

4) Hear Omokri again: “One other aspect of the reason they jointly gave for refusing to participate in the BON debate goes to the heart of our national attitude to our own culture and institutions. Saying that they have little confidence in the institutions that make up the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) but have confidence in NN24 gives me pause to wonder if these Presidential candidates have national pride. Leaders ought to promote the culture and institutions of their country. They should never portray their institutions in bad light because if they do then what do they expect outsiders to say? If you price your mother at 10 kobo, who will buy her at 1 Naira?”

I crave the indulgence of readers to quote Omokri extensively because there is no way to understand the extent of his foolishness unless we read all he has to say. In Omokri’s words, “Politics aside, how are we projecting Nigeria positively if we have our Presidential debate on a station exclusively hosted by a foreign network? And not just a foreign network, but on DSTV a South African Pay Per View service. What then is the essence of democracy? Is it not the government of the people by the people for the people? How many of “the people” can afford to watch DSTV? How many of “the people” can afford to watch online? Only a very small percentage of Nigerians who are invariably the elite can afford this. So are we now practising a government for the elite? For those who will see reason in the statement signed by the Presidential campaigns of the trio, I want you to answer this very basic question: OTHER THAN, NIGERIA WHICH OTHER NATION HOSTS HER PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE ON A FOREIGN NETWORK?”

This is Omokri continuing his diatribe: “Nigerians are too quick to denigrate her own institutions. In the U.S. for instance, once the candidates emerge, the Presidential debates are organised by the Bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (which is soon to transfer its powers to the Citizens Debate Commission) on the Public Broadcasting Service which is an American network that is freely available without subscription so that even the poorest American can afford to watch it.”

“In the United Kingdom, it used to be the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that exclusively hosted the Prime Ministerial Debates. But last year, for the first time, other British networks were added including ITV and BSkyB (British Sky Broadcasting) (after my first note on this subject some emailed me mistakenly referring to BskyB as an Australian network due to the fact that James Murdoch is the non executive chairman of BskyB and owns a 38% stake in the firm, however, BskyB is a British Network operating exclusively in Britain see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bskyb).”

“Even in South Africa where DSTV originates from the government will not for one second consider hosting their Presidential debates on a foreign network. For those who may not know, NN24 is completely and totally hosted by DSTV which is a South African network under the regulatory control of the South African Broadcasting Commission (SABC).”

“So first of, it was wrong for any of our leaders to have agreed to participate in the NN24 debate. And they did not have to participate only on the BON debate. If they say they do not trust BON, there are a number of Nigerian stations with their own networks such as African Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television on which they could have had their debates.”

“The trio of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and General Buhari should not punish Nigerians because of their grudge against President Jonathan.”

My response to Omokri, whom I hear is responsible for running President Jonathan’s Facebook page, and is his voice in the international community, is this:

1) Omokri says ab initio “it was wrong for any of our leaders to have agreed to participate in the NN24 debate”. Really? Is he aware that his principal, President Jonathan, agreed to participate in the debate initially but with some conditions? First, he insisted on getting the questions beforehand; he also insisted that the audience should not be allowed to ask questions. After initial hesitation, the organisers acceded to the president’s request. They even set the date and time to suit the president. Yet, he refused to show up and did not offer any reasons or apology. He did not let Nigerian know he refused to show up because NN24 is a Nigerian station on a foreign network!

2) When did President Jonathan realise that DSTV is a foreign station and therefore he can’t reach Nigerians through that network? For those who are not aware, President Jonathan has campaign ad running nonstop on almost all DSTV channels, including Africa Magic (English, Hausa, and Yoruba).

3) President Jonathan has been president since pay 2010. He hasn’t held any press conference or granted any interviews in Nigeria. The only time we heard from him was on CNN with Christiane Amanpour. Talk about national pride and promoting the culture and institutions of your country.

4) Let Jonathan go and face Nigerians and account for his stewardship in the last one year. Nigerians have heard from the opposition. From March 7-9, there was a presidential policy dialogue in Abuja organised by the Murtala Muhammed Foundation. Ribadu, Utomi, and Shekarau were there. Jonathan was a no-show, even though he was expected. All the local channels were there. But much more important, Nigerians, particularly the teeming population of unemployed youth, were there to listen to their president and the man who wants to continue in office come May. Then of course there was the much talked about NN24 debate where the president was AWOL. On Friday, March 25, Nigerian youth, under the auspices of What About US provided another forum for the president to redeem himself, but he brushed them aside. That debate was shown on Channels TV, which the last time I checked was 100% Nigeria owned.

5) Come to think of it, where was Omokri in 2007? I am sure he is old enough to remember that the man who became president that year, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, did not take part in any debate; neither did his running mate, Governor Goodluck Jonathan. The NEDG has been organising debates since 1999, why did they not insist that Yar’Adua and Jonathan attend the 2007 debate?

6) By the way Omokri, the trio of Ribadu, Buhari and Shekarau are boycotting the debate not because they don’t trust BON as a government agency. The import of their argument is that the president can’t pick and chose the debate he wants to attend and expect others not to do the same; that since the president is not “comfortable” with debates organised by certain platforms, the opposition has the right not to be “comfortable” with the platform he has chosen. If you notice what is happening on NTA with Jonathan/PDP campaign stories, you will understand why nobody will be comfortable with BON and its so-called debate.

The less said about Omokri, the better. I should be questioning Pat Utomi who thought it necessary to post this hogwash of an afterthought and give it much attention on his platform.