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| Ikedi Ohakim |
Since the disturbing
event of the PDP Governorship primaries of December 8, 2014 in Imo State, which
created the impression that our party may have gone seriously off-course, I
have deliberately refrained from making public statements that may jeopardize
our chances at the polls or react to speculations and blackmail.
Many people may have
mistaken my silence/calmness for passivity. In taking this stand, I considered
the fact that we are in a most delicate and terrifying period in our political
history. I also wanted to allow our party’s National Working Committee (NWC)
ample time and opportunity to adjudicate on our petition. Although they have
neither reviewed petitions nor made moves to reconcile aggrieved Imo state
aspirants till date. I would however like to differ with those of us who hold
the opinion that our petition may have been regarded as an inferior item on the
menu of the NWC or treated with Hobbesian indifference.
At this juncture, may
I express my gratitude to all my political associates and team members
including Imo Artisans Association for your financial support including the
purchase of my nomination and expression of interest forms; keke union also for
your financial support; supporters across the nation; the conference of ward
chairmen for your resolution and endorsement of my candidacy on September 28,
2014; the body of 10,000 graduate job victims and their relatives; various Imo
youth organizations; traders association; town unions, conference of Imo
councilors; ALGON; Conference of Development Centre Coordinators; former and
current Honourable Members of the House of Assembly, led by the former speaker,
Rt. Honourable Goodluck Nana Opia; men and women of God; and so many others,
for your patience, understanding, love and support.
I am humbled by your
show of solidarity. Everywhere we go we see the enthusiasm and happiness on the
faces of our people as they sing “Let’s do more! One more tenure”. Our
quest was simple:- a “second chance” to finish the unfinished business and put
Imo back to a measure of National respect. To complete our projects/programmes
using the remaining tenure so that by 2019 which is 48 months, there will be
less acrimony regarding Governorship in Imo. Like one man of God said
paraphrasing 1 Peter 2:22, “Ohakim committed no sin, neither was deceit
found in his mouth”.
The man of God went
ahead to say, “Throughout Ohakim’s tenure as the governor of Imo State, there
was no political assassination, no permanent secretary or officer of government
disappeared. No impeachment of deputy or threat of impeachment. No zone
complained of marginalization. No contract failed. No contractor ran away with
the state fund. No community’s land was confiscated. Ohakim rebuilt the PDP in
Imo after the devastation of 2007 governorship primaries. In short there was
law and order and Imo worked on one page”.
A careful perusal of “The
Legacies That Speak” will show the vision behind our projects and
programmes. Some of these projects and programmes unfortunately were subject of
misinformation and misinterpretation.
The implementation of
some of these signature projects naturally must span beyond four years. Our
hope was that on completion of these projects including the flyovers in our
second tenure, Imo State would become a competitive state. That hope is not
lost even under the present circumstances.
We made solid
achievements as a result of prudent and creative management of our lean
resources and the sacrifice of the political appointees who ceded 25 per cent
of their salaries to help develop the state. We operated in an era when crude
price averaged $38/barrel as against Okorocha’s (APC/APGA) administration that
price of crude oil is averaging $120/barrel until a few months ago.
As humans, we had our
own fair share of mistakes either in the choice of some appointees or reliance
on the vehicles that conveyed them. Definitely we cannot be faulted when it
comes to having the vision, the intellect, the courage, the passion, the
administrative acumen, the patriotic zeal, the compassion and commitment to
offer developmental governance against brick and mortar administration.
We give glory to God
who made it possible for us to survive the devastating effects of all the
intrigues and lies told against us in the days immediately before and during
the 2011 general elections.
Sadly, in the last
four years, the good people of Imo have had the misfortune of being taken
through a rough ride of acrobatic manipulation, “akpankolo kpankolo”
and “aeroplane turner”
The so-called Imo
rescue mission mantra has ran aground and is now in a state of coma. We must
all therefore join hands in spite of our feelings, to recover our state from
fortune seekers and merchant adventurers.
If we discount
sycophantic applause and vexatious publicity stunt and look underneath the
window dressing, Imo is in much worse situation today than ever before. We have
made zero progress in economic development and job creation. While people are
faced with extreme hardship and starvation, Imo State today has become a
theatre of confused all-comers road contractors, all screaming to be paid for
jobs they executed with zero design, zero bill of quantity, zero scope of works
and zero time-frame.
Today in Imo, more
than 100 local contractors have liquidated for non-payment. More than N5
billion lost to unscrupulous foreign contractors. More than 50km of
sub-standard roads constructed by Okorocha have been washed away. Three (3) big
sub-standard public buildings under construction including a hotel in Okigwe
have collapsed.
More than 300,000
people have lost their jobs since 2011 including the 10,000 job victims. More
than 100,000 artisans and traders have closed shops as money is no more in
circulation.
More than 800,000
persons have lost access to clean water. More than 500,000 persons have been
affected by disease due to environmental degradation. More than 100,000 metric
tons of refuse accumulated in Owerri capital territory alone. More than N2
billion judgment debts and over N200b loan awaits the in-coming administration.
Eleven (11) Imo State
University courses including Law and Medicine and all our Schools of Nursing
have been de-accredited. Our 18 General Hospitals have been sold and no new one
completed till date.
The Okorocha APC/APGA
administration not only abandoned all the visionary projects of PDP
administration in pursuit of self sabotaging vengeance. The administration set
about erasing every legacy of PDP while embarking on white elephant projects
within the Government House, Concorde Avenue and along Federal highways which
they repeatedly advertise on National television every week.
The flyovers we
started were abandoned. The ring roads and Imo Freeway we started also
abandoned; Imo Wonderlake project Oguta which we started and left the sum of
N13.2b in the project account in UBA, was renamed Blue Lake of Treasure by
Okorocha as a decoy to misappropriate the fund and abandoned. The
impressionistic Ahiajoku Convention Centre built by our administration, has
been cannibalized and abandoned and a sub-standard conference centre is being
showcased on a congested Assumpta Avenue, Owerri without traffic study, which
is now causing unprecedented traffic congestion. To stem this rot, we must ensure
the return of a PDP led government to Douglas House now.
May I at this
juncture, state that after extensive consultation, and considering the current
political environment, we have decided to give our full support and backing to
Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha who is today our party’s flag bearer. He is a tested
and trusted humble leader who will not deviate from building on our laid down
solid foundation.
I therefore appeal to
all our team members, supporters and indeed all registered voters to come out
and vote for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, a towering African statesman of
our era, who is only seeking one more tenure of only 48 months to complete his
transformation programme. Vote for Rt. Honourable Emeka Ihedioha. Vote for all
PDP candidates.
I also plead with my
fellow compatriots including all former aspirants, to please let us join hands
in spite of all the imperfections and personal loses to dismantle the impunity
in our state. Repeating the 2011 mistake will tantamount to waving a red flag in
front of a drunken bull. As our people say “Echi Ka” (Tomorrow is
greater).
Finally, let us
inoculate ourselves against propaganda epidemic which is ravaging our state and
push in the same direction now that Okorocha’s sand castle has crashed, and our
state is sinking. Let’s do it together. Let’s do more.
Ikedi Ohakim
January 25 2015
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