Okezuo Abia as a clarion call, moral principle in equitable existence.

The slogan of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu’s Governorship campaign, 2015 is a clarion call based on moral principles akin to the biblical injunctions: do unto other men as you will have them do unto you.
There are many dimensions. The desire and qualification to govern or be governed is the right of all. In Abia, this the political calculations is domiciled on a tripodal pedestal but one leg of the tripod is hanging, therefore the plea by Okezie Ikpeazu and group for it to go round.
Going down memory lane, the world has witnessed discrimination and denial of rights based on Race, colour, tribe sex, religion and others. Most of the time, it is based on wrong premises. Viewed sociologically, it reminds us of Charles Cooley’s theory of The Looking Glass Self. In clearer terms, how we see ourselves does not come from who we are but rather from how we believe others see us. This is stereotypical and can make us feel superior or inferior. It gets to an antisocial dimension where a group of people discriminated against accept the opinion of the profiler that they are un-achieving and thus behave as profiled.
In the heydays of racial discrimination in Europe and America, there were so many slogans against the blacks. There were taunts in the military that “black guys are weak guys”. Some children know nothing about racial discrimination but are indoctrinated by their parents who frighten them that touching a black person can dirty their cloths.
Such negative profiling were issues that troubled the world for a long time dating from the emancipation in America, which made one time president of America, Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
to exclaim, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’.
As observed in history, African renaissance and the anti-colonial struggles in Nigeria and other African States were fired by the ex-service men who returned from the World War II. Their discoveries though very chilling were verves that stoked the fire of resistance. One of such stories is that the white person was as vulnerable as the black. Those who fought alongside the white men in war saw that the bullets that kill the Blackman can kill the white. He saw in most of the cases that black person showed gallantry and resilience in most of the military drills like crawling; walking tight ropes and running long and short races.
The emergence of African American sportsmen like John Baxter Taylor jr, the first to win an Olympic gold medal in 1908 were eye openers. In 1936 the world was embarrassed in the Olympics in Berlin Germany when Hitler who supported the Nazi propaganda of Aryan Race superiority and depicted Africans to be inferior refused to shake hands with James Cleveland, alias Jesse Owens who won four gold medals in the Olympics of that year. In other circumstances at home, the Osu cast system enjoys the same negative profiling for which many have suffered in love, marriage, education and even religious positions. This is odious and should not be allowed.
This is a similar situation where the Ukwa na Ngwa people, multi-talented and hardworking with vast arable lands and skills have been denied the topmost place in Abia politics for flimsy reasons. In fairness to the founding fathers, they experienced power discrimination and usurpation and crafted a paper to enable others in Abia enjoy all the good things of life in socials, economics and politics.
Not to belabour the charter of Equity, the present political situation is that Abia has 3 Senatorial zones and the Ukwa na Ngwa have some vote superiority as they are domiciled in 9 Local Government Areas even though only five are within the Abia South Senatorial Zone. According to Emile Zola, French Author, ‘If you shut up truth and bury it underground, it will but grow and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it burst through it will blow up everything in its way.’
With the new world order, these negative profiles have lost their false values and people are becoming wiser that according to the writ of emancipation that all men are created equal and endowed with the same ability to work and live happily. The recent blackmail that Ndi Ngwa will seize people’s houses is a hate message.
The Ukwa na Ngwa in Abia South and the rest of Abia are marching gallantly behind Okezie Ikpeazu. Okezuo Abia is a principle that pleads for justice and equity. It is generally known that what is good for the goose is not so bad for the gander. If the political offices, enjoyment of the sweat of our labour and allocations go round to all in Abia, there will definitely be peace. Let us get this round the zones to put smiles in all the faces.
As captured in the slogan
Okezuo Abia Ihu asa,
Ihu sa,
Ala Adinma!
EDDIE ONUZURUIKE

Nobody'll Dictate to Me As Gov - -Ikpeazu

Peoples Demo ratic Party's governorship candidate for the April 11 election in Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has said that his government would not be dictated to by any person, insisting that it would bear his signature.

He said the fact that he was being supported by the incumbent governor did not mean the governor would run the government for him.

According to him, in states like Anambra and Lagos, where the then incumbent governors helped in the emergence of their successor, they did not contro the government.

"Abia's case will be not be different. The government will bear my signature, not somebody's signature. For every action, there is a burden. I have weighed my position, the advantage outweighs the disadvantage. I am comfortable with Governor T. A. Orji," the PDP governorship hopeful said. He was reacting to insinuations that he might be a stooge of the incumbent governor.

Ikpeazu wondered why the opposition found it difficult to give credit to Governor Orji where he had done very well, saying they always talk of Abia which is not even his creation.

He noted that the Governor Orji had done a lot in Umuahia, the state capital, alleging also that some desperate politicians in the state were inciting youths to go back to kidnapping but warned the youths not to fall to such temptation again.

Ikpeazu warned Abia youths that security operatives would crush them if they fell to such evil temptation.

According to him, some politicians are tinkering with the idea of luring the youths back to kidnapping just because they want political power.

He lamented the huge human and material resources the state lost to kidnapping and wondered why any reasonable leader would want to incite Abia youths to go back to the evil just to cause trouble for the state.

Ikpeazu warned politicians to realize that the youths they were arming would in future constitute a major problem for the state when they turned monsters.

He said no other governorship candidate in the state understood how kidnapping was stopped in the state other than him, explaining that was the reason he would continue to advise youths against being used by politicians.

APGA Governorship candidate, ALEX OTTI SPENDS MILLIONS ON HIS 22 YEAR OLD BABY MAMA

This is another juicy jist from National Enquirer, you know the magazine is infamous for exposing politicians, top business dirty secret, well, here's another one...Enjoy!
The APGA Governorship candidate in ABia, Mr. Alex Otti is no doubt in trouble waters as kinsmen have gone to town to expose some of his dirty lifestyles and they’re also alleging him of impersonation and tampering. with people’s funds in the bank amongst others. This much National Enquirer can authoritatively
reveal.
According to sources in former Bank and within his family, Mr. Otti we learnt has moved money running to multi millions of Naira out of the bank’s coffers to prosecute his political ambition, spending these monies to curry favours from political jobbers and wooing promising candidates to his side.
The thoroughbred Economist who graduated in the University with an enviable first class honours we gathered is also in the middle of an extra marital affair that’s currently rocking his marriage, to his beautiful wife, to its very root.
The former Diamond Bank boss, Alex Otti, a close source revealed has just put one of his “sugar” daughters, a 22 years old girl into a family way and the young girl in question has added yet another bundle of joy, a set of twins to join his household in far away Canada. We learnt his wife is now in the know and has started making troubles.
And while the banker of note who is now pursuing his political ambition as APGA governorship candidate in his state is still trying to persuade his wife on the scandal, kinsmen are said to be challenging his root in Abia State.
We gathered reliably that Mr. Alex Otti who claimed that he hails from Isiala Ngwa local government area of Abia State has incurred the wrath of political historians as they recently challenged him to come forward and show them his family house and father’s compound to ascertain his claim.
According to our source who also happens to be a resident of the Umuru Umuehim village, Ngwa, Abia State, “Otti’s father, Lazarus who was a Pastor of the Seventh Day Adventist church was from Arochukwu but migrated to Umuru, Umuehim community where he was given
a land to build in the olden days. Everyone knows how Aro people migrate, anywhere they are accepted becomes their home. Alex Otti is from Arochukwu and not a freeborn of Umuru Umuehim let alone Ngwa land.
“He is claiming to be from Ngwa land to enable him contest the governorship election. Does it not surprise you that Alex Otti built his first house in Arochukwu before recently built another one in Umuru, Umuehim; perhaps to enable him qualify for the contest”.
The very furious source also fingered the traditional ruler of Isi Eketa
Autonomous community, Eze Nelson Achilefu Nmerengwa as one of the powers behind the plot to ‘fully make Otti a freeborn Ngwa son’ among other monarchs in the deal on which the latter was allegedly settled with a princely sum.
These and many more are the scandals that’s troubling the banker’s mind but like they say, what can’t money do, we learnt Mr. Otti has gone round to “wet” the ground for “grassrooters” and powers that be in the community and he has been cleared of the allegation of impersonation while the brilliant economist is said to have dangled some carrots at his wife too, to pour oil on troubled water.
Meanwhile, to forestall any chances of trouble from his wife who we gathered was planning to storm Canada where the husband’s sugar daughter is nursing the set of twins, Alex Otti we learnt has relocated his young baby mama to Germany for security purpose.
In our facts finding mission, we got in touch with the people at the corporate affairs department of the bank in order to get their boss’ response on the stories but the man who answered us at the other end has this to say, “Please this is weekend, cant whatever story you have wait till Monday, am having some quiet time with my beautiful wife, so sorry”, he snarled at us.
We however expected him to get back to us after his swell time with his beautiful wife but instead he kept making calls and telling whoever cares to listen that, we’ve wronged him by making efforts to call his phone on Sunday and demaznded an unreserved apology from us.

How We Saved Abia From Godfathers —Gov T.A



Governor Theodore Orji of Abia explains how the state was rescued from the clutches of political godfathers, whose greed ran it aground

Can you share with us what went through your mind when you were elected governor while in detention in 2007?

What happened to me (my detention by the EFCC) was a clear sign of what God wanted to do with me in Abia State. I was incarcerated for three months when the election was held. All the while, I didn’t know that God was panel-beating me for the job that I was going to do in Abia State. Some people didn’t realise this, while others did. People who are conversant with history will know how people who experienced a similar incident eventually achieved greatness. My experience was historical because greatness doesn’t come without some sacrifice.

From the moment I won that election, I knew I had a job to do in Abia State. Upon my release from detention, the first fight I waged was to remove Abia’s face from idolatory and return it to God. I knew the first thing to do was to seek divine intervention so that things would work out well for us. It was the first challenge we faced and it was not an easy thing to overcome.

I combined the work of a politician and a missionary and God helped us to succeed. That marked the beginning of our success. We pleased God and He, in turn, was pleased with us. With that, God said: ‘Yes, these are my people.’ And that is why Abia State is worthy of her appellation as ‘God’s Own State’. Having succeeded in that, we started fighting other ills.
•Governor Theodore Orji

•Governor Theodore Orji

Apart from your initial battle to free the state from the ills that hampered its growth, how has the journey generally been as governor in the last seven years?

The journey has been rough; we cannot say it has been smooth because no politician who is serious about making a change can have a smooth sail in office. Besides, change is a difficult process. It has been rough, no doubt. I am saying this in the sense that Abia as a young state lacked many essential things, particularly basic development that could have made it a proper state. Apart from that, we faced other challenges like insecurity, lack of infrastructure, psychological as well as an under- achieving economy. The problems were overwhelming because there was no foundation on which we could develop the state.

We took off first by kick-starting a transformative process. It was a process of transforming from the gloom the state had suffered in the recent past to the prosperity it currently enjoys and that is why projects executed by this administration are dubbed legacy projects. We are determined to leave worthy legacies that will be remembered and appreciated by everyone, and even by generations yet unborn.

