Re: The Technocrat that Will Rebuild Imo and other Diatribes
For quite some time now, there are certain rumours, slanders, pillories castigations, defamations, false accusations, mudslinging, and image destroying projections from my political colleagues than opponents, especially from the advocates of technocracy, meant to tarnish my image and aiming at distracting my focus on God’s mandate on my hands to lead Imo State to the desired transformation that has not fully come to the State, but in piecemeal in all the previous administrations.
A group of Imolites (sponsored by some paid Masters and gubernatorial aspirants whose names were conspicuously and intentionally omitted from the image demolition diatribe) under the aegis of YOUTHS FOR A PROSPEROUS IMO, took to the social media a write-up “The Technocrat that Will Rebuild Imo” where they picked their targeted gubernatorial aspirants and defamed their characters. By their antics, they ignorantly thought that the mudslinging will make us: Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, and I, Barr Chima Anozie in Imo APC and other well qualified, popular and men-to-beat gubernatorial aspirants in other political parties to withdraw from the race.
Besides us who were mentioned in the diatribe, the other gubernatorial aspirants are not their targets; they who were exempted are the referred technocrats, whose wallets vibrate the onus to mudsling other aspirants. The diatribe nonetheless is a mere scarecrow. More grease to the elbows of these scarecrows in my farms that scare little birds and never I, the great Eagle that just landed for Imo 2019.
The ill-missioned critics have also projected hate-speeches and disaffection-stimulating allegations on my personhood, just because I am on Divine Mandate for Imo 2019. I thus decided to come up to the media, to expose realities and never apologetics, especially as the Latin maxim says “qui tacet consetire” (silence gives consent, who keeps silence consents). I will answer to these one after the other.
On the Sale of IBC
In their diatribes and rumours, some mudslingers allege that I sold IBC to Governor Rochas Okorocha. I know where they are coming from and you’ll see why they are out. I don’t want to join issues with anybody. But keeping quite implies that the allegation is true. You remember the Latin adage “Qui tacet consetire” (silence gives consent, who keeps quiet consents). That’s why I air my own version. No good judge rules after listening to one party. That’s the essence of the legal maxim “Audem patem” (hear the other side).
Now, hear the other side, my own version of the IBC issue. In accordance with my profession and studies in the university (Estate Management), opening of layouts has been my normal business decades ago, right from Abuja where I did my NYSC, before relocating to Imo state.
The IBC issue started during the tenure of Gov. Ikedi Ohakim, when Jeff Ojinaka was the State’s Commissioner for Lands. I applied to open up the Orji Town Layout Annex and the Nworie North Layout, which are old layouts, and we agreed on barter system- that the State Government in return gives me some plots of land as a barter to the layouts’ clearing and road openings. We entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU)- my company (Homebase Development Ltd) and the State Government, and the contract was dully executed.
So when the present administration (of Gov Rochas Okorocha) came, it wanted to revoke the contract, but I’ve done 50% of the work before it was disrupted. So I approached them with the MoU, dully registered and stamped. They allowed me to continue the work, the work was disrupted by Umundula Youths of Orji, who removed the Government beacons and destroyed my machines. The work stopped half way. I reported the matter to the Ministry for Lands, which in turn reported the matter to the Police. The youths went to Federal High Court to enforce their fundamental human right. So, we obeyed the law, went to Court, and the matter was stroke out; I was joined in the suit, with the State Government and the Commissioner of Police. The matter was struck out, and Court ordered for their arrest, which we did not go further. So, I’m surprised hearing people say that I sold lands to Rochas. How can I, a private individual, sell IBC that is government property to the government, and to the Governor of the State, as what? Gov Rochas and I, who has absolute legal rights of to acquire and use lands for development in the State? The land has already been mapped out for school before Gov Okorocha’s administration. It was not Rochas that acquired it, but Ohakim after paying to ACB (Bank) the mortgage loan the then Imo Governor, Chief Sam Mbakwe, which had the referred IBC landed property mortgaged.
He took loan from ACB, the revocation order, the payment of the mortgage, the acquisition of the layout, payment of monetary compensation and compensatory plots were all done by Gov Ohakim’s regime not Rochas’ regime. So, where Rochas Foundation School is located is within the area that school is allocated in the layout. It’s a big plot.
