Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday revealed he is not a normal governor as he has come to effect radical changes in his state.
“I am not an ideal governor. I don’t behave, I don’t act. I don’t speak like an ideal governor because I am not a normal governor.
“I am a radical governor who has come to effect a radical change in the state,” he said in reference of his unusual approach to governance.
“So people should excuse my unusual behaviours. When you see me act the way I am acting, you should not be surprised because I am not a normal Governor and that is particularly why I am not given to due process,” Okorocha stressed.
He spoke at the 6th anniversary of the Imo Freedom Day in Owerri.
To underscore his approach, he supervised the public presentation of petitions against government officials or any other highly- placed persons.
The governor, who summoned affected government officials to publicly respond to complaints against them, explained the idea was to give the people the opportunity to express themselves and register their grievances as expected in a democracy.
He said: “This Freedom Square is designed as a place where the people can come and speak out their mind against anything they are not comfortable with, including policies of government without fear.
“They can speak and question even the governor and nobody will be victimised or arrested for expressing himself.”
In an emotion-laden voice, he recounted how he overcame tremendous odds to win the 2011 governorship election against the then incumbent IkediOhakim.
“I was totally rejected by every group that could make one win an election but I remained determined and focused.
According to him: “When I started the journey, there was no politician of note with me.
“The elites rejected and abandoned me and it took the resolve of the common people, the market women, the artisans, the Keke riders and disabled people for me to win that election even when all the apparatus of government, including the Police, Army, DSS, INEC were against me”.