Governor Rochas Anayochukwu Okorocha, of Imo State, is an interesting character. Call him a self-made man and you won’t be far from precision. He struggled his way to comfort and decided to gave part of his wealth back to the society. He set up the Rochas Foundation which runs Rochas Foundation College in major cities in the country; offering free education to indigent students. In 2011, he realised his dream of becoming governor of his home state in 2011 after an acrimonious battle with the then incumbent, Ikedi Ohakim. Since then, Okorocha has been running an unusual government. Check this out: he has not stepped into his office for over two years. Very early in the life of his government, he decided to give up his security vote. And today, he is the only governor who runs free education up to university level. In this interview with Dipo Akinkugbe,  he speaks on his government, his lifestyle, why Imo must be changed and how he will like to be remembered by his people. It is vintage Okorocha. …

There is this allegation that you always over-emphasise the fact that the buck ends at your table and that is why you always micro-manage things; that is wanting to see to virtually everything going on in government. How do you react to this?
It all depends. This micro-managing that you mentioned is about ensuring that there is no leakage. Therefore, I admit that I manage them myself. I ensure there are no leakages. There is this law that says that in some areas, you cannot give contracts exceeding N4million but you now give N4million in a thousand places. This has gone on in Imo State before. How do you think I am able to pay teachers? When they were there, were they able to pay teachers? Pay civil servants and pensioners? Money in the hands of any holder of the office of a governor must be treated as if it is his own blood and hold it in trust. How do you think we were able to build 27 general hospitals? How were we able to build 205 schools and construct about 1000 kilometres of roads? How were we able to change the cities of Owerri, Okigwe and Orlu? How have we been financing the universities? Polytechnics and running of free education? It means we have been extra-careful in the management of resources.

You have this strange way of getting contractors to work. If a road is awarded to a contractor for one community, you take the contractor to the village and you will tell the people how much he has collected from the government and if he did not do it, they have the right to hold him to account. How effective has this unusual practice been?
Oh, very effective! We have even arrested one in a local government and I exposed him. But if he had given me even one naira from the contract sum, I would not have been able to do that. But in the real sense, the profit is not much; therefore, do it. I also ensure that no one collects ten per cent on the job. That is why I report you to the people and ensure that they monitor you and ensure that the job is done. So it is not really blackmail but when you signed for it and took the job, you must do it. If you don’t do it, we get you arrested.
There is this programme at the Freedom Square called Speak Out. It is one programme where people are encouraged to talk and express their misgivings about government and governance.

I also noticed that the state-owned newspaper criticised your government and your party over the Ekiti election. How much have you gone to entrench the culture of free speech and freedom of expression?
I created that place for Imo people to be able to express their anger. If they want to come there and abuse me, let them abuse me. All I want is a place where people could have their say. If a big man knows that there is a place the poor man can go and express himself and it will be run live on the radio, he (the big man) will be careful. It is a way of checking crime and terrorism. In fact, some government officials are being criticised.

I learnt that someone went there to criticise the deputy governor over an issue (Cuts in)…
Yes. It is freedom and no one can arrest you for whatever you say there.

Learnt also that you were told to face your job and stop disturbing them with your siren.
They can even say worse than that. They can tell me not to be with my wife. (general laughter). One of the problems of our nation is that there is so much bottled anger. When people are allowed to abuse one another; I abuse you and you abuse me and angers are vented, everyone feels good.

You  established the Rochas Foundation where you provided free education to indigent students well before you became Governor. How much of this have you brought into government?
A lot of it. We are already replicating that in government. Civil servants have been persuaded to give one per cent of their salary and I also gave all my salary last year and we now have what is called the Imo Foundation. We have taken people to India for kidney transplant. We are also continuing also in other directions. There cannot be any ‘big’ man without giving.

In all these, do you have time for your family? Do you create time for them or have you prepared them for this?
I have trained my children the way I trained myself. I see my wife in the morning. Before I come back, she is sleeping but in the morning by 4 o’clock, we wake up and we pray and then start discussing and my children will join us. That is how we relate. But they are equally busy; trying to be like their father if not surpassing him. I don’t go for holiday…

(Cuts in) For the past three years?
No. Even since I was born.                              

How do you unwind then?
Unwind? I am unwinding now as I am talking to you. This is the best way to unwind. But you saw me when I was having my lunch here. Who says a governor should not eat outside? I don’t want to go to the dining table; they will cage me there, serve water, serve wine and that will take about three hours. So I don’t want people to cage me. This life is short so go and work because if you are not working now and sleeping, when you die, you will be awake instead of sleeping. So work now and stay awake so you can sleep when you die. If you sleep now, instead of working, when you die, your ghost will be going around disturbing people instead of sleeping.

