Imo: Okorocha Has Lost His Empire – Uzodinma |The Source

By Charles Igbo

For the period his address lasted, it was a combination of pin-drop silence, and spontaneous applause.

It was Governor Hope Uzodinma  of Imo State, addressing Imo Stakeholders – his fourth  since he was sworn-in as the Governor in January 2020.

Events in the past few weeks in the State gave him enough reasons to address the Stakeholders. Not a few Imo people looked forward to this.

A lot had happened in the State. There was the crisis in Orlu which, almost went out of hand for which Uzodinma invited the Soldiers. He has been slammed for that invitation, but he had his reasons. He wore the shoes, and knew where he was being pinched. He was not going to allow a torpedo of his Government, or watch as those he called criminal elements reduced Imo to a war zone. He said he knew that strangers had been imported into the State to wreak havoc. He told his audience why.

He told them of his problems with former Governor Rochas Okorocha.How it began. Why it began. How he resisted pressures from Okorocha to not look into the looting of of the State.

He told them the circumstances behind the face off his Government had with Okorocha recently over recovery of properties.

He assured, and reassured them that he would recover every property illegally acquired by Okorocha or anybody. He talked about how Okorocha broke every decent law, and reduced himself to an unbelievable low level.

He asked Imo people to tell him whether to recover their stolen collective patrimony or not. At that point, he received a thunderous “Yes. Recover.”

And, he told them some more, including what he has done so far with their money. It was Governor Uzodinma at his best.

Following, excerpts from his address to Imo Stakeholders.

Why Crime Is On The Rise In Imo

“My esteemed brothers and sisters, it is really regrettable that criminal elements among us are working round the clock to compromise our resolve and hard work in achieving a safe Imo state for all residents. You will recall that we assisted the Police and other security agencies with over 100 well-equipped patrol vehicles as soon as we came on board, in addition to over 20 vehicles for special operations.

This is aside from our regular interventions in logistics support.

“However, due to the activities of some rogue elements and some unrepentant political enemies, coupled with the strategic location of Imo State as the gateway to the South East and South South states, there has been a spike in crime and violence in recent times, thus tasking our security architecture and throwing up new challenges.

“The recent kidnap of the Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Owerri, Rt. Rev. Moses Chikwe, and the burning of a police station in Aboh Mbaise a few days ago, among other crimes, were part of the challenges we have faced.

How Mercenaries Took Over Orlu

“Even as we were grappling with those issues, some hoodlums and mercenaries went and took over Orlu in the name of “protecting the people from invading herdsmen.”  Before we knew what was happening, innocent citizens and even security operatives were killed. Women, among them grandmothers were raped. Indeed anarchy loomed and we had to act fast as a government. We had to secure the area with additional security drawn from the military.

“Sadly some mischief makers and unrepentant political merchants and alarmists twisted the story upside-down.  It smacks of sheer mischief for anyone to claim that what happened in Orlu was a military invasion.

“The military is in Orlu to protect our people from blood-thirsty mercenaries who were killing, maiming and raping them.

“It will interest you to know that these militants who terrorized Orlu for weeks and months ago, most of them are not Igbos. The evidence emerged when some of them were arrested. They have made useful confessions and we now know that they were imported from outside the South East to come and turn Imo State into a theatre of war under the guise of IPOB or Eastern Security Network though working with IPOB members.

“The truth is that these are mercenaries imported into Imo state to create the impression that another Biafra war has started from Imo State. The politicians behind this plot know themselves and they will not be hidden for too long.

“I want the good people of Imo State to know that what these politicians are desperate to achieve is to pitch Imo people against the Federal Government. They want the Federal Government to believe that another Biafra war has started from Imo State. Thank God that this callous plot has failed because the federal government knows better.

No Biafra War Started In Imo

“I know that some desperate politicians who are jealous of the good relationship between the Federal Government and Imo State Government, under my watch, will go to any length to achieve their evil desires.  But they will continue to fail. God in his goodness will never allow any evil plot against the peace-loving people of Imo State to see the light of the day.

No Plan To Wage War Against The Igbo

“Let me make this very clear, my administration will use all the powers at our behest to protect our people against any form of violent harassment by any armed group, be it mercenaries, ESN  or IPOB. The military in Orlu is strictly keeping to their rules of engagement. No innocent resident or visitor is being molested. It is only the guilty that is afraid. Criminals being sponsored by political enemies of the state will continue to be afraid. Orlu is calm. Take it from me. There is no plan to wage war against Ndigbo.

“The civil war ended many years ago. Igbos are not at war with anyone, and they do not desire another war. What Igbo want is justice, equity and a level playing ground for all.  These we can achieve through constructive engagements, not through violence or war.

“Make no mistakes about it, the military is in Orlu to flush out criminals and mercenaries from the area. And that is exactly what they are doing.

Okorocha And I

“This brings me to the events of a  few days when on a bright Sunday morning, when most people were busy in Churches in devout supplication to God, a former Governor of the state decided to take the laws into his hands by importing thugs to invade the state. You are aware of the various Judicial Commissions of Inquiry instituted by the defunct Government of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. These Commissions were set up to investigate what happened in Government between 2011 and 2019. This was particularly with respect to the award of contracts and land use and related matters.

“It was clear that these Commissions were set up in response to the yearnings of our people. The people saw, in black and white, that in eight years of the administration of Rochas Okorocha, there was no due process in governance. Contracts were awarded whimsically without recourse to due process. Lands belonging to both Government and private citizens were forcefully acquired by the administration for the private use of relations and their cronies.

