On August 9th 2010, what ordinarily could pass for a mild incident happened at Akabo, Ikeduru LGA, Imo state at about 7.04pm. That was a Sunday evening. A day after the last Local Government Election in Imo state till date.
The incident was that the Convoy of the then Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim encountered a sudden delay caused by a vehicle, driven by a man who happened to be a Reverend Father of the Catholic Church.
The Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the Governor cleared the vehicle off the road, while the entire convoy sped off to the Government House, Owerri, where the Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim asked all to go home and catch a little sleep and return early morning the next day for the swearing in ceremony of the elected chairmen, which took place at Grasshopper International Stadium Owerri on Monday, August 10,2010.
After the hectic swearing-in ceremony conducted by Ohakim, the Convoy returned to Government House briefly and from there went to Sam Mbakwe Airport and headed to Abuja to brief the Presidency of the council election and swearing in.
A day after, calls started pouring in from Owerri that Ohakim, the Governor, flogged a Reverend Father, Eustace Okorie mercilessly after some frog jumps, in the glaring presence of on-lookers. At the start, it looked like a stupid story, or mistake by rumour mongers, since the man in question, Ohakim, had not set eye on any Revered Priest, as he was consumed with the task of conducting the LGA election for over a week. And again he had left Owerri two days earlier. So, was it in Abuja that he flogged the Revered Father?
But the matter began to sink in when Chief Tony Uzokwu, late Commissioner for Sports, and Bar Ken Njemanze, then Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, both Catholic die-hards, made calls to Ohakim from Owerri over the story.
At this point the Governor called his media men and other Aides to enquire if really there was such an incident involving any of his Aides since he was confused on how the said flogging concerned him? Did his security men flog any body? Could any of his Aides, including Special Advisers or Commissioners flogged any body?
At this juncture, the Press Secretary, Mr Henry Ekpe, I, was called to say what happened, since the said Reverend Father was said to have appeared in an Owerri based Newspaper. So, who took the picture and was there any beating or flogging?
I told the Governor that I did not go down from my vehicle during the brief stop and neither did any of my Pressmen in the Press Bus, and the brief incident took place without any “civilian” disembarking from the vehicles, except the security men who raced to the scene to find out what blocked the convoy.
Infact, I had to explain to the Governor when exactly the short delay occurred, because he could not even remember, as it looked like he was either engaged with his hand sets, or taking a nap, having been awake for days, without taking notice of the Akabo incident.
While Ohakim and his team were yet to decipher what really happened, a National Daily carried a publication the next day where a fictitious Catholic Women group took up a full page advert “condemning the flogging of Reverend Father Eustace Okorie by Governor Ohakim”.
It was at this point that the Ohakim team realized that the hand shake was approaching the Shoulder. That this was a calculated attempt by a well oiled group or political party to discredit Ohakim’s administration as the 2011 election approached.
Ohakim directed that his protocol officers arrange for a return to Owerri immediately, even as he took every body by surprise since he had not finished his assignment in Abuja.
As the Governor hit Owerri, he asked the Chief Security Officer, CSO, to wait for him in his office. The guy who was at the Sam Mbakwe Airport to welcome the Governor went straight to the Governor’s office with him, where he briefed Ohakim of what really transpired at Akabo between the security men and the Reverend Father.
It was after this briefing that Ohakim learnt that his security Aides had commandeered a certain Reverend Father Eustace Okorie from Akabo to their office, for refusing to give way to the Governor’s convoy. While the Reverend Father was in their custody, they took the picture and sent it to the Owerri based Newspaper.
Why was he not told of this incident? Ohakim asked. He was told it was not necessary, since they (security men) felt it was just a simple security matter, which does not warrant his Excellency’s attention.
They said that rather than apologise for obstructing the Governor’s Convoy, Reverend Father Okorie allegedly was claiming right, saying every Nigerian has right of way, and does not care who is Governor or not. This, they said infuriated them and they asked the Reverend Father to follow them to their office, from where the Father called the Bishop, saying he was under detention by “Ohakim’s security men”
Unfortunately, the Bishop could not reach the Governor first to enquire if he was aware of the situation, before he spoke to the press.
