God's Own State...The Devil's Dynasty

Abia Tower

Why is Abia God's Own State?

Not many people know that ABIA was coined from Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato, and Afikpo which happened to be the densely populated areas of the 1991 state carved out of the then old Imo. With 17 LGAs currently, the state can't be said to be a small time player in the South East. Boasting as the 5th most industrialized state in the country, and 4th highest index of human development in the country, with numerous economic activities and fast growing populations as recorded by the United nations early 2018, Abia is also a major player in the Nigerian economy. The state Crude oil and gas production is a prominent activity, it contributes over 39% of the State's GDP, it is not a thing of suprise, as the state has about 50 marginal Oil fields with over 100 oil wells ( thanks to 42 oil wells received from river state in 2012 through boundary commision) and 3 installed flow stations, all of this points to the fact the state is the fourth largest oil producing state in the country, producing a total of about 36,000 barrels of crude oil per day. With about four known University one can say that education is also a contributing factor to the state economy. 2% of the state GDP comes from manufacturing, while 27% comes from agriculture. Thus making about $18.69 billion gross domestic product which sets the state as the 12th richest state in the country.
Yet this a state with the worst record of governance, (don't refer me to any award, we know how it's gotten) poor road infrastructure, massive thuggery, individualism, godfatherism, low employment rate, highest record of suffering and smiling.

How did God's Own State get to this point?

In 2007 T.A Orji under PPA with the then governor's backing won the general election and was sworn in as Lord of the dynasty, his four years tenure was marked terribly with regression, bitterness, suffering and blame games. To which he publicly stated to be as a result of his then political father, Ex- Governor Orji Uzo Kalu. By 2011 he decamped to join PDP, and was re-elected as governor. There was so much believe he would be the messiah, since his last four years were under the shackles of the past regime, for which he has freed himself. His next four years was laddened with poor and regressive development in Aba the economical hub of the state, massive and open loot, bloodshed, and aggressive thuggery with high rate of crime and criminal reign. When his time was up, he hand picked and openly campaigned for Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, on the vice that he would rebuild the state. To rack the support of Aba, a slang "Aba ga aru Aba" was made popular. Massive radio campaign and interview was granted by Ikpeazu, to increase his popularity amongst the people. When it seems to be failing, tribalism was employed to shake down the front runners (Alex Otii) credibility. This increased Ikpeazu's chances but did not guarantee a win especially in Aba. TA and PDP then resorted to electoral thuggery. He won and was sworn in, and the suffering intensified.
His projects did not carry momentum, building were destroyed in the name of road expansion that never took place, drainage systems were dug but never completed, resulting to massive erosion almost in all parts of the state, aha! a fly over construction which has become a thing of ridicule as other states have completed projects of same magnitude, and even more in lesser time frame. He chose to take after the president Buhari and travelled around like an exiled wanderer in search of peace only found in his homeland. The governor made a list of roads he completed, but investigation shows that they were all Photoshopped. 

I passed Ehere Road (Ikot Ekpene Road) down to Nlagu and saw for myself, I went on to Azikiwe, Aba Owerri Road, Osisioma, Ngwa Road, Faulks Road, Okigwe Road, some part of Ariaria, and many more, the stories where the same. The state is in a sorry darkness, no waste management strategy in place. Putting the people in a situation where they can not afford fresh air. Abians are really suffering.
Workers for the first time in the history of the state have never been owed 11months salary, to the point many are dying of diabetics since there is no money to continue funding their drugs. Even the bible in proverb said when the wicked beareth rule the people mourn. For Abians, they have gone beyond mourning as it is equivocably clear that the Devil and his agents beareth rule. State revenues are not accounted for, as they are not even declared to the people. Although his cohorts will deny this vehemently.
But before they come after me, let them ask his excellency the following questions and let them answer  questions as well and if the answers are in positive, I shall gladly give myself in without resistance:
Did you (the governor) build new Abia Palm, Ogwe Golden Chicken, any (Abia) airport? Or fulfil the promise of completing the Enyimba Hotel? Has the Morden Ceramics been reactivated? Even Golden Guinea and International Glass Industry, that may look like about and nearly kicking are they state-financed? Where this not part of campaign promises? Then how come in four years, not a single campaign promise have been fulfilled. Only the Devil can be as heartless.
The state has become a toy in the hands of men who came from nothing to something and have decided to become "agada gbachiri uzo" wolves in sheep's clothing. Otii must look back and laugh now, those ngwa women who matched down to umuahia to proclaim support during the tribunal must be bowing in shame. I wonder how the Devil sleeps at night, knowing people are dying in his watch, oh wait, he is the keeper of hell and must populate his kingdom...but I must tell him it is only possible if the blood of the innocent was not atoned for.

Is Abia cursed?

