Chief Emma Odor is the current elected Local Government Chairman of Owerri Municipal. In this interview with Ikechukwu Ucheoma, he bared his mind on the prospects of PDP in future elections in Imo State and his problems with Governor Okorochas. Excerpts:
Q: What is your take about this rally by the contact and mobilization committee of the PDP and what is your perception about this present administration compared to the previous one.
The essence of Mobilization is to marshall out troops in times of war and disaster. When you go to the dictionary, Mobilization means to get ready for war. Using Imo State, the state is at disaster caused by this present administration so the PDP is mobilizing, getting ready for 2015. What am I saying, if you are aware, when this government was inaugurated in 2011, the famous and inglorious statement that time was when we cry, he will cry. When we are hungry, he will be hungry. When we suffer, he will suffer. When we smile, he will smile. How can you say when we cry, you cry? There is hunger everywhere, no functioning business going on. Even the market women, the traders, the civil servants, they are all complaining. Even the students he said he is giving free education are also complaining. So, where is the when you cry, I cry? While we are crying, he is spending our money in Anambra State election, so how do you see this? We are crying and only his own people, himself and his family members are the only people progressing in Imo State.
Any new building in Owerri, if you check, if it is not directly Rochas’ building or his brother or relatives, he is connected one way or the other. All these China road he is constructing, what I mean by China road is sub-standard roads. He knocked down four (4) of my buildings and then, if you go there, today, there is nothing happening, because he swore that he will deal with me because of what happened during the campaign at township school Owerri. So, what I am saying is that what the Governor is doing, I call it disaster, disaster made by the seating Governor. He left APGA, that is his business, he has the right to do whatever he likes but I want to tell every pressman here that APC is foreign to Igbo land and Southeast. The APC cannot win any election in Southeast. APC is like poison for Southeast and Imo state and there is no way he can win election in 2015 if he is going to be there in 2015. Any of our brothers who join APC is there to play games.
What is the real meaning of APC? We know the constitution of the APC, the party, their leadership and we know it is approved by INEC and anybody has the choice to go into APC. But the point I am trying to make here is that it is foreign to Southeast. It could be a viable party in the Southwest but not Southeast. They are confident the PDP will take over the state in 2015. And I gave APC a different name after thinking about it, I said that APC means Approved Poisonous Concoction. If your want to go and drink poison and die, you go ahead and do it. So all I am saying is that his term has expired and in a short time, he is going to leave Douglas House.
Q: How has life been since the dissolution of the duly elected LGA Chairmen in Imo State by the Okorocha’s administration?
It is wrong for him to have done that. We won him in court and then he doesn’t obey laws. But life has been okey. As you can see, I am very healthy, so I don’t see anything different.
Q: How do you feel about the visit by the Imo State Contact and Mobilization Committee of the PDP to Owerri Municipal Council?
It is great, you can see everybody, people are happy. The essence of Mobilization like I said earlier, in the time of war or disaster, marshalling out troops and natural resources. You can see that Owerri people came in large numbers to greet the Mobilization Committee.
Q: What is your advice to Imolites and PDP members in the state?
I will advice them that this man (Okorocha), his time is limited. He will leave there very soon PDP members are still strong and we will win this election and any election in Imo State.
Q: We recently heard that Owerri Community Assembly planned its congress for this week. How prepared are the aspirants?
Actually our election into Owerri Community Assembly was scheduled for this week before the President, Chief Anukam (Oweaya) and indeed the people of Owerri decided to shift it a little further.
The reason is very simple. One of our illustrious sons and one time President General of (OCA), Barrister Dan Njemanze’s burial has been fixed for Thursday, December 5, 2013.
So, we felt that there is no better way of honouring him than to put off the planned congress until after his burial. And that is simply what we have done.
Q: There is allegation that you are not in good terms with Governor Rochas Okorocha.
Well, that is not absolutely correct. The truth of it is that right from the first day Governor Okorocha was declared the Governor of Imo State, he saw me as his first enemy.
The reason is simple because as the Local Government Chairman of Owerri Municipal and member of the PDP, I did everything within my power to ensure that my party won in my Local Government in that election.
This I know did not go down well with Governor Okorocha who has since then declared me as one of his greatest enemies.
He has ever since then provoked me in many ways personally including destroying my family property and lands in vengeance. So I do not have any personal issues with him aside from political.
