OPINION

Why Orji will not thank God

 By Odimegwu Onwumere

It is obvious that Governor T. A Orji of Abia State is not a happy man. He must be blaming his God for giving him a position such as the governor he has shown that he cannot handle.

Only prayer cannot assuage the sufferings he has inflicted on himself by not working with what is available in his hand in the state. His excuses for not performing initially were that his predecessor was a thorn in his neck hence he distanced. But today, he tells those who care to listen that he is suffering from lean resources from Abuja for Abia State.

This shows the view of a man who is behaving like a hypnotized one and is kicking the shots to any direction without focus. The question is, does Abia State need all the resources in Nigeria to see at least a glimpse of development? What he has bent on doing is implement nefarious policies that have been fingered by critics as conduit ways of safeguarding corruption and other hideous activities.  

Abia State is one state that has retinue of bloated aides. But surprisingly, the government told us of how it unraveled lists of ghost-workers in the state. Orji is always defending his government but oblivious that there are standby people reading his handwriting without him knowing that he is putting himself in more troubles.

While he has hinged his government underperformance on the “lean resources” from Abuja, yet he has not stopped running to the same Abuja every month end to collect money which has not recorded any meaningful usage. One of the things he does is to announce ‘one billion naira agriculture loan to farmers in the state’ which dies after the announcement and here he is talking about the exposition of ghost-workers in Abia State.

Many observers have asked him questions in relation to the much touted and well advertised ‘one billion naira agriculture loan to farmers in the state’ thus: “Why are you doing this to us? Who are these farmers and where are their farmlands? What were the criteria used in picking these farmers? How would the money be shared? When are they supposed to pay back? And most importantly, where is the market for their produce?”

There are many reasons why Orji will not thank God. He has been unable to create an enabling government that is transparent in the state. Strong and enduring infrastructure have only become a tall dream. Investors are advertised only on the media without any practical outcome of the advertisement to show. Orji’s government only supply the masses with information of how he is developing the state without anything inplace to take his claims home. For example, see Aba and cry.

Any well-meaning son or daughter of Abia State should know that the only thing that has really come to work in the state is the Ochendo Youth Organization, which Chinedum Orji, his son, is the coordinator. And if the things they use this organization to do is revealed here, Abia will be in flames in the next minute, but at least, the people can see that Abia is not working, except Ochendo Youth Organization, which only works on the media, and claims that it is empowering the people.

One observer rightly captured this claim in the month of July this way: “Ochendo Youth Organization, in the print media last week, was distributing cars and other gift items to ‘lucky beneficiaries’. Gov. T. A, can you or your son explain the source of this funding? Is this poverty alleviation? Is this how to empower the youths? Will this OYO live after you or die at your exit? You must realize that whatever we do on earth, if we succeed in not given account here because of our deft in manipulation, we sure certainly must give account to God the Father. Abia – God’s own State is in your hands and this is what you, your wife and son, are doing with it? There are millions of able bodied men and women that are jobless, walking the streets of Umuahia, Isiukwuato, Aba, Bende, Arochukwu, Ohafia, Obi-Ngwa, Ikwuano, Ugwunagbo, etc. and the only programme you and your government can roll out to engage them is gift items, I am stunned!”

Governor Orji and his son are busy defending and projecting their Ochendo Youth Organization instead of the constitutionally Abia State Government while the projects he has boasted that he commissioned like the Merry Go Round Ahia-Eke –Umunna-Orpet Road that connected the World Bank-Agbama Road, the celebration of Okwuta-Bende Link road all situated in Abia Central, which proudly plays host to Umuahia, the State Capital, are virtually in sorry state today. What are we talking here? There are many reasons why Orji will not thank God.

Abia will not be the proud state it used to be if Orji does not stop his many destructive approaches to good governance. Involving his family in the scheme of things at government house, Umuahia, will continue to clad his sense of purposeful ruling. He should stop in (only) making sure that his rented singers who say ‘that Abia is working’ listen to the public outcry of the devastating government under him that they have come to endure.  He should tell ndi-Abia what happened to the much celebrated de-flooding and construction of drainage at the popular Ukwu-Mango to connect A line at the Ariaria International Market, and Faulks Road. The flood there is never recorded before. Governor T.A. Orji's government should embrace people-oriented government, and not media-oriented programme.

Odimegwu Onwumere writes from Rivers State.