If when I came on board, we had a comfortable government house, I would have considered using the money we spent on building a new one on other projects. If when I came on board, we had a conference centre befitting of our government and our people or a secretariat for the civil servants, who are the engine room of the government, I could have moved on to the other things we lacked.

Orji Uzor Kalu And His Endless Lamentation

In the course of my interaction with persons from different walks of life, I have come to conclude that one of the major flaws of man is his failure to realize that there is God and that it is only God that knows not only tomorrow but the future, which includes even the next second, in man’s existence. The man that knows not God inwardly is a fool and, therefore, lives in a fool’s paradise.

It is purely by the grace of God that a child from a very wretched family background could attain the envious status of the ‘rich’, including educational, social, political and economic attainments. The Almighty God is always benevolent and merciful, especially to those that believe He exists, have faith in Him, respect Him and love their fellow human-beings.
Any man that appreciates that omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence are incontrovertible qualities of God would, in the first instance, accept that life, in itself, is transient and that no condition can ever be permanent. Equipped with this fundamental religious background, any one that attains whatever position in life would be guided by the knowledge that such a position in life is bound to be ephemeral and that the only way he could be honoured by time is by using the position to impact positively on humanity.

But contrary to the above expectation, man on attainment of certain positions of influence in the society especially in control and management of political power, exudes arbitrariness, wickedness, discrimination, segregation, inequity,greed, kleptomania and every other trait of inhumanity. Man becomes excessively possessed by the extra-ordinary urge to become extremely materialistic and possessive. He then forgets that life is just transient and that any attainment or possession is equally temporary. In fact, the wealthier and more influential man becomes, as long as he does not know God, the more ungodly and ruthless does he become. In extreme cases, man starts to play god,having jettisoned the fact that God picked him from grass and mercifully catapulted him to grace. When the extremity of man that knows not God gets to the level as mentioned above, God manifests Himself as the jealous God and what follows is vicissitude.

For any body that knows the pedigree of the immediate past governor of Abia State; Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, his growth to power was an example of ‘grass to grace and…? For a young man whose paternity was shrouded in controversy and whose mother had to depend, in the main, on meagre income from her on-the-table wares of local gin; popularly known as Kaikai, Ogogoro, Ekpeteshi orAkpuruachia, kola-nuts, bitter kola and snuff at the bank of Aba waterside to have grown to become the governor of his state, shows that there is nothing God can not do for His creature.
Orji Uzor Kalu went through very excruciating experience in his adolescence, passing through the hills and valleys of abject poverty. Despite his very poor upbringing, Orji Kalu ended up becoming the governor of Abia State in 1999.As was captured in my preamble, some persons like playing god not quite long after fortune has smiled on them.
Quickly on assumption as governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu unveiled his agenda, which, notably but regrettably, was woven around vindictiveness andvendetta. He had deep animosity for the traditional institution and in order toannounce his arrival he had to rubbish the institution by splitting the autonomous communities in the state in such a way that each kitchen could become autonomous.

As a school dropout, Orji Uzor Kalu, whose real surname is Nsiegbe but in order to deceive the unsuspecting public to believe that he is a child of thewealthy Nnanna Kalu of Abiriba, may his soul rest in peace, changed his family name to Kalu, hates the elites. Therefore, as governor, one of his principal pre-occupations was to torment and ridicule the elites of the state. In this way, he appointed his Commissioners and Special Advisers and fired them disgracefullynot more than six months after their appointment. The most disheartening was not that they served only six months but that they had their appointments terminated either at Sam Mbakwe Air-Port, Owerre or the Port Harcourt International Air-Port as he was traveling out of the state. Some political appointees that served under Orji Uzor Kalu ended up developing high blood pressure as a good number of them did not know if they would be allowed to stay upto such a time when they would be able to clear the loan they obtained to pay to Orji Uzor Kalu through his mother; Eunice Nmecha Nsiegbe, for their appointment.

Orji Uzor Kalu has pathological hatred for the hard working people of Abiriba. His only grouse against the people of Abiriba; a people that stand tall among not only the Igbo but Nigeria as a whole for their extra-ordinary ingenuity and enterprise, is because Abiriba people had declared him a persona-non-gratta as he was busy dropping the name of Chief Nnanna Kalu as his father and using same to defraud unsuspecting members of the public. When he became governor, he concluded it was an opportunity to take his pound of fresh from the Abiriba community. Abiriba people are homogeneous. They have a common ancestry and had been ruled via a time-honoured dynasty; The Enachoke. In his bid to cause confusion where there should be none, Orji Uzor split the Abiriba community just to truncate the unity the people had enjoyed for centuries. This unwarranted confusion led to the loss of many lives. Thank God, with his exit as governor and eventual liberation of Abia State from his evil rule, the good people of Abiriba are once again unified and united. They may not stop expressing their gratitude to the government of Sir T.A. Orji.

I have said it severally that Orji Uzor Kalu; Nsiegbe in truth, was and remains a huge bundle of deceit. As governor, he would stop at nothing to deceive the people of Abia state. The roads he constantly claimed or claims to have built were the first set of roads to be described as Dubai or Taiwan roads in the lexicon of civil engineering in Nigeria. Orji Nsiegbe was the only governor in Nigeria who brought three different personalities to commission a particular road at three different times. The Obohia Dubai road which he claimed to havereconstructed was at different times commissioned by the then President Obasanjo, Vice-President Atiku and President of the Senate; Dr. Chuba Okadigbo. That road that gulped huge amount of money did not last more than six months before it was washed away.

Orji Uzor Nsiegbe was born and bred in Aba. He, however, has irreconcilable hatred and antagonism for the people of the Old Aba Division. As governor, he had boasted that the people of Aba zone would remain marginalized in the state for at least, twenty-four years. He arrogated to himself the powers of God. He had no programme for Aba just like he added no value to the state capital of Umuahia.
Even after leaving office after eight years as governor, Orji Uzor asserted his greed on the state for more than three years, collecting more than one hundred million naira every month. Yet in his deceitful kleptomaniac’s style, he would swear, without anybody asking him, that he was not collecting any money from Governor T.A. Orji. While Orji Uzor Nsiegbe was busy playing god, he did not know he was only living in fool’s paradise. Today, God has shown him that He is a jealous God. Orji Uzor Nsiegbe is now treated like an incurable leper.

The Presidential Palace he built at Igbere, using Abia State money while the state government was squatting in a rented apartment, hardly witnesses the presence of any dignified indigene of Abia State. So the aim of diverting state fund tobuilding a personal Presidential Palace in his village has been defeated. Orji Uzor Nsiegbe does not come into the state in the day time any more as he avoids being booed at by Abians. Orji Uzor Nsiegbe has been deserted by his former supporters whom he relentlessly deceived and exploited and he is now left alone in his moribund political party; Progressive People’s Alliance. Orji Uzor Nsiegbe’s fortune has nose-dived. He has abysmally failed elections twice in the recent past; (1) Presidential Election in 2007 under his P.P.A. and (2) Senatorial Election in 2011 on the same P.P.A. His brother; Nnanna, whom he had imposed on the people of Aba–North/Aba–South Federal Constituency for eight years in the House of Representatives and who never raised his hand on the floor of the House, not to talk of opening his month to make anycontribution, equally failed election in 2011.

As a leper, no Abian wants to interact with Orji Uzor Nsiegbe hence the leadership of People’s Democratic Party even in his Igbere ward has rejected his overtures to return to the Party. Orji Uzor Nsiegbe has made himself an abandoned property as another senatorial electoral mishap awaits him in 2015. These are only some of thevicissitudes of Orji Uzor Kalu nay Nsiegbe. Orji Uzor has had his cake and can not eat it. He should stop lamenting.
Chief (Sir) Don Ubani; ksc, JP
(Okwubunka of Asa)
Umuiku-Isi-Asa
Ukwa –West L.G.A

Abias loss under Orji Uzor and the gains of today

By Uche Aguoru

To all Abians its a well known fact that from the creation of Abia the state has experienced poor leadership most of the leaders we have had, are leaders who instead of moving the state forward rather chose to enrich them selves, families and friends most of them drew the state backwards to the extent that we can't point at any reasonable thing they left for its citizens, all the milads that were posted to take care of Abia rather chose to take care of them selves and their pockets.
Ogbonnaya Onuh left in a hurry due to a military coup and today we can't point at any thing he did as a Governor, then came Orji Uzor Kalu whom we all thought had come with the aim of developing Abia but rather he chose to pocket the state and its resources for the period he held sway as the chief executive of the state, instead of developing the state as we all had hoped and invested so much trust in him he capitalized on the trust Abians gave him to loot the state dry.

The ambassador newspapers which is owned by Abia state was dying while the sun news papers he established while he was in office as governor was smiling to the bank daily with the money and materials meant for the development of this important agency of government, Golden guinea breweries Umuahia and modern ceramics died while SLOK group was waxing strong, Ariaria market instead of developing, was used as the head quarters of an illegal militant group known as bakassi which was used by the then government to witch hunt suspected opponents of government, freedom of speech was lost and every body in the state were taxed to maintain bakassi.

Our general hospitals were used as places were corpses of those who were extra judicially killed were dumped, all the state owned ministries were squatting in rented buildings, the state was engaged in an ego war with the federal government which made the state lose favour with the federal government, people were being killed or kidnapped for just talking and politicians were reduced to mere houseboys at nweke street for the sake of getting appointments the list is endless.

The state is being administered from rented apartments as government house while our then governor was proudly building camp Neya with the states fund Then came T. A Orji whom OUK and his family did every thing humanly possible to frustrate his vision for the state and practically made sure that he didn't perform maximally throughout his first tenure, but God in His infinite mercy decided to use Chief T.A. Orji to make a difference By first of all liberating Abia from the devilish influence of OUK, his mum and Okija politics, and rededicated the state back into the hands of God whom the state was named after from creation, the security challenges the state was facing as a result of the type of politics played by Orji Uzor Kalu who empowered thugs with guns and machetes was tackled and brought to an end by Ochendo global and today Abians now go to sleep with both eyes closed without the fear of being kidnapped,robbed or even killed.

This state today can boast of a modern Secretariat courtesy of Ochendo, were civil servants can work in a serene environment. the relocation of Umuahia main market which seemed impossible to many Abians is today a reality courtesy of Ochendo global, with the building of a new and modern market at Ubani, also the spare parts market known as mgbuka was moved to a befitting site at Ohiya and the industrial market known as timber market which took over the better part of the Umuahia low cost housing estate was relocated to a larger area with modern facilities along Ikotekpene road there by decongesting the once unpleasant traffic situation that we used to experience at the state capital investors are now coming into the state to partner with the state government which will automatically give rise to employment for the Abia youths.


