I read the news article credited to the frmer Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, wherein he accused the incumbent Governor of Abia State Dr.Okezie Ikpeazu of not being in charge of his government. OUK went ahead to mention that Ikpeazu still pays attention to Chief T.A.Orji who influences his decision. He also said that President Buhari has built more roads in Nigeria than the State Government.
By a mere glance through the heading, you will know it was written by someone who is trying hard to impress some persons in APC to be allowed to enjoy his loot that was stolen from Abia purse. There is no known agenda order than attack so as to score some political points.
Have you wondered why OUK’s boisterous attribute comes alive each time he is reminded by the court that his #7.2 billion fraud is still pending in their rooms. He must always speak to be noticed and pardoned by the EFCC.
For those that lived in Abia during the time of Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, his petty attention seeking diatribe wouldn’t get any attention whatsoever but for the unsuspecting public who may read the news innocently, may be pushed to have an iota of believe.
While it is his stock-in-trade to lie and dish out every concoction against his perceived enemies, it is important OUK is reminded that his show of shame should not go beyond the former Governor Chief T.A.Orji whose only sin was to refuse to be controlled by the powerful diabolical Orji’s dynasty.
To make it clear, Ikpeazu is the Governor of Abia State, he is in charge of the Government and Abians do not have any doubt about it. Abians know the truth about Ikpeazu’s strides in developing infrastructure in the State. Ikpeazu has successfully built and commissioned over 60 roads in Abia with many at their different level of completion.
Some of the roads attributed to Dr. Ikpeazu in Abia State are Federal roads that failed to get the attention of the Presidency. Aba road Umuahia, Aba/Owerri road in Aba and Port Harcourt roads are Federal roads that the State government is handling, having considered them too important to the overall success of our made in Aba drive and even development of the State.
Instead of lying to appeal to public sympathy, OUK should use his loquacious tactics to talk to his friends in APC and Federal Government to pay more attention to most of our federal projects in Abia. Irrespective of party affiliations, Abians will appreciate the Federal Government once roads like Umuahia-Ikotekpene road, Umuahia-Bende- Ohafia road, Ohafia-Arochukwu road, Aba-Ikotekpene road etc are remembered. OUK should also use his contacts to tell NDDC to improve on the quality of road projects in Abia.
Abians are comfortable with the standard deployed by the People’s Governor Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, which comes with drainage and Stone base. OUK has forgotten that it was Ikpeazu that controlled flooding in Aba with his method of building wide drainage and deployment of the celebrated Cement technology that has a lasting life span of over 30 years. In terms of Education, Abia as at today remains top for three consecutive years. Abia State University has moved to number 30 among State Universities from 90th position.
Abia State Government has within a space of 3 years renovated over 340 schools and is also completing 4 brand new model schools with teachers quarters and hostels. In same vein, primary school enrolment has moved from 150 thousand to 350 thousand
It was Dr. Ikpeazu that rebuilt the Enyimba stadium that he (OUK) fenced and painted without considering building a single toilet in the Stadium. A walk to the Stadium will put shame on his face only that the aim is not to shame him but to remind him that Governor Ikpeazu emphasizes more on standard. OUK on the other hand should show Abians any road he built that is still standing.
Abians can not be hoodwinked by OUK’s pettiness and desperation in the name of patriotism. It is very obvious that OUK is not happy with the success Ikpeazu is recording in Abia which are testaments of his purposeful leadership.
While OUK is basking in the euphoria of acute Iberiberism, the Federal Government recently awarded Ikpeazu the best in terms of building the economy through MSME. The Vice President Prof.Yemi Osinbajo has not failed to announce his admiration for the young vibrant Governor at any fora.
Is it not also surprising that an Orji Uzor Kalu is talking about control and influence? I think the basic reason is because OUK thinks Abians do not have healthy strong memories. It was during OUK’s regime that the office of ‘Mother Excellency’ was introduced in Abia. We are yet to forget that aspect of his administration where every appointee must get Mama’s affirmative nod before anything is approved. I know Orji Uzor is talking from experience as someone that was never in charge of his government but he goofed because Ikpeazu is not OUK and will never be.
Each time an article is credited to OUK, I strive to read between the lines to see where an apology is given to Abians for his bad Agboroish and purposeless leadership he offered even when our neighboring States were enjoying dividends of good governance.
Has Orji Uzor Kalu apologized to Abians for labeling Pensioners ‘Dead Woods’ when he could not pay their pensions of which the State Government under the good leadership of Dr. Ikpeazu is tackling and will surely bring a lasting solution to make sure there will be no time in history our pensioners are insulted the way OUK did.
