The 2014 edition of Oru Owerri Cultural Festival turned sour for the member representing Owerri Senatorial Zone at the Nigerian Senate, Senator Chris Anyanwu as she wept uncontrollably at the event Saturday evening following the insults meted to her by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.
The event, which held at Ugwu Ekwema Civic Centre along Egbu Road, Owerri, had the governor, his deputy and the entire state executive council with Senator Anyanwu and other aspirants like Ken Njemanze, Chief Ernest Ibejiakor, Hon. Ezenwa Onyewuchi representing Owerri Federal Constituency, etc, present.
Okorocha, who spoke immediately after he was officially inducted into theAzuike age-grade ( people from 50 years and above) showed the senator what he had in stock for her when he placed her last in the protocol list after the transition chairman of Owerri Municipal.
He started by telling the crowd that trooped out to the event that following his numerous achievements in the last three years in the state, time had come for them not to allow criminals to occupy leadership position anymore.
He said he had reduced traffic gridlock in the city of Owerri and had connected the Old and New Owerri with good inland roads and bridges.
The governor said those who held the state to ransom without any useful achievements in 12 years had all come out again, wanting to govern the state, a move he urged them to stop by all means.
He added that no more will 419 men and criminals be allowed to govern the state again.
Then, in an apparent reference to Senator Anyanwu who was seated after Hon. Ernest Ibejiakor near the governor, Okorocha told the crowd not to allow “a woman who slaps her husband in public to govern the state. You must not allow ono na di acho di (a married woman who has pleasure in sleeping around with other men) to govern or represent you anymore. You must not allow a slippers thrower to be your governor.
“When the time comes, we will tell you the people that will give you good governance. We will tell you the person that will be your senator; we will tell you the person that will be your House of Representatives member”
Earlier, the governor told the former Attorney General of the state and PDP governorship aspirant, Ken Njemanze (SAN) that his age grade is a retired one and that he had no business in active politics and governance.
He thanked the people of Owerri for donating lots of land for the development of the state capital, which said had now become the pride of the Eastern Heartland.
Senator Anyanwu did not know the import of the governor’s comments until he left the stage with the hundreds of supporters that trooped out to witness the occasion. It was then that the senator, who had wanted to tell the Owerri People some of her projects in the municipality, realized that her dignity had been tampered with.
She immediately rose up from her seat and started shouting to her aides “let’s go, let’s go”. As they were leaving, the senator was consoled by the member representing Owerri Federal Constituency, Ezenwa Onyewuchi and Hon. Ibejiakor. She was sited dampening tears in her eyes before entering her waiting car.
