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THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, February 23, 2013
ISSUES AND POLITICS
Calling A Spade By Its Name By Sampson Orji
ANY do not fully understand the M unique and complex background from which Abia State recently emerged. Hitherto, it was a failed state in every sense of the word. For eight years, it remained under the stranglehold of demagoguery; it was a regime that was noted for its inconsistencies in words and actions. But, my task here is to draw a parellel between the erstwhile regime and the present one for purposes of clarity. To
begin with, I d o not agree that the yardstick to measure good governance in Abia State today is one offered by former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu. Because, really, Chief Kalu is guiltier of this charge! In one instance, the former governor accused his successor of and his children of ‘amassing so much wealth’ and went ahead to query the incumbent’s ‘source of wealth.’ But, the question is: what do Governor Theodore A. Orji and his children have that a governor can’t legitimately afford? Now, compare that with the former governor who had an airline, a bank in Gambia and two ocean-liners, among others, as a sitting governor. For the avoidance of doubt, these are two extremes, with a marked difference in perception, emphasis, objectives, values and priority. A person’s true greatness does not fully surface until he vacates the scene; otherwise, the private and public life of the present governor would bear true of an ancient injunction that ‘honour be given to whom it is due.’ It insults the sensibilities of Abians to read Kalu trying unsuccessfully to inflict dent on the character and integrity of Orji. Is it Orji’s that Kalu practically frittered away eight years on the altar of glamour and ostentation and embraced actions that were not exactly in sync with the objectives and logic of collective development? Contrariwise, the conscientious, considerate spirit with which Orji has marked his dealings with people has earned him the respect and admiration of people, like me, and we are in the greater majority of
Abians have been “liberated” and we have no apologies to anybody. We rather have vowed to remain grateful to God for his infinite wisdom and mercy that saw to the emergence of Orji, who came in the caste of Moses- serving in the court of the Pharaohs to receive the requisite training for the arduous task of liberation the Abia populace. He has, by consistent moral uprightness, struck a note on the imperatives of selfless service to Abians, considering public good greater than his personal convenience, a clear departure from what it was in the recent past. According to Chief Melford Okilo: ‘Honour is the practice of right actions.’ This statement bears true of the character and person of Theodore Orji, who diligently served Kalu for eight years, being a career civil servant at the time. No amount of propaganda can impugn the reputation of Governor Orji, or any member of his family, in the eyes of Abians, because what stands sure behind Orji is priceless and timeless. It is beyond the mundane and radiates transcendent value. It is the beauty of his humble, but firm spirit, which daily seeks to practice right actions in service to humanity and worship of God. Sorry, it differs from the prestige conferred by wealth and the material privileges bestowed by class that hallmarked the era of the former governor. Abians have been “liberated” and we have no apologies to anybody. We rather have vowed to remain grateful to God for his infinite wisdom and mercy that saw to the emergence of Orji, who came in the
caste of Moses- serving in the court of the Pharaohs to receive the requisite training for the arduous task of liberation. It is history replayed in Abia. Just as Moses endured the stench of injustice against his people until the appointed time, Orji felt the impact first hand and emerged, against all odds, to fit the man God required for the job. He has never failed to inform all who care to hear that he did not perform this feat by sheer strength or sophistication of his own, but by the divine mandate entrusted on him by God. For me, it is the freedom of speech and after the speech, the restoration of the dignity of all Abia politicians to operate without fear that makes all the difference. The provision of infrastructure by Orji’s administration, which is verifiably litters the state, becomes secondary. The Arab Spring is a testimony that freedom is a basic need of all humans, irrespective of creed or race. If all these are acknowledged, I would need to know what else makes Kalu’s definition of good governance, and let all who love justice and freedom say ‘Amen.’ -Orji, a former member of the Abia State House of Assembly, is the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry
To The Distinguished, Intrepid Orji Uzor Kalu, A Salute By Jackson Nwadike APPRECIATE and adore you as a special genius, an intelligent and shrewd businessman of international repute and a fearless and famous grassroot political leader who fears no battle or foe. In fact, you are the intrepid commander of the progressive forces of Nigerian politics. I salute you. Since your grand entry into the Nigeria political scene in 1992 as a vibrant Member of House of Reps, you have successfully changed the face of politics especially in the Southeast. This explains why you were able to make T.A. Orji, Abia State Governor in the April 2007 polls even while he was in the custody of EFCC. You really made history then. So, it is right to say you are a political giant, the Iroko, the sturdy tree specie of Nigerian politics. To be candid, if there is only one characteristic that defines you, it is your resolute commitment to and defence of truth and principle no matter the price to be paid. I really admire and respect you as an enigma, a man of unwavering courage and determination who is bold enough to tell truth to power. In fact, you are bold, strong and reliable in the just fight against malevolent people in power and scoundrels in high places. Enterprising, frank and fearless OUK, thank God, you are finally back to PDP, the house you labored to build from the foundation together with some other committed party members. Shame on your detractors, the ingrates, traitors, turncoats, unscrupulous people who can sell their birthright for a few naira notes. All those pained, all those furious that you are now back to PDP are free to decamp to another party, if they wish. All those who are fighting against you out of
I
To be candid, if there is only one characteristic that defines you, it is your resolute commitment to and defence of truth and principle no matter the price to be paid. I really admire and respect you as an enigma, a man of unwavering courage and determination who is bold enough to tell truth to power. In fact, you are bold, strong and reliable in the just fight against malevolent people in power and scoundrels in high places. malice shall stumble and fall; their plot against you cannot succeed. No weapon by whatever name called, fashioned or formed against you by your detractors shall prevail and every evil tongue that rises against you in judgment shall be condemned outright. The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be disgraced, defeated before you; they shall come out against you one way and run helter-skelter before you in seven ways. No evil plot against you by your foes shall succeed; indeed, your adversaries will never rejoice over you. By God’s special grace, your foes will sooner or later fade like the grass and whither like the green herb. Surely the LORD will bring your vindication as the light and your right as the noonday. I wish you all the best.