Going by your words, you have blocked ways through which politicians can make money and you are governor who wants second term. How will you finance your second term campaign if politicians don’t make money?
Even when I wanted to become governor, I did not spend up to N200million to become governor and it was given to me by my wife and one other man. In fact, I have announced now that I am not going to put out posters and bill-boards; if what I have done cannot bring me back, I quit. Must I be here? Is it my father’s throne? If Imo people want it, I am happy but if they don’t, I quit. This governorship thing is a burden. I don’t even know if I am happier or just happy as President of Rochas Foundation. The only thing is that this has helped me to touch the larger society. But in terms of stress, I have more stress doing this job. If they are happy with the way I am doing this job, they should beg me to come back. I have told them that unless they give me N100 each, I mean one million people with their voter’s card, I would not run. If they don’t give me, I would not contest. And let me tell you that they are already doing it. That’s the truth.

Are you sure?
Oh, you don’t believe me?

I don’t believe that, Your Excellency.
Ok. Come to Imo State and you will see. If they give me the money, I don’t need to campaign because they have given their words by giving me the money. That is it.

At the end of it all, what will you want Imo people to  remember you for?
I want my name written somewhere as someone who remembered the less privileged.

http://www..com/today/thisday/nigeria-thisday-newspaper-headlines-today

The article is actually titled ;

Rochas Okorocha: I Have Told My People that Unless they Give Me N100 Each, 'One Million People with their Voter's Card, I Won't Run

Okay

And today, he is the only governor who runs free education up to university level.

Can someone please confirm this free education programme of Rochas.Is it true that students of imo state origin in imo state university do not pay tuition?

Too much self praise.

Political propaganda at it's peak!

i love this phrase ''If what i have done cannot bring me back,i quit.Must i be here? is it my father's throne''.....i wish our politicians could rule with this orientation and belief

fijiano202: i love this phrase ''If what i have done cannot bring me back,i quit.Must i be here? is it my father's throne''.....i wish our politicians could rule with this orientation and belief

Na pesin wey no sabi rochas, the f00l can build 100,00000 sky scrappers within 2 minutes just with d words of his mouth and that's the exact tool he has been using to finish and brutalize us here in Imo state. the roads he built during the initial stages of his tenure have all been washed off by the little july rains.
I was at one of the events where the rogue had the guts to insist that every voter must attach 200 naira to his/her voting/party card to vote for him, surely rochas is a master in the act of extortion, their are nothing less than 15-20 different tax force bodies in owerri alone operating on daily bases and constantly bullying,beating, harassing and extorting money and other valuables from innocent commuters/citizens in owerri. When Ohakim was on seat, their were only TWO tax force bodies that existed (ENTRACO and civil guard) which were headed by Mr Willie Amadi, but this man Rochas came and increased the number to 15+,.

Anyway, shey na 2015 dey corner, that would surely be his day of reckoning

fijiano202: i love this phrase ''If what i have done cannot bring me back,i quit.Must i be here? is it my father's throne''.....i wish our politicians could rule with this orientation and belief

What else do you expect him to say? Government house isn't his father's house,yet he impeached his duty for one flimsy reason.Don't trust these politicians.

Barack Obama had no money when he contested for US presidency first time. Americans contributed, even excess money, and he won. It is no crime for a politician to ask his people to contribute to fund his/her electioneering campaign. But most annoying thing is when people contribute both money and time to have a politician elected, and the politician wins and ignores the wishes of those contributors, but instead engages in deceptive and hollow development projects.

idumuose:

Can someone please confirm this free education programme of Rochas.Is it true that students of imo state origin in imo state university do not pay tuition?

A dubious claim !!. None of such exists in Imo state from Alhaji Abdulkareem Afolabi Okorocha led government. His free Education is a farce.

in sane countries people contribute money for individuals to run for office and represented them, in nigeria, politicians pay people and give them bags of rice to vote for them. And you wonder why foreign politicians work for and are accountable to their people while nigerian politicians steal from and step on their people's heads.

Decibel: A dubious claim !!. Non of such exists in Imo state from Alhaji Abdulkareem Afolabi Okorocha led government. His free Education is a farce.

