PRESS RELEASE#
Former Secretary to the Imo State Government and a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. (Chief) Chris Okewulonu, has flayed the visit of South African President, Jacob Zuma to Imo State, over the weekend, describing it “ as a caricature and unimaginable insult on Nigerians”. He regretted that Imo is always in the news for bad reasons ranging from one week birthday jamboree to Zuma’s abracadabra.
According to a statement by his Media Adviser, Kennedy Eweama, Okewulonu, a lawyer, expressed indignation over the erection of a statue of Zuma in Imo State and also the naming of a major road after his name as “a joke taken too far; all calculated to paint Imo as a conquered territory and fiefdom of Governor Rochas Okorocha”. He said Nigerians are shocked to observe that Zuma, whom the South African Supreme Court has just okayed for corruption trial immediately he steps down as President, was given a heroic welcome with a Chieftaincy title in Nigeria by the Imo State Government.
“Honestly, I do not know what governance has been turned into in Imo State. Tell me who is your friend and I will tell you who you are. What has Zuma done for Nigerians and Imo State to deserve all these accolades? Nigerians are constantly slaughtered in South Africa on daily basis without Zuma doing anything tangible about it; yet our Governor found it worthy to honour him. What an embarrassment”, Okewulonu stressed.
According to the former Federal Commissioner “the organizers of that Zuma Jamboree in Imo State should apologize to Nigerians and Imo People in particular, for wasting their money when Imo’s finances are in shambles, salaries are not paid and hunger is ravaging the citizens”. He further stated that Zuma’s visit has no socio-economic or cultural benefits to Imo People or Nigeria as a nation .“How do you explain the rational for hob-nobbing with a potential jail bird? If anything, it was a well designed crevice to siphon public funds for personal interest”. Okewulonu averred.