If somebody had told me 7 years ago that Chief Theodore Orji, who sits today atop the affairs of Abia State as governor, would take governance to a ridiculous and ludicrous level as he has done in recent times, I would have dismissed it with a wave of the hand. Honestly speaking, the man is embarrassing everybody, except himself, prob- ably. I have reached this sad conclusion, because he no longer cares a hoot about whether he is governor or not, provided his selfish and inordinate desires are met.
This is why I found embarrassing that he could use the Igbo Presidency, which I have championed relentlessly since 2001, to whip up sentiments against me and (as far as I am concerned) Ndigbo. It is in order to address the wicked propaganda contained in a paid advertisement on the matter by the Abia State Government last week against me that I have decided to disrupt the serialization of my Stew- ardship as Abia Governor from 1999 to 2007, which is supposed to enter its third part today. We will continue with the 3rd part of the serialization next week. I am deeply sorry. In the said advertorial, Chief Orji claimed that I had jettisoned the Igbo Presi- dency Project and now supporting Presi- dent Jonathan. What exactly was he talking about and what really was his trouble? Is he already afraid that my supporting President Jonathan would consign him to the political dumpsite and expose his hidden agenda? In all my personal publications on the governor so far, I have tried to restrain myself from sounding haughty and puerile. But the way the man is going, it seems he wants me to tell the world who really he is.
I will still try and hold myself back from this line of action, pending the way the pendulum swings next. Let me state emphatically here that Chief Theodore Orji does not have the political savvy or sagacity to deliver anybody in any election. Apart from his morbid selfishness, he is intolerant of any opinion that does not favour him or massage his vain ego. I dis- covered this destructive trait in him a few days after we had worked hard to release him from prison. By then, it had become too late to do something about it; more so, we did not want to rock the boat, haven’t spent stupendous time and resources to put him where he is today. Truly, I am not bothered one bit about what the man says against me, because deep in his heart he knows the truth. There is no doubt, therefore, that his conscience would be eating him up; no matter how much he tries to hide it. Conscience remains the greatest publnisher of evil. For the eight years he worked as my Chief of Staff, he identified openly with me on the Igbo Presidency Project. I discussed it with him extensively and he offered his blessing and moral support. Why has he suddenly developed distaste for the project, because I am involved? The decision to stick out my neck to champion the Igbo cause was purely borne out of conviction that our people should be treated more respectfully without any bias and malice, and without recourse to the fact that we lost a war. I set the tune for the project at the World Igbo Summit held at the Presidential Hotel, Enugu, on January 19,
2001. I used that occasion to drum up sup- port for the Igbo cause and make a statement about the readiness of Igbo to reclaim their lost heritage. That speech marked a water- shed on Nigeria’s political life. Thereafter, we took our message to Europe and Amer- ica, culminating in my decision to contest for the office of President in the 2007 General Elections, in which I came third. If I may ask, ‘Who in this country does not know where I stand as far as the Igbo Project is concerned?’ Even President Goodluck Jonathan knows my stand right from when he was still the deputy governor of Bayelsa State. I have never hidden my love for my people and I am ready to do anything within the limits of law and com- monsense to project their ideals and vision. I do not have any apology to offer to any- body that accuses me of championing the cause of Igbo. Who wouldn’t have? Even President Jonathan loves Nigeria and loves his people too. It will amount to sheer hypocrisy for anybody to tell me that he hates his people because of the political office he holds.
2001. I used that occasion to drum up sup- port for the Igbo cause and make a statement about the readiness of Igbo to reclaim their lost heritage. That speech marked a water- shed on Nigeria’s political life. Thereafter, we took our message to Europe and Amer- ica, culminating in my decision to contest for the office of President in the 2007 General Elections, in which I came third. If I may ask, ‘Who in this country does not know where I stand as far as the Igbo Project is concerned?’ Even President Goodluck Jonathan knows my stand right from when he was still the deputy governor of Bayelsa State. I have never hidden my love for my people and I am ready to do anything within the limits of law and com- monsense to project their ideals and vision. I do not have any apology to offer to any- body that accuses me of championing the cause of Igbo. Who wouldn’t have? Even President Jonathan loves Nigeria and loves his people too. It will amount to sheer hypocrisy for anybody to tell me that he hates his people because of the political office he holds.
