Chief Charles Orie, businessman, former Managing Director of Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC), in this interview in Toronto, Canada at Iriji Mbaise festival spoke on the growing debate over the Imo State Charter of Equity ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Excerpts:
Interviewer: Good evening, Honourable. Please, tell us about yourself, sir.
Chief Charles Orie: Good evening. My name is Chief Charles Orie. I come from Umuokanne in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.
I am a businessman and government contractor. I’ve done that for many years before coming back to Imo State to serve as Managing Director of ISOPADEC. I left that job in 2024 to focus on political consultations.
As a private citizen, I’m also involved in community development through my NGO, Chief Charles Orie Foundation. Through this NGO, we have brought development to many communities in Imo State. We’ve provided solar street lights to several communities in partnership with the NDDC, and we give scholarships to Imo State students.
We also support orphanages, hospitals and prisons in Imo State. I live in both Nigeria and Canada.
Interviewer: Why are you at the Mbaise community event in Canada today?
Chief Charles Orie: I came to celebrate with you and share in your joy and success.
Mbaise people are some of Imo State’s best representatives abroad. Their hard work and skills are making a big difference everywhere they live.
From Toronto to Houston, Maryland and many other cities, Mbaise professionals and business people are building successful businesses and helping their communities.
Being here is also part of my ongoing talks with Imo people abroad, who I see as one of God’s biggest blessings to our state. Imo State has one of the largest groups of Nigerians living abroad, and we need to find real ways to use their knowledge, skills, connections and resources to help develop our state.
These talks have taken me to many Imo State groups in cities and countries across Europe and North America.
Interviewer: We’ve seen videos and messages on social media about the “Owerri Zone Charter of Equity” and talks in Okigwe and Orlu. What do you think about this?
Chief Charles Orie: We have only one Imo State. Dividing ourselves by where we come from will only hold us back.
I believe every person from Imo should have the right to go for any position, no matter which zone they’re from. What should matter is skill, ability, character and what each person can offer our state, and not where they’re from.
It’s also worth remembering that many of the people pushing this Charter of Equity today did not support Governor Hope Uzodimma’s political journey. I remember, back in the days during President Obasanjo’s government, from 1999 to 2007, some of these same people blackmailed Hope Uzodimma before President Obasanjo and Andy Uba.
They called him and the rest of us who stood by him all sorts of names. They even used their influence to have his businesses with the NPA and NNPC shut down. Even when Hope Uzodimma was made a BOT member of the PDP, they fought him.
We were pushed aside, and this happened also during both Governor Udenwa and Governor Rochas Okorocha’s tenure. They labelled us “Ndi Otu Hope” or “Umu Nga Hope” — mockingly, “Hope’s people” — and because of that, we didn’t get appointments or contracts.
This is the same pattern they’ve always followed. During Governor Rochas Okorocha’s time, they sang his praises and deceived him into choosing his son-in-law as successor, but the moment things got difficult, they abandoned him and moved on to the next person, Emeka Ihedioha.
Now they’ve moved on again, this time to Governor Hope. These people are political jobbers, and they have no loyalty, only self-interest.
Now, many of these same people are moving around Imo State pushing their own agenda and candidates. My appeal is simple: let Governor Uzodimma be allowed to focus and choose, from among his own loyal supporters, those who stood by him through all the years he fought for political relevance.
When the time is right, Governor Hope Uzodimma will choose from among these loyal supporters.
To be specific, I believe 95 per cent or more of the people now moving between Orlu and Okigwe under the banner of “Owerri United,” the “Charter of Equity” or an “elders’ council” did not support Governor Hope’s election in 2019.
Whether they were traditional rulers, senators, House of Representatives members or politicians, many of them worked against our principal, and some even worked with Emeka Ihedioha, Uche Nwosu or Senator Ifeanyi Ararume.
So I ask: what moral standing do they have now to try to force their agenda on Senator Hope Uzodimma?
Our main focus right now should be helping President Bola Ahmed Tinubu win in January 2027, returning Senator Hope Uzodimma to the Senate and electing all APC candidates — from the National Assembly down to the state assembly.
If these traditional rulers want to be involved in politics, they should go back to their communities, campaign there and deliver support for our candidates, and not stay in Owerri causing confusion.
Anyone who calls himself a leader should go home, work for APC and show the Governor and the party their results after the presidential, National Assembly and state assembly elections. Only then should we talk about succession.
This is serious business, not something to be taken lightly. In fact, most of these so-called leaders cannot even win their own polling booth, let alone their ward or local government.
At the end of the day, our priority must be unity, peace and development for Imo State.
Interviewer: If you become Governor of Imo State, what’s the first thing you’d want to do in your first 30 days?
Chief Charles Orie: I haven’t yet announced that I’m running for Governor of Imo State, and I’ll make that announcement at the right time. This also isn’t the time to start campaigning, based on INEC rules.
That said, I believe one of the first things to consider on day one will be to approach the State Assembly to legislate a law changing the colonial name of Douglas House to the name of our greatest leader and nationalist, Chief Sam Onunaka Mbakwe House.
Secondly, I will be removing all taxes, levies, signage taxes and other charges that are not worthwhile for small businesses.
There will be tax breaks for four years for micro, small and medium businesses, especially those making less than ₦500 million a year. They will not pay taxes or any kind of government levies.
This would help them survive, grow and create jobs. We are going to tax big companies and oil companies; they will pay taxes.
You cannot ask a mechanic at Avu Mechanic Village, a man selling wood at Ogbo Oshishi, or an electrician at MCC/Toronto for taxes or levies when government hasn’t provided any infrastructure for them.
I will support them to grow, and they will enjoy tax exemptions.
There are many other important steps that can be taken within the first 30 days of an administration. However, this isn’t the right time or place to lay out a full campaign programme.
