When serious Governors are talking, Okorocha should Shut up – Obiano

The brouhaha between Governor
Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and his Anambra State colleague, Chief Willie Obiano seems to be taking
another twist yesterday when Governor Obiano told Okorocha to keep quiet when
serious governors are talking because he (Okorocha) has nothing to offer.

This issue stated when Okorocha at the South-East
stakeholders meeting of the All

This statement did not
go down well with Obiano. So he decided to voice out through his Senior Special
Assistant on Media, Mr. James Eze that Okorocha has not provided the kind of leadership that would make Igbo people to
join him in APC.

Okoracha who in turn Responded to Obiano’s statement via his
Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said Obiano is a clueless governor.

This prompted another reaction from Obiano’s camp through
his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Strategic Communication and Legislative
Matters, Prince Oliver Okpala, yesterday, who said that Igbo people know who is a better governor between Obiano and Okorocha.

The statement by Okpala thus read:

“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 criminality, is being termed clueless by Okorocha,
then there must be another meaning for clueless.

 “Okorocha’s claim that there is a general
impression that Chief Willie Obiano is an aggressive governor, who should have
done better as a militant than as a governor, is laughable and it is clear to
Nigerians who really is a motor park personality between them.

“Obiano has always
been known and accorded the respect of a complete gentleman. Indeed, Okorocha
is an example of what a leader should not be. Who is he to teach the virtues of
leadership ideas and service to Governor Obiano?

“He talks of ideas
when he cannot pay workers’ salaries and now tries to intimidate Imo retirees
to forfeit 60 per cent arrears of their sweat. Are those the kind of ideas we
need at this critical time? Those are destructive ideas, and a destructive idea
cannot bring about constructive ends.

“Rochas challenged Obiano to publish his achievements
in Anambra State. But the whole world knows of his feat in this regard. From
making Anambra to attain a crime-free status, rapid industrialization by
rehabilitation of roads and constructing new ones; demolition of a 30-year old
mountain of refuse in Okpoko two years ago; putting public facilities in place
such as the 47 solar-powered boreholes that now serve 27 communities and
increasing Anambra State IGR from the N500m monthly that it inherited to N1.3bn
per month, to clearing the arrears of salaries owed the state water corporation
staff as well as the approximately N1bn pension that was owed local government
retirees inherited by the administration. Obiano has been a superlative
performer.

“But this cannot be
said of Governor Okorocha, whose so-called popular policies, like free
education at all levels, have been a fluke and at best an over bloated media
hype. His other so-called programmes have also been discovered to be mere flash
in the pan as the people of Imo State have seen through his tricks and
treachery, as well as other clandestine tendencies.

“Okorocha claimed that Obiano has taken
Anambra State several kilometres backward, but the records are there to show
who has taken his state backward. When
serious Governors like Obiano are talking, the likes of Okorocha should keep
quiet. 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, Okorocha’s government has abandoned them at
this most critical time that they need the state. What an abomination.”