Ikedi Ohakim
Encyclopedia
Ikedi Ohakim is a Nigeria
n businessman who became governor of Imo State
in the Niger Delta
region in May 2007, standing for the Progressive Peoples Alliance
(PPA).
He later switched to the People's Democratic Party
(PDP).
in Isiala Mbano
Local Government Area of Imo State
.
He attended the University of Lagos
, gaining a B.Sc. in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Management.
Ikedi Ohakim worked for over 15 years at First Aluminium and then at Tower Groups. He became Executive Director of Alucon in 1997, and later became Chairman of Mekalog Group, an engineering firm supplying the defence, security, construction, fabrication, oil and gas sectors.
Ikedi Ohakim is married to Barrister Chioma Ohakim. They have five children.
. The government was removed from office by the military regime headed by General Sani Abacha
.
He was one of the founding members of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State, and remained a PDP member until November 2006, when he transferred to the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA).
He ran for governor of Imo State on the PPA platform in April 2007.
Ohakim had aspired to be the PDP governorship candidate, but claimed that he pulled out because of what he described as "commercialization" of the party ticket, deciding to run for another party instead. He said there was little ideological difference between the PDP and the PPA.
After widespread violence broke out during voting on 14 April 2007, the Independent National Electoral Commission
cancelled the election and rescheduled it for 28 April 2007. Ohakim was declared the victor of the second election. His opponent Martins Agbaso of the All Progressives Grand Alliance
(APGA) challenged the decision, claiming he was leading when the first election was cancelled, and claiming other irregularities.
After protracted legal battles, on 16 December 2009 the Appeal Court in Abuja ordered a fresh trial.
In April 2009 Ikedi Ohakim led a fourteen man delegation to Taiwan
to see what lessons from that resource-poor but dynamic economy could be applied to Nigeria.
Imo state is a major oil producer, but infrastructure is in poor shape and the state does not have sufficient revenue for urgently needed development projects. In June 2009, Imo State issued a N18.5 billion seven-year fixed rate bond. Ohakim said that 7% of the money raised would be used for rehabilitation of water supplies, 20% for road repair and construction, and 68% for the State Government’s investment in Imo Wonder Lake and Conference Centre, Oguta
.
On July 25, 2009, Ohakim publicly switched allegiance back to the People's Democratic Party (PDP) at a ceremony in Owerri
attended by President Umaru Yar'Adua
, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan
, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other party leaders.
The move was controversial, and PPA members filed court actions claiming that it was illegal.
Speaking about problems in the Niger Delta
in October 2009, Ohakim called for the Federal Government to revise the Land Use Act, address environmental degradation from oil exploration, increase economic intervention and find employment for youths.
He said that local communities and local leaders must be involved in the decision-making process.
In November 2009 the Imo State legislature enacted a law, "Imo State Prohibition and Hostage-taking and Other Related Offences", that makes it a capital offence for anybody to be involved in kidnapping or hostage-taking. The law was enacted by a majority of more than 2/3 after Ohakim had refused to sign it on the grounds that he felt it was unnecessarily harsh.
At a 2009 Christmas party for traditional rulers in the state he announced a 13% pay rise for monarchs, expressed concern about disputes over rulership, and urged the rulers to cooperate in bringing criminals to justice, noting that his government had provided vehicles and other equipment for the vigilance groups.
In November 2009, the Imo House of Assembly issued an arrest warrant for Orji Uzor Kalu
, former governor of Abia State
, and Comrade Maximus Uba, President Imo Democratic Congress and newspaper columnist. The warrant was for their failure to appear before the house to substantiate allegations of misappropriation of Imo State funds by Ikedi Ohakim.
Maximum Uba had written a number of hostile articles in publications such as Thisday
since Ohakim was elected.
Ikedi Ohakim published three books while Governor.
Pushing the Limits describes his personal career and political philosophy.
The Courage to Challenge and Challenging New Frontiers are collections of speeches.
He launched the three books at a ceremony in Lagos
in July 2009.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n businessman who became governor of Imo State
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-History:Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been...
in the Niger Delta
Niger Delta
The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil...
region in May 2007, standing for the Progressive Peoples Alliance
Progressive Peoples Alliance
The Progressive Peoples Alliance is a political party in Nigeria. Notable members of the party include Orji Uzor Kalu.The party won gubernatorial elections in 2003 and 2007 in Abia State. The party also won the governorship election in 2007 in Imo State...
(PPA).
He later switched to the People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP).
Background
Ikedi Ohakim was born on 4 August 1957 in OkohiaOkohia
Okohia is a community in the Ideato-South Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria, at an altitude of about 211 m.Okohia lies on the Imo River, a tributary of the Niger River, which creates a natural coastline of sandy beaches, mangrove swamps, lagoons and coastal hills.The official...
in Isiala Mbano
Isiala Mbano
Isiala Mbano is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Umuelemai.It has an area of 166 km² and a population of 198,736 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 471....
Local Government Area of Imo State
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-History:Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been...
.
He attended the University of Lagos
University of Lagos
The University of Lagos - popularly known as Unilag - is a federal government university with a main campus located at Akoka, Yaba and a college of medicine located at Idi-Araba, all in Lagos, Lagos State, southern Nigeria...
, gaining a B.Sc. in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Management.
Ikedi Ohakim worked for over 15 years at First Aluminium and then at Tower Groups. He became Executive Director of Alucon in 1997, and later became Chairman of Mekalog Group, an engineering firm supplying the defence, security, construction, fabrication, oil and gas sectors.