“The Owerri Master plan, jealousy preserved for years by previous administrations, was recklessly desecrated and flagrantly abused by the Okorocha administration.

Okorocha’s Years Of Darkness And Lawlessness

“In resume, that era was rightly seen by many as the dark years in the history of governance of Imo State, characterized by lawlessness, abuse of office and ill-informed audacious attempt to supplant democracy with aristocracy.

“Against this background, the sentiment then, as it remains now, is that there must be a holistic probe of the administration of Rochas Okorocha. It was only natural therefore that when we came on board, we validated the mandate of the commissions and conferred legitimacy on them in accordance with the law.

I Was Asked To Disband The Commissions; Why Okorocha Attended My Inauguration

“I want to leave it on record that some of the dramatis personae embroiled in the mindless looting of the state approached me to disband the Commissions, arguing that it was set up by PDP to witch- hunt APC. I politely turned down the request, on the grounds that the mood of the people favoured the setting up of the Commissions. It was later that it dawned on me that the earlier show of solidarity I received from these characters, including attending my inauguration and pledging to work with me, was just a smokescreen to persuade me to disband the Commissions.

“I became curious and wondered why Okorocha and his cronies, instead of going to the Commissions to clear their names rushed to the Courts to vainly try to stop the Commissions from doing their jobs. If they were innocent, would they try to get me to stop the commission or would they have gone to court for the same purpose? That reminded me of the title of one of the novels of James Hardley Chase: “The guilty are afraid”.

I Have Dismantled Okorocha’s Empire; He Is Richer Than The State, So, Thinks He Is God

“Today we have the reports of the commissions, The white paper is out also. And it has been gazetted. Our duty remains to ensure faithful implementation of those recommendations.  What happened on Sunday February 21st was that a man who thinks he is above the law because he ruled Imo State lawlessly, gathered thugs to break into a property sealed by the government in accord with a government gazette on the matter, which is protected under the law. This is the same man who broke the law in the first place and has refused to be accountable. He rebuffed every invitation from the commissions to come and answer the charges against him because he believes he is above the law.

“Now because he has become richer than the State Government, as he publicly stated recently,  he now sees himself as a god who can do and undo at will. And so with every effrontery, he marched majestically on that fateful Sunday morning, with his band of thugs, to go and unseal what a government has sealed.

“Even more disgusting was the fact that he also had the effrontery to tell Imo people that he was unsealing an estate built on a green verge against the Owerri Master Plan and worth over N5B Naira because it belonged to his wife. Quite a pity indeed!

“Of course, that was the height of assault on a people and their constituted authority.

“The security agencies, of course, responded appropriately. It is understandable that some people are angry because we stopped them from foisting a  feudal aristocracy in Imo state. But I think it will be a costly mistake for them to allow their frustrations to drive them to lunacy.

“I don’t have anything personal against anybody. I am only here to serve the people of Imo State.

“One thing that is clear from the reports of these commissions are that the suspicion that the patrimony of Imo people was looted by Okorocha and his relations and cronies has been substantiated. The Commission reports and recommendations, which have been accepted and gazetted, in the white paper, provide ample evidence in this regard.

“So what Okorocha and his band of thugs attempted to do  last Sunday was to forcefully torpedo the legitimate outcome of the Commissions of inquiry which is that all the Imo  property  looted or appropriated  by him and his cohorts are recovered from them.

I Rebuffed Him

“Recall that he first went to Court to stop the recovery and failed. Then he approached me to stop same and I refused. Now he wants to use brute force to hold on to what belongs to Imo people. Will you let him do that?

“I want to make this very clear: As a government, we will use all legal means to recover every Imo property or wealth wrongly appropriated by anyone, Okorocha inclusive. This is my covenant with Imo people and I intend to keep it to the letter.

“The restoration of Owerri Master Plans means that those who abused the processes would be punished. Those who took land from the government and private individuals would be forced to return them. In short, all looted assets of Imo people must be recovered and Imo State must be for all Imo people.

“However, I do recognise that power belongs to the good people of Imo State. As a government elected by the people, I called for this special stakeholders meeting to recourse to you on this matter. And so, as the stakeholders of Imo State and the voice of the people, I put the question pointedly to you:

“Do you want us to recover all looted Imo property and wealth illegally appropriated by any person or group of persons, whether high or low?. Whatever answer is your give, YES or NO, I want you to put it down in a resolution right here and now, and I assure you that your wish shall be the command of my government.

The Emperor Has Lost His Kingdom

“My beloved Ndimo, we have every reason to celebrate God’s goodness to us as a state and people. We should not be detained by rabble-rousers and self-imposed emperors who had since lost their kingdom.

“Through the mercy of God, we have stopped them from conquering our state and taking the citizens as captives. We have stopped the unholy march to feudalism. We have reversed a budding aristocracy that would have made a few the illegitimate landlords of the land that belonged to all Imo people and left the rest of us their miserable tenants.

We Should Celebrate Our Freedom

“Yes, we have every reason to celebrate because we have recovered our state from feudal interlopers and buccaneers, but above all, we now have a government we can proudly call the government of the people by the people and for the people.

“WE should all now join hands together in one accord and work for the progress and well-being of our people Owerri, Orlu  and Okigwe zones inclusive. Once again, our glorious journey is on course”