.The Other Side of Labour Party Guber Candidate
When hostilities for who becomes number one citizen of Imo State begins for the November 11 governorship contest, one name that will definitely reverberate in the ears of the citizens of the state is that of Senator Athan Achonu.
Achonu from Ehime Mbano is the candidate of the Labour Party.
Details obtained from Trumpeta indicate that the politician fondly called One-Arm General wasn’t born with disability as his present physical appearance shows.
According to available information about his life obtained through a source in a platform that serves as his campaign outfit, Senator Achonu lost his second arm in the Nigeria Civil War as a little boy. The post states, “One thing about this courageous man is the fact that he has only one arm, he lost his second arm in the Nigeria Civil War as a little boy, a sacrifice he made for survival of Igbo”
The information says that he had his early education at Madonna High School, Etiti , in Imo State, Government College, Umuahia Abia State and John Cabot University, Rome, Italy.
Revealing further, the write up titled “The Dist Sen Achonu You May Not Know (Part 1) states that “Many would have perceived this as a disability but he has not allowed that to deter him in his ambition.
“He’s an astute international businessman who has over the years recorded giant achievements in the business world. Amongst his successful companies which he built from scatch and took to an enviable peak are Nejach Engineering Limited, Okebaram Resources Limited, Mathan Nigeria Limited, Orient Refining Company Nigeria Limited, Chia Enterprises Limited and Numo Farms.
“In 2015, Dist. Sen Athan Achonu contested for the Imo North Senatorial seat and was declared winner on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party.
“However, in December 2015, the Appeal Court sitting in Owerri, Imo State capital upturned his election at the instance of the candidate of the Accord Party that his party’s logo was not included in the ballot papers used for the 2015 National Assembly election.
“Due to his love for Imo State and Ndi Igbo generally he founded and started promoting the “Akuruoulo Philosophy” which calls on Ndigbo to invest at home for the development of our State and Region.
“Through his Akuruoulo ideology Dist. Sen Athan Achonu acquired Progress Bank building close to present day Garden Park business center in Owerri to turn it into an international tourist destination, he acquired 80% shares of Imo Hotels automatically becoming the owner (the bidding was between him, Rochas and some other persons which he won the bidding) this two properties share same fence and the intention was to join them together, bring in his foreign investors and partners to construct a 10 storey building 5star hotel, an international shopping mall and a world class conference center but the Govt of Owelle Rochas Okorocha came in and stopped the work, forcefully took away the Imo hotels part of the property from Sen Athan Achonu and built the collapsed IICC, constructed road in the middle of the land and built freedom square on the other part of Dist. Sen Athan Achonu’s property.
“Sen Athan Achonu helplessly proceeded to court, got court judgments in his favor but the Govt at that time flagrantly ignored the court orders.
“HE Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha became the Governor and inherited the court case studied it and immediately contacted Sen Athan Achonu on the matter, the Govt of HE Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha wrote a letter of apology to Sen Athan, demanded out of court settlement and subsequently begged Sen Athan to take back his property, due to the road owelle constructed in the property ways of compensating Athan Achonu was being discussed before the Supreme Court tragedy of January 2020 struck.
“During the period of Owelle Rochas Okorocha’s administration Dist. Sen Athan Achonu got a Federal Govt license to construct a Refinery in Ohaji Egbema.
“Sen Athan Achonu acquired very large expense of land for the project brought in his foreign partners and the project was upgraded to contain a Refinery, industrial park and an independent power plant that will power the entire project, the govt of Owelle Rochas Okorocha came in and frustrated the project including constructing a road in the middle of the land for the refinery and industrial park.
“Dist. Sen Athan Achonu won the federal government bidding to take over Imo State Airport, he brought his foreign investors and partners to upgrade and modernize the airport to a cargo and much more modern airport. Same Rochas Okorocha Govt frustrated the entire process and claimed he wanted to construct a cargo airport that didn’t see the light of the day till date”.
