Why They Call Me OkoroAwusa – Okorocha

Rochas Okorocha on Thursday opened up on why those he dubbed his political rivals have dubbed him OkoroAwusa or a tool of the Hausa Fulani.

Speaking when he received some of the country’s leading traditional rulers in Owerri, the Imo State governor cited his firm belief in the unity of the country as the reason for the appellation.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Saidi Abubakar, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Emiton Ogunwusi Ojaja II, Obi of Onitsha, Prof. Alfred Achebe, Obong of Calabar, Ediden Ekpo Okon Abasi, Etsu of Nupe, Alhaji Valiya Abubakar, were among eminent traditional rulers across the nation who were in Owerri for the post-election peace Summit on the platform of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria.

Receiving the traditional rulers, the Ooni explained that his opponents always misinterpret his firm belief in the Unity of the Country and call him “OkoroAwusa”.

The governor explained that he has always believed in the unity and indivisibility of the nation recalling that he was born Igbo, brought up by the North and empowered by the West, adding that he has every reason to believe in the country and her unity.

The governor appealed to Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of nationhood because when that happens other parts of the Country would not be seeing the insurgency in the North as the problem of the North or the militancy in the Niger Delta as the problem of South-South or kidnapping in the South-East as the problem of the South-East people.

The Ooni of Ife who spoke on behalf of the eminent traditional rulers said “We are here as traditional rulers under the umbrella of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria. What we are known for is to foster unity and peaceful co-existence across the entire country, Nigeria. We have decided to bring our meeting here, to further foster unity and peaceful co-existence in our dear Country and now to the South-East part of this Country, but in particular no other place than Imo State.

“We are happy over the good things the governor of Imo State has done over the last eight years. We understand how you revived the traditional institution and particularly what you have actually contributed, a beautiful edifice for us to be having various meetings across the entire country. You have built a very great legacy for yourself”.

His words “We will use that place today and it is a great honour for all of us the traditional rulers because I have never seen a structure like that built for the traditional institution across the six geo-political zones of this country. We are aware of the political tensions across the Country, we are here to make a statement that we all belong to Nigeria and Nigeria is greater than all of us. We are here again to take it further, that as traditional rulers, we should wake up from our slumber, we should rise up to that occasion, we should continue to support governance, to support all the acts of governance in this Country, for us to know that the traditional rulers of this Country will continue to support each and every thing you are doing”.

The Ooni continued “We want to let you know and continue to assure you, particularly the entire South-Eastern Zone of this Country that there would be all inclusive initiatives to carry everybody along across all the various geo-political Zones in Nigeria and we know that Nigeria belongs to all of us and we don’t have any other place to go other than our dear Country Nigeria. Also, we want to associate with all the good things that we know that the South-Easterners are actually made of; and that is why you have seen a very rich and quality representation across the entire Six geo-political zones. We only know unity in the traditional institution in Nigeria and that is what we want to foster in the nation”.

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