Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has said that he owes no apology for erecting Jacob Zuma’s statue in Owerri, the State capital. He said the huge statue was erected in honour of South African president, Jacob Zuma, to attract investment to Imo state. The governor said Zuma’s visit to Imo state was to sign a memorandum of understanding between Jacob Zuma education foundation and Rochas foundation college of Africa.
He said the South African president also met with businessmen at the Ikemba Ojukwu centre, including Leo Stan Ekeh of Zinox Computers, Pascal Dozie of Diamond Bank, chairman of Innoson Motors, and a host of others. Okorocha said his administration decided to honour Jacob Zuma by conferring on him a merit award and erected a statue to encourage the South African president to do more and appreciate him for visiting the state. The Imo state government blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the controversy that has surrounded the honour of Zuma.
The statement said: “If it was in the days of PDP, Schools and Markets would have been shot down. And roads closed because President Zuma was coming. But none of such things was done because Rochas and his government have human face. The PDP for the 12 years they held sway never attracted any meaningful visitor to the State except PDP NEC members who were coming to loot the State.” The government said Rochas owes no apology for erecting the statue, adding that if erecting statues will develop Imo state then the government will have no option than to erect as many of such structures as possible.
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