New roads have been opened up in rural areas even some villages who were finding it difficult to connect to sister communities can today access those communities with ease our youths are being genuinely empowered. the establishment of skill acquisition centers across the state to train those who had no training in any vocation free of any cost and there after give them grants to the tune of 2million on graduation is another area where Ochendo was able to show that he really cared for Abians without recourse to class, creed or political affiliation. In the health sector Ochendo also scored another first with the building and equipping of new health centers across all the LGA,s in the state, and the Abia general hospital in Amachara has been reconstructed and heavily equipped with modern health facilities, a new ultra modern diagnostic center has been built in Umuahia and Aba with the cost reduced to the extent that every Abian can afford to be diagnosed and treated no matter your status

As Rome was not built in a decade, the same can be said of Abia State where Governor Theodore Orji is working very hard to give the God’s Own State a face-lift. But some paid hate writers through their articles want the world to believe that Governor Orji is a ‘failure.’ Despite the virulent attacks aimed at distracting his government, Governor Orji has remained focused and committed to the Abia project. Though his critics have labeled him the ‘most criticized governor in Nigeria’ as he works hard to reposition the state for the service of humanity, it would be unfortunate in the face of irrefutable evidence if cynics insist the governor is undeserving of a heroic appellation.


It is a known fact that Abia State has always been a volatile ground during every electioneering year simply because the political gladiators do resort to mudslinging and backstabbing of public office holders instead of strategizing on how to nurture and develop people/result-oriented programmes and policies which will accelerate development in God’s Own State.


Unfortunately, the trend has not in any way dissipated as aspirants are gearing up for more battles, thereby heating up the polity unnecessarily with all manners of personal attacks on the governor and his associates in their pursuit of scoring cheap political goals, achieving self-aggrandizement with a view to stealing the precious Abian votes who have been on the receiving end of hordes upon hordes of devastating political propaganda.


Another victim of such political brimstone has been Governor T. A. Orji, whom the opposition has succeeded in portraying as a monster strangulating every imminent development in the state, and has therefore not been spared of numerous political jabs as the 2015 elections gather momentum.


Despite the heavy burden hung on the governor’s shoulders, some political analysts believe that Governor Orji has made some dramatic and noteworthy moves to transform key ministries in the state. These include education, agriculture, commerce and industry, justice, health, security among others. Expectedly, his critics have over time refused to acknowledge the giant strides of this administration.


Despite the array of criticisms, majorly from opposition political parties within the state, a critical evaluation of Abia State in the last three years shows that Governor Orji is not a failure as some politicians are portraying him especially when compared with some of his contemporaries in the opposition parties within and outside the South-East geo-political zones.


The restructured Health Sector
Considering his enthusiasm for result and his disposition to transforming the primary, secondary and tertiary health care in Abia State, T. A. Orji, got his idea and plan for turning around the ailing health sector of the state spot on.


The reason the government is bent on the on-going development of the health sector may be connected to the growing child mortality rate which stands at 88 per 1000 births. Even the Abia First Lady, Mrs. Mercy Orji, while flagging off the first round of Maternal, New Born and Child Health Week, MNCHW, at Mbalano, headquarters of Isuikwuator Local Government Area, mid June 2014, decried the situation and called on stakeholders in the health sector to show more commitment towards the fight against the menace in the country to further strengthen the effort of the government.


The First Lady’s concern was understandable, as no reasonable government would keep quiet on such a sensitive matter. Mrs. Orji was quoted as describing the scenario as “unacceptable”. As a mother, herself, she would surely want improved pre- and anti- natal functioning health care made available to all.


The Government of Abia State has commissioned a number of projects in this light. The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, commissioned the Royal Cross Methodist Hospital, Ugwueke, an Utra-modern maternity in Abia State in 2012. Prof. Onyebuchi said the collaboration of private sector and the Federal Government is working effectively and would help reduce the incidence of maternal and infant mortality rate in the country.


Despite these giant strides, the government is not bending backward as it has continued to make commendable efforts to ensure quality health care delivery to millions of Nigerians in the state.


The donor of the hospital, Johnson Chukwu, revealed that what motivated him to embark on the project, was that over 80 percent of the patients consisting of mostly women and children trek from Ebonyi State down to Ugwueke community where the hospital is situated to seek medical care and that private influential individuals must be complimenting the efforts of the Abia State Government.


Barely a year later, the minister returned for the commissioning of the multimillion naira Dialysis Centre of Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre in Umuahia. Most analysts described the initiative as unprecedented.


The minister said there was need for the government to enroll in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to make access to healthcare for majority of Abians affordable; adding that if human beings insured cars, it makes it appropriate to insure human health. The government of T. A. Orji has since been consolidating on that premise by establishing and refurbishing primary and secondary health centres.


It is on record that Prof. Chukwu, in his speech, lauded the project and the state government’s “commitment to the provision of quality and affordable healthcare in alignment with the transformation agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.”


He “congratulated the Governor, the Government and Abians in general for the project” which he described as “an excellent philanthropic effort translating to a quantum boost in excellent healthcare.”


Like most Abians, Prof. Chukwu expressed happiness and added that T. A Orji deserved “accolades as a man of vision with greater passion than medical practitioners.”


It is worthy to note that the governor’s achievements in the health sector are more than the establishment of Dialysis Centre. Since he assumed the office, available records shows that well over 700 Primary Health Centres (PHCS) in every political ward in the 17 LGAS have been upgraded and mandated to offer free maternal services to pregnant women.


Other developments include, but are not limited to, the accreditation for posting of house officers at the Amachara Specialist Hospital; the reconstruction of General Hospital; and the construction of the 100 bed wards in nine LGAs among others.


The dialysis machines will be for patients with kidney diseases without other chronic complications, while two will be especially for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis patients respectively, with one left as spare to achieve standard practice of an all-encompassing treatment.


The general belief about the Diagnostic Centre was the advancement it has added to the health sector as it would help solve numerous problems, pains and sufferings of people with health challenges.


It came to public notice recently that Governor Orji provided 18 vehicles for Health Centres in order to facilitate effective and “proper management of emergency situations” This was aside the upgrading of Amachara General Hospital “to conform to the standard of the state teaching hospital.” The diagnostic centre has even secured accreditation from the Medical Examination Board for training of house officers.


The government has also facilitated the construction of a chest clinic in partnership with Agbami Partners of Chevron Oil Field. The MTN Foundation, under the auspices of MTN Yellow Doctors Programme, is set to provide free eye test and treatment for Abians. Recently, the governor endorsed Americare USA to construct an international hospital in Obuaku in Ukwa West. Besides, the moribund School of Health Technology, Aba, is now alive.


At a meeting held in Umuahia on Monday, September 8, 2014, the Forum of Abia State Political Office Holders lauded the “health sector transformation” and other “advances made by the Government of T. A. Orji” in the State.


In a communiqué issued at the end of the strategic meeting, the forum applauded the governor for his exceptional leadership and various infrastructural programmes that have transformed the state capital, Umuahia, hitherto a glorified village, into a proper state capital.


In his address during while presenting the 2014 Abia State Budget Speech to the State House of Assembly at the Assembly Chamber, Governor T. A. Orji, said the government would give attention to primary health care by “encouraging bosom-feeding, provision of adequate nutrition, clean water, basic sanitation, immunization, oral dehydration therapy and family planning.”


True to his promise, the government has been making strategic moves to ensure access to appropriate and quality health care services to children at all levels.


This may be why Governor T. A. Orji’s administration has also completed action on the process for the commencement of Abia State Health Insurance Scheme. This scheme according to the governor will ensure growth in the general well-being of Abians as it is aimed at the improvement in the quality of lives of the residents of the state.


All these are indications that the governor’s promise to sustain his administration’s efforts in equipment procurement, renovation and upgrading of some of the Health Care Institutions through the on-going transformation of structures in the health sector has been manifesting.


The promises, however, are not the only thing Abians have found exciting. The completion of the construction of Abia State University Teaching Hospital Medical Complex Building in Aba, and the equipping of nine hospitals with 100 beds each, amid other features, in different LGAs have been applauded.


Also, the School of Nursing/Midwifery, Aba and the Aba General Hospital now wear new looks. Works have equally advanced at the General Hospital/Leprosy Centre Uzuakoli Abians since the second quarter of the year. There are also indications that additional Health Centres would be built, equipped and provided in order to make life and living better for Abians. It would not be out of place to assert regarding health and infrastructure in Abia State: its indeed a new dawn!


The move for massive infrastructural development in the State
A section of the media has been quite frank and objective in its reportage on the commendable development in Abia State. Recently, a medium authoritatively reported that the Abia Government is going all out for massive infrastructural development. Some political watchers have also described the improvement as “unprecedented.” Interestingly, an official of the State Ministry of Information said “the Abia State Government is seeking partnerships in developing major projects located in various strategic locations within the state” This, obviously, would complement the efforts of the government in delivering the dividends of democracy to all Abians.


For instance, the Abia Hotels Ltd, Umuahia, is set for a major face-lift. Based on the Government’s Policy on Privatization and Commercialization, the edifice is currently awaiting the attention of reputable investors who would transform it to a world class hotel befitting a state capital.


Independent checks reveal that the Umuahia Modern market, Ubani-Ibeku, is also awaiting the attention of reputable investors who would transform the market. Like the Umuahia Modern Market, the Timber and Allied Market, Umuahia and the Aba International Industrial Market, are awaiting investors’ attention. Many sane minds cannot but applaud T. A. Orji for partnering with investors in developing the state further.


Interestingly, many people are aware that the policy of the Abia State Government to encourage the development of industrial activities in the state and the planned development of large-scale industrial establishments located in Abia notably the Nigerian Breweries, Aba; Golden Guinea Breweries, Umuahia; Aba Textile Mills, International Glass Industry (IGI), Aba; and Modern Ceramics, Umuahia are blossoming and fast reducing the number of unemployed youths in the state. In fact, the fact going round is that it’s a new dawn for Abia youth.


There are also special reports that the government has made several efforts to develop large and medium scale industries. This clearly points to one fact: positioning Abia as major commercial centre in Nigeria is a continuous project.


Even the blueprint for Abia State equally showed the state has the potential to attract investment in manufacturing, agro-allied industries, Textiles, Industrial Minerals/Quarrying, Plastic Industry, Chemical Industry, and Oil and Gas Industry to mention a handful.


But since industry and development cannot exist in isolation of functioning electric power supply, the Governor ensured constant power supply for these industries despite the non-completion of the Ohiya sub-station. This he did as far back as 2012. It was therefore not surprising to discover that many have commended the governor for his efforts in ensuring that residents of the state capital, Umuahia, and its environs enjoyed stable power supply.


Earlier, Governor Orji collaborated with the Federal Government to develop 504MW Power plant at Alaoji Power to complement projects his government already initiated. The present projects are definitely poised to further ensure more availability of electricity for Abians.


As these projects race towards completion and the signs of improved standard of living in Abia State inundate the landscape, attracting more development to the state through greater public-private sector collaboration remains a desired inevitability. One can now only hope that T. A. Orji’s critics eventually embrace that reality.

Abia State: An Unbiased Evaluation Of An Unsung Hero

As Rome was not built in a decade, the same can be said of Abia State where Governor Theodore Orji is working very hard to give the God’s Own State a face-lift. But some paid hate writers through their articles want the world to believe that Governor Orji is a ‘failure.’ Despite the virulent attacks aimed at distracting his government, Governor Orji has remained focused and committed to the Abia project. Though his critics have labeled him the ‘most criticized governor in Nigeria’ as he works hard to reposition the state for the service of humanity, it would be unfortunate in the face of irrefutable evidence if cynics insist the governor is undeserving of a heroic appellation.


