I clicked on the link and it said 'Thank You For Voting' even when I hadn't cast my vote. It's obvious that site is a fraud.
Yawn.

[center]Governor Ikedi Ohakim's Looting Spree Continues[/center]

Several sources in Owerri, capital of Imo State, and Abuja have told Saharareporters that rogue Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo bankrupted the state treasury to buy the verdict of the Supreme Court which a week ago upheld his election as governor.

Several of our sources, who are in Ohakim’s government, told our correspondent that the governor knew before hand that the apex court would award him victory and had prepared dancers and masquerades at the Imo airport in advance. “I have never seen this level of financial recklessness by any other chief executive in the name of buying a judgment,” said one of our highly placed sources.

Another added, “Imo State government became financially bankrupt on the eve of the judgment.”

A senior official of Bank PHB confirmed that several state government accounts in with the bank “had been turned upside down.” The official said that one account (No. 082112000037, officially named JOINT STATE/LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROJECT A/C) was drawn down to zero.

Other officials told Saharareporters that, apart from this account, Ohakim maintains five other similar joint accounts, but that the local government areas are not even aware of the existence of those other accounts.

Account No. 082112000037 was opened at BankPHB Branch No.2, located at 5B Okigwe Rd, Owerri. “It is at this bank that most secret but fake contract values are lodged before evacuation,” an official of the state government disclosed.

Several sources told us that most contracts awarded under this account are not genuine. “This account serves as a conduit through which Governor Ohakim loots the state treasury,” said a government source.

Typically, Ohakim would award a contract, get it approved by Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) and move the funds to the account. Then he would withdraw funds from the account whenever he needed money to pursue some personal end or corrupt agenda. Several sources revealed that Ohakim easily got the collaboration of temporary local government chairmen to make many JAAC payments and illegal withdrawals from this account.

Three of the other fraudulent accounts are held at the bank’s main regional branch office at Bank Road, Owerri.
Both bank and other sources told us that, in the week before the Supreme Court verdict, the account witnessed massive withdrawals to bribe Supreme Court justices. “The justices sold themselves to give Ohakim a favorable judgment in the case between him and Martins Agbaso,” said one source familiar with the financial gutting of Imo State.

In the same manner, Ohakim had made massive withdrawals from the funds of the Imo Road Rural Maintenance Agency (IRROMA) reportedly funded by United Bank of Africa to fund his electoral victory at the Port Harcourt tribunal.

We also learned that most of the Hilux cars and heavy-duty trucks purchased under the IRROMA project have been leased or donated to contractors with links to Ohakim – even though most of the beneficiaries are not doing rural road maintenance for Imo State. “The trucks were to be under the control of the local governments, but today, hardly does any local government in Imo State control any big truck,” said one of the local government officials.

Governor Ohakim, when he launched IRROMA, had claimed that his government donated 100 Hilux cars to police. But a top police source told Saharareporters that only about 50% of divisional police stations in the state’s 27 local governments got the Hilux pickups funded with LGA funds.

“Even school children in Imo State now know that Chief Ohakim is operating a 419 system of government,” said a top PDP leader in the state,” adding that “the so-called elders of the party, including Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, look the other way because they are settled.”

As a result of Mr. Ohakim’s unimpeded looting of the state treasury, Imo State is trapped under a serious debt burden. “When all interests and guarantees are considered, Imo State may well owe in excess of N500 billion in long term loans including bank bond guarantees,” said one source within the government. One of the state finance officers knowledgeable about the various loan scams wondered aloud: “How can a state that gets between N2 and 4b afford to repay more than N500b?”

An Imo State politician said, “the next 25 to 40 years look bleak for Imo state as a result of one man’s greed.”

Another source said it had dawned on Imo indigenes that they had allowed a “common criminal” to take over their state. “As the reality dawns on us, we’re now asking ourselves, ‘what was the job or occupation of Ohakim before he became Governor?’ ‘Where was Ohakim’s office situated in Nigeria before he became Governor of Imo state, and whom did he employ or work for?’ The answer lies in a simple fact: that Ohakim was a petty criminal who engaged in criminal fraud known as ‘419’ before he became governor.”

A week before the Supreme Court decision, Mr. Ohakim relocated to Abuja to maintain close contact with Supreme Court justices, a security source revealed. “He recruited some emirs to help him reach and secure the justices,” added the source.

A few days before the verdict, other Imo State officials, including the Accountant General, Commissioner of Finance, and the Commissioner for Local Government, Kezie Ogaziechi (who is also chairman of JAAC), were ordered by the governor to arrive Abuja. Our sources revealed that the officials had two missions: to manage the funds for bribing the justices or to help empty the state’s treasury if the justices would not accept Ohakim’s offer.

