WHY ALL THE COMPLAINTS?

Once upon a time, the scriptures tells us that the people of Israel were in captivity for 430 years and God sent a man called Moses to bring them out and to the promised land - Exodus 3: 7-9.

I have observed and read the several untrue accounts been ciruclated by enemies of progress and opponents of the current government of Abia state and would like to lend my voice to correct some of the misinformation peddled as untruths in the public domain. I must clarify that I am not a praise singer but would not sit idly by and watch the trend of events.

It is a known fact that in the last dispensation, Abians were silent and did not participate in the running of affairs of the state. The elite, middle and low class were afraid to demand their rights. Well meaning citizens hurriedly evacuated the state for fear of the ruling government.  I wonder where all the critics and loud talkers were then? Today, we have a listening government in power and the opposition and their agents are doing their best to blame the Governor for any mishap that occurs in the state.

I live in Umuahia and have seen firsthand the various developmental projects been undertaken by the state government. There are also several schemes been established to provide jobs for unemployed abians. I just saw a website where lots of ongoing and completed projects are displayed for the public to see: www.abiatoday.blogspot.com and it is obvious that the government is working. You can visit it to see for yourself.

THE ISSUE OF ABA:

The state of affairs in Aba did not start today but has existed over the years and deteriorated in the last decade. Any right thinking individual would not expect that everything would turn around overnight. The government has already commenced the implementation of its master plan for development in Aba. At least, today Aba is different from the way it was in the last decade.  Remember, Rome was not built in a day.

 
If you follow the scriptures, some years after their departure from the land of captivity enroute the promised land, the children of Israel began to complain, murmur and grumble prefering to return to captivity than pass through seeming 'inconveniences' for a little while. May Abians not exhibit the same character but remain positive, supportive while proferring solutions and suggestions that would help the government.

Charles Ejike Nwankwo
Business Development Consultant/ Strategist
charlesnwa2000@yahoo.com

Abia’s Investment Policy Will Provide Entry And Exit Plans For Investors'

Sampson Orji is Abia State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry. He spoke on completed and on going projects in the state after the state Governor, Theodore Orji commissioned some completed road projects in Umuahia, the state capital, recently.  Orji challenged critics of the governor to visit Abia and see things for themselves rather than engage in unconstructive criticisms.

What’s your quarrel with Governor Orji’s critics?
When a critic is constructive and persuasive with superior argument, I will be inclined to think along with him. But what some popular tabloids and columnists seem to celebrate these days is the corrosive, poorly investigated line of journalism that evades the cardinal principles of what, where, when and how while not situating the points of discourse in their proper perspectives. I feel irresistibly drawn to make a comparison between positive and negative criticisms, when ‘critics’ of Governor T.A. Orji in their lopsided analysis not backed by facts expose the Areal objectives of the sponsors of such criticisms.

On the other hand many reporters and media chiefs who have had the opportunity to visit Abia State to see for themselves what the governor has done in the last 12 months, can attest to the proactive moves of the state government in terms of infrastructure and structural development of a state that had hitherto not witnessed any meaningful development since inception. The areas of emphasis extend to road construction in the rural areas where the farm gate culture is a way of life for the people, a huge infrastructure reclamation of the commercial city of Aba and of course re-designing Umuahia, the state capital, to wear the face of a modern state capital. The list of work in progress is simply impressive and only a discerning and willing observer can patiently take stock of this developmental pace.

The governor recently asked his aides to report the truth not falsehood; why?
His Excellency Governor T.A. Orji could not have asked his aides to report falsehood. He was only making obvious what ought to be seen as the issues on ground. He has concrete achievements to showcase to everyone and these rattle those who believe the governance of the state can be assessed by pandering to falsehood in the public space. The truth is that for every claim made by the state government, the facts are verifiable and since most of the completed and on-going projects are on ground, no previous administration can lay claim to have initiated or completed any. What I am saying in effect is that the governor was right in asking his commissioners, and advisers and all key personnel of his government to report the facts at all times since facts are sacred and verifiable before the public space.

Aba needs a special attention, what is the programme of the state government for the Enyimba city?
The state government has placed great emphasis on road construction and only last week, His Excellency commissioned the completion of crucial road networks that had long been an eyesore to the residents and traders.

The emphasis is to give the people an infrastructure network that can help them in their commercial activities that stretch to the sub-region of West Africa. The essential road networks long identified by government include those connected to neighbouring states such as Rivers and Akwa Ibom, who make use of them to do business in the state. With this in mind the focus extended to the Aba/Owerri Road all the way to Osisioma Junction to Motor Park and down to the Asa–Port Harcourt Road, terminating at the Ala –Oji Express Road. The works ministry in conjunction with the contractors on ground worked on the Bata Opobo Junction from the Bata–Ikot Epkene road junction and now to Ukwu Mango, commissioned by the governor two Fridays ago.

