The story has been told of how the paramount and traditional ruler of Akureland in ONDO state, Oba Oluwadare Adesina (The DEJI of AKURE) threw decorum into the winds on Sunday evening 30th May 2010 when he openly engaged one of his wives in a street fight along hospital road in Akure in ONDO State.
The traditional ruler (DEJI OF AKURE) who was in company with his youngest wife, Olori Remi engaged the older wife Olori Bolanle Adesina (who had moved out of the palace in the last two years) in a fight street. However it took the timely intervention of men of the state police command to bring the situation under control as the monarch was whisked away. While trying to escape from the scene of the incident, the DEJI of AKURE fell into drainage along the road and his royal cap fell off his head. Also the king’s pathfinder Sports utility vehicle (SUV) marked “DEJI OF AKURE” was seriously damaged by angry youths who were irked by his action and desecration of the royal stool. The youths who gathered in their hundreds smashed the windscreen and the four side windows of the vehicle to register their displeasure over the royal father’s unbecoming behaviour.
The question now is, what does the DEJI of AKURE have in common with Governor Ikedi Godson Ohakim of Imo State.
In trying to answer this question, I will have to outline some similar character traits of Governor Ikedi Ohakim after which I will draw my conclusion.
(1) Ikedi Ohakim publicly insulted the catholic Archbishop of Owerri diocese Bishop AJV Obinna through his special Assistant on political matters, Mr. Rex Anuobi in October 2009. Bishop Obinna’s offence was that he condemned the beating of RADIO Nigeria reporter (WALE OLOKUN) in government house by the Governors Chief Security Officer.
(2) He used his convoy to crush a woman and her two children in Lagos state in April 2008. The woman’s Car was crushed beyond recognition.
(3) He dethroned a prominent Traditional Ruler (HRH Eze Dr. Oliver Ohanweh) who adviced him to take it easy with poor masses.
(4) Early in 2009, Ohakim accused his wife of sleeping with his brother in-law (Mr. Chinedu Chukwuonye, Managing Director of CODUC Nigeria Ltd). This accusation led to his wife fighting him in the Governors Office at Government House Owerri.
(5) He publicly slapped a staff of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) early in 2008. The said staff did not provide keys to the VIP lounge in the wake of Ohakims passage on time. After slapping the man, he ordered his security details to beat the man up. Not satisfied by the beating the same Ohakim ordered that the man should be detained until he returned from London where he stayed one week. Upon his return from London, he learnt that his ADC had already released the man. In anger, Ohakim sacked his first ADC.
(6) Ikedi Ohakim publicly assaulted his wife’s driver in May 2009 by slapping and head butting him. The driver’s offence was that he did not answer to the Governor’s call on time.
(7) The same Ikedi Ohakim personally flogged and head buffed Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha (at gun point) in the governors Office on the 21st of January 2010, after having him abducted from his house at Ikenegbu layout Extension Owerri by armed men.
(8) And so on and so forth.
From the above reasons, it is very obvious that Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State and Deji of AKURE share a lot in common. They share a very close relationship. It is therefore very despicable that people of questionable characters and behaviour have been allowed to mount the throne of Leadership in Nigeria without relevant authorities and agencies cross checking their antecedents. If the ONDO State council of traditional rulers could muster courage to suspend indefinitely the DEJI of AKURE yesterday 3rd June 2010, what is holding the Imo State House of Assembly (IMHA) from doing the same to Governor Ikedi Ohakim based on desecration of the Governor’s Office by Ohakim himself?
It is therefore very advisable for government to do thorough homework of investigations before allowing people with character flows and traits of Ikedi Ohakim and DEJI of AKURE to assume leadership positions in Nigeria.
I cannot conclude this piece without informing Nigerians that Imo leaders from each of the twenty-seven local government Areas of the state stormed the EFCC yesterday morning (3rd June 2010) to formally inform the agency of the criminal activities of Governor Ikedi Ohakim. This is different from several documented petitions this writer has sent to the same EFCC.
By Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha/www.nigeriafilms.com