“These officials were all stationed in Abuja as of July 15, 2010, while the state was left in a depressed mood,” said a source in Owerri. He added, “Authentic contractors in Imo are dying, civil servants are being owed salaries, while the profits of UBA and other banks soar, due to many fraudulent Irrevocable Supply and Payment Order (ISPOs) that Ohakim signed.

Our investigations revealed that there are over 20 fraudulent ISPOs drawing monthly from JAAC funds deposited in BankPHB accounts. “These are payments made to non-existent, questionable or fake companies,” said a government source

All our sources contended that Ohakim had rendered the local government sole administrators useless and powerless. “The sole administrators are puppets and rubberstamps,” said one of our sources. The Commissioner for Local Government Areas, Kezie Ogaziechi, was jobless before Ohakim appointed him. “Today, he is a billionaire,” said a source at BankPHB

The majority of Ohakim’s commissioners and special advisers are reportedly dismayed by the governor’s style of governance. “Imo is run like a family business by Ohakim, his wife and his brother,” said one source. “None of the commissioners can initiate or award any contract, and they don’t even receive monies in a timely manner to run the ministries or pay salaries,” said a disaffected permanent secretary.

Ohakim’s Government House controls every contract. Commissioners are often compelled to meet Emma Ohakim, the governor’s younger brother and deputy Chief of Staff, to discuss their needs and concerns. “When it comes to contracts, Emma Ohakim will ask the commissioners to sign and they must sign, without even reading what they are signing or even getting a copy to keep,” said a top government source.

UBA (United Bank for Africa) reportedly controls the state’s Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account and virtually all the ISPOs made from FAAC funds. Ohakim has issued the bank ISPOs for such scam projects as the Petrol chemicals plant, a refinery, Oguta Wonder Lake Resort, the failed mass transit scheme, and N18 billion in bond funds with three other banks. Altogether, the loans, fees, guarantees and interest charges cost Imo State over N500 billion.

Several sources named Ray Ahumibe, the regional manager for UBA’s Mbari Street branch (where the FAAC account is hosted), as a huge beneficiary from the bank’s questionable deals with the Ohakim government. “He has been enriched with government land allocations and was promoted from manager to regional manager due to the shady deals his bank is doing with the state,” said a source.

An Imo indigene in Abuja told Saharareporters that the tragic thing about UBA’s relationship with Ohakim is that “these deals UBA is financing do not exist nor are competitors allowed nor are they published for due process.” The source added: “Ohakim’s desperation and thirst for money, has been a blessing for UBA, which is ready to lend anytime, any minute so long as FAAC is a collateral. So once the money from FAAC arrives, UBA pockets. UBA has taken Imo state to the cleaners, with Ohakim’s permission.”

An Imo official told us that other banks in the state envy UBA. “They wonder, ‘why would UBA and BankPHB who control the FAAC and JAAC [respectively], also control all the loans issued with ISPOs? What have the two banks done for Imo state?’”

Another area of abuse is the Millennium Development Goals, which is operated by Amselem Okorie, Ohakim’s special adviser on Economic Affairs and other close relatives of the governor. “These individuals, in the process of converting the MDGs funds into the governor’s coffers, have also enriched themselves,” said a source.

One special adviser, Chukwem Onuoha, is Ohakim’s kinsman and operates from South Africa. “What is a special adviser employed in Imo State, the seat of government, doing in South Africa, with full compensation and living supports paid by Imo state?” asked a top PDP member in Owerri. He and other sources said it was widely known that Mr. Onuoha “helps Chief Ohakim to funnel state funds abroad.”

A distressed lawyer from Imo State told Saharareporters, “There is no state in Nigeria where the looting is as massive as Imo state, and directly controlled by the governor, his wife and brother Emma Ohakim.”

Several indigenes told us that Ohakim has pocketed members of the state assembly, ensuring that they exercise no oversight over his looting and other criminal activities. Last month, Ohakim, in his quest to bribe the lawmakers, gave each of them funds to build one borehole and one toilet in their respective local government areas. The funds are to be drawn from the MDGs account.

Other MDGs contracts have been given to Amselem Okorie and fake contractors. “Over N4billion of MDGs funds have been misused so far,” said a knowledgeable source. Okorie and Ohakim’s other fronts secure the contracts, then get legitimate contractors to accept 25 to 50% of the sum of the contract. “However, the contractor has to sign a note that he or she was paid 100%. Failure to sign, the contractor would be delisted,” said a source.