It is a known fact that Abia State has always been a volatile ground during every electioneering year simply because the political gladiators do resort to mudslinging and backstabbing of public office holders instead of strategizing on how to nurture and develop people/result-oriented programmes and policies which will accelerate development in God’s Own State.


Unfortunately, the trend has not in any way dissipated as aspirants are gearing up for more battles, thereby heating up the polity unnecessarily with all manners of personal attacks on the governor and his associates in their pursuit of scoring cheap political goals, achieving self-aggrandizement with a view to stealing the precious Abian votes who have been on the receiving end of hordes upon hordes of devastating political propaganda.


Another victim of such political brimstone has been Governor T. A. Orji, whom the opposition has succeeded in portraying as a monster strangulating every imminent development in the state, and has therefore not been spared of numerous political jabs as the 2015 elections gather momentum.


Despite the heavy burden hung on the governor’s shoulders, some political analysts believe that Governor Orji has made some dramatic and noteworthy moves to transform key ministries in the state. These include education, agriculture, commerce and industry, justice, health, security among others. Expectedly, his critics have over time refused to acknowledge the giant strides of this administration.


Despite the array of criticisms, majorly from opposition political parties within the state, a critical evaluation of Abia State in the last three years shows that Governor Orji is not a failure as some politicians are portraying him especially when compared with some of his contemporaries in the opposition parties within and outside the South-East geo-political zones.


The restructured Health Sector
Considering his enthusiasm for result and his disposition to transforming the primary, secondary and tertiary health care in Abia State, T. A. Orji, got his idea and plan for turning around the ailing health sector of the state spot on.


The reason the government is bent on the on-going development of the health sector may be connected to the growing child mortality rate which stands at 88 per 1000 births. Even the Abia First Lady, Mrs. Mercy Orji, while flagging off the first round of Maternal, New Born and Child Health Week, MNCHW, at Mbalano, headquarters of Isuikwuator Local Government Area, mid June 2014, decried the situation and called on stakeholders in the health sector to show more commitment towards the fight against the menace in the country to further strengthen the effort of the government.


The First Lady’s concern was understandable, as no reasonable government would keep quiet on such a sensitive matter. Mrs. Orji was quoted as describing the scenario as “unacceptable”. As a mother, herself, she would surely want improved pre- and anti- natal functioning health care made available to all.


The Government of Abia State has commissioned a number of projects in this light. The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, commissioned the Royal Cross Methodist Hospital, Ugwueke, an Utra-modern maternity in Abia State in 2012. Prof. Onyebuchi said the collaboration of private sector and the Federal Government is working effectively and would help reduce the incidence of maternal and infant mortality rate in the country.


Despite these giant strides, the government is not bending backward as it has continued to make commendable efforts to ensure quality health care delivery to millions of Nigerians in the state.


The donor of the hospital, Johnson Chukwu, revealed that what motivated him to embark on the project, was that over 80 percent of the patients consisting of mostly women and children trek from Ebonyi State down to Ugwueke community where the hospital is situated to seek medical care and that private influential individuals must be complimenting the efforts of the Abia State Government.


Barely a year later, the minister returned for the commissioning of the multimillion naira Dialysis Centre of Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre in Umuahia. Most analysts described the initiative as unprecedented.


The minister said there was need for the government to enroll in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to make access to healthcare for majority of Abians affordable; adding that if human beings insured cars, it makes it appropriate to insure human health. The government of T. A. Orji has since been consolidating on that premise by establishing and refurbishing primary and secondary health centres.


It is on record that Prof. Chukwu, in his speech, lauded the project and the state government’s “commitment to the provision of quality and affordable healthcare in alignment with the transformation agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.”


He “congratulated the Governor, the Government and Abians in general for the project” which he described as “an excellent philanthropic effort translating to a quantum boost in excellent healthcare.”


Like most Abians, Prof. Chukwu expressed happiness and added that T. A Orji deserved “accolades as a man of vision with greater passion than medical practitioners.”


It is worthy to note that the governor’s achievements in the health sector are more than the establishment of Dialysis Centre. Since he assumed the office, available records shows that well over 700 Primary Health Centres (PHCS) in every political ward in the 17 LGAS have been upgraded and mandated to offer free maternal services to pregnant women.


Other developments include, but are not limited to, the accreditation for posting of house officers at the Amachara Specialist Hospital; the reconstruction of General Hospital; and the construction of the 100 bed wards in nine LGAs among others.


The dialysis machines will be for patients with kidney diseases without other chronic complications, while two will be especially for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis patients respectively, with one left as spare to achieve standard practice of an all-encompassing treatment.


The general belief about the Diagnostic Centre was the advancement it has added to the health sector as it would help solve numerous problems, pains and sufferings of people with health challenges.


It came to public notice recently that Governor Orji provided 18 vehicles for Health Centres in order to facilitate effective and “proper management of emergency situations” This was aside the upgrading of Amachara General Hospital “to conform to the standard of the state teaching hospital.” The diagnostic centre has even secured accreditation from the Medical Examination Board for training of house officers.


The government has also facilitated the construction of a chest clinic in partnership with Agbami Partners of Chevron Oil Field. The MTN Foundation, under the auspices of MTN Yellow Doctors Programme, is set to provide free eye test and treatment for Abians. Recently, the governor endorsed Americare USA to construct an international hospital in Obuaku in Ukwa West. Besides, the moribund School of Health Technology, Aba, is now alive.


At a meeting held in Umuahia on Monday, September 8, 2014, the Forum of Abia State Political Office Holders lauded the “health sector transformation” and other “advances made by the Government of T. A. Orji” in the State.


In a communiqué issued at the end of the strategic meeting, the forum applauded the governor for his exceptional leadership and various infrastructural programmes that have transformed the state capital, Umuahia, hitherto a glorified village, into a proper state capital.


In his address during while presenting the 2014 Abia State Budget Speech to the State House of Assembly at the Assembly Chamber, Governor T. A. Orji, said the government would give attention to primary health care by “encouraging breast-feeding, provision of adequate nutrition, clean water, basic sanitation, immunization, oral dehydration therapy and family planning.”


True to his promise, the government has been making strategic moves to ensure access to appropriate and quality health care services to children at all levels.


This may be why Governor T. A. Orji’s administration has also completed action on the process for the commencement of Abia State Health Insurance Scheme. This scheme according to the governor will ensure growth in the general well-being of Abians as it is aimed at the improvement in the quality of lives of the residents of the state.


All these are indications that the governor’s promise to sustain his administration’s efforts in equipment procurement, renovation and upgrading of some of the Health Care Institutions through the on-going transformation of structures in the health sector has been manifesting.


The promises, however, are not the only thing Abians have found exciting. The completion of the construction of Abia State University Teaching Hospital Medical Complex Building in Aba, and the equipping of nine hospitals with 100 beds each, amid other features, in different LGAs have been applauded.


Also, the School of Nursing/Midwifery, Aba and the Aba General Hospital now wear new looks. Works have equally advanced at the General Hospital/Leprosy Centre Uzuakoli Abians since the second quarter of the year. There are also indications that additional Health Centres would be built, equipped and provided in order to make life and living better for Abians. It would not be out of place to assert regarding health and infrastructure in Abia State: its indeed a new dawn!


The move for massive infrastructural development in the State
A section of the media has been quite frank and objective in its reportage on the commendable development in Abia State. Recently, a medium authoritatively reported that the Abia Government is going all out for massive infrastructural development. Some political watchers have also described the improvement as “unprecedented.” Interestingly, an official of the State Ministry of Information said “the Abia State Government is seeking partnerships in developing major projects located in various strategic locations within the state” This, obviously, would complement the efforts of the government in delivering the dividends of democracy to all Abians.


For instance, the Abia Hotels Ltd, Umuahia, is set for a major face-lift. Based on the Government’s Policy on Privatization and Commercialization, the edifice is currently awaiting the attention of reputable investors who would transform it to a world class hotel befitting a state capital.


Independent checks reveal that the Umuahia Modern market, Ubani-Ibeku, is also awaiting the attention of reputable investors who would transform the market. Like the Umuahia Modern Market, the Timber and Allied Market, Umuahia and the Aba International Industrial Market, are awaiting investors’ attention. Many sane minds cannot but applaud T. A. Orji for partnering with investors in developing the state further.


Interestingly, many people are aware that the policy of the Abia State Government to encourage the development of industrial activities in the state and the planned development of large-scale industrial establishments located in Abia notably the Nigerian Breweries, Aba; Golden Guinea Breweries, Umuahia; Aba Textile Mills, International Glass Industry (IGI), Aba; and Modern Ceramics, Umuahia are blossoming and fast reducing the number of unemployed youths in the state. In fact, the fact going round is that it’s a new dawn for Abia youth.


There are also special reports that the government has made several efforts to develop large and medium scale industries. This clearly points to one fact: positioning Abia as major commercial centre in Nigeria is a continuous project.


Even the blueprint for Abia State equally showed the state has the potential to attract investment in manufacturing, agro-allied industries, Textiles, Industrial Minerals/Quarrying, Plastic Industry, Chemical Industry, and Oil and Gas Industry to mention a handful.


But since industry and development cannot exist in isolation of functioning electric power supply, the Governor ensured constant power supply for these industries despite the non-completion of the Ohiya sub-station. This he did as far back as 2012. It was therefore not surprising to discover that many have commended the governor for his efforts in ensuring that residents of the state capital, Umuahia, and its environs enjoyed stable power supply.


Earlier, Governor Orji collaborated with the Federal Government to develop 504MW Power plant at Alaoji Power to complement projects his government already initiated. The present projects are definitely poised to further ensure more availability of electricity for Abians.


As these projects race towards completion and the signs of improved standard of living in Abia State inundate the landscape, attracting more development to the state through greater public-private sector collaboration remains a desired inevitability. One can now only hope that T. A. Orji’s critics eventually embrace that reality.

Abia State: An Unbiased Evaluation Of An Unsung Hero

By Sunday Adeshina

As Rome was not built in a decade, the same can be said of Abia State where Governor Theodore Orji is working very hard to give the God’s Own State a face-lift. But some paid hate writers through their articles want the world to believe that Governor Orji is a ‘failure.’ Despite the virulent attacks aimed at distracting his government, Governor Orji has remained focused and committed to the Abia project. Though his critics have labeled him the ‘most criticized governor in Nigeria’ as he works hard to reposition the state for the service of humanity, it would be unfortunate in the face of irrefutable evidence if cynics insist the governor is undeserving of a heroic appellation.

It is a known fact that Abia State has always been a volatile ground during every electioneering year simply because the political gladiators do resort to mudslinging and backstabbing of public office holders instead of strategizing on how to nurture and develop people/result-oriented programmes and policies which will accelerate development in God’s Own State.

