Akwa Ibom News Online Commentary

In the world of politics, especially in Nigeria where hear say, allegations, character assassinations are easily leveled against the sitting Governor, but very difficult to verify, mudslinging becomes the order of the day. Some dirty politicians use these tools more often than not to smear their political enemies, simply because they can get away with it without anybody holding them accountable or have legal recourse. Credits are not given to whom it is due, rather innuendos become the principle tool used to propel these character assassinations and more often than not, unfortunately, they stick to peoples mind for a very long period of time. Chief Ikedi Ohakim has only been in the office for three and half years and accused of among other things. 1.) Neglecting the basic necessities of life in Imo State---Water, Electricity, and Roads. 2.) He has no plans for Imo State in his second term. 3.) Raising the Schools fees for Higher Learning to N150K per semester and Teachers have not been paid since he took office. 4.) He closed the only Teaching Hospital in the State located at Orlu. 5.) There is not enough security in Imo State etc. I am not here to defend or Praise Chief Ikedi Ohakim for all the good and bad things that have occurred in Imo State before during the time has been in the office nearly 3 ½ years ago. After hearing and listening to political enemies making these unnecessary and unfounded accusations, I begin to wonder if they are indeed talking about the same Imo State I have been visiting from United States consistently for the last 20 years. I will spend some time discussing the first two accusations because they are the main concerns of both people at home and abroad, but pay little or no attention to the last three. Governor Ohakim has relatively done a very good job for the short duration he has been in the office. He has done a very good job in a lot of areas like clean environment, Security, Transportation, Teachers salary, Massive road construction projects etc. Governor Ohakim has done all these mentioned without taking some credits for them. Believe it or not, I am saying this without prejudice. In the last twenty years, I have been coming home in an average of three times a year and have had the opportunity to visit a lot of my friends from all works of life in Imo state; Governor Ikedi Ohakim has given hope to a lot of people in Imo State. For instance, in Owerri, about five years ago, the roads were as dirty as anyone can imagine. In Wherheral and Douglas Roads, hips of garbage were so bad that, one started to wonder if there was any government in existence in Imo State at all. Today, Ohakim has given the long term neglected Capital a new look. In the last three and half years, Owerri has gone through transformation and reconstruction that a lot of my friend from Abia and Anambra State in United States have come to Owerri and acquired some residential houses. These individuals, without knowing who Ohakim is, testified that apart from Abuja, Owerri is the cleanest and peaceful city in Nigeria. They credited Ohakim with the progress.

Ohakim has created tens and thousands of jobs since he took office. Are those jobs enough to benefit every Dick and Tom in Imo State? The answer is no. However, this is an indication that he will do more if reelected, despite the fact that his opponents turned blind eyes to all these massive job creation. In terms of Electricity, Water and roads, they will never be worse than the previous administration. The Governor has promised and made it his top priority to continue to improve the life of Imo people by providing them with these basic necessities. During the past administration, each time I visited home, I used to contribute money to my community for them to have electricity two hours a day. In the last four years, nobody has ever knocked at my door asking me to help and pay their electric bills despite the fact that electricity is available far longer than the two hours a day during the Chief Achike Udenwa's administration. As I said above, I am not going to discuss the last three accusations because they are garbage coming from self centered and ego centric maniacs who want to wrestle power away from Ohakim by any means necessary. The people of Imo deserve better than Achike Udenwa reincarnation by voting for Rochas.

WHY GOV. OHAKIM DOESN'T GET CREDIT FOR HIS ACHIEVEMENTS
One thing a lot of politicians have in common is that they talk more than they do or did. However, in case of Gov. Ohakim, he decided to defy the law of gravity in politics, by deciding not to take credits for everything he's done for the people of Imo State and go about his business-serving the people. For instance, one can hardly hear about his projects undertaken by his regime, or a sign that says it is the project of Imo State Government since he took office. Ohakim, being a pragmatic Governor and a man of action, rather than words, decided to implement all these projects quietly, without even announcing them in the news media, unless some curious media decided to make them public. Whether this is a good politics for the Governor knowing that his political enemies or pundits might ridicule him as do nothing governor is debatable depending on which political isle you are in. Conservative Politicians will call his action the characteristic and quality of good governance and Liberal counterpart will say it is politics of self-destruction. That he should take credit right away for his achievements before they are forgotten. You take your pick.