There is no doubt that the Aba resident and businessman today can attest to noticeable changes in a once squalid environment whose key roads were simply impassable. The work still on ground is enormous after years of poor development and decadence. Beyond the reconstruction work going on, these streets and roads call for constant maintenance and this philosophy has helped in the reclamation of Osusu Road. This extends to the Okigwe Road by Ariaria Market as well as the dual expressway from Omme Junction down to John Udeagbala Junction, which is a five kilometre stretch situated along the Port Harcourt–Aba Road. The Eziukwu Road has also been overlaid with asphalt, and the same is true of the Aba-Agbama Road, among many others.

Aba’s drainage system has long been a source of concern to the extent the Ukwu Mango stretch was covered with garbage and stalls and houses built on it. This is history as Ukwu Mango has been reclaimed just as the need to fix the entire drainage system in Aba is a major challenge, with the construction of the Osisioma Modern Motor Park and asphalt overlay of major roads in Aba.

What problems were on ground when you assumed duty as Commissioner for Commerce and Industry?
One was stifling bureaucracy and lack of vision to drive the industrial and commercial setting of the state, no demographic profile of trades and traders, and a well articulated design for revamping the moribund industries. These industries include among others, the Golden Guinea Breweries, International Glass Industry, Aba, Aba textile Mills, Modern Ceramics-Umuahia, the metallurgical complex, Aba, Abia Hotels, Enyimba Hotels, Aba and many more. If these industrial complexes are revived, they will be able to absorb over 80 per cent of the unemployed people in the state. I inherited all of these and have long given them a prioritised attention.

At the commercial end, there is what we have identified as unwieldy trading activities going on at every nook and corner of Aba, the commercial city of Abia. Such activities turned the city of Aba into one large monolithic market. There was no difference between the residential and trading zones. Then there is the enormous amount of refuse generated and dumped indiscriminately at every turn both in residential and non-residential parts of the city. Naturally, these have affected drainage as the various outlets for such drainages became blocked.  Notwithstanding the Governor’s directive to relocate these traders to designated markets, they were adamant, prompting him to set up the Environmental and Allied Task Force, which is being housed by my ministry.

What is your game plan for resolving these contradictions?
First the basic operation of the task force the Governor inaugurated was primarily to compel compliance to Government directives and instill sanity in the market place. This task force – the Environmental and Allied Task Force – was charged to keep Aba clean and relocate traders to designated markets. We manage the operations of this task force and this has afforded me the opportunity to record a reasonable success so far in terms of sanitising the city. It is painful to government that the obstinacy of the traders will leave it with no option. Even the governor daily laments to us that the operations of the task force must be laced with human face. It is a daily operation and it is not cheap. Except for the governor’s determination, it would have been impossible to sustain the operation beyond one month. So far the exercise itself has opened up new investment opportunities as investors are embarking on construction of new markets.

How do you intend to revive these moribund industries in the state?
First, I’m carrying out a technical evaluation of these moribund industries to enable us approach foreign investors. This evaluation extends to financial audit. The government’s investment policy will provide entry and exit plans for the investors. Yet I must admit we have a handicap here. Let me use Golden Guinea Breweries as an example. Government allocates funds to help maintain the salaries of its skeletal staff as well as keep the plant and its premises in good shape. This allocation remains constant, yet government does not have the latitude to dissolve the board and management because the brewery is a publicly quoted company (Plc). We have approached Budweiser, the Sona Group, Heineken and South Africa Breweries. We cannot just come in to turn around the fortunes of these industries. We cannot just dissolve the board by executive fiat. The situation right now is that we are talking to the management and board to agree with us on the take off plan and we are going to summon an AGM of share holders to fine tune these details.

On the Modern Ceramics, the industry was concessioned to the Catholic Church but unfortunately no major turn around has taken place since the take over deal. We are yet to know what their problems are and why the management has not gone into full production.  But there are very strong plans to revamp all moribund industries in the state.

