Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim in an interactive session with journalists in Owerri invites his critics and opposition political parties to present a better roadmap for the development of the state. He notes that the peoples trust in the performance of the present government will ensure that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stays in power for another four years in Imo. ODITASUNDAY was there. Excerpts:HOW do you react to the position of your critics on your performance and your second term ambition For the sake of arguments, let us agree that I have been the subject of greater attacks than some governors. My performance in the face of this virulent opposition is unparalleled and I have weathered the storm and done right. We have taken the state from the level of hopelessness in terms of service delivery, to the level where since the late Dr. Sam Mbakwe the people of Imo can claim to have a government at their service. So, the case of our opponents is therefore made more difficult as they resort to shouting louder to get themselves heard. My only regret is that the media often falls for their antics. Fortunately, their noise in the media is drowned in the praises we receive from our people.Despite your claims and efforts to dismiss them, the opposition to your second term bid is quite formidable They are not formidable; they have access to the media. I am not going into this election because I just want a second term. I have been asked to return to complete the work I started four years ago. If I had failed them in the first term, the generality of our people would not be asking me to run. And if I were not convinced that I did right in the past four years and have the fire in my belly to complete the job, I would not be running.This state is too important and our people are too precious to be used to enhance curriculum vitae as some of the so-called opponents want to do. When we say that Imo is in the hands of God, it is not a mere slogan. I believe it; I live it. The people are living it. So many people are qualified to run for the governorship position, but at His time, God has chosen me to fulfil His destiny for Imo. I have stayed faithful to my commitment to Imo people and I am promising them more of what we have done these past four years.Can you say that you have given Imo the new face that you promised when you assumed officeIt was my dream from the start to run a visionary administration. I planned that every infrastructural plan must be connected to a masterplan that would make Imo the best state in Nigeria. The vision of a new face of Imo is one that goes beyond the nut and bolts of building roads and water schemes but one that speaks to the human capital development in tandem with infrastructural development. We have built infrastructure and we are still building. We are building human capacity not only to utilise these infrastructure but also to sustain them. Some of the things may not look obvious today but the future would bear us out. Within the meagre resources at our disposal, we have put Imo on the path to sustainable development. Under a year, our clean and green programme returned Owerri as the cleanest state capital in the country. It was also within the first 100 days that we tackled the problem of the educational sector by establishing in every council a model classroom block.We have gone ahead to establish the Imo Children Education Fund (ICEF) to the tune of N50 billion in our effort to find a lasting solution to the problem of infrastructure in the schools. Every primary school in the state has at least one classroom block under rehabilitation. And of course, we handed over 44 secondary schools back to their original missionary owners. In the area of road construction, we have built more roads than any previous administration. We have addressed the problem of unemployment through various means especially through massive infrastructural development. But by far the most visible and successful is the 10, 000 job programme. Our approach to the problem of unemployment is long term and that is why we have embarked on mega projects that will yield massive job opportunities. It is also because we want to create opportunities for our people and bring development to our state that we decided to engage the federal government. That way, we have succeeded in hooking Imo back to the national grid. The result is that in three years, we have been able to attract to the state projects worth nearly N300 billion.What would you say is the reason that the opposition against you is so strong The people of Imo are almost oblivious of the opposition and of course any plan they may claim to have. So, the noise from them is just for a purpose: to get attention. They have no plan for the peoples welfare and no plan for the progress of Imo. I have heard of plans for free education at all levels for the people of the state. But the question is not in the promise but in the execution and implementation. This is therefore empty deceit; but the people are no fools. Talking is the easiest thing to do. I have nothing against those who are in opposition. They are the ones who have problems with the prosperity and wellbeing of the people of Imo. We have continued to inspire hope in our people. With words and our deeds, we have shown the people of Imo that not one of them, young or old, is insignificant. Each man, woman, boy or girl, born of this land is a part of this government and has a right to a good life. I have refused to do things the old way by sitting down at a table with a few to share the peoples resources. I have deliberately and consciously chosen to make the resources of Imo work for Imo so that the potentials of a people may be fulfilled. I plead guilty to an unusual passion for Imo. I plead guilty to refusal to do business as usual.I plead guilty to creating a level-playing ground for all children of Imo. I plead guilty to insisting on openness, transparency and accountability. I plead guilty to refusing to hand over the resources of Imo to a few, in gratitude for what they did in the past. I plead guilty to saying to those have-beens that the glory of Imo is more important than the ego of a few. I have called on them to join hands with me but they have refused. I will continue to tell them however that they are not in opposition to the government but they are in opposition to the progress of Imo. Of course, they have failed.In what direction would you take the state if you win in your second term bidThe greatest thing going for us is that the people would always compare us with what was on ground before we came. It is not talking in absolute terms. The question is: How was Imo before we came and how is it now As they would say, the difference is clear. We met a state capital that was land-marked with mountains of hazardous wastes; a state over burdened by deplorable condition and complete absence of physical infrastructure, dilapidated roads and dysfunctional water schemes, dilapidated educational and health institution as well as moribund industries. We met a demoralised and ageing civil service with an average age of 50 years with over 1,500 teachers and civil servants including fake doctors. We met a chaotic transport system in our state capital dominated by okada (commercial motorcycles) with its attendant insecurity and health hazards to our youths. Today, Imo has one of the best public transport systems. There is now order. In our hospitals you no longer see young men with their legs hung up and their future completely ruined as a result of motorcycle accidents. The fact is Imo is far much better today than we met it. And I challenge all those who say otherwise to a debate. As for the next four years, I already articulated some of our plans at the Imo Stakeholders Forum on January 4, 2011 in a speech I titled On the threshold of a greater future. Our vision is to build an economy for the state. So, the next four years will see us pursue projects that will have regenerative capacity especially in terms of creating job opportunities. Apart from the Wonder Lake Resort project, we will complete our refinery and petrochemical project, which will of course, have massive multiplier effects. We are conscious of the needs of our people.We are not just in government; we are in the service of our people. I have chosen to govern with the best interest of our people at heart and I have deliberately gone round to identify these interests, their needs, hopes and aspirations. So, we are in the genuine service of Imo, not just in government. The result has been a purposeful government in the past four years. And this is the same mission that I am going to carry out in the next term.
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