Ikedi Ohakim is married to Barrister Chioma Ohakim. They have five children.
Early political career
Ikedi Ohakim was appointed Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Imo State from 1992 to 1993 under governor Evan EnweremEvan Enwerem
Evan Enwerem was a Nigerian politician who served as President of the Nigerian Senate in 1999.He was a member of the People's Democratic Party.-Early life:...
. The government was removed from office by the military regime headed by General Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
.
He was one of the founding members of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State, and remained a PDP member until November 2006, when he transferred to the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA).
He ran for governor of Imo State on the PPA platform in April 2007.
Ohakim had aspired to be the PDP governorship candidate, but claimed that he pulled out because of what he described as "commercialization" of the party ticket, deciding to run for another party instead. He said there was little ideological difference between the PDP and the PPA.
After widespread violence broke out during voting on 14 April 2007, the Independent National Electoral Commission
Independent National Electoral Commission
The Independent National Electoral Commission , set up in 1998, is the electoral body which was set up to oversee elections in Nigeria.The INEC has encountered several controversies in the run-up to the April 2007 general elections, including criticism about its preparedness from Sada Abubakar,...
cancelled the election and rescheduled it for 28 April 2007. Ohakim was declared the victor of the second election. His opponent Martins Agbaso of the All Progressives Grand Alliance
All Progressives Grand Alliance
The All Progressives Grand Alliance is a political party in Nigeria. At the last legislative elections, 12 April 2003, the party won 1.4 % of popular votes and 2 of 360 seats in the House of Representatives of Nigeria and no seats in the Senate...
(APGA) challenged the decision, claiming he was leading when the first election was cancelled, and claiming other irregularities.
After protracted legal battles, on 16 December 2009 the Appeal Court in Abuja ordered a fresh trial.
Governor of Imo State
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
to see what lessons from that resource-poor but dynamic economy could be applied to Nigeria.
Imo state is a major oil producer, but infrastructure is in poor shape and the state does not have sufficient revenue for urgently needed development projects. In June 2009, Imo State issued a N18.5 billion seven-year fixed rate bond. Ohakim said that 7% of the money raised would be used for rehabilitation of water supplies, 20% for road repair and construction, and 68% for the State Government’s investment in Imo Wonder Lake and Conference Centre, Oguta
Oguta
Oguta is a city on the east bank of Oguta Lake in southeast Nigeria. Oguta was one of the first territories used by the British to advance into the Igbo hinterland...
.
On July 25, 2009, Ohakim publicly switched allegiance back to the People's Democratic Party (PDP) at a ceremony in Owerri
Owerri
Owerri is the capital of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of the Igboland. Owerri consists of three Local Govern Areas including Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West, it has an estimated population of about 400,000 as of 2006...
attended by President Umaru Yar'Adua
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was the President of Nigeria and the 13th Head of State. He served as governor of Katsina State in northern Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 28 May 2007. He was declared the winner of the controversial Nigerian presidential election held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May...
, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON is the 14th Head of State and current President of Nigeria.He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the...
, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other party leaders.
The move was controversial, and PPA members filed court actions claiming that it was illegal.
Speaking about problems in the Niger Delta
Niger Delta
The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil...
in October 2009, Ohakim called for the Federal Government to revise the Land Use Act, address environmental degradation from oil exploration, increase economic intervention and find employment for youths.
He said that local communities and local leaders must be involved in the decision-making process.
In November 2009 the Imo State legislature enacted a law, "Imo State Prohibition and Hostage-taking and Other Related Offences", that makes it a capital offence for anybody to be involved in kidnapping or hostage-taking. The law was enacted by a majority of more than 2/3 after Ohakim had refused to sign it on the grounds that he felt it was unnecessarily harsh.
At a 2009 Christmas party for traditional rulers in the state he announced a 13% pay rise for monarchs, expressed concern about disputes over rulership, and urged the rulers to cooperate in bringing criminals to justice, noting that his government had provided vehicles and other equipment for the vigilance groups.
In November 2009, the Imo House of Assembly issued an arrest warrant for Orji Uzor Kalu
Orji Uzor Kalu
Orji Uzor Kalu was the governor of Abia State, Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. Prior to his election as governor he was Chairman of the Borno Water Board and of the Cooperative and Commerce Bank Limited...
, former governor of Abia State
Abia State
Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. The capital is Umuahia, although the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British colonial government outpost. The state was created in 1991 from part of Imo State and its citizens are predominantly Igbo people...
, and Comrade Maximus Uba, President Imo Democratic Congress and newspaper columnist. The warrant was for their failure to appear before the house to substantiate allegations of misappropriation of Imo State funds by Ikedi Ohakim.
Maximum Uba had written a number of hostile articles in publications such as Thisday
Thisday
THISDAY is a Nigerian national newspaper. It is the flagship newspaper of Leaders & Company Ltd and was first published on 22 January 1995. It has its headquarters in Apapa, Lagos, Lagos State....
since Ohakim was elected.
Publications
In 1994, Ikedi Ohakim published The Marketing Imperative for Rural Industrialization (Africana Educational Publishers).Ikedi Ohakim published three books while Governor.
Pushing the Limits describes his personal career and political philosophy.
The Courage to Challenge and Challenging New Frontiers are collections of speeches.
He launched the three books at a ceremony in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
in July 2009.