Unfortunately, the trend has not in any way dissipated as aspirants are gearing up for more battles, thereby heating up the polity unnecessarily with all manners of personal attacks on the governor and his associates in their pursuit of scoring cheap political goals, achieving self-aggrandizement with a view to stealing the precious Abian votes who have been on the receiving end of hordes upon hordes of devastating political propaganda.

Another victim of such political brimstone has been Governor T. A. Orji, whom the opposition has succeeded in portraying as a monster strangulating every imminent development in the state, and has therefore not been spared of numerous political jabs as the 2015 elections gather momentum.

Despite the heavy burden hung on the governor’s shoulders, some political analysts believe that Governor Orji has made some dramatic and noteworthy moves to transform key ministries in the state. These include education, agriculture, commerce and industry, justice, health, security among others. Expectedly, his critics have over time refused to acknowledge the giant strides of this administration.

Despite the array of criticisms, majorly from opposition political parties within the state, a critical evaluation of Abia State in the last three years shows that Governor Orji is not a failure as some politicians are portraying him especially when compared with some of his contemporaries in the opposition parties within and outside the South-East geo-political zones.

The restructured Health Sector
Considering his enthusiasm for result and his disposition to transforming the primary, secondary and tertiary health care in Abia State, T. A. Orji, got his idea and plan for turning around the ailing health sector of the state spot on.

The reason the government is bent on the on-going development of the health sector may be connected to the growing child mortality rate which stands at 88 per 1000 births. Even the Abia First Lady, Mrs. Mercy Orji, while flagging off the first round of Maternal, New Born and Child Health Week, MNCHW, at Mbalano, headquarters of Isuikwuator Local Government Area, mid June 2014, decried the situation and called on stakeholders in the health sector to show more commitment towards the fight against the menace in the country to further strengthen the effort of the government.

The First Lady’s concern was understandable, as no reasonable government would keep quiet on such a sensitive matter. Mrs. Orji was quoted as describing the scenario as “unacceptable”. As a mother, herself, she would surely want improved pre- and anti- natal functioning health care made available to all.

The Government of Abia State has commissioned a number of projects in this light. The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, commissioned the Royal Cross Methodist Hospital, Ugwueke, an Utra-modern maternity in Abia State in 2012. Prof. Onyebuchi said the collaboration of private sector and the Federal Government is working effectively and would help reduce the incidence of maternal and infant mortality rate in the country.

Despite these giant strides, the government is not bending backward as it has continued to make commendable efforts to ensure quality health care delivery to millions of Nigerians in the state.
The donor of the hospital, Johnson Chukwu, revealed that what motivated him to embark on the project, was that over 80 percent of the patients consisting of mostly women and children trek from Ebonyi State down to Ugwueke community where the hospital is situated to seek medical care and that private influential individuals must be complimenting the efforts of the Abia State Government.

Barely a year later, the minister returned for the commissioning of the multimillion naira Dialysis Centre of Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre in Umuahia. Most analysts described the initiative as unprecedented.

The minister said there was need for the government to enroll in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to make access to healthcare for majority of Abians affordable; adding that if human beings insured cars, it makes it appropriate to insure human health. The government of T. A. Orji has since been consolidating on that premise by establishing and refurbishing primary and secondary health centres.

It is on record that Prof. Chukwu, in his speech, lauded the project and the state government’s “commitment to the provision of quality and affordable healthcare in alignment with the transformation agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.”
He “congratulated the Governor, the Government and Abians in general for the project” which he described as “an excellent philanthropic effort translating to a quantum boost in excellent healthcare.”

Like most Abians, Prof. Chukwu expressed happiness and added that T. A Orji deserved “accolades as a man of vision with greater passion than medical practitioners.”
It is worthy to note that the governor’s achievements in the health sector are more than the establishment of Dialysis Centre. Since he assumed the office, available records shows that well over 700 Primary Health Centres (PHCS) in every political ward in the 17 LGAS have been upgraded and mandated to offer free maternal services to pregnant women.

Other developments include, but are not limited to, the accreditation for posting of house officers at the Amachara Specialist Hospital; the reconstruction of General Hospital; and the construction of the 100 bed wards in nine LGAs among others.

The dialysis machines will be for patients with kidney diseases without other chronic complications, while two will be especially for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis patients respectively, with one left as spare to achieve standard practice of an all-encompassing treatment.
The general belief about the Diagnostic Centre was the advancement it has added to the health sector as it would help solve numerous problems, pains and sufferings of people with health challenges.

It came to public notice recently that Governor Orji provided 18 vehicles for Health Centres in order to facilitate effective and “proper management of emergency situations” This was aside the upgrading of Amachara General Hospital “to conform to the standard of the state teaching hospital.” The diagnostic centre has even secured accreditation from the Medical Examination Board for training of house officers.

The government has also facilitated the construction of a chest clinic in partnership with Agbami Partners of Chevron Oil Field. The MTN Foundation, under the auspices of MTN Yellow Doctors Programme, is set to provide free eye test and treatment for Abians. Recently, the governor endorsed Americare USA to construct an international hospital in Obuaku in Ukwa West. Besides, the moribund School of Health Technology, Aba, is now alive.

At a meeting held in Umuahia on Monday, September 8, 2014, the Forum of Abia State Political Office Holders lauded the “health sector transformation” and other “advances made by the Government of T. A. Orji” in the State.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the strategic meeting, the forum applauded the governor for his exceptional leadership and various infrastructural programmes that have transformed the state capital, Umuahia, hitherto a glorified village, into a proper state capital.

In his address during while presenting the 2014 Abia State Budget Speech to the State House of Assembly at the Assembly Chamber, Governor T. A. Orji, said the government would give attention to primary health care by “encouraging breast-feeding, provision of adequate nutrition, clean water, basic sanitation, immunization, oral dehydration therapy and family planning.”

True to his promise, the government has been making strategic moves to ensure access to appropriate and quality health care services to children at all levels.

This may be why Governor T. A. Orji’s administration has also completed action on the process for the commencement of Abia State Health Insurance Scheme. This scheme according to the governor will ensure growth in the general well-being of Abians as it is aimed at the improvement in the quality of lives of the residents of the state.

All these are indications that the governor’s promise to sustain his administration’s efforts in equipment procurement, renovation and upgrading of some of the Health Care Institutions through the on-going transformation of structures in the health sector has been manifesting.

The promises, however, are not the only thing Abians have found exciting. The completion of the construction of Abia State University Teaching Hospital Medical Complex Building in Aba, and the equipping of nine hospitals with 100 beds each, amid other features, in different LGAs have been applauded.

Also, the School of Nursing/Midwifery, Aba and the Aba General Hospital now wear new looks. Works have equally advanced at the General Hospital/Leprosy Centre Uzuakoli Abians since the second quarter of the year. There are also indications that additional Health Centres would be built, equipped and provided in order to make life and living better for Abians. It would not be out of place to assert regarding health and infrastructure in Abia State: its indeed a new dawn!

The move for massive infrastructural development in the State
A section of the media has been quite frank and objective in its reportage on the commendable development in Abia State. Recently, a medium authoritatively reported that the Abia Government is going all out for massive infrastructural development. Some political watchers have also described the improvement as “unprecedented.” Interestingly, an official of the State Ministry of Information said “the Abia State Government is seeking partnerships in developing major projects located in various strategic locations within the state” This, obviously, would complement the efforts of the government in delivering the dividends of democracy to all Abians.

For instance, the Abia Hotels Ltd, Umuahia, is set for a major face-lift. Based on the Government’s Policy on Privatization and Commercialization, the edifice is currently awaiting the attention of reputable investors who would transform it to a world class hotel befitting a state capital.

Independent checks reveal that the Umuahia Modern market, Ubani-Ibeku, is also awaiting the attention of reputable investors who would transform the market. Like the Umuahia Modern Market, the Timber and Allied Market, Umuahia and the Aba International Industrial Market, are awaiting investors’ attention. Many sane minds cannot but applaud T. A. Orji for partnering with investors in developing the state further.

Interestingly, many people are aware that the policy of the Abia State Government to encourage the development of industrial activities in the state and the planned development of large-scale industrial establishments located in Abia notably the Nigerian Breweries, Aba; Golden Guinea Breweries, Umuahia; Aba Textile Mills, International Glass Industry (IGI), Aba; and Modern Ceramics, Umuahia are blossoming and fast reducing the number of unemployed youths in the state. In fact, the fact going round is that it’s a new dawn for Abia youth.

There are also special reports that the government has made several efforts to develop large and medium scale industries. This clearly points to one fact: positioning Abia as major commercial centre in Nigeria is a continuous project.

Even the blueprint for Abia State equally showed the state has the potential to attract investment in manufacturing, agro-allied industries, Textiles, Industrial Minerals/Quarrying, Plastic Industry, Chemical Industry, and Oil and Gas Industry to mention a handful.

But since industry and development cannot exist in isolation of functioning electric power supply, the Governor ensured constant power supply for these industries despite the non-completion of the Ohiya sub-station. This he did as far back as 2012. It was therefore not surprising to discover that many have commended the governor for his efforts in ensuring that residents of the state capital, Umuahia, and its environs enjoyed stable power supply.

Earlier, Governor Orji collaborated with the Federal Government to develop 504MW Power plant at Alaoji Power to complement projects his government already initiated. The present projects are definitely poised to further ensure more availability of electricity for Abians.

As these projects race towards completion and the signs of improved standard of living in Abia State inundate the landscape, attracting more development to the state through greater public-private sector collaboration remains a desired inevitability. One can now only hope that T. A. Orji’s critics eventually embrace that reality.

******End of Discussion****
Abia Govt. Partner AFDB on Development Projects.
The African Development Bank (AFDB) has entered into an integrated project partnership with Abia State Government to tackle rural roads, erosion menace and waste management in the two Abia cities of Umuahia and Aba .
The Country Representative of the bank, Dr.Usmane Dore, stated this during the bank's preliminary visit to the state to see things.
He pledged the bank's partnership to the state, pointing out that Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, was one of the first governor's to reach out to the bank for assistance.
According to him, the AFDB has a tradition of partnering with states adding that rural roads in the two cities will be strategically rehabilitated and updated.
To that end, he said that the bank’s rapid assessment team has been sent to the state for assessment and implored the state to cooperate with the team to fast track the project.
Receiving the team led by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Governor Orji assured that the state will cooperate with the bank as it is ready to abide by the rules as well as contribute its quota to the project.
He stated that the perennial problem of rural roads , erosion and waste management has continued to plague Aba despite the huge sums of money being sunk into the city by the state government to address the problems.
The Governor said there was need for an external body like the AFDDB to assist the state as the problems were beyond its scope and thanked the federal government for the interest it has shown to Abia State.
Earlier, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating minister of the Economy, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said the the objective of the visit is that the ADB has agreed to work with Abia State and bring some more benefits, maintaining that it is designed to cement the Governor's legacies in the state
According to her, President Goodluck Jonathan is desirous to work with states to make things better.

Orji's Son Sues Sun Newspaper for N5 Billion

The first son of Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, Chinedu Orji ,an Engineer, has sued the Sun Newspapers owned by the former Governor of the State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, claiming N5 billion for calling him "a terrorist."