OUK should not forget in a hurry that Abians still remember his inglorious days as a Governor of Abia, which was characterized by pettiness, diabolism, lack of direction, building of substandard projects, bribery and corruption etc. It was during this time that words like Okija Shrine, Igba Egusi, Mama Nweke…were introduced into our political lexicon.
In a saner clime, when somebody like OUK who was a Governor of Abia State mounts a podium, he should be talking about how to develop the State. Though such line of discussion may sound strange to many Abians since there is no project anywhere that could be attributed to his regime, that is still standing till date owing to his method of using wheelbarrow and shovel to construct roads with the help of his unregistered money syphoning companies like Slok.
Orji Uzor should not apply any ‘directionless tactics’. Instead of writing long essays, he should rather use the time to visit Ahia Ohuru in Aba and get himself a good material that will make a proper jail cloth. He should pay more attention on how to avoid prison even if it means returning the #7.2 billion he allegedly took from Abia coffers.
It was when I got to Osusu road in Aba that I realized the impact of using wheelbarrows and shovels to construct a road. Those OUK roads have further aggravated our challenges.
Ordinarily, Orji Uzor Kalu by all calculations had everything in his favour to perform very well. The mere mention of the fact that he grew up in Aba gave him an added advantage because Aba people believed that he was in a better position to understand their challenges which was in the area of infrastructural facilities.
It is on record that from 1999 till date, it was only OUK that did not suffer protracted election litigation because his opponent Prince Vin Ogbulafor avoided all the legal fireworks. He was later appointed a Minister by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. While he had everything working for him with enormous resources at his disposal, OUK engaged into a self-made conundrum by engaging in avoidable skirmishes with his deputies even while he openly declared a fight with the then President Obasanjo. The rest is history.
The sin that was committed in 1999 is still hurting us. While Governors like Ahmed Tinubu, James Ibori, Dr.Sam Egwu …paraded good curriculum vitae with vast exposure in governance and business, OUK would later enrol as an undergraduate student of Abia State University, which till today, its still a controversy.
Instead of using the little available resources at the State’s disposal to build new roads just like the Governors of Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Lagos, Akwaibom etc are doing, the present State Government must go back to those roads built by OUK to make sure that drainages are provided and water is properly channeled. That is the case of faulks road, Osusu road and other major roads in Aba.
Should Orji Uzor Kalu talk about Ikpeazu’s government in bad light even when Ikpeazu is working so hard to clear his mess from the history of Abia State?
Apart from road patching, what was OUK’s agenda towards Youths empowerment and employment?
After selling off Enyimba hotel (one of the Legacies of Dee Sam Mbakwe) to Aba Chamber of Commerce for sixteen million Naira (#16m) it became difficult for the Chamber to bring back the edifice to use, which could’ve created opportunity for massive employment. What was the rational for selling off the Enyimba hotels even when the State could’ve redesigned it ?
It was during OUK’s regime that one of the boilers in Golden Guinea PLC damaged. It was still a State’s property until failure to fix it led to the takeover bid that converted it to a private ownership. What was the rational for not fixing Golden Guinea breweries even when thousands of Abians were getting their meal tickets from the place?
What happened to the workers who were laid off because of failure of OUK to replace the boiler? Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu whom OUK is busy writing all sorts of long essays against has intervened. Golden Guinea is coming back alive after 15 years.
In the interest of good conscience, such character should not present himself again for election in Abia State or come close to where governance is being discussed.
I have gone through all that was listed by his handlers. The only legacy OUK has, is that Enyimba football club won Champions league for two consecutive times. Congratulations Sir, the boys must have worked out their salvation even with the condition of the Stadium with no single toilet facilities.
Abians are yet to forget how market places were decimated with shops and stalls built in every available space including car parks and drainages. Public schools and hospitals were not spared this defacing,so it became the norm all over Abia. Refuse deposal became a big business and a money Spinner for the governors family. Even when people were ‘paying through their noses’ to breaking points,they never had their refuse evacuated.
Has OUK apologized for diverting the machines procured with Government money for Abia State Newspaper ( Ambassador Newspaper ) to his personal use?
It is high time he told Abians how he started the Sun Newspaper with equipments that were procured with bank loan paid off by the government through Citizen bank that was owned by the late Abiriba born Chief Dike Udensi (Dubic.) Letter of Credit was opened for payment of the equipment to revive the Ambassador newspaper.
The point of this analysis is that OUK should see the current national status of his contemporaries like Ahmed Tinubu, James Ibori, Donald duke, Peter odili, Sam Egwu
Instead of making cacophony of noises and struggling for billboard spaces, they mould opinions and lead with ideas while OUK is still toddling and stocking trouble in his home state. Is OUK applying his noise making mechanisms as a strategy for development or evasion of justice ?
Ikechukwu Iroha writes from Umuahia.
