Senator Andrew Uchendu, a schoolmate of the Retired Inspector-General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro, at the University of Ibadan, has diffused the controversy about Okiro?s state of origin, declaring that he is from Rivers State.

Uchendu explained that he and Okiro met at the University of Ibadan in 1974 where he served as the General Secretary of the National Union of Rivers State Students, while Okiro was the Treasurer.

The clarification follows claims Okiro is an indigene of Imo State which has had its fair share of Ohanaeze leadership, ahead of the election of the President General on Friday.

Also, a South-South leader and businessman, Fubara Dagogo, said Okiro, if elected Ohanaeze President General, would utilise his experience and statecraft to address Southeast security problems.

?Mike Okiro will bring stability to the Southeast. Can you bring a mechanical engineer to work as a chemist in the laboratory or surgeon in the theatre? You can?t take a medical doctor to decide a case in the courtroom.

?So, Okiro has the necessary education, skill, strategies, experience to mitigate the security challenges we are having in the Southeast today. Go back to his history, his antecedents; he has done very well,? Dagogo said.

?People should differentiate between Ohaji-Egbema in Imo State and Ogba/Egbema/Udoni in Rivers State.

?It is the turn of Rivers State and we the Ijaw people and Ndigbo in Rivers State are happy and are solidly behind Sir Mike Okiro. It is a unanimous decision,? he said.

Alluding to the Okiro?s sterling record, he added: ?As a retired service chief and former Chairman of the Police Service Commission, which qualifies him to give quality leadership to Ohanaeze, he will utilise the same to address security and socio-cultural needs of Ndigbo around the world.

?We are happy with the response we are getting all over the country. We are happy that the Amnesty we enjoy today in Niger Delta was facilitated by our son as IGP during the tenure of President Umaru Yar?Adua.? (The Nation)