Briefing journalists yesterday in Umuahia, a member of the legal team for Orji's son, Chief Chukwunyere Nwabuko, said the libelous publication was contained “on page 21 of the March 10, 2014 edition of The Sun Newspapers which read that 'it is not a secret affair as his terrorist activities in the state are fully documented' ".
The Counsel said the former Governor had been using his media outfit to publish malicious and libelous articles against Orji and his son who does not even hold any position in government.
He gave the suit number of the case filled at Abia State High Court holding at Ohafia as HOH/5/2014, adding that Livy Uzorukwu (SAN) is the lead counsel of Orji's legal team.

Nwabuko further said that the Presiding Judge, Justice Anthony Chioma, had already granted an order for the defendant to be served out of jurisdiction, adding that the matter is coming up for hearing next week, September 22nd, 2014.

The three point claims by the claimant include: "The sum of N5,000,000,000 as damages for libel; An unreserved apology to be published in at least three editions of the Daily Sun Newspapers; and An Order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, privies, servants and associates from further writing , printing, and publishing of the said libelous matter or a similar one against the claimant.
https://www.facebook.com/theabiaawakeningpage/photos/a.436366076398453.89870.432407636794297/730775530290838/?type=1&theater

Abia will achieve MDGs in 2015 —Orji Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State has said that the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, are achievable in the state by 2015, the government, haven set in motion the process of achieving it through different projects that have direct impact on the people. The state government in collaboration with the office of the special assistant to the President on MDGs yesterday launched three goals to impact on the lives of the less privileged and the vulnerable people. Speaking at the ceremony in Umuhia entitled, ‘Integration of MDGs Into the State Development Strategies’, Orji described the scheme as one of the cardinal points of his legacy projects aimed at touching lives of the vulnerable ones in the state in addition to his youth empowerment programme. The governor said his government keyed into the Nigeria MDGs conditional grant scheme in 2007 and has since implemented a lot of the programmes in the urban and rural areas in the fields of health, education, environment and other areas, insisting that Abia is capable of achieving the MDGs in 2015. He said the grants to agro-based cooperatives, village health workers and conditional cash transfers are geared towards eradicating poverty in the state and commended President Goodluck Jonathan for introducing innovative schemes in compliance with the dictates of the United Nations proposals on the programme. He said the state was equally committed to achieving the targets as his government has built 710 health centres to provide Abia people with basic amenities in rural and urban centres in the state, including modernised schools, organise rural farmers into registered cooperatives as well as subsidised farm inputs, fertilisers, insecticides and agric loans. The governor noted that the village health workers will help improve the health care delivery of the citizenry, while the conditional cash transfer would target the rural poor especially families with children. The agro-based cooperatives will also help to create more jobs. Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Dr Precious Gbeneol, represented by Mr Dennis Harry, said 189 countries were participating in the programme, with Nigeria implementing its own at the three tiers of government. The Executive Secretary of the Abia State Planning Commission, Mrs Adanma Iheuwa, noted that Governor Orji has paid the counterpart fund for the programme since 2007, stressing that the three MDG activities launched in the state would impact on the lives of the people, especially the grants to agro-based cooperatives, village health workers and conditional cash transfers. She said the state government has so far paid N3 billion counterpart fund since 2007.

OUK will fail ,he wont go near any where at that senate ..he is a total failure in Abia state.

ORJI UZOR KALU STOLE ALL THE MONEY ABIA HAD IN THE PAST ,BUT NOW T.A CAME TO REBUILD ,SO I GIVE CREDIT TO T.A ORJI.

Breaking News: Ex Abia Governor fingers over Dimgba Igwe's mysterious death

Dimgba Igwe a renowned Journalist and one of the pioneer Editors of the Sun Newspaper is dead.

Dimgba Igwe we learnt was killed by a hit and run car in what appears to be an assassination while jogging this morning around his residence in Okota area of lagos where he lives.

The Newspaper columnist who worked with defunct Concord and later became the pioneer Editor of the Sun Newspapers with Mike Awoyinfa was sacked by Orji Uzor kalu few years ago over his stand against Kalu's interference in the paper.

Mr Igwe and Awoyinfa floated a paper that didn't survive as kalu pleaded with him to come back. Igwe who is from Igbere accepted partially to maintain his column, he was later made the Vice chairman editorial board of the Sun but that did not change his principle as he continued to challenge Kalu's unprofessional style of running the Sun Newspapers

We gathered that Mr. Dimgba Igwe who is popular with the entire work force has become a thorn In Ouks flesh as he confronted the publisher over the 8 months salary he is owing them. A staff of the SUN told us that Dimgba had a shouting match with kalu few days ago on the salary issue. Igwe told kalu to bury his face in shame as he can't pay them. It was learnt that kalu who was visibly shaken swore to deal with Igwe.

However, according to an insider report, accusing fingers are being pointed at kalu for Igwe's mysterious death. As at the time of writing this report, some SUN NEWSPAPERS Staff have deserted the Kirikiri area office of the Sun Newspapers.

The Publisher of the SUN, Kalu yet to visit the family, he is said to have been in Lagos. Every phone contact made to get him to comment on the death of Mr. Dimgba were unsuccessful.

RIP Oga Dimgba but your killers will not hide forever

Abia Governor, Chief Theodore Orji has assured that all non indigenes disengaged from the Abia civil service will be recalled.

He gave the assurance in Umuahia when he met with the Association of All States Resident in Umuahia who paid him a courtesy visit led by Chief Joseph Akwobi.
The Governor said the process has started with the reinstatement of more than 2000 of the disengaged non indigene workers and told those not yet recalled in the teaching and other categories that they have not been forgotten.
According to him, the re-absorption of the disengaged workers is being done in phases to ensure that those taken back are paid their salaries, saying that he is conscious of the effect of the policy on the affected persons.
The Governor said he expected reciprocation from other South East Governors who disengaged Abia indigenes from their workforce.
He assured the non indigenes resident in the state of the safety of their lives and property and recalled that Abians have lived cordially with them over the years.
According to him, his administration has greatly empowered non indigenes resident in the state both in appointments and giving contracts to them and never discriminated against them.
He however thanked them for their contributions towards the growth of the state’s economy as well as their support to his administration.
Earlier, the president, Association of All States Resident in Umuahia, chief Innocent Egbughara explained that they changed the name of the association from Association of Umuahia Urban Dwellers Development Union to include non indigenes outside the urban areas and thanked the Governor for reengaging some sacked indigenes back into service and appealed to him to recall the rest.
He commended the Governor for the management of security in the state and for extending appointments and his empowerment programme to them as well as the maiden Abia Revenue Summit organized by the government to checkmate double taxation by revenue agents.

Ebola: Late Enemuo Had No Contact with Abia, Says Govt



Abia state government has continued to take proactive measures to keep the dreaded Ebola virus at bay more so as the medical doctor in neighbouring Rivers State, Dr Iyke Sam Enemuo, was reported to have died of the disease. It has also allayed the fears of residents by debunking the rumour being peddled that the late Enemuo, had made contacts with relatives in Aba.

The state commissioner for information and strategy, Mr. Eze Chikamnayo, who briefed journalists at the weekend on the flying rumours, said that the state government has not dropped its guard on the Ebola war. He said that in addition to creating isolation wards in designated hospitals government had set up rapid response team and also acquired personal protection equipment (PPE) for health workers.

“Government has made efforts in this regard, the commissioner for health has procured all the necessary Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for health care practitioners. We have got some facilities that will, in proactive manner, prepare us in case of unfortunate eventuality, but for now there is no case of Ebola in the state,” he said.
Chikamnayo debunked the rumour making the rounds that the Port Harcourt based late medical practitioner, Dr Iyke Sam Enemuo had visited a relative in Aba before he succumbed to the Ebola Virus disease (EVD) on August 22, 2014.
Details to follow

23yrs after Abia remains a major work in progress – Gov. Orji

TWENTY THREE years after its creation, Governor Theodore Orji Wednesday said that Abia State “remains a major work in progress” in terms of development.

According to Governor Orji, “there are still enormous work to be done and many new hurdles to cross” in the concerted effort to develop the state.

In a 15-minutes radio and television broadcast to mark the weeklong celebration of Abia’s 23rd anniversary, the governor said, however that his administration has succeeded in laying a solid foundation for the development of the state.

“We have certainly tackled the hard task of laying the foundation for the sustainable development of Abia State, through our legacy projects that address the myriads of problems that confront our State.
We have successfully advanced the building and strengthening of the various institutions that support statehood and created a viable democracy in our State, and these are visible in our many completed legacy projects and other works in progress”, Orji said.

Reminding whoever that will succeed him that there is still a lot to do, the governor urged him not to be intimidated with the challenges he may meet on ground whenever the new administration comes into place.

“Our Administration was not deterred by the challenges we faced and what we inherited, instead we sought every opportunity to overcome our challenges and have created enduring legacies that we will be remembered for. This is the challenge of leadership which future Administrations of Abia State and our citizens need to embrace”, he noted.

“For our Government of Abia State, this celebration is very memorable in many ways. It is our last anniversary celebration at the helms of this State. It is also an opportunity for us to recount our achievements and the challenges that we faced in our struggle to leave Abia State better than we found it.

“Our Administration continues to do its part in deepening the sustainable foundation of the socio-economic and political development of our State in all ramifications. But Abia State remains a “major work in progress”, and whatever we have become in the last 23 years are the results of the committed efforts and progress made by various Governments and the indomitable spirit of Abia citizens in all works of life.

“All of these and many more have certainly deepened democracy in our State and will ensure continuity of our development efforts in the future, especially as a new Administration takes over in 2015 on a stronger platform than we found when we came to this office.

“We have made Abia State a healthier State and pursued the well-being of our citizens through the establishment of 710 health centres in our State to make health care affordable at the grass-roots. We have constructed modern diagnostic centres at Aba and Umuahia, and also a Dialysis Centre at Umuahia to reduce the cost our people incur in foreign medical trips.

“We have strongly addressed the issue of unemployment of our youths through our empowerment programmes that include certified training of young entrepreneurs of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and donation of equipment to support such private business operations. More than 5,000 Abia youths have benefited from this programme and have been equipped to run their successful businesses as new entrepreneurs. We have also distributed more than 3,250 vehicles to youth transport entrepreneurs engaged in taxi and haulage operations.
“Other youths, women and the vulnerable members of our society have been retrained and supplied with equipment, including electric generator sets, computers and other accessories to support their new businesses
“Above all, we have established equity, fairness and unhindered participation of our people in the politics of our State, and through that liberated our people and deepened democracy in Abia State. Today, Abians live in harmony with each other and aspire to give their best to the State through participation in the politics of our State.

“For all the legacies that our Administration will leave for Abia State, I am very proud that we chose to make our State one of the most healthy and secured States in the Federation – where our people enjoy the dividends of democracy in good health, in a peaceful and conducive environment, and where they can exercise their ingenuity and business drive for the common good of all Abians.

“While we celebrate our anniversary and honour our achievers , let us not lose sight of the fact that no achievement in our State will be sustained in the future unless it is first sustained in our minds, in our attitudes and in our secured and peaceful environment.

