When I Came Into Power in 2011, Owerri was as Local as a Dirty village – Okorocha



Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has explained that his passion for the state made him a crazy man, adding that he was in a hurry to develop the state.

The governor explained this on Friday in Owerri during the commissioning of the Imo International Exhibition Centre by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The Vice President, who described Okorocha as an achiever, wondered why the governor, who he said is not a quiet man, decided to be silent on his achievements.

The governor, in his speech, said that the Imo International Exhibition Centre has been renamed Professor Yemi Osinbajo exhibition Centre, said: “Your Excellency, you’re here and I invited you to come and commission some projects in Imo State. Few years ago when you visited Imo, you advised me that I must make my works known to the people and I disagreed with you, taking excuses that there was no need to commission projects because when I consider the money involved in commissioning a project, it would give me money to construct another classroom elsewhere. But as time went on, I have come to realize that the advice you gave to me was simply of wisdom.

“Though I have taken the advice very late, that’s why I was calling you to be among the first that will commission some of these projects to actualize the advice you had given to me. I have spent 8 years Mr. Vice President. 18 hours out of the 24 hours in a day, I am on the road working. And for the past 8 years, I do not know of any night that I have gotten 3 or 4 hours of sleep. My passion for Imo made me a crazy man, and I was in a hurry to change the situation.



“May I inform you sir that I am proud today standing as an outgoing governor, that the State Capital I met, the village I met called Owerri, is now wearing a look of a state capital. This is the joy and one of the legacies that I have seen which history will bear me witness. But had I taken your advice, I’m sure the entire Nigeria would have known what is happening in Imo State.

“In fact, this is why I’m being misrepresented and misconstrued in all my effort to develop Imo State. And in reply I say to them that they are misrepresenting facts. And all these people are only good in recognizing negativities than positivities”.

Continuing, who second term tenure ends on May 29, said: “But here when you come, you see that the facts speak for themselves. Now that you’re here, I pray that God will give you the energy and strength to be able to commission up to 50 projects within the next 3 hours. Mr. Vice President, when I realized that it was impossible to commission over 1000 projects in Imo State, as a smart man, I did television commissioning, I embarked on on-line commissioning for the first time in the history of Nigeria”.

The projects commissioned by Prof Osinbajo included the Exhibition Centre, the Government House Clinic, the Ultra-modern Governor’s lodge, Odenigbo Guest House, first lady’s office complex, Sam Mbakwe Road, Nnamdi Azikiwe Road and Assumpta Road, among others.