Is There Any Government In Abia State?

When robbers, assassins or even those they may have stepped on their toes attack politicians, they cry of blue murder and the society becomes awash with the matter and bus-stop parliamentarians begin to deliberate on the matter, likewise the newspapers and magazines and radio stations.

But politicians attack the society that cry for them when they are attacked always without anyone crying louder because of the fear of not being relegated to the background or being maimed, as has been the case in several occasions in Nigeria. Imagine a country where many people bail water from their rooms when it is rainfall while a few people celebrate their birthday parties in the first-class aeroplanes. That is the disparity in Nigeria: A country where million job opportunities only exist on the pages of the newspapers, instead people will benefit from any live job? A country where the different Ministries use the money meant for development for their personal use and send their children and concubines to the best countries of the world. A country where a corrupt politician stands tall and blinks without shame but becomes bolder than the innocent. What else could one say!

I don't think that any governments of the world are saints since politicians still occupy them. But I think that there are governments that do befitting works for their people more than others. And there are governments that loot the treasury of their people more than others.

The environmental case study is Aba, Abia State provoked me to question, “Is there any government in Abia?” I have not been to other parts of the state, but if Enyimba City (that is Aba) that is in the open could be left in such a sorry situation of debilitated damaged roads and smelly environment, then sorry for the people in the other parts of the state.

I still remember that from 1999-2003, the ex-Governor of that state, Mr. Orji Uzor Kalu was in the forefronts to work the roads in Aba. I learnt that landlords were tasked money for the reconstruction of the roads, which left many people then asking, if landlords are to contribute money for the reconstruction of Aba roads, what has happened to the state's budget and allocation for the maintenance of roads in the state? Surprisingly, people were not that curious with going further with that question – all they wanted was to see good roads they could ply. Period! But it was shameful sight that the much-waited roads got damaged immediately the Orji Uzor Kalu-led government reconstructed them. It was a pity!

To be frank, I was among the many Nigerians who supported that Orji Uzor Kalu as governor especially for his doggedness on Chief Olusegun Obasanjo's policies when Obasanjo was president Federal Republic of Nigeria, but I pulled out of the “unity government” I personally entered into with his government without his knowledge. I pulled out from that government when I found out that there are many things we look at but don't see. Imagine where the mother of a governor was addressed as “Her Excellency”. That was the case when Orji Kalu was governor and uptil date. And he is asking today, that he wants to know what is wrong with Nigeria in his pseudo column in The Daily Sun, a country he ruled with Obasanjo for eight good years that led to its epileptic status today.

Today, a man whom many people say is Orji Kalu's stooge has not shown any work that extricated him from that allegation. Governor T. A Orji, their Executive Governor of Abia State, is better be reclined to his village in Umuahia to join his Eze's cabinet as a chief.

I don't know when the people of Abia State would begin to see the light of democracy. It is over a year now their T.A Orji became governor from the prison of the EFCC in 2007. I think what they are practicing in Abia is oligarchy or suffice it to be monarchy: The state government awards contracts and the state ex-governor's company – Sloak – is awarded them. Does it mean that there are no other companies in Abia State?

Mr. Governor is called Ochendo, a sobriquet. If that means Ochendu in the general Igbo word which means (guidance of life), I wonder which people he is guidance to their lives, if for example the people in Aba are left to their fate. Though, the sorry situation in Aba is manmade.

T.A Orji, I think, has betrayed a lot of people's confidence they had in him by not uptil now been able to define family meeting from government service by the way he is romancing with the family of his former boss – Orji Uzor Kalu and his Eunice Kalu. But where is Orji Uzor Kalu's wife?

I don't know the governor and have not had any official meeting with him except early this year I met with him at the opening ceremony of Protea Hotels along Aba/PH road Port Harcourt, Rivers State and I was defeated by the look of a village chief I saw than a governor I had thought that I would see. If T.A Orji was not better be addressed as a village chief, how on earth could a governor like him use his picture on all the buses and taxis Abia State Government bought as if they were his personal property? Is this single act not cheap publicity we see those 419 chiefs in the village do? I think the people would have been happy, especially those in Aba, seeing his picture on all the roads in that area if they are reconstructed.

I think there is a secret going on in Abia State government Orji Uzor Kalu and his stooge-Governor T.A Orji have not told us. Few months ago, their Ochendo told the EFCC in a letter that Immunity Clause or Immunity Phrase aside, he stands to be investigated. But I don't think that it is wise EFCC inclining its ears to that eye service call. Only the situation in Aba can tell even ICPC of the kind of Governor Abia state has. The EFCC does not need a letter of invitation to work; it is Aba that needs urgent attention more than Pharaoh needed the children of Israel. But people like a Hart; the state Chief press boss would disagree with me, for the protection of his job, while the feverish bird continues to tremble before its owner.

Odimegwu Onwumere is the Founder of Poet Against Child Abuse (PACA), Rivers State. +2348032552855. [email protected]