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Is Okorocha about to unveil another statue in Imo?

The Imo State Governor might be about to unveil another statue in his collection this week.

Remember how Nigerians on social media grabbed pitchforks and torches and tried to burn down Okorocha's hardly stellar reputation?

Remember how Okorocha defiantly insisted he owed no one any explanation and promised to "erect as many of such structures as possible"?

He wasn't joking.

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Despite the backlash the governor got just last month, he might be about to go ahead with the unveiling of another statue in honour of another foreign leader.

This time, Owerri residents might be about to be blessed with the casted splendour of Africa's first elected female head of state, Liberia's PresidentEllen Johnson Sirleaf.

On Tuesday, November 7, the governor announced that the outgoing president will visit the state for a two-day working visit on Thursday, November 9.

According to a statement signed by the governor's Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, the president will be honoured with a traditional title and a road named after her, both perks enjoyed by Zuma last month.

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His statement read, "On arrival on Thursday, Mrs Sirleaf would be taken to the Palace of Eze Imo to be accorded the African way of receiving an august visitor like her and the Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Eze Samuel Ohiri will be expected to decorate her with a Chieftaincy title.

"Taking into account that she took over the leadership of Liberia soon after a bloody Civil War and she has been able to sustain the peace of that Country for ten years now.

"The following day being Friday, November 10, 2017, Mrs Sirleaf will then be at the Rochas Foundation College of Africa where she will meet with the Students and also specifically interact with the Liberian Students. And all these will help to instill confidence in the students and brandish a juicy future for them.

"After her outing to the College, the Liberian President will deliver a lecture to Imo women at Imo International Convention Centre (IICC) and the topic will be women in politics.

"And the lecture is structured to encourage women in the State to develop interest in leadership, especially when it is recalled that Mrs Sirleaf is the first female President in Africa."

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While the statement is conspicuously missing the mention of a statue, there's sufficient evidence to believe it is most probably in the offing.

Last month when Zuma's N520 million bronze-cast monument was unveiled, it was discovered that there were six other statues covered up at the Freedom Square on Wetheral Road in Owerri.

It was hard to decipher the personalities behind those statues but some hilarious assumptions were made based on the veils used to cover the statues.

All the other statues were covered up with what appeared to be flags of countries of the subjects underneath them.

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One particular statue was covered with what appeared, at the time, to be the flag of the United States of America, prompting many to guess that it belonged to its current president, Donald Trump,or former president, Barack Obama.

However, in light of Johnson-Sirleaf's visit, a reevaluation has been done to determine the place of her statue as the Liberian flag looks very similar to that of the USA.

It's very likely now that the statue hidden behind the stars and stripes flag belongs to Africa's first female president and will be unveiled on Thursday or Friday.

While much of the criticism that was lobbed at Okorocha over the Zuma statue had a lot to do with the fact that the South African president is currently unpopular in his own country amid a plethora of corruption cases, Nigerians won't be as hard on Johnson-Sirleaf.

However, many will still fail to grasp the biting significance of erecting statues with hundreds of millions in a state where workers have been reported to be owed several months' allowances.

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Governor Okorocha's approval rating might be about to suffer another blip as social media users and political commentators get ready to tear into his unpopular "investment".

If you belong to such party, it's advisable to pace yourself and tactically engage the weapons in your arsenal because, remember, there are five more statues to go.

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