Rochas Okorocha, Imo state governor, says his Anambra state counterpart, Willie Obiano, has not done anything of significance since becoming governor.

Okorocha, whose leadership qualities were questioned by Obiano, said governorship is not a “noise-making or name calling enterprise.”

Both governors have been involved in a running war of words for the past week .

It started after Okorocha hinted on the possible defection of three south-east governors to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This is the second time Okorocha will be releasing a statement addressing Obiano through Sam Onwuemeodo, his chief press secretary.

The statement read: “The first attack was when he took on the Imo State governor over his claim that two governors in the Southeast would soon join APC. Obiano said the Imo governor was not what a good leader should be.

“To us in Imo, we saw that statement as callous, especially when it was from a governor. We had no option than to react to it, to prove that such careless statement was uncalled for. We then challenged Obiano to publish his achievements in Anambra State for four years and let Okorocha publish his in Imo for five years, since leadership is about service to God and humanity.

“But instead of doing that, Governor Obiano used the opportunity he would have appropriated to display his achievements in Anambra, if any, to call Governor Okorocha names; that is neither here nor there. We still maintain our challenge to Governor Obiano to publish his achievements as Anambra State governor and let Okorocha also do the same.

“Leveraging on his hard-earned popularity, Okorocha defeated an incumbent governor in 2011 on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which had no structure before he came on board and with the incumbent then enjoying massive federal might.

“In 2015, he joined the merger from a zone that could be regarded as the ‘headquarters’ of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He resisted all the storms, including the federal might that was deployed against him and was elected for second term. They could only give him the name ‘Alhaji in Douglas House’.

Obiano is a governor; Okorocha is also a governor. Let them begin the contest by publishing their achievements in their states for Nigerians to see. It is not a noise-making venture or name-calling enterprise.

“Anambra State has remained as Obiano met it. Awka, the state capital, has remained as Obiano met it. The Government House in Awka has remained like that. Let him prove us wrong. That is what we want to achieve.

“Owerri, the Imo State capital, today has eight-lane roads, courtesy of Okorocha in his urban renewal programme. Douglas (Government) House has been remodelled and given a facelift; two fly-over bridges, three tunnels, 500 kilometres of urban roads, International Convention Centre (IICC) and remodelling of premier schools, all in Owerri.

“Okorocha has built new universities, including Eastern Palm University at Ogboko as well as Aboh Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Ihitte Uboma College of Education, Imo College of Advanced Studies, 800 kilometres of rural roads, 305 storey-building schools in the 305 wards across the state and 27 general hospitals.

“Sam Mbakwe Airport is today an international cargo airport, the free education programme in Imo State has remained productive, the state has maintained its lead in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation (JAMB) applications and admissions since 2012. The record is there for verification.

“The school enrolment has gone from 280,000 in 2011 to 800,000 in 2015 because of the free education. The poverty level in the state in 2011 was 57 per cent but in 2015, it came down to 19 per cent, according to United Nations (UN) report, because parents now channel the money they would have used to pay fees into other economic ventures.”

Source: The Cable

Willie Obiano, Anambra state governor, has questioned the leadership qualities of his Imo state counterpart, Rochas Okorocha.

The Anambra governor said Okorocha who cannot pay workers and pensioners has nothing but “destructive ideas” in his approach to governance.

Oliver Okpala, his senior special assistant on media, strategic communication and legislative matters, in a statement, said, “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.

“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,” the statement read in part.

The pair’s verbal altercation commenced when Okorocha claimed that three governors in the south-east zone would soon defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The World Igbo Summit Group (WISG), a think tank of south-east professionals and technocrats, had recently appealed to both men to sheathe their swords and work for the progress of the region.