However, that same day at about 6pm, Ohakim, his Deputy Ada Okwuonu, the Commissioners, went to meet the Bishop. I was strictly instructed not to allow any Pressman on the short journey to Assumpta Cathedral. I therefore dismissed all of them to go home. Yours truly stayed outside, but was told by those inside that Governor Ohakim prostrated before the Bishop, explaining the whole story, pointing out that he was not in the know of what happened between his Security Aides and the Reverend Father. But whether the Bishop believed the Governor or not could not be easily deciphered there.
However, unfortunately the next day, all that happened between the Imo Government House team led by Ohakim and the Bishop was broken in a National Newspaper. Nobody knew who leaked out the information.
Every day, the news of how “Ohakim flogged” a Reverend Father continued to go viral. No amount of explanation was enough, as the story every where was the tale.
The Governor even made a state broadcast on the matter where he publicly appologised unbehalf of his Security Aides to no avail. It was like the more Ohakim and team expressed their innocence in the matter, the more the populace castigated and called them names. He later asked that the security man who caused the problem be posted out. Infact he over hauled his Security Aides. This too could not convince the populace to listen to Ohakim that he knew nothing about Father Eustace Okorie, and the said assault.
This was the state of Imo state when Ohakim confronted the 2011 election. A state that has millions of Catholic fateful still believed that Ohakim flogged Eustace Okorie even years after. No amount of explanation by Ohakim convinced them.
To make matter worse, fiery Catholic Revered Father, and respected preacher at Adoration Centre, Enugu, Ejikeme Mbaka waxed a Record (CD) where it was sang that Ohakim flogged a catholic father.
The record was mass-produced and shared freely in every part of the Southeast and other parts of Nigeria, including Abuja. Nobody was ready to listen to Ohakim, and his political opponents cashed in and elevated the entire story to a momentous propaganda that inflicted doubts, even in the minds of Ohakim’s die hards.
“Could this be a lie?” They asked. Some of us who were present when this incident took place tried to defend the truth but were maligned as liers, and attempts even made on our lives.
Despite this organized propaganda against him, by various forces bent on removing him from office, Ohakim fought spiritedly for a second term, which ended in a stalement, to the extend that Oguta state constituency till date does not have a legislator in the Imo legislature.
However, of most salient today is that three years after, and six months to the next Governorship election in Imo state, the chicken is coming home to roost. The buried truth is now crying from the grave, screaming for help, proving that truth, no matter how long buried will one day spring up.
Therefore, when on Sunday August 3, 2014, Ohakim headed to Adoration Centre Enugu with a few friends and relations for a Thanksgiving, he was seeking for truth. Many had said why Adoration Centre?
Adoration Centre because it was where the story that “Ohakim flogged a Reverend” developed legs and wings through the music composed by Reverend Father Mbaka. “That man who flogged Reverend Father we will not vote him again”.
Many said why should Ohakim resurrect the issue now? May be because he wants to run again as Governor in 2014?
Reverend Father Mbaka has answered these questions when he told the over three hundred thousand members of his church that “It would be wrong for Ohakim to go to his grave with this false accusation. I don’t care whether he is running for election or not. But it is not good to punish an innocent man” Mbaka said.
Unfortunately, despite this open pronouncement made by Mbaka, published in Newspapers and aired on Radio and Televisions, in Social Networks etc, some people are still asking if really Mbaka said that. The doubting Thomases are yet to be convinced that Ohakim does not know Reverend Father Eustace Okorie. He has not set eyes on him till date.
For Ohakim, he should go home peacefully, since he has cleared his conscience. If people doubt the highly revered man of God like Mbaka, who does not care whose ox is gored in speaking the truth, who is Ohakim to be so bothered about what people think about his Adoration testimony.
God knows that he did not touch the anointed man of God, Rev Fr Eustace Okorie. For me, I think the person who now has a large burden in his heart is Reverend Eustace Okorie.
Ohakim has forgiven those who offended him, by accusing him wrongly. It is now left for Eustace Okorie to come out and open up, by either saying that Ohakim assaulted him or not. If he does not speak out he should blame himself, since Ohakim has been vindicated and therefore not going to the grave with the false accusation. So, step out Reverend Father Eustace Okorie. The balls is now on your court. So that you will go to your own grave a happy man. Imo people are waiting to hear your voice.
