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Governor T.A. ORJI OF ABIA STATE: Live as if everything you do will eventually be known. (Hugh Prather) You can delegate authority, but not responsibility. (Stephen W. Comiskey) Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others? (Martin Luther King Jr.) When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. (Proverbs 29:2)
The news that the Election Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt ratified the election of Chief Theodore Orji as the Governor of Abia State didn’t come as a surprise to many. Because since the time T.A. Orji took office about two years ago, he has mounted a rugged propaganda campaign aimed at influencing and hoodwinking the judges that will enter into judgment in his case against Onyema Ugochukwu so for them to rule in his favour. When the lower court ruled against him about a year ago, the propaganda campaign was intensified and since then all resources of the state have been deployed in pursuing and winning the case.
The governor used all available means to hype up the atmosphere in the state in order to make sure that he retains power: Few days to the ruling of the Appeal Court, the rubber-stamp State House of Assembly members sent a message of support to the governor praising him for his leadership and for his “non-existing” achievements; since about a year now, the governor and his otimkpus (praise singers) paid tabloid and internet websites writers to write about his achievements which no eyes have seen. The state’s Radio Station had a 24/7 assignment of churning out cacophonies in the name of showering praises on the governor for his "wonderful leadership and achievements". The Sun Newspapers also wrote so many jaundiced articles for the governor, all in the efforts to influence the ruling of the Appeal Court.
It is not for this writer to argue whether the ruling of the Appeal Court is justified or not. As far as Nigeria is concerned, this writer has no political conviction or affiliation whatsoever and for this writer, it matters less which party that is ruling as long as the ruler works for the good of all. Afterall, Gov. Fashola of Lagos State belongs to AC, but, is doing a wonderful job in his state; Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra State belongs to APGA and is performing wonderfully well; Gov. Suswam of Benue State belongs to PDP, but, is serving his people well. These three governors and few others were declared the best governors in 2008. The question becomes: Why didn’t T.A. Orji make the list?
We know that Dr. Emeka Ngige (based on the ruling of the Election Appeal Court) was rigged into power with the help of Chris Uba, but, for the time he held the “stolen” mandate, he changed the face of his state for the better through the construction/maintenance of roads that by the time he was removed on March 15, 2006, some people in his state wished that he should continue despite the fact that they didn’t vote for him in the first place.
What this writer is saying is that we might not know whether T.A. Orji was really elected or whether the Appeal Court decided to vacate the ruling of the lower one for other reason(s) than the winning of the election (the judiciary in Nigeria do sometimes aid and abet illegality), Afterall, The Vanguard Editorial of Wednesday, February 11, 2009 captioned “Bribery at tribunals” wrote: “In April 2008, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi said there were allegations of corruption against some judges at election tribunals”.
The point here is that T.A Orji has failed abysmally so far in ruling his state for the two years he has been in office and his failure here has nothing to do with being really elected by the people or riding on the back of a stolen mandate to the State House.
Soon, I will write more on the ruling and why it will change nothing in Abia State on one hand and how T.A Orji has woefully failed the state on the other.
I made mention of some governors that are performing well earlier in this article. I would want the reader to have some tit bits why this writer thinks that T.A. Orji has underperformed so far. The Appeal Court told us that T.A Orji won the election, but, winning election is one thing and working for the good of all the people of the state is another and the facts on the ground in the state depict a wide chasm between the two.
ThisDay Newspapers´ Board of Editors named seven governors as winners of the 2009 THISDAY Awards for Excellence. The winners in the six categories under “Governor of the Year” are Gabriel Suswam (Benue) and Peter Obi (Anambra) who emerged joint winners of Best Governor in Fiscal Management; Liyel Imoke (Cross River) Best Governor in Tourism; Sule Lamido (Jigawa) Best in Education; Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) Best in Healthcare; Bukola Saraki (Kwara) Best in Food Security and Babatunde Fashola (Lagos) Best in Infrastructure. ((ThisDay Newspapers of Dec. 31, 2008)
The Paper named Peter Obi of Anambra State as one of the two Best Governors in Fiscal Management because he established a reputation for transparency and budget discipline, a development that is believed to have saved the state treasury substantial amounts of money in the awards and execution of contracts. Obi, according to the paper, is known for his tight scrutiny of contracts being awarded by his government. The Paper further named Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Bukola Saraki (Kwara), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) as runners up/top contenders sort of , but, T.A Orji of Abia State is not in that list. Why?
