Rochas Okorocha, Governor of Imo State, says he is bigger than the state and Nigeria.
The controversial governor said he is not bothered when people accuse him of running a family government, because the image he has built of himself is so huge and popular that every one associated with his administration is said to be his family member.
Okorocha said this while trying to explain the reason he appointed his biological sister as Commissioner of Happiness and Purpose Fulfillment.
“Everyone from Imo State is a member of my family. I see the whole of Imo State as my family. Rochas is bigger than Imo State. I am bigger than Nigeria,” Okorocha said in the interview with Vanguard Newspaper.
“When I say ‘bigger’, I mean that this is not the only place I belong to. I mean I have gone beyond being an Imo man, beyond being a Nigerian. I am now an African. So, don’t put me like a small rat in a small hole.
“I have a bigger image than what people see. If you say I run a family government, that means I run a very big government. I have 30 commissioners. All of them are members of the same family with me. What a fantastic family!
“I have 27 Special Advisers and 30 Special Assistants. They are all members of my family. I have Perm Secs, all are members of my family. Without running a family government, you cannot make progress.
“The young lady (the happiness commissioner) is my sister. She has committed no offence. My predecessor appointed his brother as Chief of Staff; same mother, same father. There was nothing wrong with that.
“This young lady has been with me for the past seven years as my Deputy Chief of Staff. She does not take salary as Commissioner; she takes salary as Deputy Chief of Staff.
“She will supervise the new ministry until a substantive commissioner is appointed. She is a Deputy Chief of Staff (Domestic), which is even higher than a Commissioner.
“The young lady is qualified. Because she is the governor’s sister, she should not play a role? So, if my son wants to run for governor he cannot run because he has committed the offence of being the governor’s son?
“What is important is delivering the goods. She is just a supervisory Commissioner for a new ideology, new vision I bring to bear when I make pronouncements on the cardinal points of happiness, for people to fulfill their purpose in life.
“This is the ministry that deals directly with the ordinary people on the streets. It is the pivot upon which the missions of other ministries must revolve. The yardstick of every government is to provide happiness to the people.”
The Imo State House of Assembly has also endorsed Uche Nwosu, Okorocha’s son-in–law, as the preferred candidate to succeed the Governor in 2019.