The more some of us want peace to be restored in Abia State among all the fraying politicians in the state, the more some uncouth rabble-rousers are throwing stone; some are throwing sand, or even both. This was captured in a freshly interview in the media by one Onyechere who has succeeded in bringing himself to the gallery for people to laugh at.
Onyechere had said that Abia State is in the present state of governance mishap and derailment, because of what he termed, the squabble between Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia State and, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. Guzzling in the ecstasy of an aide to the out-of-action Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, Ochechere and his like in the ill-providenced Orji-led Abia State, have refused to eschew trading blame where it is not necessary and, face the reality confronting the unlucky Orji-led government of Abia State.
Many questions came to mind after reading the narrow-minded interview. Was it Kalu who has denied workers their right in Abia State, not only to their wages, but also to their pensions? Was it Kalu who has denied taxpayers the right to a good environment and infrastructure in Abia State and hound qualified Civil Servants from Abia State and call them non-indigenes? Was it Kalu who has mounted wickedly, dispositions in Abia State, that compelled the lawyers of Aba Branch to stage an unprecedented protest in Abia State, against the immorally government of Orji? We can go on and on, but for the pity of printing space.
How can it be Kalu who is causing the unfavourable operational environment in Abia State, no matter where one stands to stare at the state, because he was once in a political turmoil with the Owu-generalissimo called Obasanjo? Was it Kalu who also made traders, residents and other systematized groups in Abia State not to be happy with the Orji-led government? Was it Kalu who caused their exhibitions of anger and frustrations by pelting the present government in Abia State with boos and pure water always? Shame, shame, shameeee!
As a government known for misdirecting the general public, it has told us of its mirage partnership with the Federal Government’s Ministry of Power, to exploit the output of the Ohiya Power Plant. We shall come back at this another time. This Orji-led government has accused an in-the-clear Kalu for all its robbery of good governance, whereas Kalu is very far from it. What is it with Orji? Did Orji not distance himself from Kalu hoping that he (Orji) could do better in the delivery of governance, but Nigerians have seen that he was better with Kalu who perhaps was grooming him for leadership traits? Was Kalu wrong when he compelled the people of Abia State to vote for Orji in the 2007 elections? Orji happens to make Abia State and himself the nastiest of all states and governors in Nigeria?
What many of us thought that these Orji aides seeking for relevance but in the wrong direction could be doing was to be whispering to their Orji that concerned citizens are saying that he is heartless and without conscience, there are no pliable roads, portable water, in short, favourable environment for anything in Abia State and, the state has become a place where workers are paid their salaries, only when emperor Orji wished.
Orji’s body language is of the suggestion that he is above questioning, hence the exercise of plunging of the state psychologically and economically continues, for the people to be experiencing untold government of the locust. The immaturity and crudity dispositions of Orji have underdeveloped Abia State. Apart from the fact that Orji is still a governor and is mentioned as one, he is in a clear state of oblivion in the eyes of well-meaning Abia people. This is why he is always looking for cheap publicity by every means necessary and unnecessary by involving the name of Kalu in everything wrongfully he (Orji) does.
The action we are provoking Orji to take is to be concerned with the duty of a governor and, not to be dragging himself into the mud always, through his arsenal of aides, who have become media tooth-less tigers, by sending mischievous stories online under pseudonyms, against Kalu and, of course, critics of the government. Is it not the height of insult for the aides to say that “God” is using Orji to rebuild Abia State and, equating him with Pa Nelson Mandela of South Africa? Wonders, they say, shall never end!
Though, it is boring now, but it will be very boring to see how this Orji will end as governor, because he has tailored towards failure. He represents disappointment. He has been moving towards disintegration of the people. He is a shocker to ala-Igbo and to other governors from the region. Did he not open his mouth recently that the Igbo should wait behind 2015 presidency? And he has headed to reprimanding, segregation, and dehumanization by the entire Igbo speaking people of Nigeria. Orji has made himself a wonderful statue of Igbo-embarrassment and a supervisory outlaw.
It was expected of Orji that he should be thinking towards repentance, but instead of do this, he thinks that major millstone to political expansion and monetary growth, is to bring the name of Kalu in everything shameful he is doing in Abia Sate. The measly talk about this name ‘Orji’ is seen as an anathema to many in any public discourse. People change topic of any discussion anytime Orji is mentioned. They see him as the most-horrible froth of our time. He is a misapprehension!
Abia State would have been better off without a governor, instead of Orji. Now all the people and states that had something to do with Abia State just hate it because of Orji, who has perfected his effort of building the state on lies. As people from all walks of life are gearing towards going to their various towns and villages in the event of the yuletide season, the same is not applicable to Abia sons and daughters, because they do not have a safe place to go.
Orji is not walking the job of one in a position of authority as a governor. He does not understand the true meaning of leadership and what it offers. He is only learning who said something that is not favourable to his government and, not what the person said that might help his government. Any commentator, to national building, who has a contrary opinion to his, automatically is tagged an enemy of the government. Orji has always touched the hornet’s nest, but in the most-horrible direction. This is Orji who has concurrently inflicted an enforced levy of N2000 (two thousand naira) on every trader at Ariaria Market, Aba, without anything to show for the levy and, other of its like, in the entire Abia State. This levy was not exceptional to the forced N1000 each trader paid in 2010 dubbed “infrastructural development levy”, whereas the roads leading to the Ariaria Market, till date, are in sorry state. Did Kalu cause this as well?
It is important to know that Orji has no comportment. This is how his aides have threatened to kill yours truly using falsified names and portals. May the soul of one Chidi Nwosu who was mowed down on 29th December 2010 at his hometown in Arochukwu rest in peace. Nwosu was a human rights activist and campaigner for democracy in Abia State, who was directing the nuisance called Orji-led government on what to do right, but was killed at his prime, by alleged government’s killer squad! As this government has no bearing, failure has captured it. Now, people are asking what Orji is still doing in Abia State; they are asking if his heart was removed and replaced with the Satan’s. He has credited the future of Abians to woes.
The Kalu that Orji has been antagonizing incessantly for only reason best known to him, has the Igbo spirit of brotherhood or sisterhood, which Orji frowns at. If Orji did have this spirit, he wouldn’t have sacked his fellow Igbo from other states working in Abia. What is Orji’s rationale of chasing shadow against Kalu? Is his betrayal of Kalu not enough? It is sad that Orji has continued to bite the finger that fed him without a twinge of conscience.
Odimegwu Onwumere who temporarily relocated to Abia State, contributed this piece from Aba. Email: apoet_25@yahoo.com
