Orji liberated Abia State – Obinna, Orji’s media adviser

Senator T A Orji

Don Norman Obinna is the Media Adviser to Senator

Theodore Orji, the immediate past Governor of Abia State
and the Senator representing Abia Central Senatorial district.
In this interview with Robert Awokuse of National Mirror, he
speaks on the political situations in the state among other
issues.

 Excerpts:

It seems Senator Orji has been silent on the floor of the senate
because rather than bills what we see on social media are
sleeping pictures of your boss. What do you make of this?

Well Senator Orji is one of the vibrant senators that made
the 18 NASS sturdy. Abia central senatorial district has
never had it so good in terms of representation until now.

Senator Orji is silent on the floor of the NASS only to the ZEE
world and Telemundo watchers as well as cynics who are
rattled by his performance in less than one year as a
Senator. But to the intellectuals and political watchers,
Senator Orji is simply a sage. Facts are sacrosanct; it is on
record that in eight months as a Senator, T.A Orji has to his
credit seven bills; one of such bills is the famous bill on
incessant plane crash which forced the Board of Accident
Investigation Bureau to go back and look into these things
taken for granted. Both the airline operators and air users are
benefitting from the bill because it addresses salient issues
which were unconsciously omitted which led to some of the
crashes we experienced in the past. As a journalist, I am
sure you were aware that Senator Orji also moved the motion
on the Public Procurement Council. Apart from all these, he
has been very proactive to ensuring the presence of federal
projects in Abia State, though most of these capital projects
do take time to get the consent of the Federal Government,
but as a former governor who commands respect among his
colleagues, coupled with the good relationship he established
between Abia State and the federal government while serving
as governor, the detractors will soon hide their faces in
shame because their worse fear which is political oblivion is
being accelerated by Senator Orji’s qualitative representation.

In his speech in Umuahia in a recent outing, Ochendo said
he librated Abia State. Compare to sister states does Abia
look liberated?

If you knew Abia State before 2007 you would probably
understand why Senator Orji is regarded as the father of
modern Abia politics. Apart from the giant stride he achieved
in infrastructure, the benchmark of his administration was
egalitarianism which led to the unprecedented financial and
political freedom we have today in Abia State. You heard him
say during the occasion you mentioned that the Peoples’
Democratic Party (PDP) government under his watch brought
to stop idolatry in Abia State. You heard him say it openly to
the acquiescence of the large crowd that graced the
occasion that from the time he became governor until now
that Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu ascended the throne of leadership in
Abia State, no commissioner or public office holder would
say that he or she has been taken to any shrine to swear
oath of whatsoever. Would you not call that liberation? You
are one of the living witnesses of what happened in Abia
State during the kidnapping era that threatened the existence
of the state. You saw how through the grace of God T.A Orji
against all odds courageously fought it to standstill and
restored peace in the state. Or have you forgotten the last
gang-up during the last gubernatorial election that almost
undermined what the Abia charter of equity says? Abia State
was like a three legged chair decorated for disaster and
chaos, if not for the bravery of Ochendo who undermined all
selfishness by ensuring that an Ukwa-Ngwa man was given
his political right. Do you know what that means to Abia
State? Probably you would not have remained in the state to
have the peace of mind to conduct this interview as you are
doing right now with ease which was the plan of some
political hawks but thank God for Senator Orji. And I am sure
they are the ones who are blind to his achievements so far in
the NASS.

Does his statement implies that idolatry held sway during his
predecessor’s or is there something we ought to know?

Senator Orji is a nobleman and as a father of modern Abia
politics of course, he has the responsibility incumbent upon
him to prescribe norms of behavior to the upcoming Abia
politicians who regard him as a role model. Instead of going
back to the past, I think it will be more honourable for us to
leverage on the precedent that he has set to see how it can
be used to the best rewarding proportion. What do I mean
by this? Abia State has been set on the right part with a blue
print of where it is expected to be, let’s say in the next 10
years in accordance with the vision of her founding fathers.

Let it be known as it is now that Senator Orji rescued Abia
from the edge of precipice by uniting the entire clan that
made up the state when he stood on the part of justice,
equity and fairness even when such decision would have
cost him his life. You will only realize the gravity of what
Senator Orji did by evaluating the situation in Abia State
during the last gubernatorial election where Abia State was
turned to theatre of war by people who wanted to used the
occasion to probably clamour for state of emergency after
seeing their efforts to destabilize the peace and unity of the
state came to naught. Of course, you can see what that
means to an average Abia man. You witnessed how the
people went to his house in their large number and escorted
him to the venue of the ceremony. That shows the level of
love they have for him. They hold him in high esteem and
you saw that yourself.

Most of your boss’s legacy projects have been abandoned
by his successor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu. What is your boss’s
view on this development?

if I remembered very well, I do not think there is any of
Senator Orji’s legacy project that was not completed.
Besides, in as much as I want to believe that government is
on the continuum, you will also agree with me that dynamism
of the society itself and the ever changing needs of the
people should also be put into consideration. I disagree with
you when you said Ikpeazu abandoned most of his projects
because his administration is less than one year and you and
I are very conversant with the situation in the country as a
result of the global fall in crude oil price. And as a
responsible and responsive government, Dr. Ikpeazu must as
a matter of fact tackle the immediate needs of the people
and gradually take up the capital projects harmoniously to
ensure equilibrium. You can see how he is tackling the road
project even in the face of the economic breakdown. Nothing
is abandoned, every project will be touched as far as
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is concerned, and of course he
promised that. My boss’s view was that Ikpeazu is on the
right track and you heard him say that he will not interfere in
Ikpeazu’s government and would never give any advice
unless he is consulted. But for now Ikpeazu is on the right
track and Senator Orji would be the last to allow him suffer
what he (Orji) suffered. I think you heard him say that? So I
have nothing to add to that.

Can you tell us the benefits his constituency has reaped in
Senator Orji’s nine months as their senator?

God in his wisdom has ensured that every generation must
have a sage who will complement its history. Senator Orji is
a sage in this our generation. Why did I say so? Ochendo
understands that education is the pivot through which all
developmental activities revolve. Because he has his
projection of where he wants Abia State to be in the next 10
years having in mind that the youths are the future of any
state, in less than seven months as a senator, he gave out
scholarship to 60 undergraduates from the six local
government areas that made up his senatorial district, 10
indigent students were selected from each of the local
government. This annual programme will produce 240
graduates in four years and you know what that means in a
contemporary society that places a premium on education.
Ochendo also understands that a healthy nation is a wealthy
nation and as such tomorrow being Saturday, artisans who
could not start their vocation will be empowered. The
physically challenged in their large numbers will be provided
with wheel chairs, fertilizers will be distributed to farmers,
while buses, tricycles and motorcycles will be given out to
the indigents. The aim is to eradicate poverty in the state in
line with the global objective. Thank you.

Culled from The City Reporters.
Www.The city reporters.com