They gave me land for the work because it was on barter, but the people refused me entry, even part of the land I sold, they refused all of them. How can I sell Imo State Government’s land to Rochas? My family and community do not have land there. On what premise will I sell land to Rochas at Four Hundred Million Naira (N400m) as alleged? So that is the whole issue. It is verifiable, you can go to Ministry of Lands. Today, the layout is open and people have access to their lands, courtesy of Homebase Development Ltd.
Home Base as a Land Grabber
There are mudslingers that say I have lands here and there; that I am a land-grabber, but I am not bordered. My interest on lands and properties are based on my profession. It may interest you to know that I bought my first property- House, as a Youth Corps member, during my primary assignment with FCD Abuja and the first layout I handled was in Umudagu-Mbieri/Orji Layout. When I was in Abuja, I was into real estate and most Igbo people at Abuja that bought properties then bought them through us. It opened my eyes. People were selling their properties through me and I used my commission to buy lands and that is how I bought lands in Orji Mechanic Village. As far back as 1992 (26'years) ago, I had the opportunity to use the money I made to buy vehicle. I did not, but used the money for block industry, Canter Trucks and Tipper, I was trekking and not working then. I made my money here in Imo State, I have never worked for anybody and that’s why I am ‘Home Base.’ I started from the scratch even when I was in the university, I had poultry and have been in the business for 35 years now. I carry birds to sell in the market, and every December people from Orji come to buy fouls from me. Most of the lands I bought are in diverse villages across the 27 LGAs in Imo State, and I use some of them for farming. I am a great farmer and as a farmer, I won a cash prize of N150,000 as the Ezeji Imo last year, as my farm produced the biggest tuber of yams for the occasion.
Orji Mechanic Village
Some defamers and depraved ones make rumours round that I sold Orji Mechanic Village for N700m to Gov Rochas Okorocha. The Orji Mechanic Village has its two-third belonging to my family. It is where we call Nwaokwu Ukwu Elu and Nwaokwu Ukwu Ala. My family is the head of my Community in Umuimeka Orji.
The Orji Mechanic Village was acquired by Imo State Government during the early Junta regime, when I was in secondary school, and those that represented Orji and Umudagu Autonomous Communities were- Eze Ben Akakem of Orji and Eze Achiko of Mbieri. This said part of the Mechanic Village, which the Military Regime acquired was very close to my ancestral home, and my father refused to sell it, he started building there but the building was demolished without monetary compensation.
So, Orji Mechanic Village is not a residential layout, that was what the Imo State Government discovered and relocated the occupants. I was not even at home then. I was in the hospital in US when the State Government relocated the Orji Mechanic Village. I have 5 plots of lands there, which I bought from Umukeji people. In that my land area, there were a transformer and mango tree, and the place was not part of the Orji Mechanic Village. So I applied for compensatory plots out of the 5 plots of land that were strategically located right on the road. It was approved for them to give me 3 plots of land and I pleaded for them to give me even one plot of land where my lands were located, as a proof-show and legacy for my children that that was the first property I bought as a youth. But it was not given to me, only to hear that the Governor gave order that no person should be given plots at the main road. I was given only a plot of land out of the 5, the plot 29 was approved for me. Go to Ministry of Lands and verify.
While I was in the US for vacation, my people demonstrated over the land an my political enemies went to the Governor and told him that I sponsored the demonstration and the Governor did not know that I was out of the country. So he believed them and ordered that I should not near the Government House again. I came back and met him, explained my journey with travel proofs, and asked him how I can be abroad and sponsor the demonstration because they told him that they saw me live that day of the demonstration. He apologised and said I should not worry that he has seen the truth, and we went on.
That Home Base Has Plots Here and There, Everywhere.
Yes! That’s my business. I buy from sellers in towns and villages, I develop and sell. And I don’t see anything wrong in that, that is my profession as a Lawyer, Real Estate Developer and Civil Engineer. It is a better business for me and I do it well. I don’t know how to sell cars. So, I do and live my profession well. So, Home Base is real.