The consequence of these fraudulent moves is that most contracts for toilets, bore holes, and hospital renovations, awarded at ridiculous amounts, are littered all over the state without completion.

“The contractors usually cash the checks and return the balance to Mr. Amselem Okorie, for onward transmission to Emma Ohakim,” said one of our sources. He added that “contractors are told that the reason they are getting less was because the Government House said so.”

Our sources revealed that a bank official at Fidelity Bank, Ikenegbu Rd, where the MDGs funds are lodged, noticed all the abuses and alerted the special advisor Amselem Okorie.

Okey Opara, a kinsman of Ohakim’s, is a manager at the Ikenegbu Rd branch of Fidelity Bank. As a result, Ohakim has an easy job of turning the MDG funds into a slush pool of corruption. The governor’s financial greed has led to the widespread failure of MDG projects in the state.

Many of Ohakim’s financial abuses are perpetrated through the Ministry of Works. Ms. Comfort Chukwu, who is also from the governor’s area, heads the ministry. “Other commissioners fear Comfort Chukwu because she is romantically linked to Chief Ohakim,” said a prominent PDP member in Imo. Ms. Chukwu, who nurses senatorial ambitions, has reportedly gutted funds from her ministry on behalf of the governor and herself.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Longinus Anyanwu, is also a big player in Ohakim’s elaborate money laundering schemes. Anyanwu and other Ohakim cronies import fertilizers meant for farmers in Imo, only to sale them to farmers in Northern Nigeria at great personal profit.

“There is no avenue to make money that the Ohakims have not captured,” said a member of a watchdog group that monitors some of the shenanigans in Imo State. He added, “It’s as if the entire state belongs to them to do whatever they want, and with the Imo House of Assembly looking the other way in their oversight function.”

Other sources told us that the governor and his cohorts have grabbed virtually all of the state’s prize lands. One source revealed that “Steve Onu, the director for lands, was once invited to the Government House and asked to produce the open space list.” He was then instructed to allocated choice areas to the governor’s family, bypassing Jude Njoku, then Commissioner for Land. Jude Njoku was later reassigned to serve as Commissioner for Education. “Today, any open land in the New Owerri belongs to the Ohakims, using several fictitious names,” revealed a source in the Ministry of Lands.

All our sources painted a grim picture of life in Imo. Apart from failed MDG projects, the local government areas have no funds to pay the salaries of civil servants or run the local governments. “Since the LGA sole administrators do not have enough to pay salaries and meet other needs, they become selective in what they spend money on. The balance ends in their pocket.”

One indigene of Imo State in Abuja told our reporter: “For all the contracts Ohakim’s government has awarded, let him show Imo State where and what they are.”


[url]http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/governor-ikedi-ohakim%E2%80%99s-looting-spree-continues[/url]

But the question that begs an answer here is this-Are they debating for the President or for Nigerians?

+1

Blasphemy! I shall never recognize you all as Igbo. You all are Igbo efulefu.

Brother nwannem nwoko, kindly save your useless 'recognition' because it means nothing to me, my family, my future or unborn children. For one thing, I'm glad I won't have to be tagged along with a myopic individual like you. If you justify your support for a clueless, timid, tactless, spine-crushingly corrupt man like GEJ all because he has 'EbeleChukwu' to his name, then I feel so so deeply sorry for you. If your life is a bleak one, kpele my broda - unfortunately, I care about the future of my country, and vote based on a person's history as opposed to what part of the country he comes from (something which he has no control over).
I read your previous comment on another thread, where you tried to urge people on to vote the criminal Ohakim, and your reason being that "Orlu people have already had their turn, so let the Okigwe people have theirs." That, my friend, is the sign of a man whose bigotry knows no bounds, to the degree that he'd rather have a heartless criminal at the helm of affairs, all thanks to his place of origin as opposed to his personal merit. Social lepers like you, I despise with all my heart, and do very well to avoid.
Now, get behind me. Ozu rere-ere.

I'm Igbo from Ideato in Imo state, Nigeria. And my friends, family and I support Buhari.