Fool me ones shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.
The Drama of Pre and post electoral court appeals may well have given everyone involved a time out,to recuperate and fight on.
A State already saddled with bad governance, now sluggered with the burden of an inattentive governor. As Teachers are owed, environmental conditions a menace, and public figures unresponsive to situations. The case of Abia is liken to the rich man, who gave out his farm to a caretaker. He expressed his desires to the farmer to take care of the entire farm, and in return be rewarded with a personal  farms and crops to farm on. Months went by and the rich man visited his farm. His farm has rather been abandoned and unkept. He waited out the season and vowed never to have any dealings with the caretaker. By next season, the caretaker came to him, in humility and recommended his apprentice to take care of the farm. Listening to the caretaker, he released his farm to the young apprentice, even when renowned farmers were willing to work on his farm for nothing in return.
Half into the season, he went round and discovered that his farm was the most unkept and unyielding farm in the entire village.
Abia and Abians are architects of their own castle. And as it is said as a man makes his bed, so he must lay on it.
The case of the past regimen left a soar taste in the mouths of Abians, but it didn't stop them from feasting from same dish of soar grapes.
I believe a man must never be fooled twice before he can learn.

Is Ikpeazu finally set as Abia Governor?

Ikpeazu may still remain Abia governor, after court dismisses suit filed by Chief Friday Nwosu , asking for the removal of Ikpeazu for allegedly presenting forged tax certificate to his party, Nwosu was an aspirant under the PDP flag and therefore insist he ikpeazu was not eligible to represent PDP.
The judge had said, the case was dismissed on the fact that the lawyers to the two of them ( Ikpeazu and Ogah ) had argued that he ( the judge ) no longer had jurisdiction to hear the motion.
The judge instead ordered Ikpeazu and Uche Ogah, who are both claiming to be the legitimate governor of the state to go before the Court of Appeal for the resolution of the stalemate in the state, although earlier Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja refused to hear Mr . Okezie Ikpeazu ’ s application for stay of execution, Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court , Owerri , affirmed the election of Ikpeazu as governor of the state, setting Ikpeazu and team on jubilee.

He (the judge) went on to say that Ogah is not eligible to enjoy the outcome of the PDP primary because he had earlier rejected the result of the primary judge.

By the ruling, the jubilant Ikpeazu stated that the god of justice has spoken for him, and urged Abians despite region to join hands with him to build Abia. He thanked the judge and Mr President who earlier had said the status quo should be maintained in Abia until after the court verdict.

Abia Disarray, the fact.

The current Abia disarray

The Fact:
There were so many lies on his (ikpeazu) tax papers. One of the issues on hand  was that he started paying tax when he was not yet in the employment of the Abia State Government.
Further more, the serial numbers on his tax receipts shows deception. The 2013 serial number recorded the beginning of the tax payment, wherein,  the 2011 receipt showed as if it was the last payment.
The serial numbers were conflicting. The conflict showed that Ikpeazu had not paid his tax as at when due in obedience to the law.
Another problem was the issue of figures. Let us assume he was supposed to earn between N400,000 to N500,000 per annum, and on his tax papers, it was showing above N1million.
He said his tax was being deducted at source.

But the question now  is.
If that was so, why the discrepancies in his  taxable income? Is it not what he was earning, he should be taxed on? One would also wonder why the case was delayed since the law in Section 31 of the 2010 Electoral Act as amended gives a co-aspirant the opportunity to examine the documents of an opponent to validate whether he was qualified to contest for the primary election in the first place, because it is a pre-election matter. And if you find out in his disclosures and declarations that he has given a false or misleading information, the section guarantees you the right to apply to a Federal or State High Court for a redress. You also have the right to ask that that candidate be disqualified because he was not qualified in the first place to run for primaries.
Section 31(6) says if such a candidate was found to have declared false information, he is liable to be disqualified by the court.

The answers.

(1) Ikpeazu's Team and their incompetence:
Just like in the election, the fact upon which Otti has based his appeals for canceling out Ikpeazu's governorship title, in certain zones the number of accredited voters do not tally with the number of voters. The ikpeazu team has always played down on certain important issues, perhaps they have come to believe they are unbeatable.

(2) The battle over which court has jurisdiction to try the case:
Ikpeazu’s legal team came up with the issue that the court has no jurisdiction. So, it has to handled by the Supreme Court.
So, when the Supreme Court ruled that the lower court has jurisdiction to hear the case, the case was then brought to the Federal High Court again and everything started all over again.

Meanwhile Otti on the other hand, has insisted he should be given mandate as the first runner u p by election, while Uche says nothing can stop him. As the men battle for the Abia government house, the house itself is under key.
In aba a saying has been circulating "na ikpeazu, Uchechukwu ga eme " meaning that God's will at last take place. This is in connection with meanings in Uche Ugah's name and Ikpeazu's name.

The Missing Chief Justice.

