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Tag: Theodore Orji

  • ‘Orji’s son not disqualified from polls’

    Abia State has debunked media reports on the disqualification of Chinedum Orji, son of Governor Theodore Orji, from contesting a House of Assembly’s seat in next year’s election.

    It attributed the report to alleged political adversaries of the governor.

    Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr A.C.B. Agbazuere, said the younger Orji, contrary to the report, appeared before the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) screening committee and was cleared to contest.

    A national daily (not The Nation) had last Wednesday reported that Orji, an engineer, was disqualified by the screening appeal panel because he had been issued a clearance certificate by the earlier screening committee without making an appearance.

    The commissioner also denied media report alleging that the aspirant was a member of a secret society.

    Agbazuere expressed bewilderment at the allegation, describing them as a handiwork of mischief-makers.

  • Court adjourns Orji’s son’s case

    Court adjourns Orji’s son’s case

    A suit instituted against The Sun  and one of its reporters, Ebere Wabara, by the eldest son of Abia State Governor Theodore Orji, Chinedu, has been adjourned till December 15.

    The case is before an Abia State High Court sitting at Ohafia in Ohafia Local Government. It was adjourned for preliminary hearing.

    Orji, an engineer, filed the suit on April 8, claiming N5billion damages for alleged libel, saying he was called a terrorist. He also wanted an apology to be published in the newspaper.

    Orji sought an order restraining the defendants or their agents from further writing, printing and publishing “the libellous matter or a similar one against him until the case has been determined.”

    Ruling on the request by the counsel to the claimant for an adjournment, Justice Amanze Chikwendu Chioma granted it to enable the claimant’s lawyer reply to the preliminary application.

    Addressing reporters after the adjournment, counsel to the claimant, Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), said the defence lawyer served his team the application inside the court at the last sitting, which necessitated that they should reply to the application.

    He said they would have responded to the application within seven days, but for the Federal Government declaration of public holidays, which made his team unable to respond.

    Uzoukwu said: “The public holidays affected our time to reply. We were unable to do it until after seven days when they filed their reply. This is why the case cannot continue today, while they prefer an adjournment.”

    The court, however, dismissed an application for the award of N200,000 costs against the claimant because of the adjournment.

  • Governor’s son picks House of Assembly form

    Governor’s son picks House of Assembly form

    Abia State Governor Theodore Orji’s eldest son, Chinedu, has picked the nomination and expression of interest forms to vie for the Umuahia Central Constituency ticket.

    Speaking with The Nation in Umuahia, he said he was under pressure from his people to represent them in the House of Assembly to consolidate on his good programmes for youths.

    Chinedu said he was going to the Assembly not to become the Speaker, but to give quality representation to the constituents.

     

  • 2015: Tension grips Abia PDP over adoption of candidate

    2015: Tension grips Abia PDP over adoption of candidate

    •Party torn between old PPA, PDP members

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State appears to have been gripped by tension over a plot by powerful forces to ease out state and local government officials of the party, ahead of next month’s governorship primaries.

    The plot, which started last week, has polarised leaders and created anxiety among members.

    Sources close to the chapter said a showdown is looming between officials and Governor Theodore Orji, whose son, Chinedu, is said to have been fingered in the 2015 moves.

    They said: “There are fears of an imminent implosion in the party unless the national leadership intervenes.  Top officers complain that members are divided down the line, as they have relapsed into the cleavage of the old members of the party and those from the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA).”

    It was alleged that the forces seeking to impose a particular governorship aspirant on the party comprise former members of the PPA, which originally produced the governor and that the forces have set up a congress and a primary election committee headed by a cousin of the governor, Mr. Charles Ogbonna.

    Although the committee was announced by the former chairman, Senator Emma Nwaka, the founding members claimed that the list was forced down Nwaka’s throat.

    Sources said the original PPA members are rooting for the endorsement of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as the governorship candidate of the PDP.

    A source, however, said the silence of the PDP leaders, who facilitated the entry of Orji into the party, is an ominous signal, as the national secretariat is yet to communicate its stand on the developments in Abia.

    It was also learnt that the PPA caucus in the Abia PDP has drawn up a list of Abia politicians, who will not be elected as governor, deputy governor, senators, House of Representatives and House of Assembly members, while a list of possible members of the Assembly is also said to have been compiled.

    The move is said to have been perfected to pave the way for the emergence of a preferred candidate, possibly the governor’s son, as the next Speaker, a source said.

    “It is confirmed that those behind the plot will ensure that no old member of the House is returned in 2015 to pave the way for the possible emergence of a man called Ikuku as the Speaker of the House,” a source noted.

