Governor Rochas Okorocha has said he erected a huge statue 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.
“And in case these “Galatians” do not know, if all we need to do to attract good things or investments to Imo is erecting statues, then, we have no option than to erect as many of such structures as possible. We owe no one apology. Rochas made a promise to open the doors of Imo to the rest of the world, for good and he is doing that and we cannot be deterred by these enemies of our people,” the government said.