Gabriel Suswam of Benue State was also name as one of the two Best Governors in Fiscal Management. Suswam emerged the joint Best Governor in Fiscal Management because of his budgetary discipline and his internal revenue generation drive which has seen the IGR move up from a total of N900 million last year to N3.6 billion in the first 11 months of 2008. The Paper told us that the former member of the House of Representatives was chairman of Appropriation Committee, a position that must have adequately prepared him for the financial management of his state. Projects being executed by his government are generally believed to be within budget and proving value for money.
Liyel Imoke of Cross River won the Best Governor in Tourism. The Paper wrote that Imoke, who succeeded tourism savvy Donald Duke, has enviably carried on with the vision of turning Cross River to the favourite tourist destination in Nigeria. He has maintained and expanded the Obudu Cattle Ranch project, completed the Tinapa project as well as added more glamour and international touch to the yearly Christmas Carnival. The Paper further named Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi) as runners up/ top contenders and in that list, the name of T.A. Orji of Abia State is missing here. Why?
Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State was named the Best Governor in Healthcare. The Paper wrote that the governor, a medical doctor, has worked relentlessly to improve healthcare delivery in the state. His initiative, D3 (Delta Diaspora Direct), is rejuvenating the health sector in the state. The state is proving free maternal healthcare, in addition to bringing back the state’s medical exports to come and help improve service delivery in the state. The state is also about to take delivery of medical equipment which it sourced from the United States to turn around its healthcare system. The Paper further named Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Gabriel Suswam (Benue ), Namadi Sambo (Kaduna), and Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi) as runners up/top contenders. Why is T.A Orji’s name missing here?
Sule Lamido of Jigawa State was named the Best Governor in Education. Because, in education, according to the Paper, Lamido was picked as the best even though the state faced a stiff challenge from Kano, Zamfara, Kwara and Lagos States! Lamido’s initiatives, which include a comprehensive rehabilitation of classroom facilities for conducive learning and retraining of the teachers both at primary and secondary school levels, were considered to be far-reaching and worthy of emulation. The paper also named Aliyu Shinkafi (Zamfara), Babatunde Fashola ( Lagos), Bukola Saraki (Kwara), Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano) as runners up/top contenders, but, where is T.A.Orji´s name then?
Bukola Saraki of Kwara State was named the Best Governor in Food Security because; according to the Paper, he has continued to consolidate on his agricultural programme with the production of milk and yoghurt by local farmers who are benefiting directly from the expertise of Zimbabwean farmers in the state. Kwara has also entered into partnership with a Syrian company to produce about 10 million chickens in a year, while its rice project in Lukulade has continued to empower local farmers and boost foot productivity. The paper also named Babangida Aliyu ( Niger), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano ), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Namadi Sambo (Kaduna) and why is T.A. Orji’s name not in the list here?
Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State was named the Best Governor in Infrastructure. Because, Fashola, has been widely acknowledged for his articulated approach to governance, but his strides in infrastructural development have drawn attention from far and wide. His efforts at giving the state a facelift through the beautification project as well as road construction are also widely acknowledged. The runners up /top contenders here are Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Gabriel Suswam (Benue ), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Peter Obi (Anambra), Sullivan Chime (Enugu). Orji’s name didn’t appear here despite his claim to have built many infrastructure like roads in the state since taking office. My people say that “a person doesn’t need a mirror to look at a bangle on the wrist (Ihe agba la aka, adighi eji nyoo ele´ya). Why didn’t T.A Orji of Abia State make any of the lists (From A-Z)? My people would have proverbially asked “Is it that the barber does not know how to shave or that the shaving blade is not sharp (obu na okpu isi amaghi akpu, ka obu na agüba adighi nkö)?
This writer has no friends or foes in high places; anybody that works for the good of his people, is this writer’s friend and anybody that caters only for his or her interest alone, is not a friend of this writer. The well being of the people of Nigeria is all that I am after and when majority of Nigerians are happy and satisfied, then I will have joy and will be fulfilled; so anybody that wants me as a friend should serve his people well, that’s my only price.
As the governor and his friends celebrate this victory with sumptuous meals and cartons of champagne, let them not forget that in Abia State, there are thousands who can’t afford a meal a day and has no safe drinking water. Now that he has won, let T.A. Orji get cracking, no more excuses.
All the same, I congratulate Gov. T.A. Orji for winning the case and do wish him success right from now because for the past two years, he has been a big failure. I implore him to start showing Abians why he “won” the election, because before now, the Abians never felt any government presence in all spheres. I hope he will start working for the good of all Abians and will do that with the fear of God. THE THANKS IS ALL YOURS!!!
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