IF THE GOVERNOR MADE ALL HIS ACHIEVEMENTS PUBLIC
It took Chief Ohakim too long to inform the people of Imo State what he has achieved since he took office barely three and half years ago. By so doing, he gave his enemies the time to define him. The obvious reasons are two folds. 1. If Ohakim decided to make all his projects and other achievements known to the public since he became the number one person in Imo State, this election would not have been a contest, not even talking about being too close, and probably would be too boring for people of Imo State. All his opponents, political pundits or sworn enemies, who have not seen anything good that this humble Governor has done in Imo State, is very disturbing in the minds of reasonable men, particularly to those of us in the United State.

These are the same people who tried to convince Ohakim to listen to their agenda on how to loot Imo State treasury after their bid to oust him failed through court decision. The pragmatic Governor immediately rejected their evil demands on the grounds that the people of Imo State deserved better than what they have seen in the last 8 years of the previous administration. From then on, these people roll up their sleeves and declared Jihad war on Ohakim and his administration. They wanted his head on a platter. The governor also decided not to make this problem public by sweeping it under the rug. At the time this issue arose, the Governor, who did not come under the umbrella of PDP was at the same time trying as much as he could to make some friends on the other side of the isle so that his agenda would scale through, instead of these his sworn enemies holding his agenda and budget hostage to the house floor or committee. No matter how hard Ohakim tried to reach out to the previous administration, they rewarded him with stupid accusations. Chief Achike Udenwa's clones or reincarnated like Araruume and Rochas to mention but a few spent almost two years taking Ohakim to court for frivolous law suits just to distract his agenda for the people of Imo State.

OHAKIMS OPONENTS AGENDA TO THE VOTERS
None of Governor Ohakim's detractors has ever for one day told he good people of Imo State what they will do for them if elected; rather they spend their time in character assassination of the Governor. They keep throwing all kinds of false accusations, hoping that one of the false accusations will stick in the minds of voters. The case in point is the outright lie that Governor Ohakim has raised school fees in Imo State in all higher educations is a prime example. Everyone knows that Ohakim would not be foolish enough to raise the fees a few months before the election, but these ex-PDP con artists threw the false accusation out there to throw Ohakim off his game plans. Another lie being disseminated is that Ohakim close the Imo State Teaching Hospital in Orlu because he is not in good terms with his predecessor, Chief Achike Udenwa. This is another big lie floating out there. His opponents do not have a good message to sell to the people of Imo State to woe them to vote for them. One then begins to wonder if these people are in a state of alter consciousness level of care that blindfolded the sight from seeing all Ohakim's accomplishment in the last four years. Common people, what happened to your sense of human decency? When are you going to drop the idea of the ends justifies the means and anything goes in politics and tell the good people of Imo State what your agenda is if you have any than politics of division and character assassination?

All these individuals that accused Ohakim of not building the best roads, Electricity, and equip every school in Imo state, do understand that every Local Government in Imo State sends at least one person they trust to the House of Assembly in Owerri and in some cases one or two Commissioners including Special Assistants to be their eyes and ears. In other words, the people who are entrusted to let the governor know what the needs of their people are not doing their job. You cannot blame the Governor of neglecting your local government while these individuals you sent to Owerri either through election or by appointment, have let their people down. Let me remind you, it is the sole responsibility of these individuals to remind the governor about his pledge to their people. Sometimes, you have to broker a deal with your fellow Honorable members in the House or with the Governor in order to bring some projects to your constituency. Nobody sent you to Owerri to fight with Ohakim or other members if he refuses to approve the traveling allowance for you to travel to United States, London, Paris, and Switzerland. The point I am making here is for those of you that accuse Governor Ohakim of not doing anything for your community should look yourself in the mirror. I do believe that Gov. Ohakim, if given a second term will make the lives of Imo people better than his predecessors. I do not as United States Army (Retired), buy the idea that Rochas has any agenda for the people. That is exactly why some people resorted to name calling, false accusations, instead of telling the voters what he will do for them if elected. Ohakim deserves to be reelected so that he will finish his projects!

Chief Nze Emeka Ukaegbu, United States Army Rtd.
California Chairman, THE OHAKIM 2011 CONSOLIDATION MANDATE GROUP IN THE DIASPORA

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