“Today Abia is stronger, healthier and more united to face the future and reach for the best in all areas of human endeavour. It is our expectation that the leadership that takes over from our Government in 2015 will sustain the great hopes and expectations which our people share today and for the future. So that Abia State remains a beacon of hope with the enabling environment for all our citizens who desire to distinguish themselves”, Governor Orji said.

PDP Is United In Abia – Abaribe
Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe is the chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs. A two-term senator who was deputy governor of Abia State in the Orji Kalu administration, he speaks on his aspiration to govern the state come 2015 in this interview with select journalists. Uchenna Awom was there for LEADERSHIP.

What are the problems the next governor of Abia State will inherit from the outgoing governor?

Let me say that the challenges of development in every state in Nigeria will also be exactly the same that you will have to confront if you are in Abia – underdevelopment, massive unemployment, infrastructure that is not up to par with what you need for a 21st century economy and then of course, the basic ones of education, health, environment and agriculture.

Basically, what I think is the biggest challenge you will to have to face will have to do with all the young men and women who are coming out of schools without a job. First, we will need to deal with how to produce people that are functional in our state at the moment. Abia stands at a very good vantage position being at the top of the whole Niger Delta region and all the ancillary industries in the Niger Delta, the oil and gas and all the other things that go with it and Abia will provide manpower, provide skill set that is already burdened on the ground. Usually, when people want to do anything within the Niger Delta region, they can come to Aba to get it. For specific reasons, all the while, Abia has always had, through Aba, an industrial set up with skilled people, artisans and managerial skilled people who have been doing things locally. Now, what we need to do is to move their skills up and also to be able to train them enough to fit into the manpower needs within the oil and gas region. We think that as a matter of policy, you must be able to move people away from the grammar school literary type education to technical based education now and that you will have to do if you are governor of the state.

Secondly, you must also start to seek newer ways of funding things and you must have to get better ways of doing both internally generated revenue and what comes from the federal purse. For internal generated revenue, what happens today as we have seen, in fact the governor recently, in an interview, also bemoaned the fact that it was so low and there was so much leakages within the system. That means that you will have to deploy technology to reduce leakages and you also now have to find new and innovative ways of doing things and make sure that counterpart findings for the things that come from both multilateral agencies and from federal government, that if you do that, then there are of course other areas that you have to deal with, especially the city of Aba. If you need to increase internally generated revenue, you must have to go to the place where there are industries and where there are people doing business that can pay their taxes. To do that, you have to also show them that what you are doing is in their own interest and for their own benefit. Therefore, you are able to provide for them, physical evidence of what you are doing and get them to buy into it. Then you will get their support and it is that support that Governor Mbakwe used when it was the old Imo State to develop Imo and most of the funding came from Aba actually. So, we are going to have to make Aba a test case for a new government and private sector enterprise.

Of course, I think that given time, you will always have to make your mark and when you make your mark, that is what you go with. That another person has done something and you have to ignore that one he has done, to me, does not help in developing a state. We need to develop our state and we are really in a big hurry to catch up. So, a state where you get N4 billion and you have to compare it with a State where you get N16 billion or N25 billion or N23 billion per month, it means that when you have to do something, you do it in a way that you will get the best value for your money. Of course, you will also have to cut your clothe according to your size. So, the grandeurs projects that are being done in those areas, you may not want to venture into that.



How about the issue of zoning? Has the governorship been zoned to your area? Did consider that before you decided to contest?

As I said, I started my consultations in April; so, between April and May, we went all over the state and concluded it with the party in the state. Ultimately, by the time we completed the consultations in May, June had passed and it was in July that the state party now took the decision to zone the governorship fortuitously to my zone – Abia South zone. So, I could not have come because of the zoning. Actually, I would want to think it was because we had sufficiently told the party the reasons they needed to that made it zone it to Abia South.



There is talk about the governor installing his successor…

Let me say this very unequivocally that at the time when we heard some people making claims of being anointed or so by the governor, I contacted him. I called a meeting of Abia South Senatorial zone, being a political leader of the area, that we needed to deal with that matter. The governor told me that I should please tell the people when I meet with them that he has never anointed anybody and that he didn’t have any intention of anointing anybody. Subsequently, the government of Abia also went on air, on radio and disowned any such statement. I’m sure those statements died down but people who do not have anything to sell themselves with usually try to do reflected glory of saying this man is bringing me. I just call it reflected glory because that means you got nothing yourself to offer when you now have to wait for somebody else to do so.

Also recently, when the governor swore in the transition chairman, he made the same statement and said he was not going to influence anybody; that what he is going to do is to ensure that the field is made in such a way that everybody will have an equal chances of being able to emerge as governor and he said it very clearly that the person who will become governor will be made by three persons – the first person will be God himself because everything that we do as human beings, its only when God wills it; secondly, that he himself as the incumbent will also have a say on how the process is done; thirdly is the party apparatus, that is those within the party who will eventually be the delegates to the congresses that will bring out the nominee.



We have seen from past experiences that the big wigs in Abia find it difficult to work together when the chips are down. It happened in 2003 when we saw divergent views even though they all claimed to be in the same party. The same thing happened in 2007 and it’s been the bane of the party all along. How are you, the leaders of the party, addressing these circumstances as we move closer to 2015?

I think that that matter has already been settled and dealt with by the incumbent governor, T.A Orji. Since 2010 when he came back into PDP, he has been able to weld everybody together; he has been able to bring the different factions of PDP together. So, what we have seen really is that that syndrome of disunity has actually been permanently buried by the way that Governor T.A. Orji has handled everybody. Let me tell you that between 2003 and 2010, for example, several of us never went to Umuahia, not to talk of going to Government House in Umuahia, even though we were senior members of the party. Even though somebody like me was Senator in 2007, we never went there because of the way that the previous incumbent scattered everybody. But today, you can see that anytime there is anything that brings us together, everybody goes to show that disunity has now been permanently buried.

OPEN LETTER TO CHIEF ORJI UZOR KALU
Your Excellency,
I read with a great deal of embarrassment the article
that was ghosted in the column you allegedly write in
The Sun Newspaper of Sunday 16th August 2014.
It was incredible that you would allow yourself to be
talked into exposing yourself to that embarrassment,
for any reason. I wonder what point you were trying
to make and to whom?
The article and the facts it purported to convey were
written as if you functioned as an island while serving
as the Executive Governor of Abia State. But you did
not. You worked with people, lots of people and
luckily most of those people are still alive. They are
living witnesses to what transpired in Abia State
under your rule, including your relationship with
Governor T.A Orji. Obviously of course, I am one of
such people, having served as your Special Adviser
on Research and Strategy and subsequently as the
Commissioner for Information. I have elected to
respond to the litany of falsehood contained in your
letter firstly as a witness to history, and secondly,
because I am involved. As you well know, the man
you take so much pleasure to lampoon at every turn
is my kinsman, “My Dede! It is totallFeature2y
unacceptable for you to leverage on your position as
a Newspaper Publisher to mount incessant attacks on
T.A.Orji. It is an abuse of position. As a reporter, I
also consider it a sacred duty; consistent with my
professional ethos to act as a watchdog against
purveyors of falsehood. .
The simple truth sir is that you lied in your write up.
Obviously, the write up was meant for the outside
world; the few ignorant people who don’t really know
you. It is certainly not for the millions of Abia
indigenes who had the misfortune of having you as
Governor for eight years. It is also not for any one of
us, your past commissioners and sundry other aides
who worked closely with you and saw through you.
You claim to be a master strategist and an avid
propagandist. So you believe that if you tell a lie long
enough, it will become the truth. Sorry your
Excellency, a lie is a lie, is a lie! Even you, with all
your ‘gamji’ prowess cannot change a lie to be the
truth: you didn’t make T.A.Orji . At the time you met
him, he was the Administrative Secretary of INEC. As
is your style, your lobbied him excessively. You know
yourself; whenever you want anything or anybody,
you put on your charming front. You struck a
partnership with T.A Orji which facilitated your
emergence as Governor.
Anyone who knows Orji Uzor Kalu knows that he
does nothing for free. T.A became Chief of Staff as a
reward for his assistance in your emergence as
Governor. Unlike you, I can’t claim he made you
Governor. All power comes from God. But he played
his role, a critical role which you know fully well, a
role which made him your partner. As Chief of Staff,
he served you loyally, efficiently and commitedly. He
did his best, as some of us also did to manage your
exuberant excesses. With due respect sir, you stand
truth on its head when you alleged that, “he was in
charge of almost everything in Government house-
from the management of security vote to routine
administration. I, working with one of your closest
aides then, Victor Oye.” Oga! Haba!!! Which “closest
aide?” Victor Oye? And so what happened to Chuka
Odom? We all know what Oye did (and still does for
you!) Ha, hmmm, don’t let us expose and disgrace
ourselves o! I find it interesting that you didn’t bring
Chuka Odom into the discussion. Why, if I may ask?
And your all-powerful mother, Oduko? So if T.A was
in charge of everything, what happened to the-great-
SHE-who-must-be-obeyed? Mother Excellency,
defacto 1st Lady and Associate Governor of Abia
state?
Oga, why do you behave as if everyone is suffering
from amnesia? Or do you still believe the myth that
you are a “guy man” while the rest of Abia are “Jew
guys?”
You ran Abia State as a fiefdom. The only real powers
were you, your mother and that your brother, who
you elected to the Federal House of Reps. The
records will stand whether he even opened his mouth
or raised a finger, for the entire duration of his
membership of the House. But of course, you claimed
to be the Abia equivalent of the Kennedys, the three of
you – Orji, Nnanna and Mascot. So you also made
Mascot Chief of Staff to T.A and designated him, heir-
apparent. You allege that you don’t ‘know what you
did to T.A? Are you sure? Search your conscience.
You wanted T.A. to be Governor only in name while
you and your mother continued to rule. So you
appointed your brother as the Chief of Staff, gave T.A.
only one commissionership slot which he filled with
Okey Amaechi (SAN) as Attorney General and shared
the entire 17 local Government Chairman with your
mummy.
T.A’s aides pleaded with you to allow him produce
the chairman of his LGA, but you declined. You
appointed ASP Okoro, your former orderly as his ADC,
and appointed one of your former drivers as his Chief
Driver. You also tried to appoint the Government
House cooks. When his wife, Chief Mrs Odochi Orji
refused, and insisted that she had always cooked for
her husband, you reluctantly conceded to her. You
nominated companies fronting for you to be the main
contractors of the Government and with your cousin
and kinsman as Commissioner for Finance, their
payments were always prompt. Your Excellency sir,
the truth is as you boasted to a group of us in your
house at Adeleke Adedoyin Street, Victoria Island,
Lagos, (yes the same one which I hear you have
turned into a bed and breakfast or “short time” hotel
now). “I am still the real Governor of Abia State!” You
were sir. And for a season, T.A. was willing to oblige
you. But Abia indigenes were not. They had suffered
grievously under your yoke for 8 years and refused to
continue in bondage.
Many of them were outraged by your boast that “my
family will rule Abia for 25 years!” If you can recall,
Chuka Odom and i advised you against making that
boast. But as usual, you didn’t listen. Even some of
your friends, like Dr. Steve Ihedigbo, privately chaffed
over that claim. It is true that Abia indigenes can be
tolerant, but even you know that there is a limit to
human tolerance. With due respect sir, you crossed
the line. You treated T.A. with unacceptable
disrespect and in fact levity. Chuka Odom, told me
that he once asked you in Abuja: “Sir, do you realize
that this man is a sitting Governor?” Do you recall
your answer? It was quite telling: “In Abia, there are
only two Powers, REALITY ORGANIZATION and the
ORJI UZOR KALU FAMILY!” If you permit sir, i would
call that hubris. Now, the facts have not borne you
out. There is clearly another power in Abia – Peoples
Power. No one can be bigger than his people. And as
the Igbo say, “whereas one man can cook for the
community, the community can’t cook for one man.”
You are no doubt a very successful man, a true
master strategist, if you may. You are rich, influential
and powerful. But still, you are not bigger than Abia
State. You challenged Governor Orji to use any
medium to tell you what you did wrong to him. Well,
let me also give you a different kind of challenge.
Please sir, mention two, okay, let’s be fair, mention
just one prominent Abia indigene who holds you in
any esteem! Is it Ebitu Ukiwe, Ike Nwachukwu,
Adolphus Wabara, Ndubusi Kanu, Anya O. Anya, Joe
Irukwu, Ojo Maduekwe, Enyinnaya Abanibe. Vin
Ogbulafor, Ngozi-Okonjo Iweala, Emeka Wogu,
Nkechi Nwaogu, Mark Wabara, Onyema Ugochukwu,
Hon Nnenna Ukeje, Ndubusi Kanu, Mazi Sam
Ohuabunwa and his Brother Mao, Senator Uche
Chukwumerije, Dr J. C Ogbonnaya; the list is endless.
You can see sir, T.A. is not really your problem. Your
real problem is Abia State and her people. You have
desecrated the land and so it is angry with you. As
your former strategist, my advice is that you should
propitiate the land and seek forgiveness. That is the
culture of our people.

