Chidi Samuel
The war of words between Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano and his Imo counterpart, Owelle Rochas Okorocha continued Wednesday with Obiano describing Okorocha as a shameless son who is spitting on his father’s grave.
The Anambra Governor, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Media Matters, Prince Oliver Okpala, called Okorocha “a Motor park governor.”
The Imo State Governor, had on Tuesday in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo described Obiano as “a clueless, analogue and aggressive governor who should have done better as a militant than as a governor”.
Okorocha who was responding to a statement credited to the Anambra state Governor where he described him as a bad example to good leadership, said that his colleague does not have what was required to be a governor.
Part of the statement by Okorocha’s media aid reads “Leadership is all about ideas and service. Luckily enough, Obiano has been governor for almost four years while Okorocha has also been governor for five years now. Let Obiano publish his achievements in Anambra State even with high IGR, and let Governor Okorocha also publish his achievements in Imo. Then, we take off from there…”
“We may at this point, Challenge Journalists from the South-East to embark on project tours of Imo and Anambra States and make their findings known to the public. Obiano no doubt, has taken Anambra State several kilometers backward, while in Imo, Okorocha has raised the bar of leadership or governance. To say the least, Comparing Okorocha with Obiano is like Comparing Messi of Barcelona FC with the left wing player of Mberi Secondary in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State”.
Obiano, in his reaction on Wednesday, said he would ordinarily not have responded to Okorocha’s tantrums but for the purpose of guiding the public aright.
According to parts of the statement released by his media aid, “The attention of the Media Directorate of the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano has been drawn to the gratuitous diatribe by a fellow South Eastern Governor, Rochas Okorocha of Imo State against his person and the government of Anambra State.
“It is not in our tradition to respond to such issues but since silence in the face of such grave claims often amounts to guilt, we are therefore duty bound to make our position known to properly guide the public.”
“If a governor that has constructed countless number of roads and bridges, embarked on several rural electrification programmes, constructed uncountable number of schools, and health facilities as well as rid the entire Anambra State of crime and criminalities, is being termed clueless by Okorocha then there must be another meaning for cluelessness.
“Okorocha is widely known for his questionable past which has continued to trail him despite his hogwash attempts to cover it up with a facade of his bogus but empty philanthropic activities. Many people have over time seen through his tricks.
“Indeed Okorocha is an example of what a leader should not be. He talks of ideas when he cannot pay workers salaries and now tries to intimidate Imo retirees to forfeit 60 percent of their arrears of their sweat.
“This is a Governor who has failed woefully to pay workers salaries. He is also heavily indebted to even pensioners who have spent their youth and strength to labour for the state, in their old age.
“As Nigerians ruminate on this matter, the question should be asked: What was Okorocha before he became governor? What was his visible source of income?”