OPINION

Abia: A time of universal pretense

 By Odimegwu Onwumere

Odimegwu Onwumere

Telling the truth is not always easy in a land that is characterised by untrustworthiness; therefore truth becomes an art of rebellion or opposition in the eyes of men and women whose only trade in stock is betrayal; hence men with no conscience are not unconnected to betrayal. 

This could be the reason Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi said to Young India, 22 October 1925 thus: The Roots of Violence are Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principles. (And these are not unconnected to Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State).

It is perturbing as it is also perplexing when Orji freshly asked the people of his state to find out what he did to the unconquerable Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, the immediate past governor of the state, that the later has been unveiling the hidden agendas of the former. Though, Orji termed it opposition. But like it was said earlier: Telling the truth is not always easy in a land that is characterised by untrustworthiness.

How on earth would Orji want to sell such deceit to the world that he had ruminated in his mind and could not find anywhere he wronged Kalu. News reports has it in Orji’s own words thus: “I challenge you, some of you are his friend, ask him to tell you what I did to him. Please, ask him to tell you one bad thing he can point at from the time I was Chief of Staff till the time I left PPA, as the wrong I did to him. But I have a litany of the wrongs he did to me. I am the only Governor who has been given a query, even on the pages of a newspaper. Let him tell you one bad thing I did to him. Let him tell you, just one bad thing.”

It is despicable that Orji did everything to exonerate himself from the shoddy web that he has entangled himself in, but ended up in the web of wonders shall never end, by his comment. How apposite would it be to remind Orji that the good people of Abia State voted for him even while he was in the prison because of Dr. Kalu? Would it be also apposite to ask Orji why he gave Kalu such a bad name that he (Kalu) was draining the coffers of the state, hence he (Orji) distanced Kalu and the PPA which were the platforms that he was elected as governor? What about being a Chief of Staff to Kalu? Did Orji not give Kalu such a horrendous image simple because Kalu asked him to give account of his leadership due to Orji’s gloomy governance?

The height of irresponsibility in leadership is to rule on propaganda. Most people did hate Kalu then when he was given that bad name by Orji until the claim became obvious that Orji didn’t want Kalu around him due to Orji’s self-seeking reasons as people can see in Abia State today which was once God’s own state, but regrettably has been turned to goon’s own state. Nigerians of good will can see this in the way the Orjis in Abia State talk and reason. For one, they have written all sorts of malicious stories against Yours’ Truly in the blogs they always create to malign the images of critics and observers of the Orji-misled government, simple because they are anti-truths.

Perhaps, Orji thought that Kalu was not supposed to be talking in the state where he (Orji) had thought that being a governor is just of Orji, by the Orjis and for the Orjis. Governor Orji has not substantiated his claim against Kalu. And Kalu have remained resolute not to tackle Orji squarely because Kalu is known to have traits of mature dispositions.

It is therefore not regrettable that a man like Orji cannot tell the world the truth because he has never told himself the truth. Has he not left Abia State worst than he claims he met it? Who said that conscience is not an open truth which only truth can heal? Would nature not judge Orji for giving an amiable man like Kalu a bad name so that people will hate and despise him? What else is wickedness if not an act like this?

For that reason, it behooves Nigerians to continue to disagree with the lies the Orjis in government have always targeted against Kalu. It is a thumb up when everybody has today seen that Orji cannot rise above patchiness and visionless governance. There is no gainsaying that Orji has failed the good people of Abia State dolefully. Has he lived up to the people’s expectation? Not at all.

And when Orji talks about Kalu hating him, the question is, would it not have been modest where Orji had lived up to the challenges of good governance in Abia State? It is a pity! The roads in Aba today are in a very sorry state, yet Orji is saying that he did not know where he wronged Kalu. It is not only Kalu that Orji did not know where he wronged, but to 95% of Ndi-Abia.

How could anybody defend Orji when he has refused to get it right? Did he not once say in the media that his problem with Kalu is that Kalu asked him not to contest again because he (Orji) could not perform firstly? Instead of do what was expected of Orji he just continue to draw attention to himself, but sadly, the attention is unnecessary. Orji can go to a state like Akwa Ibom and see for himself how a governor who meant well can draw necessary attention with developmental strides.

Notwithstanding, why did Orji come to the media in the first place to delegate unconfirmed people to help him ask Kalu where he wronged?  If Orji had a conscience as he posited to have a propensity, why did he not place a call to Kalu before journalists and ask him? It is believable that he still has Kalu’s contact. Or did Orji think that he can talk his own and talk Kalu’s own?

Orji should stop seeking for universal sympathy with pretense. He has shown by his open confession of asking Kalu where he went wrong that Kalu is 100 times far better than him. Ndi-Abia do not enjoy his Crocodile tears. It cannot help. He should stop taking Abia people’s humane features in the face of this hyper- frustration for cowardice. Orji should consequently stop complaining but read what Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi said to Young India, 22 October 1925 thus: The Roots of Violence are Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principles.

Did they not say that it is dangerous to bite the finger that fed you?

Odimegwu Onwumere, Poet/Author, wrote in from Aba, Abia State.