    Another party official said: “Members are worried about the silence of the party stakeholders, especially people like the former chairman of PDP, Vincent Ogbulafor, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, among others.

    “Their silence portends danger and nobody is comfortable with the development. Nobody knows the position of the national leadership. We are inundated with test messages attacking not only Ikuku and the governor’s family, but also mobilising the indigenes against our great party.”

  • Abia govt and workers’ welfare

    SIR: I refer to an article on page 20 of The Nation, Friday October 17,  authored by one Ibe A Uche titled Abia government and workers’ salaries. In the article, the author maliciously tried to portray the Abia government in bad light in the area of workers’ welfare. Even though, he acknowledged the decline in the monthly federation allocation to the states in recent times which is affecting governance one way or other, he turned the logic upside down on the true situation in Abia State.

    Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State before joining partisan politics was a renowned public servant who spent greater part of his youthful life in the civil service of Old Imo State and Abia State. On assumption office in 2007, his administration inherited N29billion debt from his predecessor which included 10 months salary owed local government workers and others.

    His administration liquidated the unpaid salaries.

    The government moved quickly to promote workers whose promotions have been stunted over the years following the politicization of the service by the previous administration. For the workers, it was a dream come true as some of them got triple promotions with their entitlements and other perks paid without delay. Those who were due for retirement, but decided to sit tight were retired and settled. The government commenced the construction of workers’ secretariat, first of its kind in the whole of South-east zone. Today the secretariat has been completed and occupied by the workers just as the Old secretariat has been renovated to international standard and is operational now.

    It is pertinent to know that since the present government assumed office, workers have not embarked on strike because the government has been living up to its expectations. That is why the workers on two different fora conferred award on governor Orji as workers’ friendly governor.  While other state governors foot-dragged and are still foot-dragging on the payment of N18,000 minimum, Governor Orji’s government was the first to pay. Instead of the N18,000 approved minimum wage, Governor Orji’s government is paying workers N21,000.

    For the tertiary institutions in the state namely Abia State Polytechnic Aba, Abia State University Uturu and others, the present administration increased their subventions astronomically from N29 million to N95 million monthly.

    Towards the end of last year, government released the sum of N5.4 billion to the management of the state university, ABSU to tackle infrastructure projects in the school. The government also restored peace and harmony between the University and its host community, complete liquidation of the arrears of six month salaries of staff, which gulped a whopping sum of N960 million. The government had also redeemed her promise to implement the 2009 FGN/University Staff union’s package in the University from January 2011 which cost the Government an additional N528 million. This is apart from their monthly subvention and Internally Generated Revenue from tuition fees and others.

    As it is today workers in the State are not at loggerhead with the state governor neither are they on strike. If they have grudges against the government, they know the appropriate channels to take, not pages of newspaper.

    • Dr. Romanus Uwa,

    Aba Abia State.

  • Jonathan, PDP governors meet over primaries

    Jonathan, PDP governors meet over primaries

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday night met behind closed doors with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors at the Presidential Vila, Abuja, over forthcoming primaries of the party.

    This was disclosed by some of the state governors, who briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.

    They said the meeting also brainstormed on how to reposition the party to serve Nigerians better.

    Governor Theodore Orji of Abia said; “We discussed our party and the primaries that will soon come. We looked at how to fortify our party to avoid rancour or infighting to enable us do very well both in the primaries and general election in 2015.”

    He said that the reported clash between PDP governors and the party’s national leadership over endorsement of candidates at the state chapters did not come up for discussion.

    According to him, the party’s governorship candidates would emerge through free and transparent primaries contrary to reports of endorsements in the media.

    Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina said the meeting evaluated strategies for a successful conduct of the party’s forthcoming primaries.

    At the venue, Adamawa State Governor, Bala Ngilari, described the political atmosphere in the state as stable, stressing that the people were happy with the delivery of justice in his case.

    He said: “The political situation in Adamawa is very stable, I can assure you. The people are very happy. You know, the common man appreciates when justice is done at all times. They are very happy; you can do your independent verification.

    “All the reported noise in some quarters that heavens will fall because of my swearing in, nothing like that has happened. I thank the people of Adamawa for their massive support and we promise to keep faith with them,’’ he said

    According to him, the executive and legislative arms of the state government were not at loggerheads and are working cordially together.

    Among the governors at the meeting were – Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe) and Martin Elechi (Ebonyi).

    Others were – Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), and Umar Garba (Acting Governor of Taraba).

    Also present were – Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Jonah Many (Plateau) and the deputy governors of Kogi and Nasarawa States.