So all this free education mantra is hogwash.Thanks for the info.

wow,i never knew that i thought he was an Action-speaks-louder-than-words kinda governor [quote author=valicious1]
Na pesin wey no sabi rochas, the f00l can build 100,00000 sky scrappers within 2 minutes just with d words of his mouth and that's the exact tool he has been using to finish and brutalize us here in Imo state. the roads he built during the initial stages of his tenure have all been washed off by the little july rains.
I was at one of the events where the rogue had the guts to insist that every voter must attach 200 naira to his/her voting/party card to vote for him, surely rochas is a master in the act of extortion, their are nothing less than 15-20 different tax force bodies in owerri alone operating on daily bases and constantly bullying,beating, harassing and extorting money and other valuables from innocent commuters/citizens in owerri. When Ohakim was on seat, their were only TWO tax force bodies that existed (ENTRACO and civil guard

Rochas game is up.Another party will take over the state next year.

fijiano202: wow,i never knew that i thought he was an Action-speaks-louder-than-words kinda governor

idumuose:

Can someone please confirm this free education programme of Rochas.Is it true that students of imo state origin in imo state university do not pay tuition?

dey still pay skul fees

idumuose:
So all this free education mantra is hogwash.Thanks for the info.

there is absolute free education in both primary and secondary with free uniform, he did well in building the utra modern owerri city skul wich is one of the best in the country but for the university u pay half he pays half for u, I fink de half u pay is 60K or der abt according to my cousin

chimerase2: there is absolute free education in both primary and secondary with free uniform, he did well in building the utra modern owerri city skul wich is one of the best in the country but for the university u pay half he pays half for u, I fink de half u pay is 60K or der abt according to my cousin

Is it the rob Peter and pay Paul political gimickry at the detriment of the Civil Servants in Imo State.Alhaji Abdulkareem Idris Okorocha MUST GO via a protest vote.

If students pay half of the school fees which. according to your cousin is 60K,then it means the school fees for students who are indigenes is 120k,right?

So how much do non indigenes pay as tuition?

chimerase2: there is absolute free education in both primary and secondary with free uniform, he did well in building the utra modern owerri city skul wich is one of the best in the country but for the university u pay half he pays half for u, I fink de half u pay is 60K or der abt according to my cousin

idumuose:
So all this free education mantra is hogwash.Thanks for the info.

Not a hogwash bro.

am a beneficiary even tho I don't like Rochas

LordMecuzy:

Not a hogwash bro.

am a beneficiary even tho I don't like Rochas

So which story do we believe?

idumuose: If students pay half of the school fees which. according to your cousin is 60K,then it means the school fees for students who are indigenes is 120k,right?

So how much do non indigenes pay as tuition?

i tire o. imolites are really being taken for a ride.
lol... it appears imolites will 'return to egypt' come 2015.
next time, vote wisely

careytommy:
i tire o. imolites are really being taken for a ride.
lol... it appears imolites will 'return to egypt' come 2015.
next time, vote wisely

i wonder

Imsu school fees is about 120k or so, the state government pays 100k for indigenes.

chimerase2: there is absolute free education in both primary and secondary with free uniform, he did well in building the utra modern owerri city skul wich is one of the best in the country but for the university u pay half he pays half for u, I fink de half u pay is 60K or der abt according to my cousin

paulemi: Imsu school fees is about 120k or so, the state government pays 100k for indigenes.

yea mind u is as good as ur skul fees is 20K for indigene

okorocha the scammer

idumuose: Rochas game is up.Another party will take over the state next year.

Even if another party took over, you would still remain the wretched character we saw in a picture! Ediotu!

His managerial acumen if what they attributing to him is true sounds like what a typical Onitsha or ariaria main market trader that painstakingly built himself from the scratch to a status of a multi more millionaire in a few years will do.

Where are the Igbo's individual managerial and accountable traits in governments?

Rochas is a Charlatan.

O boi o! Imagine #100 x 1million people. ...that's soo much moni

valicious1:
Na pesin wey no sabi rochas, the f00l can build 100,00000 sky scrappers within 2 minutes just with d words of his mouth and that's the exact tool he has been using to finish and brutalize us here in Imo state. the roads he built during the initial stages of his tenure have all been washed off by the little july rains.
I was at one of the events where the rogue had the guts to insist that every voter must attach 200 naira to his/her voting/party card to vote for him, surely rochas is a master in the act of extortion, their are nothing less than 15-20 different tax force bodies in owerri alone operating on daily bases and constantly bullying,beating, harassing and extorting money and other valuables from innocent commuters/citizens in owerri. When Ohakim was on seat, their were only TWO tax force bodies that existed (ENTRACO and civil guard) which were headed by Mr Willie Amadi, but this man Rochas came and increased the number to 15+,.

Anyway, shey na 2015 dey corner, that would surely be his day of reckoning

Oga take am easy, na for which Owerri tax force de terrorize people? Remember we live for Owerri as well.