Angry Youths have allegedly pulled down the five hundred and twenty million naira statue of President Jacob Zuma of South Africa erected recently in Imo State
A picture of a broken statue of Jacob Zuma have been circulating on social media with claims that the monument mounted by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state have been pulled down. This means millions of naira gone the drain.
According to the youths, erecting statue of such amount in the state where many are hungry is a misplaced priority.
The youth disclosed they’re targeting other statue in the State. “If Rochas keep on molding we will keep on breaking it into pieces.”
It will be recalled that Governor Rochas Okorocha’s convoy was stoned by angry residents on the streets of Imo after the statue was unveiled to show their displeasure.
In a video that emerged online, residents were seen throwing stones and abusing the governor for his nonchalant attitude towards the plight of the people, while at the same time, erecting Zuma’s statue.
Governor Rochas who has been under criticisms for erecting Zuma statue has been instructed by United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC) to apologize to citizens of the state for disgracing them.
Governor Okorocha has also declared he would unveil more statues in Owerri, the state capital.
The unveiling of the Zuma statue sparked off widespread reactions in the social media and other news platforms. The state governor, Rochas Okorocha was severely criticised for honouring the South African president who was also admitted into the Imo Hall of Fame and conferred with the state merit award.
Some of the critics, especially members of the opposition party, knocked the state government for deploying state resources into erecting a statue for a man that is facing corruption charges in his country.
They alleged that a whopping N520 million was spent in erecting the statues, “while pensioners and indigenes of the state are dying as a result of abject poverty”.
The state government had in the last one month ceremonially unveiled the statues of three African Presidents which include that of the Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia.
Also condemning the erection of the statues the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) asked Dr Muhammad Isah, Acting Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, Acting Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to “jointly investigate the governor over apparent conflict of interests situation and abuse of office.
The state government does not have any apology for the critics. The Imo governor, while speaking during the visit of one of the presidents, said that the state government will continue to honour African leaders who have promoted development and unity in the continent while they are still alive.
He said that by so doing, they will be stimulated to do more for the continent, while others will be motivated to add their quota.
Also responding to the reactions that trailed the Zuma’s statue, the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said in a statement made available to journalists that, “while the good people of the state and all men and women of goodwill were celebrating the good things Mr. Zuma’s visit has brought to the state both in the short-run and in the long-run, the opposition in the state, out of glaring frustration, decided to make much ado in the social media over the statue of Zuma in Owerri. Those of the former Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme and others had earlier been unveiled”.
He continued that, saying, “These enemies of our people did not see the good things associated with Mr. Zuma’s visit or what it portends for the State, for good, but only saw the statue that was erected as an encouragement to the man.
“For the avoidance of doubt, when we talk about opposition in Imo, we are talking about only three people. And because they are only three, they recruited as many young people as possible and unleashed them on the social media. One could have twenty networks in different names just to deceive the general public.
“Few days before the coming of President Zuma, we had told the world the reasons for his coming, and principally for the signing of MoU between Jacob Zuma Education Foundation and Rochas Foundation College of Africa.
“When the time comes, we will catalogue Rochas’ achievements and challenge opponents or contenders to display theirs. You do not ask for people’s mandate in a vacuum. There must be a basis for that. That is the edge we have over them in quantum.
The governor’s aide also lampooned SERAP over the call for the governor’s probe over the visit of the African Presidents.
He said, “Right from the outset, we had given indications on the purpose of the coming of these great leaders and who invited them…If SERAP had meant to do a good Job, they would have resolved the issue of invitations and their contents, to ascertain whether they came on the invitation of the government or the Rochas Foundation College of Africa. The language of SERAP obviously would not have been the same if they had taken that step.