     

  • Bad roads: PDP committee to invite Works minister

    The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and leader of the party’s Publicity and Evaluation Committee, Mr. Olisa Metu, has said the committee would invite Works Minister Mike Onolememe to revisit federal roads in Aba.

    He said besides revisiting the roads, which are in a deplorable condition, there was need for the minister to intervene in federal roads in the Southeast.

    Speaking with reporters in Umuahia after inspecting projects by the Governor Theodore Orji administration, Metu said although some of the federal roads are under reconstruction, more work needs to be done.

    He said the quality of work they have seen is of high standard and worthy of emulation, adding that they never expected less from a PDP government, which had given the country 15 years of achievements.

    Metu said: “During our tour of Abia State, we saw the diagnostics centre, dialysis centre and eye and heart centres, which people in the state and outside have been accessing.

    “We also saw the new international conference centre, which is the best in the zone and number three in the country, the secretariat and the e-library, the only one in the Southeast.

    “We cannot stop talking about the e- documentation and the Joint Allocation Committee Building, as well as the Ohobo Housing Estate and other estates and the Ohiya Power Station.

    “In all the things we saw, we are happy to report that our PDP governors have been doing well. We are happy with the Orji administration for its achievements.”

    He said based on the things they saw, there was a media war against the government “because the things the governor has done have not been reported by the media.”

  • Abia 2015: Orji’s aide, Ikeazu, joins guber race

    Abia 2015: Orji’s aide, Ikeazu, joins guber race

    THE last has not been heard about the people who are interested in succeeding the incumbent governor, Chief Theodore Orji, come 2015, as one of his aides, and the General Manager of Abia State Environmental Agency [ASEPA], Dr Okezie Ikeazu, has resigned from office to join the race.

    The resignation, which may have a rippling effect on the environmental sanitation condition of Aba, the commercial city of Abia State, has swelled the number of contestants for the seat to eight for those jostling to take over from the incumbent governor come 2015.

    Speaking with news men in his office in Aba yesterday, Ikpeazu announced his resignation, saying it was in furtherance of his intention to vie for the governorship of Abia State.

    He said he had already forwarded his resignation letter to Governor Theodore Orji, adding that his resignation took effect from October 10, 2014 after 15 months he was specifically assigned to keep Aba clean, which he has done to the best of his ability.

    He said, “I am certain that there are still a lot to be done and I am equally convinced that my desire to become the next governor of Abia State will afford me a better opportunity to complete the clean-up, rebirth and rebuild our community in a more sustainable and holistic fashion”.

    Ikpeazu, who is a biochemist, said his experience within the corridors of politics which spanned over 20 years has imbued in him the capacity to succeed, hence his confidence that he possessed the capacity to analyse the critical proactive solutions of the state’s development challenges.

    He added, “I represent the home-bred stock of politicians in this clime with the requisite dynamism to harness all progressive-minded elements within and outside our environment.”

  • I can sacrifice my life for Nigeria -Orji

    I can sacrifice my life for Nigeria -Orji

    THE governor of Abia State and chairman, South East Governor’s forum, Chief Theodore Orji, has said that the national honour bestowed on him by the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, will spur him to greater action for the service of the people.

    Speaking in Umuahia on his return to the state from Abuja after receiving the national award, Orji said with the honour done to him, he will work harder to render service to the people of the state and the country at large.

    Orji said: “The national honour done to me by the country will spur me to more positive action for both the state and the country, and this includes sacrificing my life for the good of the state and country at any given time”.

    The governor noted that there is reward for everyone who has in one way or the other served his people diligently. “Such reward could come in various forms either in cash, in kind or through the reward like the national, honour given to people like us”, he said.

    On his absence at the last Ohaneze Ndigbo meeting held in Awka, Anambra State, Orji said, “My absence from Ohaneze Ndigbo held at Awka was a result of the national honours given to me and my brother, Governor Chime of Enugu State, but I sent someone to represent me. I am a committed man to the course of Igbo race.”

     

  • Orji tasks Muslims on peace, security

    Orji tasks Muslims on peace, security

    Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, has called on Muslims in the country to engage in activities that will only promote peace, security and unity.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Charles Ajunwa, Orji charged Muslims to dedicate this year’s Sallah to prayers for the peace and unity of Nigeria.

    Orji noted that the war against insurgency was more spiritual than physical and could only be won through fervent prayers.

    He called for prayers in support of soldiers and other security agents putting their lives on the line in defence of the country.

    “Our prayers to God will help them in the war against insurgency,” he stressed.

    Orji enjoined Muslims to eschew violence and seek peace with their neighbours in keeping with the tenets of Islam.

    He also appealed to all Nigerians to be patriotic and put the interest of the country above parochial interests.