Why should Theodore Orji embark on a fruitless and deliberate campaign to bend the truth and bring me in collision with the President when he is aware that I suspended my campaign for Igbo Presidency after I reached an agreement with the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to do so over a year ago? For the benefit of hindsight, it is proper to recall that Ohanaeze Ndigbo approached me to start off a series of meetings with them that would eventually lead to the suspension of my campaign for Igbo Presidency in 2015.
After marshalling their points and adducing reasons we should support President Jonathan in 2015, I was convinced beyond any reasonable doubt before giving them my word to suspend the campaign for Igbo Presidency. And I did exactly that on January 26, 2013 when I openly declared support for President Goodluck Jonathan to take another shot at the Presidency. Lest I forget, I also met the renowned Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, who ad- vised we should extend our consultation to our northern brothers to reach a common position on Jonathan’s Presidency before meeting him.
Is it not then the height of chicanery and mischief for anybody, not to talk of a serving governor, to say anything, therefore, in the contrary when he knows he is lying? Chief Theodore Orji, by his wild allegation, has succeeded in alienating himself further from our people. There is no question any longer that he is an enemy of Ndigbo. It is not arguable that I have never held anything against President Jonathan before or during his Presidency. All that I was interested in ever before I declared support for him was how to redress the injustices done to Ndigbo. Was Jonathan president when I threw my hat in the ring to vie for the position of president in 2007?
Or did I not contest for the position even when my close friend and brother-governor then, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, was also contesting? And that shows how passionate I have been about the Igbo Presidency Project! Again, I was not the only person against Jonathan’s Presidency who has now joined the clamour for him to run again as Presi- dent. Why must mine be different and caus ing Theodore Orji sleepless nights?
Sentiments apart, if not for the close af finity between Jonathan and our people, it would have been impossible to support any other candidate for the Presidency in 2015 other than somebody of Igbo extraction. Af ter all, it is the South East and North East geo-political zones that are yet to produce a Nigerian President. Theodore Orji knows my political worth, which is why he is desperate to put a clog in the wheel. Who cares? There is nothing he can do to destroy my political machinery, which he still uses today as governor. Check it out: almost all the political associates he has today came from my machinery. Many of them follow him not because of his po- litical assets or their love for him, but for the sake of their stomachs. That does not mean they are not in touch with me. Some of them have had to come to me for one form of support or another, since, according to them, the governor does not take proper care of them. Theodore Orji does not need a sooth- sayer to tell him that he does not have the capacity to galvanize sufficient support for President Jonathan’s re-election, considering his abysmal performance as governor and poor human relations.
Sentiments apart, if not for the close af finity between Jonathan and our people, it would have been impossible to support any other candidate for the Presidency in 2015 other than somebody of Igbo extraction. Af ter all, it is the South East and North East geo-political zones that are yet to produce a Nigerian President. Theodore Orji knows my political worth, which is why he is desperate to put a clog in the wheel. Who cares? There is nothing he can do to destroy my political machinery, which he still uses today as governor. Check it out: almost all the political associates he has today came from my machinery. Many of them follow him not because of his po- litical assets or their love for him, but for the sake of their stomachs. That does not mean they are not in touch with me. Some of them have had to come to me for one form of support or another, since, according to them, the governor does not take proper care of them. Theodore Orji does not need a sooth- sayer to tell him that he does not have the capacity to galvanize sufficient support for President Jonathan’s re-election, considering his abysmal performance as governor and poor human relations.
He is being eco nomical with the truth if he failed to own up to it. A simple trip to Aba alone will tell you in practical form the tragedy of his ad- ministration. I challenge Theodore Orji to set aside a day for him and me to walk the streets of Aba to know who between us has the support of the people. Anybody that vis- its Aba will shed tears at the desolate and despicable condition of the place.
