By Austin Echefu

Former Governor of Imo State, and Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, Rochas Okorocha, recently celebrated his 59th birthday lavishly. We really do not have a problem with how he celebrated his birthday. But during an evening event held in his honour in Abuja on Thursday and attended by serving and former governors, senators, ministers, Royal fathers, clergy, etcetera, Okorocha became characteristically dramatic and said he was extending the olive branch to the Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State.

He said: "This is not the time to count right; wether you are right or wether you are wrong.... I want to appeal to Nigeria that: do me a favour and begin to embrace each other. And as we are seated here we can dramatise the peace of this country and unity of this country.

"I hereby declare: let the peace reign. From Sokoto to Imo, let peace reign. From Lagos to Kwara, let peace reign. From PDP to APC, let peace reign. From Governor Rochas Okorocha and Hope Uzodinma, let peace reign. It is a very difficult one, but for the sake of peace, we can make sacrifice (sic).”

Governor Hope Uzodimma had few months ago while addressing State House Correspondents after a visit to the President, said that he had nothing personal against the former Governor.

He said: "I have nothing personal against Okorocha. But you will recall that before I became the Governor, the Ihedioha administration set up a judicial panel of inquiry to look into acquisitions of lands and conversion of government lands to personal property. The judicial panel of inquiry chaired by a judge met and they concluded their job. And a white paper has since been raised".

We commend Okorocha's realization of the overwhelming need for peace, but we consider his peace offer as Greek Gift. It is a plot to evade justice and frustrate the ongoing recovery efforts of the Governor Uzodimma administration.

Okorocha has been running from pillar to post seeking how to escape karma. He went to court on several occasions and lost. He ran to the President but that did not help him. He tried to take the law into his own hands by leading thugs to break into the Royal Spring Palm Apartments which was earlier sealed by the Government, but that too failed. Now, he wants to play to the gallery once more by preaching peace between himself and Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, to the point that he promised to make sacrifices for the peace to hold.

We believe Okorocha understood himself very well. We therefore urge him to march his words with action by beginning with making the sacrifices.

First, he should be penitent and apologise to Imo people on national television over his misrule of the State for the eight years he was Governor.

Second, be should voluntarily return all the gazetted public assets said to have been converted by him to his personal use.

It is only when this is done that we can rest assured that Okorocha was not deceiving his audience.

These modest demands are the wants of Imo masses. Moreover, we do not think that a bucket of tears from Okorocha would change Government's stand on recovering gazzetted public assets said to have been converted by Okorocha and co.

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