Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state has again challenged his Anambra counterpart, Chief Willie Obiano to publish his achievements.
According to Okorocha, should Obiano
publish his achievements, he will also lists
his achievements to avail the people
opportunity to judge who has performed
more as a governor of their respective
states, The Sun reports.
Recall that Okorocha and Obiano have been
engaged in verbal war following a
statement by the Imo governor that three South East governors would soon join the
All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okorocha challenges Obiano to list his achievements.

In a statement by Okorocha’s Chief Press
Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor
noted that within 48 hours, Obiano, had
engaged his Imo state counterpart in an
unwarranted media attacks.
He said: “The first attack was when he took
on the Imo governor, over his claim that
two governors in the South-East 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. And 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 for four years and let Okorocha publish his own achievements in Imo for five years since leadership is all about service to God and humanity.”

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

“Again, with the way Obiano has talked, both in the first and second attacks, it is easy to conclude that the Anambra governor was not the one talking, but “S.O”,which he fancies a lot.

“Governor Okorocha has never lived overseas. He has lived all his life in this country. His wealth and popularity are all products of hard work and Gods’ grace.”
While still expecting Obiano to publish his
achievements, Onwuemeodo listed some of
his principal’s feat.
He said: “It is an enviable record that a man
of his status has never been associated
with any corrupt practice in this country,
either by an individual or by a group.
“Leveraging on his hard earned popularity,
Okorocha defeated an incumbent governor
in 2011 on the platform of APGA that 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 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.”
He added: “Obiano is a governor. Okorocha
is a governor. Let them begin the contest by
publishing their achievements in their
respective states for Nigerians to see…”
“Anambra state has remained as Obiano
met it. Awka, the state capital and
Government House, have remained the
same. 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 House has been
remodelled and given a facelift, two fly-
overs, three tunnels, 500 kilometres of
urban roads, International Convention
Centre (IICC) and remodelling of all the
premier schools, all in Owerri, the state
capital.
“Okorocha has built new universities
including Eastern Palm University Ogboko,
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 upstair school buildings in the
305 wards in the state, 27 general
hospitals.
“Sam Mbakwe Airport is today International
Cargo Airport, the free education
programme in Imo has remained
productive that the state has maintained
her lead in 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 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
report, because parents now channel the
money they would have used to pay fees to
other economic ventures.”
According to Onwuemeodo, Obiano
engaged in what the Igbo would regard as
‘Ikuonu’ (talking frivolities) when he talked
about salaries.
He said: “A conscious governor should be
making valid statements. Okorocha has paid
salaries up to December 2016. This is
verifiable and we stand to be contradicted.
We have also cleared arrears of pensions up
to December 2016 based on the
understanding with pensioners in the state.
It is left for Obiano to do the needful by
publishing his achievements and stop
shying away from this people-oriented
challenge.
“All our claims are verifiable. Okorocha has
about 2000 projects scattered in all the
nooks and crannies of the state and we are
itching to use this opportunity offered by
Willie Obiano’s noise to show-case them.
"Governor Obiano should publish his
achievements in Anambra as governor for
almost four years to show he is a leader
because leadership does not exist in the
vacuum. There must be basis for that claim.
Talking frivolities is neither here nor there.
Governor Okorocha, long before now, has
paid his dues in this country and equally
long before becoming governor. He is not
among those elements godfathers carried
on their backs to the governorship seat and
they are just there void and not adding any
colour to the whole thing.
“We are not concerned about noise-making
occasioned by “S.O.”. We are waiting for
Obiano to publish his achievements in
Anambra state. If he fails to do that, we will
go ahead to publish ours. The era much
noise is gone, since action speaks louder
than words.”
But in a swift response, Obiano has
disclosed that he is so busy with issues of
governance, providing qualitative service
and abundant democracy dividends, and
has no spare time for unnecessary
politically motivated distractions.
A statement signed by his Senior Special
Assistant on Media, Strategic
Communication and Legislative Matters,
Prince Oliver Okpala, noted that the
governor’s top priority now is making life
more meaningful to Anambra people not
minding the current recession.
Sam Onwuemeodo had earlier condemned
those comparing Okorocha with Obiano.
According to him, it is only a clueless person
that cannot make such mistake.
He said: “To say the least, comparing
Okorocha with Obiano is like comparing
Messi of Barcelona FC with the left wing
player of Mberi Secondary in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo state.”