Please, forgive me, Ohakim begs Imo people

The immediate past Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, spoke to our correspondent, CHIDI NKWOPARA, on a number of issues, including his days in office, the scores of allegations leveled against him and his aspirations. Please read on.
Could you cast your mind back on the recent fire incident in your private residence in Owerri?

I want to thank you immensely for your concern about my welfare, especially since the dastardly act of bombing the only house I have in Owerri. The press, particularly Vanguard, has been very fantastic in its
Gov. Ikedy Ohakim

Gov. Ikedy Ohakim


reportage. You highlighted it. You said everything that needed to be said and you made all the appeals that needed to be made. It is most regrettable that some miscreants decided to play politics with that tragedy. I thank God almighty that I am alive today to talk to you. I would have lost my first son and my wife, and I would have also died in that unfortunate incident.

What has it been like since you left office?

Since I left office, I decided to climb on to the balcony, to watch events. I decided to remain a little bit silent to be able to enrich my knowledge.

What have you to say about some of the things that were said about you?

When I left office, so many things were said about me and I believe God that events and time have proved me right. When I spoke to you on my last day in the office, I told you that after four years or even before four years, it is only then that people with futuristic view will begin to talk about our administration.

I left office with more than 1,000 petitions against me but today, I need to tell you that no single charge has been filed against me in any court of law in or outside Nigeria. So, all the fake accusations have been thrown into the waste paper basket.

While I was here, there was no political assassination. There was no political intimidation in Imo State. There was no arson in Imo State. There was peace and you will agree with me that money was circulating.

In our capital city, Owerri, I was running the street lights with 52 dedicated generators and we were running a 24-hour economy. It is also very surprising  and a thing to thank God about that no section of Imo, no zone ever raised a single complaint or petition that they were marginalised. Appointments were evenly distributed in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Projects and empowerments were evenly distributed.