EXCERPTS OF THE INTERVIEW WITH SAMPSON ORJI, ABIA STATE COMMISSIONER FOR COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY BY ONYEDIKA AGBO OF THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPERS - 14/04/2012

INFRASTRUCTURAL MILESTONES OF GOV. T. A. ORJI AMIDST DIVERSIONARY CRITICS AND HIRELINGS

By Iyke Ogbonnaya
Iyke1999@yahoo.co.uk

I recently took a scheduled official trip to Abuja and during one of the social frenzies, I and my dependable friend of University years anchored at one of the numerous spots in the capital territory to unwind and exchange banters and pleasantries. Scarcely had we settled down to order our delights than my friend fired me a salvo: “what do you make of this allegation that Governor T.A. Orji visits Abuja on a weekly basis and each which gulps a lot of money?” This was among other diatribes authored by one Mr. Okhiria Agbonsuremi, who as it where, operates behind the envelope created by Ray Power 100.5FM Abuja: “Political Platform” to hurl all manners of outrageous vituperations on innocent public office holders like Governor T.A. Orji of Abia State. I acknowledge in totality, the recent position of Ochendo T.A. Orji, during one of his publications, which sought to welcome criticisms and or public perspectives on seeming interactable matters so long as it is done with an air of civility and decorum of conduct. My confirmatory enquires on the existence of the programme and Mr. Okhiria Agbonsuremi's penchant for making Abia his daily subject of discussion, got me livid with anger, having reconciled same with what is presently the situation at home, and the deadly extent some of us in the pen-profession can go in propagating our malicious falsehood.

If the government of Governor T.A. Orji decides to engage Mr. Agbonsuremi in a legal debacle, will he provide evidence to substantiate his wishy-washy claim that the only thing a sitting governor in the capacity of Chief T.A. Orji does is to stroll into Abuja every week, waste money, go back to Abia and wait for another week. Haba!! This is the height of media caricature. The journalism we profess demands that you consult the two sides to an issue before domiciling it in the public knowledge. I can beat my chest to posit without fear of contradiction that Mr. Agbonsuremi has not made any overtures to any of Governor T.A. Orji's aides with a view to clarifying and or denying his fabricated concoctions. To think that Mr. Agbonsuremi has been feeding Abians resident in Abuja with this incredulous hoax makes it more saddening. I have had course to ask: “of what benefit will it be to a man of Edo origin to cause confusion and disaffection in Abia where he has no stake, if not on the simple premise that he is acting an authored script to satisfy some perceived interest who do not want to identify with the new face of Abia State?

Again, I want to acknowledge another intelligent observation of Abia State Governor which was recently made public during one of his media outing: “Some people have eyes, but mischievously choose to remain blind; otherwise, they will admit that our genuine effort at providing the dividends of democracy is yielding fruits, and they will remain blind.” Mr. Agbonsuremi opted for this class of blind and politically maimed folks whose mind-set is programmed to under-mine others. Else he would have struggled to see the now dualized federal Aba –Owerri road having claimed that he visited Abia on official visit and did not see a single construction work going on anywhere.

A black mailing journalist like Agbonsuremi in my candid opinion should not be prominently positioned to ply his trade in a credible medium like Ray Power 100.5fm Abuja to avoid his verbal abuse on peaceful public servants like Governor T.A. Orji who do not curry praises through gratifications. His stout and principled position is that Chief Sam Mbakwe of blessed memory suffered the same fate but today people have counted miles to adjudge him a performer.

It will not be strategically expedient to further dissipate precious energy reacting to the amusing and obvious obscenities of Mr. Agbonsuremi but not before I draw his attention to numerous infrastructural strides of Governor T.A. Orji, which has even been aired on African independent Television. Management of Daar Communications Plc, which as it were, superintends over these subsidiaries, should not erode our confidence by condoning the frivolities of employees like Mr. Agbonsuremi. I may not be holding brief for others, but his constant and hyperbolic utterance is over staying its welcome in the ears of numerous listeners of Ray power 100.5fm Abuja.

Against the back drop of obvious and glaring paucity of funds largely championed by abysmally low and insufficient federation allocation, and recently aggravated by the destructive global economic melt-down, Governor T.A. Orji has comparatively and conscientiously instituted a reliable path-way for the attainment of infrastructural and socio-economic light for Abia State. Consequently, we are well aware that in the face of a fluctuating allocation, which hovers at boom time between 3- 3.5 billion naira monthly, Abia State whose civil service emolument has risen to N2.5 billion, will in a matter of months take possession of their new twin and ultra modern workers secretariat. This will be closely followed with the investor's magneting International Conference Centre with the capacity to seat over 3500 participants. The old and existing workers secretariat is having a touch of modernity so as to synchronize with the emerging new look at Ogwurube Layout upon which the amazing Central Bank of Nigeria and the re-built Customary Court of Appeal are situated.