Guys, check this out! The chief of ThisDay newspapers is under fire regarding the sincerity of his so-called polls. He's suing ACN, CPC and PDP.

www.saharareporters.com/news-page/obaigbenas-thisday-newspaper-sues-acn-cpc-pdp-spokespersons-libel-demands-n40-billion-comp

Guys, check this out! The chief of ThisDay newspapers is under fire regarding the sincerity of his so-called polls. He's suing ACN, CPC and PDP.

www.saharareporters.com/news-page/obaigbenas-thisday-newspaper-sues-acn-cpc-pdp-spokespersons-libel-demands-n40-billion-comp

Guys, check this out! The chief of ThisDay newspapers is under fire regarding the sincerity of his so-called polls. He's suing ACN, CPC and PDP.

www.saharareporters.com/news-page/obaigbenas-thisday-newspaper-sues-acn-cpc-pdp-spokespersons-libel-demands-n40-billion-comp

Ibime:

The proliferation of Ohakim praise singers on the web these days have given me cause to believe that Ohakim has now made good on his promise to provide employment for the 10,000 graduates he swindled sometime last year.

At least ten of these graduates have been assigned to Nairaland, and all they have to do to justify their wages is open a couple of topics on Ohakim per day.

Actually, it's just one person with multiple IDs. Ask Aisha and Jarus

Celebrating mediocrity. What a pity. Ohakim's paid smear campaign dunce is at it again.

But then on the other hand, why aren't you guys doing anything about this arinzeeze/TochukwuC/udoagwu and the rest of his meaningless multiple IDs since he's clearly breaking the rules as well as rubbishing the image of a sincere man. That's unfair. What's even more heartbreaking is the fact that he posts his fake Stories from the NIGERIAN HORN - a press company owned by IKEDI OHAKIM, the criminal governor. Please do something about this

Fella had the results a full 2 weeks before the elections?
Chei! Now, THAT's what I call Prescience!

oyb:

i simply quoted the person 's post

Arrgh! Not that! You also quoted the post he was quoting. How were you able to quote the post he was quoting?!

Goodnight Gaddafi.

Aisha2, na waa oh. . .
Okay, I don hear. I promise to uphold thy civility and restrict thy verbal venom, so help me God.

oyb:

thats why the wikileaks cables described him as principled

unlike gej and his gang , he is not going to sacrifice his convictions for his ambition

Hi OYB.
Please, I seek your assistance. Hope you don't mind.
There once was a time I saw you quote someone. But you did it in such a way you were able to quote the person, as well as the person he was quoting (the first quote had "Code" on it).
Please, how were you able to do that?

Oh, and Ujujoan, if you're wondering, here's the link to the thread:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-629485.0.html

Ujujoan:

I'll appreciate if you don't 'tribalize' my comment! I'm not one of the myopic Nigerians who reason based on the language they speak. I stand for excellence irrespective of the tribe or ethnic demarcation.

And I certainly do not speak for the whole of the SE region. My opinion is strictly personal!

Oh, of course not. Tribalism is not my thing either, and I certainly do not dabble in such.
However, my statement was made to address a thread earlier opened by this same Beaf, whereby he implied Igbos made up 40 percent of Kano, 35 percent of Plateau, 30 percent of Kaduna etc.
The aim of my post is to make him see that infact not all Igbos are going to be voting within those tribal lines as he insinuated. Plain and simple.

Ujujoan:

For someone to say that the trio are scared of the clueless GEJ is just plain silly!

I suppose the fact that someone is a President is enough for his to walk about doing as he pleases. Well let him go and debate with himself. I'm sure Umblerra will be relieved!

And this is coming from an Igbo(?), Beaf.
This should give you some clue on how disappointed people are with this GEJ dumbass - Cuz he's even gonna be fighting a stiff battle in the Southern region - a region he was initially believed to have on lockdown.
What a pity

I'm just laughing hard at this Beaf character and his futile local agbero rants. Could you please help us out with these questions, since you obviously suffer from a severe case of selective amnesia? Here we go:

1. Who demanded for questions on debates to be issued beforehand?

2. Who shamelessly shifted the NN24 dates as mentioned in the report?

3. Who eventually chickened out of the debates without even informing people, only ro show up on a fraudulently staged kindergarten questionnaire with an equally clueless D'Banj?

4. Who shamelessly chickened out of the YOUTH DEBATE that could benefit our dying country, only to foolishly stage an upcoming concert for youth to dance away their lives into unemployment, as opposed to bravely facing these people (he claims to care about) and properly stating his proposed solutions?

Bros, I'm an Igbo man - born and raised - from the great state of Imo -- One of the oldest states in Igbo land -- But my family, friends, associates and I are never giving a single vote to that coconut head even as you pointlessly try to force down our throats, because his numerous idiotic blunders - coupled with your equally imbecilic bellows - have proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that Goodluck Ebelechukwu Azikiwe Shagari Babangida Barack Shonekan Jonathan is, by all accounts, a dumbass.

