By Odimegwu Onwumere
It is a well known saying that leadership is an opportunity to serve and not a trumpet call to self-importance. This is obviously against the position of Governor Theodore A. Orji of Abia State who freshly bamboozled the good people of Abia when he said that he does not praise himself and his government, but later finished himself in bewilderment. He made this disclosure through Ben Onyechere, Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communication. The words of the governor read: “The determination of the Governor of Abia to expose the state to development as it is common knowledge by what he has achieved in a short space of time what previous administrations put together could not attempt. And this is nothing to make noise about as is the belief of the governor…”
The irony of the government in Abia State since Orji came to power over five years ago is that it is always looking for whom to blame for its afflictions from all angles with mendacity and proposition that his immediate predecessor was a thorn in his neck, hence he told the state of its ‘liberation’. Yet, it is sorrowful to see the high degree of negligence to duty during this Orji-led administration. This government is also always making boast of itself that the opposition are at its jugular to pull it down. But if the question must be asked, is there actually a government in Abia State? What can be seen now is a governor who is just titular, always exasperating the good people of Abia State to react, as was his postulations in the aforementioned quote.
Has Orji any trumpet to blow? It could be recalled that in his Nigeria@52 address to the people, there was no tangible thing to hold upon from the governor’s speech. The governor had said that he does not praise himself, but what is this? “Each year of our celebration has become a unique opportunity to appraise our collective journey and all the issues that impact on our politics and economic growth. Despite what remains to be achieved, it can be said that our collective journey into Statehood, Nationhood and Political Leadership, remains a story in courage, as we all struggle to meet the aspirations and expectations of Nigerians, as well as keep our Nation and our communities united under one country,” Orji was sounding like the president of the country, where he was looking for applause, as always.
Because he had nothing tangible to say about Abia State, so he continued to talk about “Nationhood, Politicalhood, and all those hoods. Hear him again: “In our Nation… what should also be paramount in our assessment of the Nation’s achievements should be the sincerity and devotion to service, which each leadership brings into the political enterprise…. Our Government is committed to being the change agent… I know that this has been the less travelled route… our Government has embarked… for a faster realization of our collective dreams… I see this year’s independence anniversary celebration, not just as a time for stock-taking of what we have achieved, but essentially of a re-evaluation of the potentials of our people…”
Governor Orji knew that his government had no stock to take, and good he admitted that. Was he pleading for mercy from the people to understand his non-performance in governance and that they should assist him so that the development he had refused to render the people could reach all the crannies of the state? Hear him again: “Through-out the Nation… our citizens must begin to move away from the anachronistic belief that Governments can alone do everything to develop our Nation and our State. Everywhere, we must all be willing to renew our community spirits of readiness to partner with Governments, in monitoring and developing our communities, cities and the State.”
The governor continued to bring the ‘Nation” into his speech. He did not know his bounds. And the good people of Abia State wish that he could bring boundless development across the towns and villages of the state. He said that he sees an enormous latent of the people in building, and admitted that the people had been enduring a sustainable economy, which he felt was “what is required to strengthen the security of our State”. So, should the people be punished?
He had boasted and pleaded to the people of the state to partner with the government, talking about “kidnappers and general insecurity in the State” he said that the government had “worn” (that was how he put it, instead of ‘won’, which shows the poor media advisers he has). But how has Orji won the clearly poor governance in Abia State? We can go on and on to expose the tribulations of the Orji-led government of Abia State, right from the head to the toe of the aides that surround him.
What are those rigmaroles of the governor? Sometimes one wonders why Governor Orji is good at propaganda over his own people and with a spirit of maliciousness. This has made Ndi-Abia to say in many quarters that they were concerned about the position of ‘governor’ that Orji is occupying against the people’s clamour, which they see as being still vacant. This is a man who sacked non-indigenous Civil Servants in Abia State, thereby showcasing his egocentricity, prejudiced and visionless leadership.
Orji is a governor but in earnest he does not understand the meaning of ‘leadership’, not as a word, but as a practice. This is why an observer cried thus: “T .A. Orji is there because the people of Abia as a whole never associated themselves with governance. They see government as an abstraction hanging somewhere out there. They never associated government with visible, touchable humanbeings. They do not associate their local government chairman as part of government nor counselors who happens to be their brother or sister. The least T.A Orji can do is to list what he has done in each of the local government areas that make up Abia since he became governor.”
Can we see in the just mentioned quote why Orji was using “nationhood” in his speech as coverage? Can we say that Abia State got the leadership it deserved in Orji? No! What Orji calls ‘development’ is the building of a new government house, which for years, has not been completed. He was not talking about the pitiably roads in Abia. “My prayer is that God will deliver Abia and Abians from the hands of evil and selfish rulers. Come 2015, Abia will witness a divine change in real terms,” an observer prayed.
Without doubt, like many people have said, Orji has automatically written his name in the Black Book of misgovernance. People are still very sad about these events. Hear this also from another observer: “What trumpet can he blow? After 2015, it will never be remembered that anybody like T.A ORJI passed through the surface of the earth talkless of being a governor. Somebody should tell me one single achievement of this administration. No road, no school, no hospital, workers are not paid, touts everywhere…”
It has become obvious that Governor T.A Orji hadn’t anything in place to blow any trumpet for. The people are regretting that Orji, who has not even been able to manage himself, is now a governor. He is only good at mouthing off. He had even boasted of doing the work that ensured that the ravaging floods from the bank of River Niger, which visited most states across the country, did not affect Abia State. But the people are telling him to name any specific things he did that made the flooding not to affect Abia State. Propaganda is the worst form of methods in government.
Odimegwu Onwumere who temporarily relocated to Abia State from Rivers State, contributed this piece from Aba. Mobile: +2348032552855. Email: apoet_25@yahoo.com
Odimegwu Onwumere 