A Shouting distance from the Customary Court of Appeal will un-wrap the fast sprouting new government house Umuahia, which succeeding administrations in Abia State have not mustered the courage to bequeath the state. This is just as the project-dominated initiatives of Governor T.A. Orji will not permit him to leave the State Broadcasting Service alone. The contractor handling the office complex of the station recently reiterated his determination to deliver on or before the expiration of June.

The new office complex for judges at the State High Court is rapidly being constructed. In the same vein, Commissioners' Quarters, is receiving massive expansion with the addition of new buildings. Few months' back, the new and Ultra-Modern Planning Commission was dedicate by Governor T.A. Orji himself, for optimum execution of government business.

The Governor has also commissioned the Merry Go Round Ahia-Eke –Umunna-Orpet Road that connected the World Bank-Agbama Road. Same day also heralded the celebration of Okwuta-Bende Link road all situated in Abia Central, which proudly plays host to Umuahia, the State Capital.

The destructive voyage of Mr. Agbonsuremi to Abia if he made any beclouded his sense of objective judgment. In a bid to satisfy his piper blowers, he ignored the exhilarating and pervading sigh of relief ruling the air in Aba, African's commercial hub.

Located in the southern geo-political configuration of Abia State, the verifiable reality is that things are looking up in Aba now. The emotional and fatherly concern of Governor T.A. Orji in the first instance compelled him to urgently award the construction of an over-head bridge at Abia State Polytechnic, Aba. This strategic and calculative intervention is presently mitigating against incessant road mishap which occurs at the Polytechnic's gate.

De-flooding and construction of drainage at the popular Ukwu-Mango to connect A line at the Ariaria International Market, opened up Faulks Road. Informed and objective minded Abians are perfectly in the know that before now, the Ukwu-Mango - Faulks road, was a dead end and residents of Aba have lived with this nightmare for over 20 years. The good news is that a thoroughfare from Faulks road will ultimately terminate at the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road end of Ariaria International Market. How else can we describe a groundbreaking move, if this is not one? The flood prone Ohanku road has been connected to Ehi Road. A drainage work is on going at the East end by Dan Fodio. This will see to it that collected floods are emptied at waterside. Construction of Port-Harcourt road is being complemented with drainage, coupled with de-silting of blocked flood channels to facilitate the comprehensive collection and evacuation of floodwater. At Osisioma junction, same flood concern is being tackled, after which the Osisioma-Ekeakpara road will be re-constructed. The East/Ahia Udele-water side erosion control is a commendable effort of Governor T.A. Orji's government. His people oriented government is dealing with the Obikabia-Isiala Ngwa North express road. The Obohia-Ugwunagbo road is on going, and it is the situation at cemetery road, Ehere road, Umuola road and Old Express-Samec road.

In Abia North, the Governor's onslaught on infrastructural challenge has been awe-inspiring. Ohafia Arochukwu road is being rapidly constructed. Same is the case at Ndioji, Ndiokereke-Abam road, Amekpu-Okagwe Ohafia road, Umuahia-Nkpa-Express road, Nunya-Eluama-Isuikwuato road, Ovim-Acha Isuikwuato road, Ozuitem-Umuhuezechi – Abam road and Imo Bridge at Nneato.

Time and space will obviously constrain me to further educate gropping critics like Agbonsuremi, that Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre located in Umuahia and Aba is already admitting patients from neighbouring states who throng the hospital with critical and delicate ailments like livers, heart, kidney, eye and other allied challenges. This is in addition to over 210 health centers located in all the nooks and crannies of the state, and the diagnostic center is freely available for Mr Agbonsuremi to do a mental check up so as to enable him crosscheck facts before playing to the gallery.

As earlier on somewhere indicated, these submissions are verifiable and for which I challenge the likes of Mr. Agbonsuremi to officially visit Abia State with a view to ascertaining the veracity of this claim or otherwise. Armchair critics, whose indulgence is to deride the innocent, will before long crash their career. Let us look before we leap and refrain from un-solicited exaggeration of Abia matters. Governor T.A. Orji is not in the league of those who institute democratic dividends on the blitz of media platforms.

The state is evidently on-course and in the words of Chief T.A. Orji, history will vindicate the just.