This was a once lively and beautiful city inhabited by equally vibrant and lovely people. Why has he allowed Aba (Oh God, our own beloved Aba!) to degenerate to this abysmal level? I am yet to understand the reason he allowed the place to decay. If I may ask, “When did caterpillar enter Ohanku Road last?” The last time caterpil- lars and bulldozers rolled into that part of the city was when I was governor. We did almost all the roads in the city in the eight years we were in government. But since we left office in 2007, no effort has been made by my predecessor to maintain the in- frastructure we bequeathed to the state. To show his lack of morality and dignity, he is shamelessly laying claim to projects we did. Curiously, the governor now does strange things – all in a bid to sway support to his side. For instance, since he was sworn in as governor, he has never called a meeting of former commissioners and advisers until now that the seat is becoming increasingly too hot for him. Instead of using the huge resources the state receives and generates to better the lives of the people, he is busy wasting it on campaigns of calumny against me, and paying his retinue of praise-singers and charlatans. How much does he spend monthly to settle some of the so-called Abia elders who are simply a band of political never-do-wells, masquerading as elders? These so-called elders (we know who they are) are opportunists and political feather- weights following the governor sheepishly about in search of ‘stomach infrastructure’. Even some of the real elders have been compromised as well. They have failed to call the ‘rampaging’ governor to order for fear of being chastised or for fear of losing the patronage of the governor. I think the
latter reason is more like it. I am saddened by the base level some of our elders have fallen to. What about church leaders and traditional rulers? Many of them too have been compromised. The truth of the tragedy of Abia State is that the governor believes more in set- tlement than working for the people. He tells some of his close associates that it is cheaper to give the people money than to work to improve their lot by building social amenities. This accounts for the stagnated and stunted growth the state has undergone in the hands of this political overlord. I do not think it is proper to divulge the details of my discussions with Ohanaeze. Generally speaking, all I can state here is that my belief in Jonathan’s Presidency is the right decision at this time of our political life.
latter reason is more like it. I am saddened by the base level some of our elders have fallen to. What about church leaders and traditional rulers? Many of them too have been compromised. The truth of the tragedy of Abia State is that the governor believes more in set- tlement than working for the people. He tells some of his close associates that it is cheaper to give the people money than to work to improve their lot by building social amenities. This accounts for the stagnated and stunted growth the state has undergone in the hands of this political overlord. I do not think it is proper to divulge the details of my discussions with Ohanaeze. Generally speaking, all I can state here is that my belief in Jonathan’s Presidency is the right decision at this time of our political life.
In addition, Jonathan has done well to hold the country together and provide some dividends of democracy for the people. For the interest of political neophytes of Theodore Orji’s ilk, I wish to make it clear that I have written scores of articles in this column trying to draw a roadmap for the President. I have written about things I strongly believe in without minding whether they pleased the reader or not. The only way we can develop Nigeria is by telling our leaders the truth. I do not believe in somebody and abandon the person midstream.
If Theodore Orji does that, I, Orji Kalu, do not. I have always stood stoutly behind whatever cause I believe in, provided it does not negate hu- manity and the principle of equity and so- cial justice. Theodore Orji believes money can do everything for him; and this accounts for the recklessness with which he spends mon- ey on frivolities. Can he be bold enough to tell Abians how much he spends monthly to settle some of the prominent Abia people and media men who sing his praise regularly, not out of strong conviction, but for the sake of what they can get out of the man.
These shameless people have easily forgot- ten that they will be called upon someday to answer for their misdeeds. I am fully committed to the Jonathan Presidency for the reasons I have given above and for the fact that I am a loyal and founding member of PDP. Those making noise about capturing Abia State from PDP should perish the idea. It can never happen when people like us are back in the fold. I left PDP in 2006 when then President Olusegun Obasanjo delisted me and many other founding fathers from the register of the party. Today, many of those delisted are back to the fold. Those making noise about PDP today in Abia State did not originally belong to PDP. Many of them were members of ANPP. There is hardly any politician of note in the state today who holds a political office that did not spring up from my political root. This may explain why the governor is frustrated and working frantically to destroy my reputation. He believes that with me in the field, his days are numbered.
I had expected him to see my return to the house I contributed to building as a blessing to the family. And that is what it is really. I have the capacity to make things happen and I will do exactly that for President Jonathan’s re-election whether Theodore Orji and his cohorts like it or not. As for Igbo Presidency, it is a dream that is alive in me. I will do anything in my power to actualise it, God give us life. I am certain that President Jonathan will support us when the time comes, because one good turn deserves another. For now, let Theodore Orji find some- thing more useful to do with his time and money, and stop chasing shadow.
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