As Governor Theodore Orji led his people to celebrate the state’s 23rd anniversary last week, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, takes a look at Abia State’s journey so far and reports that the ‘legacy projects’ of the outgoing governor, if preserved and put in proper use, are poised to lay fresh foundation for future socio-economic and political development of the state.
Monday, August 25 to Wednesday, August 28, 2014 will remain indelible in the minds of Governor Theodore Orji and the people of Abia State. Throughout those days, and indeed, all through the week, the state government and the people rolled out drums to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the creation of the state.
Created from the old Imo State on 27th August, 1991 by the then military government of General Ibrahim Babangida, the South-East state, with 2006 census population of 2,833.999, is one of the nine constituent states of the Niger Delta region.
The celebration
The colour, the dance and the joy that defined series of activities in Umuahia during the week-long anniversary reveal, according to a retired civil servant, Chief Nkemjika Udoka, “the notion most Abians share today – that in spite of criticisms, Abia, after over two decades of aimless crawling like a baby, has finally found her feet, a solid foundation to rest on in order to commence the journey for future progress and success.”
Chief Udoka, who danced heartily with some women groups, during the Tuesday ceremonies at the Government House, Umuahia, told The Nation: “I am no longer in the service; but I was here when it all began in 1991, when we left Owerri (Imo State capital) to resume in Umuahia here. There were no offices. For over a decade when I was still here, the story remained the same. It continued and many of us, who have visited other states that were created at the same time with our state, were ashamed that we may celebrate our silver jubilee in rented and dilapidated offices. What we are seeing today, two years to the silver jubilee, shows that Abia is poised to wake up after all. That’s why an old man like me wants to dance today,” he said as he hurried off to acknowledge and join approaching Ohafia war dancers.
For the people and their governor, Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji, it is a period of camaraderie and stock taking as they approach the silver jubilee of the state fondly called “God’s Own state.”
Legacy Concept
The 23rd anniversary is described as unique for two reasons: Being the last anniversary the current governor, Orji, would host in that capacity, it is considered an end of a political era and the beginning of another and also a kind of send forth for the governor, or so to say. Secondly, admirers of Orji’s administration say his legacy projects have indeed laid a fresh socio-economic and political foundation for the state and will therefore be considered as the new dawn for Abia.
The argument is that most of the basic infrastructural facilities needed for effective take off and administration of the state were not provided by the previous governments, thus leaving the state dormant and the capital look like an abandoned colonial village. Such basic facilities that remained mere illusion for over two decades in the life of Abia State included a functional secretariat, offices for ministries and parastatals, a befitting capital city, preliminary foundations for development of new cities, modern estates and projects that would launch and sustain new economic base for the state and her people.
Given the absence of these elementary needs, it become clear to all that Abia needed a new beginning, a new foundation. It was his attempt to provide these primary needs, something that should have been done by the pioneers, that are referred to today as Orji’s legacy projects. If you ask him what he would like to be remembered for after his tenure as the governor, Orji, without hesitation would tell you, “I want to be remembered as a legacy governor.”
So, what are these legacies the governor always harps on? Besides intangible but concrete legacies, like creation of conducive political atmosphere for unity, cooperation and progress, maintenance of peace through adequate security of lives and property; Orji refers to provision of the basic infrastructural facilities as the legacy projects.
Talking about these projects, the Abia State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr Eze Chikamnayo, said in a recent interview: “In the last inventory that we took on the achievement of Chief T. A. Orji administration, we had over 10,000 standing projects that we can point at on ground.”
Amongst the most outstanding of these physical projects are the ultra modern International Conference Centre, Umuahia; the new governor’s lodge, the workers secretariat complex, relocation of the old market that was at the centre of Umuahia to a more spacious location, the sprouting Abia State Events Centre at the location of the old market, roads, housing estates and others.
Commenting on the anniversary and Orji’s legacy, Chief Bob Ogbuagu, a nationalist and one of the founding fathers of Abia, reportedly described this period as “the finest hour,” of the state. He added, “I believe in what Ochendo is doing. He is not doing most of them for now but for the future. They are what could pass as foundational projects. I commend him for what he has been able to do so far.”
