Immediate past governor of Imo state, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, has declared to contest the 2015 governorship election in the state, stating that his ambition is to complete the laudable projects, programmes initiated by his administration between 2007 and 2011.

Ohakim, who lamented what he described as maladministration of Imo state by the incumbent governor, Rochas Okorocha, said the level of unemployment his administration curtailed by massive employment scheme has risen beyond proportionate level due to the politically-motivated sack of over 4,000 civil servants by the current administration.

Ohakim, who said he has put behind him issues and circumstances that led to his defeat in the 2011 governorship election, stressed that life is not about falling, but be able to rise again. According to him, “the character of a man is judged by his ability to rebound from adversity and turn it into advancement. If certain things in life work out for us effortlessly, it does not mean that life is without difficulties. All heroes are those who surmount difficulties’.

With this in mind, he said he has decided to contest the 2015 governorship election in Imo state on the platform of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), explaining that one of the basic reasons for him to contest is to implement his programmes and projects that have been ‘bastardised’ by the current administration in the state.

One of the programmes which he initiated but was allegedly bastardised by the Okorocha’s administration, he said, is the drive to provide employment for the vast army of unemployed youths in the state.

The former governor explained that as a policy, Imo past administrations had placed embargo in the state for over 18 years and that to address this, he contacted a consulting firm, KPMG to help in the recruitment of the unemployed youths.

Before this, he said in the schools, especially in the primary and secondary schools, there is a ratio of 189 pupils to a teacher and that the average retiring age of civil servants in the state was 58 years coupled with the fact that most of the civil servants kept changing their age to enable them remain in the job. But on assumption of office in 2007, he employed KPMG to address the growing question of unemployment in the state.

According to Ohakim, “the consultant, the KPMG came up with its report that there are over 700,000 applicants in the state civil service to compete for only ten thousand vacancies”, explaining that the objective of getting a consulting firm like KPMG was to enthrone transparency in the recruitment exercise.

He explained that, due to the transparent recruitment exercise by the KPMG, only 8,000 applicants were successful, but the criteria had to be lowered to enable additional 2000 applicants to qualify. In this, he said 5,000 teachers (75 per cent of these were science-based teachers) were employed with over 250 judiciary officers.

In Imo state, THISDAY gathered that the following aspirants are jostling to contest for the 2015 governorship election in the state. They include the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Senator Chris Anyanwu, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume and Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN).

All of them would be contesting on the platform of the PDP. The former Minister of Internal Affairs, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, would be contesting on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the incumbent governor, Rochas Okorocha, would be contesting on the platform of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC).

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/ohakim-joins-imo-guber-race/187163/

Our new governor in the making. welcome back sir.

I want him to contest. The disgrace will be massive. Up APC. Up Rochas. God bless Imo State!

E be like say Ohakim wan cry again okwa ya? Someone should tell him what happened in 1964 will happen again!

Is that why he went Mbaka's adoration? No wonder. Catholics are mumu and can be easily brainwashed just like m*uslims so anything can happen. I wish you luck in the polls Mr. Ikiri

A big joke.

shameless man wey no fit even win his community wt all his power of incumbency want come contest again?

Anyway d man d find who go settle am, he no fit try am

That fraud called Ohakim should go lie in a gutter. What nonsense laudable projects? Ohakim and okorocha need to expelled from Imo state asap

tit: A big joke.

biggest joke of the century

ohakim and d PDP caucus will waste tax payer money again Cos' the good people of IMO state in which gov okorochas govern are not fooled with rice and kerosene.

Nonsense!! Waste of public space •

Is this not thesame man that moved around with koboko flogging anybody that drove infront of his convoy? Hian!

He thinks imo state is ekiti state...
Wishing him all de best sha, since he want to waste de money he looted

meforyou1: That fraud called Ohakim should go lie in a gutter. What nonsense laudable projects? Ohakim and okorocha need to expelled from Imo state asap

you keep on hating on Rochas but you have never for once told us your preferred choice of candidate in the forth coming Imo election.

berem: you keep on hating on Rochas but you have never for once told us your preferred choice of candidate in the forth coming Imo election.

anybody but okorocha and Ohakim. Prefer emerald ihedioha or kema chikwe.

In a free and fair PDP primaries, i dont see Ohakim defeating Ararume or Ihedioha not to talk of defeating Rochas in d main election.

meforyou1: anybody but okorocha and Ohakim. Prefer emeka ihedioha or kema chikwe.

none of them are from Orlu. Well,they have to wait till Rochas completes his two tenures

berem: none of them are from Orlu. Well,they have to wait till Rochas completes his two tenures

hahaha, which nonsense 2 tenures? Be ready to ready welcome back fraudulent okorocha in Orlu market square on may 29, 2015.

Rochas and Ohakim are disgrace to Imo state both of them have no place in Douglass house in 2015 we don't need them again

As far as Imo State is concerned none of those being mentioned here is on the same level as Okorocha. They are liliputians and to win an election you need to cut across zones and not your particular area.

Those trying to mention Okorocha along side Ohakim are commiting blasphemy against God.

ohakim dey drink gutter water

igbos are vry funny...........those hating on okorocha are doing that not based on performance,but because he belong to apc.

WHAAAAAAAAT!!!!!!
Is he using?

abagoro: As far as Imo State is concerned none of those being mentioned here is on the same level as Okorocha. They are liliputians and to win an election you need to cut across zones and not your particular area.

Those trying to mention Okorocha along side Ohakim are commiting blasphemy against God.

u are a clown. Go to arondizuogu and show me what single thing cockrochas okorocha has done in the town for 4 years

.

Oha kim kim merely wants to be heard once again. He ought to know that he has no chance. Kim kim whose main programme as governor was keep Owerri clean. He never understood that overcrowding from too much student population in Owerri makes refuse disposal problem a constant in Owerri.

Did he forget his pant in douglas house? Is it the Nworie river that he looted billions of naira for in the guise of dredging to allow ship to bring Rice.That place is now full of sand even paper boat can't sail there.

Is it the 10,000 Imo youths job scam where over 2 50,000 youths paid 1,500 for only to be duped.

Now I know Ohakim is a clown.

ohakim,ohakim,
yu were once my broda frm d same mbano,but u mess it up,u knw why,?
The strikes in imo state university was frustratin me,so i and my felow mbanos,we vote u out to put rochas there.and he is doing wel bc,i and my felow mbanos re benefiting frm his administrations .
so go sleep .
i go prefer ifeanyi ararume than u.
but 4 nw na rochas i want o

Imo2015: Our new governor in the making. welcome back sir.

am a core supporter of PDP,check my post and comment all on nl.but to be sincere,ohakim did nothing,though rochas is a loud mouth,he has out performed ohakim.
ohakim was a disaster expect pdp present sum1 else.

meforyou1: anybody but okorocha and Ohakim. Prefer emerald ihedioha or kema chikwe.

lmao. naa now i sabi say u no no anything? what are the achievements of Kema chikwe and Ihedioha in politics? Abi Kema wey no even fit win Senatorial election wan become Governor? abi na only Mbaise people go vote Ihedioha?
try reason am nahh.