Fight against terrorism: Gov. Orji wants Army encouraged

ABIA State governor, Theodore Orji, has called on Nigerians to encourage the Nigerian Army in the battle against the current security challenges facing the nation.

Governor Orji said encouragement and not criticism was what the soldiers needed now to be able to battle the Boko Haram terrorists tormenting the nation.

Orji spoke, yesterday, in Umuahia when the Chief of Army staff, Lieutenant Gen. Kenneth Minimah, led other senior Army officers on a courtesy visit to his office at Government House.

According to him, the Army has been doing a very good job in fight against Boko Haram.
The governor noted that the soldiers were taking time to adapt to the art of fighting terrorism, which is totally new to Nigerians.
He regretted that many soldiers have sacrificed their lives fighting insurgency in the country.

The governor expressed confidence that the new Army chief would perform creditably in office and assured him of the continued support and partnership of Abia State government to the Army.

Governor Orji appreciated the Nigerian Army for the tremendous assistance it rendered to Abia State to end kidnapping and establishment of the 14 Brigade Barracks at Ohafia, which had enhanced security in the state.

The governor appealed to the Chief of Army staff to provide military equipment at the Army camp at Aba and give preference to the state during Army recruitment.

He also urged him to ensure that the Army in the state worked in synergy with the police and other security agencies in the state.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chief of Army Staff, General Mnimah, said he was in the state to visit military formations as part of his familiarisation tour of the 82 Division, Enugu.

He commended Governor Orji for his assistance to the Nigerian Army, which he described as exemplary and urged him to do more.
According to him, the Army cannot do it alone.--Vanguard

We Won’t Allow Boko Haram Enter Abia, says Muslim cleric
As the terrorist Islamic sect, Boko Haram, continues to spread terror in some parts of the country, the Chief Imam of Abia State, Sheik Ali Ukiwo, has vowed that the Muslim faithful in Abia would resist any attempt by the terrorists to infiltrate the state.
He gave the assurance yesterday when he led a delegation of the Muslim faithful to pay a Sallah homage to the Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, saying that Boko Haram and all it represents have nothing to do with the Islamic religion.
The Muslim cleric explained that the assurance had become necessary in view of the intermittent rumours that the dreaded sect had entered Abia thereby raising suspicion that Muslims in the state might have compromised in accepting the terrorist brand of Islam.
“Boko Haram is a satanic group. We don’t know where they are coming from,” Sheik Ukiwo declared, adding that true Muslims should not be associated to the terrorist sect.
According to him, there was no reason to link the Boko Haram terrorism with Islam since the sect has declared war on everybody irrespective of the faith one professes hence they spare only their own members.
“Ninety per cent of their victims are Muslims; 90 per cent of those in the refugee camps are Muslims. Then if they (Boko Haram) are Muslims, why are they killing their brothers?’ he argued.
Sheik Ukiwo decried the politicisation of the security challenges posed by the Boko Haram insurgency, saying that Nigerians should put away their differences and unite against terrorism.
“(Boko Haram) are enemies of Nigeria, which we must all unite to resist or else they will cause divisions among us and impose their evil agenda on the country,” he said.
The Muslim cleric lauded Orji for his youth employment programme, which has helped in reducing crime in Abia, adding that the Muslim community in would ever remain grateful for the good gestures of Governor Orji to Abia Muslims.
In his response, the Abia governor, who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Mr. Cosmos Ndukwe, urged Abia Muslims to continue to live in peace with one another as government and people of Abia would always accommodate every religion.
He called for peaceful co-existence among all Nigerians irrespective of faith and creed, noting that the Boko Haram terrorists were evil doers who continue to wallow in their foolhardiness of shedding blood instead of coming to terms with the fact that “it is illusory for anyone to think that he will make heaven by killing others.”

“In the abundance of water the fool is thirsty…” “…how many rivers do we have to cross before we can talk to the boss all we have it seems we have lost haven’t we already paid the cost”, wailed an agonized late freedom activist in a musical rhythm to the oppressed people who seemed blindfolded by the illusionary gimmicks of a desperate and defiant captor – symptomatic of today’s potent quagmire the lovely people of Abia find themselves battling under captive grips of the ‘gamji-like’ illusionary distractions of a former governor and/or captor who have refused to leave the stage long after the music had stopped.



The man, Orji Uzor Kalu who governed Abia State for eight years of near rancor free governance, appears unrelenting in disallowing a rancor free governance for the administration which succeeded his administration. Beyond mere attempts at importing noisy distractions to the Ochendo administration, Orji Uzor Kalu has reached for the embarrassing depth of employing literal gangsterisim into the unfolding democratic dividends being experienced presently in Abia State.

In so doing, he has tapped on the Don Normans, Wabaras and the Onwumeres to spew voluminous nothings in the attempts to throw a wrench into the progressive efforts of the Ochendo administration of erecting legacy structures to form the foundation of future developmental efforts by subsequent administration. The Wabaras and Onwumeres, on their part, have gone about their tasks of continually authoring what they refer to as articles on the person of Gov. Theodore Afamefuna Orji on a daily basis – bereft of tangible or factual criticism, but filled with ‘gangster-like’ insults on the governor.

Take for an example one of the many publications titled “Agents Of Satan Now In Abia” by Odimegwu Onwumere written on July 23, 2014 where he utilized 903 words to supposedly narrate how the administration of Ochendo had opened the flood gates to ‘Agents of Satan’. He utilized the 903words to unleash unguarded insults on the person and administration of the Governor. One of the opening paragraphs reads, “Hoodlums could follow you immediately you open your gate and rob you without any fear, because they have seen that Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji’s government is not serious and is one which has surrounded itself with touts and charlatans. These touts and charlatans are in his media team, retinue of aides and in other paraphernalia. The government is a government of buffoons, charlatans and touts.”

Unknowing to the author, the Ochendo administration has gone beyond what any of his colleagues in the south east geo political region have gone to achieve in the area of security. Particularly, in ensuring that the spat of kidnapping is brought to a near minimum. In his kneejerk attempt to malign the Ochendo administration, he forgets the giant steps taken by the Ochendo administration to bring down the notorious kidnap kingpin ‘Osisikankwu’. He forgets that during the reign of terror in Abia, businesses had left Aba to other calmer and safer climates. He forgets to add that 90% of those businesses have returned to Aba. Such businesses as Nigerian Breweries have returned to invest the sum of N15billion into the Abia State economy, the production of Dubic stout has returned in Aba in full gear through the assistance of Guinness, also the NNPC operations have returned to Aba after having departed following pipeline vandalism.

He certainly may not know of the Major General Sylvester Andrew Audu – led anti-kidnapping unit termed Operation Jubilee – which virtually wiped away the growing threat of kidnapping within the span of one year – through assistance from the Governor. The rehabilitation of the abandoned [abandoned by the OUK administration] Ohafia Barracks, now renamed Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Barracks may also had evaded his knowledge.

How has Abia fared under Orji in terms of law and order? Abia, undeniably, has been an oasis of sanity. Orji’s Abia is standing tall in the federation as a model state in terms of law and order and social harmony, and this was not legislated into existence but a product of committed and pragmatic action.

Four years after, and just one year to go, Orji is confidently stepping out to the market square to show himself approved a workman who does not need to be ashamed. For a people who have seen the two sides of tyranny and then freedom, they are better witnesses in this open trail. They are better judges and jurists in this open court of public conscience.

How can a you compare T.A to Uduaghan? T.A Orji is better in all aspect ,it is there for you to see ,good roads and infrastructure development in Abia is second to none

Governor Orji Is Still Highly Favoured By PDP Caucus

The Abia state Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] in a meeting held at the Abia State Government House in Umuahia has reached a resolution over the zoning of governorship in Abia State. Information available to 247ureports.com indicates that the caucus formally the zoned governorship to Abia South.
Abia state Governor, Theodore Orji being honored with the prestigious John Calvin award by Rev. Ibeabuchi Agwu, Moderator, South
Central Synod on behalf of the church during the opening ceremony of the 18th Annual Synod at St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church of Nigeria Umuahia.
The caucus also passed a vote of confidence on the governor for his sterling performance in office. This was according to the state deputy chairman, Chief Allen Nwachukwu who briefed newsmen after the meeting. It was also stated by caucus that contrary to reports in Sun Newspapers, there are no differences and/or misunderstanding between the State Governor and members of the party over the subject succession. The process of how the baton will pass from the present Governor to the next Governor has not turned cantankerous, said the deputy Chairman.
Meanwhile, another meeting is scheduled to hold on Monday July 21, 2014. The meeting is expected to include an expanded range of stakeholders. The meeting will be held to rectify the decision over the age long agitation of the Ukwa Ngwa people to produce a governor.
Stay tuned.

One can't stop making me laugh ,if you think T.A has failed us try OUK ,or the Ogbonnaya ONU.Up you T.A

You think T.A is not doing better ,then go and try..ORJI UZOR KALU did the worse things than any governors would have done...so cut the crap.T.A is better