Imo State governor, Rochas Owelle Okorocha has come under heavy attacks for erecting the statue of President Jacob Zuma of South Africa in the state.
Okorocha during the weekend erected a statue in honour of Zuma, after playing host to him in the ‘eastern heartland.”
Reacting to the development, a civil society organisation, the Civil Society Network Against Corruption, condemned Okorocha for not only directing an Imo monarch to confer a traditional title on Zuma but also unveiling a “giant” statue of the South African leader “in a conspicuous place in Owerri.”
The group, in a statement by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, noted that it was wrong of Okorocha to honour Zuma who had been indicted for corruption in South Africa in that manner.
It also expressed strong displeasure at the heroic treatment given to him by Okorocha, describing the governor’s gesture as an embarrassment to the All Progressives Congress, which was fighting corruption.
It wondered whether by so doing Okorocha was celebrating corruption, since “Zuma has been found guilty of corruption by courts in South Africa and has been ordered to refund the $500,000.00 stolen from the public treasury to expand his private house to accommodate his many wives.”
CSNAC said, “Is Governor Okorocha not aware that Mr. Zuma has also been indicted for allowing an Indian family to influence the appointment of his cabinet members?
“In asking President Zuma to address officials of the Imo State Government, is Governor Okorocha not aware that the people of South Africa are currently demanding the resignation of a leader who has allegedly brought shame and dishonour to the country of Nelson Mandela?
“Is the APC governor not aware that South Africans are marching on the streets to demand ‘Zuma Must Go’ over his corrupt practices?”
Similarly, a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has lashed out at Okorocha, for erecting the statue.