Culled from:http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/nvnews/87394/1/infrastructural-milestones-of-gov-t-a-orji-amidst-.html

CAVEAT EMPTOR: REAGAN UFOMBA

Benjamin Franklin, an American author, printer, philosopher, diplomat, scientist and inventor,

who lived between 1706 and 1760 can be described as a man who saw it all. One of his wise words etched on the marble states succinctly that ‘it is hard for an empty bag to stand erect.’ This was recently manifested by Reagan Ufomba in his publication of Monday 26, 2012 on Daily Sun Newspaper. It is equally a known adage that empty vessels make the largest noise and Reagan did exactly that,  trying vainly to cast aspersion on the person of Chief T A Orji. Sample these past deeds of the self-styled Governorship hopeful and you will judge the man Reagan. Reagan Ufomba came into public glare in the Orji Uzor Kalu era in Abia State as a special assistant on projects, a post he held for over five years without elevation due to his unsavory assistance. This is no surprise as the above author came to his rescue when he stated that ‘you can give a man an office, but you cannot give him discretion’. Before this time, little was known about him except that he jumped out of a seminary and short circuited a priestly bid and so remained a man with divine curse. Other credentials smirk of crime, calumny unbridled duplicity and serial mendacity. Take these for samples: In 1994, Reagan published an obituary of himself to dodge creditors he swindled. Some years later, he persuaded his people to pay a counterpart fund for a non-existent water project and churned out lies  in defence until the youths of his community rolled out tanks against him where he made a plea to save his uninspiring life. This episode led a heartbroken mother who expected to be addressed as MAMA Father to a heart attack that later killed her.

His marriage is another tale of woes. Not intent on living with a woman all his life, he abandoned his wife in Lagos and lived at his Umuogele Nsulu home with a comfort lady who doubled as a secretary. This ugly union led to the birth of twins in which one half survived. In his true to type lifestyle of not excelling at anything, even if it is in cooking Indomie noodles, the union ended in child custody battle that battered the lady until she died mysteriously.

If you are still reading, Reagan floated a dubious cement factory that was billed to beat Dangote in cement manufacture. He successfully coaxed distributors to part with money as deposits. The cement business which is still in his website never manifested and investors are still duped till today.

While serving as an aide to Orji Uzor, he swindled an Owaza man of not less than four million naira with promise to have an autonomous community carved out for him. As stated earlier, his live is crime incorporated and scandal unlimited. 

Culled from:  http://www.insiderweeklymagazine.com/ed514.php

THIS MAN - REAGAN UFOMBA!!!

BY EJIMNKONYE OGUOFOR

Story, story, story all the time...does this man actually want us to take him seriously? He says abia elites and leaders are in support of Gov T A Orji, but did not tell the world why all well meaning abians ostracised him and his dubious politicking. The truth is that Mr. Ufomba has deep deficiency of character and is so untrustworthy that even his kinsmen in Ntigha have roundly rejected him not just in the last elections but in their various town union activities. He should go ahead and publish all that he claims he has on the elections. 

As a bad loser, he finds it difficult to distinguish between constructive criticism based on policies and issues and rabblerousing borne out of bitterness and envy. Because he is out of business, he finds time to concoct tales with the singular aim of distracting the government. Elections are not won on the pages of newspapers but it is the people who choose their leaders. Dejected Reagan should realise this and shut up his demented mind.

Governor T.A. Orji is already transforming the state. Evidence to this abound.

While Reagan Ufomba cowardly abandoned Abia people and busied himself with his many questionable activities during the 8-year reign of Orji Uzor Kalu's despotic regime, Abia patriots fought gallantly to reclaim their political power. The climax of this was the gallant decision of Chief TA Orji to take the bull by the horns and liberate abians from the kalu dynasty. One wonders where Reagan was and what he did during that dark decade? We challenge Reagan who is now been sponsored by Orji Uzor Kalu as is clearly shown by the numerous  interviews exclusively published by Orji Kalu's newspaper to point out any surviving road left by the former governor in aba after ten years. He should also give us a list of five public buildings erected by the former governor in abia state during his reign of terror.

Reagan is nothing but a limbless political lackey looking for job after woefully loosing out in the last elections. Having realized that 419 business is no longer lucrative and in view of the searchlight EFCC has placed on him. He is now relishing in the contrived title of 'opposition' even when he could not win his own ward in a guber contest acclaimed by all and sundry to be free and fair. By the way, even if the election was rigged as he is quick to claim, does it mean that a whole governorship candidate lacks so much clout that he  could not protect the results in the booths in his own ward? His admission that he visits Abia once in every eight months is instructive here. A man like that cannot boast of grassroot support. How can this mad man claim Orji Kalu built Aba General Hospital which was established in the 80s'? how could he ever try to wish away the world class diagnostic centre built by Ochendo? Anyway, the real truth has come out and as Reagan, Ikonne and Orji Kalu regroup, Abians are ever ready to cast out these known demons with their antics.

This is a response to the interviews granted by REAGAN UFOMBA as published in the The Sun & Nation Newspapers on 8th & 9th of April 2012.