The executive governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, has spoken after being heavily criticized for erecting the statue of the South African President, Jacob Zuma in Owerri. The governor said the reason for erecting the statue was to encourage business relationship between the state and South Africa.

Read the press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo;

“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.

“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 governor explained that Zuma was in the state principally to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the Jacob Zuma Educational Foundation and Rochas Foundation College of Africa.