Please, guys, read Banky W's note on the PMAN issue here
www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150099996064089

It really offends me when I see totally uninformed underachievers (like Oolumide) try pull upright citizens down with their disgusting ignorance.

oolumide:

Is this not the same Eldee that is fighting over PMAN executive position now that GEJ has given several million of dollars.
I will be happy if he is on the side of the truth , but over time we have seen several display of self righteousnesses than to be carried away by this, Ndudi Elumelu did more than tis only for us to realize that he  is worse than those he was criticising,


TINK    

Oolumide, you're so dumb, your ignorance is shocking, repulsive, and above all, extremely offensive. You've come into this thread trying to cheaply sell yourself as an exceptionally 'rationally' reasoning individual far above other Nigerians, but ironically, the instance you quote has only come to show how ignorant you are. How can you quote the PMAN incident when you have zero knowledge on the issue?
Thankfully, here's a link to Banky W's Facebook note on the incident, adequate to put you and your juvenile intelligence to shame:

www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150099996064089

Please, in case of next time, learn to read and research on issues before exposing us to your underdeveloped knowledge.

xreal:

Sometimes I wonder if Eldee is the only educated Nigerian Artiste we got. . . he's so mature and intelligent than the rest.

Yeah. Also, don't forget Banky W. A really intelligent and patriotic young man, whom I've even come to respect more for his personality than his music sef. His powerful and well structured reply to Reuben Abati's ill-researched article won me over.

Yeah, mods. Hers came first.

naijangel7:

Thanks. I'll do that.

My gratitude

Guys, check out Eldee's facebook message regarding the manipulative actions of the Goodluck Jonathan campaign team:

www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150113896423148

Please, someone should open a thread on this issue. I'm using a phone, hence my restricted privileges and inability to do the aforesaid.

Guys, check out Eldee's facebook message regarding the manipulative actions of the Goodluck Jonathan campaign team:

www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150113896423148

Please, someone should open a thread on this issue. I'm using a phone, hence my restricted privileges and inability to do the aforesaid.

Guys, check out Eldee's facebook message regarding the manipulative actions of the Goodluck Jonathan campaign team:

www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150113896423148

Please, someone should open a thread on this issue. I'm using a phone, hence my restricted privileges and inability to do the aforesaid.

Guys, check out Eldee's facebook message regarding the manipulative actions of the Goodluck Jonathan campaign team:

www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150113896423148

Please, someone should open a thread on this issue. I'm using a phone, hence my restricted privileges and inability to do the aforesaid.

Guys, check out Eldee's facebook message regarding the manipulative actions of the Goodluck Jonathan campaign team:

www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150113896423148

Please, someone should open a thread on this issue. I'm using a phone, hence my restricted privileges and inability to do the aforesaid.

Eziachi:

@Poster,
I think that you are the same person that posted some hand drawn picture of what you called Ohakim big achievement in Imo state and non existing dredging of Nworie River in another thread.

Imo people are smarter than you think with you moronic propangada. I knew little about Ararume until he becomes the apostle of OBJ failed third term ambition. No matter what you say or do, Imo people has resolved to get rid of a 419er as their governor, no matter what it takes. That is the slogan today in the entire Igboland, that anything or anybody is better than Ohakim and the useless Orji in Abia and they must go by all means.

Imo state will rather have Lawrence Anini as governor than to allow Ohakim to be imposed on them ever again. It is the irony of power in Nigeria, that Udenwa instead of allowing the majority to decide in 2007, he rather conspired with OBJ, Maurice Iwu and Orji Kalu and imposed Ohakim who came never closer to winning anything as Imo governor. But today, Udenwa is even suffering more than those he conspired against in the hand of Ohakim intimidating government and now had been chased out of his own party by someone he imported.

In 2007, Imo state people overwelmingly voted for Martin Agbaoso, while Ararume came second and the this rogue called Ohakim came a distance 4th and then the powers that be started turning electric into candle and suddenlly 4th position becomes 1st postion just within 7 days.
Agbaoso did his best to regain his mandate but couldn't afford price of Justice in Nigeria as others had done, while Ohakim had the purse of Imo state at his disposal and Ararume also sabotaged Agbaoso's judicial effort, all in his effort that any justice for Agbaoso will disfavour him.
Today too, he too has been chased out of PDP by an intruder (Ohakim) Udenwa and OBJ imported.

The poster and people like him that works for the 419 govt in Imo state has destroyed a beloved Imo once rule by Sam Mbakwe and Mubarak treatment awaits them if they think that they can use blackmail, kidnapping, intimidation to cow Imo people ever again.

It's comments like this that make me wish there was a 'Like' feature in this site. Well said, bro.
Precisio Perfecto!