You often hear the expression of
the self-made-man. This is the case where a man inherited little or
nothing from parents or family. He may have become rich in commerce out
of serving other people, most times from other ethnic zones and races.
The highest academic qualification sponsored by his family may have been
the FSCL certificate, and from there obtained scholarship that
propelled him forward.
In these scenarios, he started
from the scratch with little or no help or from ground zero for a more
modern expression. The case of T.A. Orji’s Governance in Abia could be
likened to these circumstances.
Abia created in 27th August
1991, had a succession of military administrators and three
democratically elected governors. I will maintain a modest stance by
allowing Abians to do the scoring. Obviously there was little or nothing
on the ground.
Today there are giant strides
that could be seen and one keeps wondering if the previous
administrations had attempted half of these, Abia would have been far
ahead.
This brings to mind the Ochendo
legacy projects. These are projects spanning from Ukwa to Aba, Arochukwu
to Umunne Ochi, Ohafia through Abam, Bende to Umuahia, transversing the
three senatorial zones. Chief T.A Orji seems to be answering the
question, ‘what will you I be remembered for?’
Professional groups like lawyers,
auditors, architects, engineers and all from time to time hold
conferences in different states and countries. International bodies like
the World Bank, IMF, and UNESCO move from one city to the other and can
only berth in cities and towns that have facilities that can
accommodate high caliber formal occasions. This backward trend is on a
fast rate of change with the construction of the International
Conference Center- a commodious and imposing exotic structure, first of
its kind in Abia. So it is with the new Government House, ASUBEB and
ASEPA complexes all in Ogurube Layout.
The Civil Service by its nature thrives in a peculiar environment. In
the state with not less than 20 ministries, over ten are housed in
rented spaces. Governors have come and gone but only Ochendo has tackled
the dire need with the twin, magnificent, new secretariat buildings on
Ndume Otuka Road with an expressway connecting the new and old for ease
of administration. The BCA radio and TV has served the state from
inception, rendering the most potent voice but nobody has thought about
the welfare of its officers most of the time scampering around and
building temporary shelters as office blocks. Today there is a towering
edifice with 48 rooms for staff and studio, adjudged the best in Nigeria
by no less a person than the national chairman of RATTAWU during the
Good Governance tour.
Other existing office blocks like the magistrate Courts have been in a
state of great disrepair. Some have actually maintained the shape and
state the colonial masters left them. It is common knowledge that some
judges retire to leaky rooms and dingy chambers to write judgments.
Offices are left with broken locks, tinkered windows, rotting doors to
the detriment of official documents that are classified or confidential.
The hitherto hallowed judge’s privacies are constantly invaded, and
nobody has thought along a remedial line but today, all these are
changing. The ministry of Justice is beautifully housed. Ultramodern
court complexes are near completion in Umuahia and Aba.
The health sector was thus far devastated ranging from poor service,
low moral and poor infrastructure. As this piece is being read, there
are over 250 primary health centers in and around the state. Abia has
become a medical reference point as neighboring towns and states are
streaming to Abia Diagnostic Centre, the robust partnership with Indians
in Me Cure Healthcare Limited- a state of the arts diagnostic
laboratory outfit. Abians don’t need to go abroad for medical checkups
except they want to. Old age diseases which were death sentences now get
solace in the Abia Specialist Hospitals equipped with dialysis machines
in Umuahia and Aba. Amachara Specialist Hospital and School of Nursing
has a superb paediatric section. Ochendo cares for all, especially old
and children. At Obuaku in Ukwa, Abia medics in the Diaspora are gearing
to partner with the Government in an international hospital project
living up to his avowal of being the governor of the able and healthy.
Amongst all, Ochendo is in a hurry to improve and upgrade Aba despite
environmental challenges some exacerbated by the hasty lifestyles of
the inhabitants. He has among other improvement frameworks taken on 16
roads, over ten are already completed which includes Ngwa Road, Azikiwe
and Geometric Road. These have terminal dates for completion before the
rains are back.
Is it in education the bastion of intellectual growth and
development? Do we need to remind us that education is still free from
primary to secondary with free busing in Umuahia and Aba. Scholarship
and bursary which took the back seat in numerous administrations are
back. Just recently, he handed back some schools to the missions who are
the original owners on a platter of gold reinforcing the believe that
the missions are better in discipline and moral standard. Abia State
University and Teaching Hospital, Abia Polytechnics in Aba, The College
of Education Technical in Aruchukwu and the School of Health in Aba are
funded from the State coffers. Additional are the Schools of Nursing and
Midwifery in Abiriba, Aba, Umuahia and Amachara.
Can we talk about all these
without employment opportunities, the cause of restiveness in the
youths? There is a tremendous leap in agricultural reforms. Abia farmers
were the earliest few in the country to access the federal government
assisted multimillion naira loans. Fadama 111 is on full scale execution
as the governor has ordered for the payment of counterpart funds at the
State and Local Government levels. The ADP is fully empowered taking on
the new phrase the ‘Food chain’. Policies that will change our youths
to become producers instead of beggars have sprung into reality. Abia
rubber has been rejuvenated and employs an appreciable number of
youthful hands. The Mega farms projected for the 17 local Government
Areas with the pilot scheme already sited and functional in Okeikpe,
Ukwa West. The Oil Palm Estate at Ohambele Ukwa East has been injected
with a new lease of live with Malaysian partners. All these will yield
not than ten thousand jobs complementing the numerous youth empowerment
and skill acquisition schemes previously executed.
I can go on and on in all
sectors. Abia is destined for great things only if we believe. The above
reform and giant administrative masterstrokes are in Abia geographical
entity, tangible, verifiable and enjoyed by all. According to an Igbo
adage, ‘you can only deceive the blind that there is no oil in the soup,
but not for salt and pepper.’ All would not have been possible if not
for the diligence, perceptive management and the people-oriented
policies of Ochendo in the face of paltry monthly allocations of 3.5
billion naira, where over 75 percent are voraciously guzzled by a
behemoth wage bill.
This is a new year let us do new things, ennobling and sanctifying.
Any who denies all these does not know Abia well. Let us support the
Governor Sir T.A. Orji and make Abia a better place for all.
Eddie Onuzuruike.