The governor, in his fraternal message at the current anniversary also emphasised what he set out to achieve and what the anniversary meant to him and to the state. As he puts it: “This year’s Abia Day Celebration is particularly unique in the sense that it will herald the last I will celebrate with Abians in my capacity as their gubernatorial steward. It hurts to say goodbye, but the expediency of exiting when the ovation is loudest cannot be over- emphasised. The inauguration of any endeavour is as vital as its closing activities.
“Today in retrospect evidently brings to life how I was made a trusted instrument to fearlessly drive the much -expected new dawn in Abia, which was desirous of prosperity and a new lease of life.
“The responsibility was enormous with the capacity to make one’s mind skip a bit, especially in the reconciliatory reality of gaping infrastructural decay and political confinement, which had been the pathetic lot of Abia since creation. Application of the much expected template however ushered the needed new horizon.”
Political horizon
Besides physical infrastructure which many agree is primary in the running of the state and for future economic boost, the search for a better Abia has been articulated mostly in the area of politics. Many observers have contended that the political fortunes of Abia since its creation has remained a shame, largely. It has been a long tale of rivalries, quarrels and political intrigues that left the state and her people politically raped in the open gallery.
Hon. Mao Ohuabunwa, a former member of House of Representatives and one of the key players of Abia politics since 1999, captured this development in an interview he granted some editors as part of the preparations for the anniversary. As he puts it: “Immediately we came in, less than a year, the former governor had a problem with the deputy governor. The polity was heated up and from that time, things no longer got better. In 2001, there were serious problems too. Then, we had the Abuja Group with Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, etc leading the bloc. There was Lagos Group, Taliban Group, Home-based Group, name it. There was serious factionalisation and that posed danger to the polity and governance. But today, we no longer hear of Abuja, Taliban, Lagos, Home, Mao Ohuabunwa or Chief Onyema Ugochukwu Group. Today, it’s one group, all running around the governor.”
Given this achievement ahead 2015 general elections, most Abians who spoke to The Nation in Umuahia during the week expressed hope that Orji will employ the same strategy he used in uniting the once warring political foes in Abia to overcome the current debate over power shift.
Already, chants of political battle can be heard loud and clear. So, concerned observers are asking: “Who would be the next governor of Abia State? Who will Ochendo back? How will the current debate between sons and daughters of Ngwa extraction in the Central and South, over zoning of the office of governor, be resolved? Are the other stakeholders in the North, especially Isuikwuato, Item, Nkporo, Alayi, Abiriba, Uzuakoli, Nkpa, Ugwueke and so on, also being carried along adequately to ensure peace, cooperation and a sense of belonging?
As Orji prepares to leave office next year, concerned observers are saying he should personally ensure such pertinent questions are resolved while he is still on seat ahead 2015.
This is so because it seems widely acknowledged today that part of what has been the challenge in Abia politics is application of wrong strategies and or philosophies by some of the past leaders, especially what an analyst summed up as “divisive strategy.”
So, if today, the application of new templates, as governor Orji said, is changing the face and fortunes of Abia state, there are genuine calls for him to apply more of such strategies before 2015.
As Prof. Obasi Igwe, the Guest Lecturer at 23rd Anniversary of Abia pointed out in his paper entitled, “Contemporary Development Strategy in Nigeria: The Abia State Perspective,” “Strategy conceived in terms of means and methods is both unnecessary and redundant without a socioeconomic and political vision, guided by an emotional love for your people, total awareness of their historical and objective conditions, and a patriotic zeal to become a significant factor in addressing them.”
It would appear this is what was missing in Abia political strategy before the current efforts of Orji’s administration. Igwe also made this point when he said “Abia is at a crossroads. A lot needed to be done that was not done since its creation 23 years ago in 1991, until a few years back when Chief T. A. Orji, touched by utter neglect by those earlier trusted to assume their responsibilities, and with almost nothing in the coffers, started amidst divers additional challenges imposed on him, to do something to actually inaugurate the process of building up Abia State.”
From all indications, it is evident that this is just the beginning of the journey for Abia greatness.