No Chief Judge to inaugurate Uche Ugah. The absence of
Justice Theresa Uzoukwu, whose wayabout is unknown, has placed Abia in a position where it has two governors who may soon go into battle of supremecy, since Mr. Ikpeazu declared Friday and Monday next week as public holidays in honour of the former Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, a prominent Abia son, who died in Abuja on Wednesday. This means a hold on any possible swear in and a possible cause for Uche Ugah to feel unsettled, having already held a meeting with
office of the State Director of SSS Korede Kamoju.

The meeting lasted till about 8.10 p.m.

Mr. Ogah left the SSS in a long convoy but could not be reached by  journalists, who had waited throughout the period of the meeting for his comments on the unfolding political development in the state.

Ikpeazu files appeal

Governor Ikpeazu files appeal over court order.
Yesterday the governor was ordered by an Abuja high court to vacate the office of the governor based on some fraudulent PDP manipulations.
The governor has urged his followers to remain calm, even as trouble loom in God's own State.

Abia Dictators

ABIA WOES CONTINUES!

For years after the Orji Uzo Kalu's era, bad governance has plagued the ones mighty state. Abia before now known for her agricultural prowess, commercial progress, talents in craftsmanship and sports just to mention but few, now falls behind her counterparts.

One notable dismay is the dictatorship approach the new era government has adopted. Abia has more police check points than any other state in Nigeria, making it difficult to distinguish between the real officers and dubious villagers trying to extort from drivers and passerbys. TA Orji with his son "IKUKU" made all manner of headlines and were an instrument of terror, political and socioeconomic stagnancy. They can be credited with all that is wrong with Abia, then and today. At the due of time, he and his cabals left the State Road and affairs to an alter decay, into the hands of their loyalist, with no remedy that even the federal government does not know where to begin from to help Abia and Abians.

Abia happens to be located in a strategic places in the heart of the South East, it is a commercial state and enjoys a popularity brought by the Aba historic tales and commerce. Abia is a route so to say, it leads to several other states, it has serviced and still services it's neighboring states in commercial equity and thus must not be left to become an eye sore.

The ones fast developing state is now fast becoming a jungle. A jungle of dirty and foul odour oozing from refuse of administrative decay. It is upon this decay, that the current governor had based his campaign promises, "to rebuild Abia" especially its commercial town Aba. Despite how it all went down, god fatherism, rigging and all, the present administration was tasked with repairing and rebuilding. A task to wish he has been delinquent, as no substantial improvement has been noted. Potholes on major roads are filled with stones and chippings, drainage are dug and abandoned without been completed, leaving the people to the mercies of the rain, as even stores are collapsing from the actions of unchannelled flow of water.

Disturbingly the present government against the people's wish are forcing business men to take up stores and offices in the Aba Mega Mall (a mall located outside the business sketch of Aba town, and still unaffordable for the Aba business man) located at Osisioma in Aba. The business men of Saints Michael now ask the federal government to intervene since the state assembly has remained mute. One question one may ask is why the governor will ask business men on private property to vacate into another private property by force. The answer is one very simple - He has a Master, who controls 99% of his actions. This master owns Aba Mega Mall. And thus the mall a priority and a must accomplish task. While important issues other than who should occupy Aba Mega Mall exist, issues such as we see daily on Aba Roads, Aba roads have become seas of mud, and leave no appeal to the passer by or residents.

Abia governor sacked!

A federal high court has issued that INEC nullifies Gov Okezuo Ikpeazu's election, on the bases of falsified party credentials. Meanwhile the governor has reacted to the verdict by saying he will be appealing.
If the governor is finally sacked the PDP runner up during primarys may likely become the next governor.

ABIANS ARE WEEPING

Political aspirants have been known to to smooth talk people into believing they are the long awaited solution to the country's  or State's problem. Buhari did...Infact he was so good at it,  his die hard followers bragged he will bring fuel price to 45 naira a liter. We know what happened in the long run. It is still unfolding.
Abia State aspirant; presently the governor of Abia State. Dr Ikeazu, is one among politicians whose words should be taken with a grain of salt. After his failed chairmanship in ASEPA, where he did or achieved nothing, political god fatherism was to favor him yet again.
There after, having become the state flag bearer of the fallen PDP. He  went to virtually all radio station to campaign on how he has come to rebuild, reconstruct, amend both political trust in and Abia environs. He was so compelling that Abian watched him rig his way in against the Dr Alex Otii they voted. They all believed peace must reign in other to welcome political restructuring, and social progress he has promised. Otii's tribunal to them was serving as a distraction to the actualization of the Abian dream. With the support of the federal government, Otii lost at the tribunal unconventional way of judgment. The jubilee that followed was soon masked by regrets as roads were abandoned halfway in construction, salaries owed, task force on every corner of the streets, houses mowed down and left, drainage dug and left fast railing to gully erosions.
Like Solomon's son Rehoboam, his master Orji Theodore, had ruled Abia with whips, he was going to rule them with an iron.
Today Abia is in shambles - a condition which perhaps under the steering of Dr Alex Otii would have been different.