My Relationship with the Governor
The scarecrow and paid-agents for diatribes tagged me “Governor Okorocha’s small boy and wife.” Yes, I have great respect for His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha. First, as the Governor of the State. Second, as the Party leader in the State. But two of us are not quite close. I started following him for years now. I campaigned for him at the World Igbo Congress at Houston USA when he came out for Presidency for the first time. He made me join APP in 2002 when I contested for the Imo State House of Assembly. He made me join APP, and working along together, I helped him take Imo delegates from here to Abuja. I chattered Coaster buses and carried all for him to Abuja, accommodated them in hotels and brought them back without his financial assistance.
We fell apart after that because he abandoned me in Abuja. During the APP presidential primaries, reaching Abuja with the Imo delegates, I discovered that Rochas has declined his ambition without telling me, whom he knew was campaigning and mobilising for him in Imo State. So, I stopped following him. I didn’t join him to APGA. I was in PDP while he was in APGA. So, part of his first tenure I was not with him. I only joined him during the formation of APC, because Jude Ejiogu and Uche Nwosu were too close to me then, and I felt bad being out of them. I know Uche Nwosu well when he was in IMSU and I worked together with Jude Ejiogu who is my leader in Owerri North. They and not Governor Okorocha, made me join APC.
So people referring that Home Base is Governor Okorocha’s ‘small boy,’ ‘the Governor’s wife,’ etc., are cheap mudslingers and denigrators. I can’t put one or two together. If I am one of the Governor’s favourite ‘boys,’ what position did he give me, and for how long? I was the General Manager of Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) for 7 months and I travelled to US, my political enemies went to tell the Governor that I was vying for House of Reps, so he immediately removed me from OCDA and bid me farewell. When I returned and heard what happened and went to see him, he was surprised and that led him to assigning me at once as his SA on NEPAD and just for 4 or 5 months, and nothing more from him, for the referred ‘small boy’ and ‘wife’ of Gov Okorocha.
I have done creditably well for Rochas and sacrificed well for him. I bought and branded vehicles- ‘The Winning Team’ for him in 2015. I was the Chairman of Owerri Federal Constituency Political Forum that delivered him. I joined forces with Ndaa Jude Ejiogu and resisted our Federal Constituency from caving in. I didn’t collect a dime from him. While other structures were given money to work for him, I used my own money.
I also donated money sduring his re-election in 2015, which Mrs Ogechi Ololo can bear me witness to that. My interest was for the Party to win as I’m a Party man. I am happy that in that 2015, out of 19 booths in Orji, APC won 15 during the 2015 gubernatorial election and the other 2 booths were just about 3 or 4 votes ahead of APC. I was so happy then as it is not easy to achieve such in Federal and State Constituencies where the incumbents are in opposition party, we were able to achieve that. At the end, what did I gain from that? What did I get from all my efforts for the Governor then? Yet, I do not and will never regret it.
So, as a Party man, I must defend the interest of my Party first before my interest, because I prefer the interest of my Party- Winning than mine, as the worst Government is the best for you if your man is there. I was not given any Federal appointment. I was not made a Commissioner. So, what made me to be Rochas’ small boy? Is it because I don’t come out openly to criticise him, because I know I criticise him? Is it because I don’t go out to the pages of the Newspapers to mudsling, raving and ranting diatribes? I prefer making out time, with due respect and esteem, to go and see him and tell him ‘Your Excellency, this is not good.’
My Governorship Ambition
I’ve officially gone to inform Gov Okorocha months ago about my ambition. I went to him to tell him about my political ambition. He asked me, “Is it for House of Reps or for Senate?” I said, “no.” I told him, “it is for Governor.” He shook my hand and asked me, “assuming it you did not win, will you support the person that wins?” And I said “with all pleasure, but Oga, put me in alternative B” and he asked, “what of alternative C?” I said “even in alternative Z, because I know I am the alternative to the answer that will fail.” And that day he shook my hand as Gov Ohakim did to him at Assumpta during the 2011 debate, I knew he has handed over to me. And I am well convinced that come May 29, 2019 I shall be sworn in as the Executive Governor of Imo State. That is why I am on my own, not in Agburu and not in Coalition. I am Nwa obo ogu, the pacifist. I’ll be used to settle the crisis in Imo APC. So, I align myself to any group that is justifiably, legally or otherwise pursuing a good goal and for the interest of the Party. So, Home Base is real! And this is the truth and nothing but the truth.