Governor Rochas Ethelbert Anayo Okorocha must strongly believe that Imo citizens are people he could ride anyhow he pleases. Indeed, Imo citizens have given him that impression by stomaching all manner of indignities from the governor. How else can anybody explain the apathetic indifference that has greeted Okorocha’s rule of brazen impunity in Imo State; a state that boasts of some of the nation’s best intellectuals, professionals, jurists, and entrepreneurs?

Why has a state like Imo, which claims education as its industry, allow itself to be taken for a ride? It is disturbing! The first sign of confounding docility of Imo people was when Okorocha befuddled them with a phantom free education, a programme, which the Federal Government started nationwide, way back in 1976, from primary to JSS3 under the UPE and UBE! Imo people swallowed it. Today, Okorocha cannot tell Imo citizens, which one he is operating: a free education, a scholarship or bursary?

Today, governance in the state has been reduced to anything goes, and any method that wins the propaganda war, no matter how ridiculous, is acceptable. Okorocha’s latest antics is to peddle a document replete with laughable ignorance of even basic banking transactions to accuse his predecessor, Ikedi Ohakim of N62 billion fraud. The childish attempt to smear Ohakim came soon after the governor’s daughter’s “royal wedding” beamed live to the world, and at which people wined and dined gluttonously. The hungry Imo masses rightly queried the vulgar ostentation.

Okorocha’s answer was to go live on AIT, which has found Imo a fertile ground, to say to them: “Look, it is not my fault that nothing is working in the state. It is Ohakim who defrauded you of N62 billion; if I had N62 billion, all of you would be rich.” What an alibi! Meanwhile AIT smiles to the bank. Imo citizens starve. The concoction Okorocha peddled on AIT was the same document he has been inundating the media with and which was shunned, especially as there was nothing to substantiate it. He has repeatedly harried the EFCC with the same petition and after investigation upon investigation, the EFCC dumped the falsehood, where it belonged — the trash can.

When he read this same document on AIT on Monday, January 14, it was barely 24 hours after he set up three, yes three, commissions of enquiry to probe all aspects of Ohakim’s administration. In other words, he has already indicted Ohakim even before the panels could receive their terms of reference. He said he was handing the document over to the panels. In other words, he simply wants the panel to rubberstamp his pre-emptive indictment. Imo State is really a very interesting place. Ever since he got into office, Okorocha has behaved like a rhino with constipation. Every now and then, he gets jittery and starts accusing the PDP of plotting to remove him.

He has remained obsessed with the name of Ohakim. He invokes the name to explain why Owerri skyline is eclipsed by refuse mountains. He invokes Ohakim’s name to explain why water is not running in Owerri. He calls Ohakim’s name when commercial banks and interest strangulate the state’s finances. He calls Ohakim’s name whenever contractors he has refused to pay protest. It is Ohakim’s fault that his free education has collapsed. It is Ohakim’s fault that the EFCC invited his officials to explain some financial dealings in the state. He is lashing out at Ohakim because he has found out the hard way that governance is not just sweet tongue. He started by accusing Ohakim of misappropriating N100 billion. Today he is brandishing a non-existent fraud of N62 billion, just to smear Ohakim! Imo citizens know that Okorocha’s government is running on flat tyre.

In a recent article I wrote, I alerted that Okorocha was plotting to probe Ohakim to divert attention from his comical governance. He resorted to the kangaroo panels after he had run out of excuses to Imo citizens why their fortune has dipped. It was just a political ploy to try to give a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a comatose administration. Having failed to use the EFCC to smear Ohakim, the lord of impunity decided to take matters into his own hands, cook up different accusations and play the accuser, the judge and the jury. Anything goes, even if it insults the intelligence of Imo people, But I can tell, Imo people are no longer interested in Okorocha’s tales about Ohakim.

What discerning Imo citizens are really interested in is for Okorocha to answer the following questions: What did he do with the N45 billion he borrowed from Zenith Bank and N28 billion from Diamond Bank? What has he done with the 27 local governments’ allocations from June 2011 till now, totalling over N85 billion? Where is the N13.3 billion Ohakim handed over to him and what did he do with it? Where is the N3 billion Ohakim left in the SUBEB account?

What of the N1 billion ETF money and N500 million MDG fund left by Ohakim? It is a matter of honour for Okorocha to tell the world if Ohakim handed these stated amounts to him or not. I am not saying that Ohakim is a saint. No politician is. But after 16 months in office, Okorocha should prove his mettle beyond Concorde Boulevard and leave history to take care of Ohakim. In due cause, the truth shall be out and history will surely vindicate the just. • Emenike, a politician/businessman lives in Owerri.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/opinion/okorocha-let-history-take-care-of-ohakim/

IMO STATE I HAIL OO

IMO STATE I HAIL OO

THE FUTURE HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY MORTGAGED