Abia: No Longer God’s Own State

Chidi Anyaeche

Abia, the Igbo state that was created on 27^th August 1991 by military fiat under General Ibrahim Babaginda and dubbed ‘God’s Own State’ by the founding fathers has by under judiciary fiat on February 11, 2009 ceased to be ‘God’s Own State’ and has to be now dubbed ‘Devil’s Own State’.

The spirit behind the creation of Abia state was good and benevolent. It was a state, like its fellow Igbo state, Anambra, more than due. They were created to compensate the Igbo’s from marginalisation by the Nigerian establishment. They were few of the fine deeds of General Babaginda as Nigerian helmsman then.

The state that produced eminent Nigerians like the late General J.T.U Aguiyi-Ironsi, the late Mazi Martin Okoro, the late Dr. M. I. Okpara, the late Dr. Alvan Ikoku, the late Barrister Jaja Wachukwu, Generals Ike Nwachukwu and Chijioke Kaja, the Ebitu-Ukiwe’s and Ndubisi Kanu’s to name a few of the state greats was at inception destined to be a beacon of light amongst other Nigerian states and as such was dubbed God’s Own State: for the state is endowed with peopled blessed by the good Lord.

However, this blessed state started faltering from inception as if the devil was challenging the good Lord. The first civilian Governor of the state, Dr Ogbonnia Onu was a disaster, infact such a man should never had assumed leadership of the state under ideal and normal conditions. But in Nigeria nothing is ideal and normal. Dr Onu’s stewardship of the state was a complete disaster to say the least. He may be pardoned for the fact that he lasted only eighteen months.

Then came series of military imposed military governors after Dr Onu’s foray. All were disasters. The state was pilloried, destituted and pulverised by all of them. The slogan ‘God’s Own State’ became more of a nuisance, almost a curse than a blessing. Again this economic, social, and institutional destruction of the state could be excused on the grounds that all the military governors were imposed on the state from above. They were not chosen by the people of ‘God’s Own State’. God did not choose them.

On the advent of civilian rule in 1999, the people of ‘God’s Own State’ were expected to elect their ‘God’s Own Ruler’. Again, the good Lord appeared to desert them and a semi-illiterate, uncouth, crass and uncultured man in the name of Orji Uzor Kalu was thrown on to the state as their governor. How can? A leading Nigerian state, a leading Igbo state, a state endowed with boundless manpower. Great Igbo towns like Arochukwu, Ohafia, Umuahia, Abiriba, Aba, Bende and Isikwuato are all constituent parts of this Abia state. If a shenanigan like Orji Kalu is the best the state can offer, it then implies that something is amiss. Was God sleeping? Has the devil taken over God’s Own State? Only Abians can answer these questions.

This Orji Uzor Kalu ruled the state for eight years from 1999 to 2007 and through to character reduced the state to a joke. Aba, the principal city was turned into a refuse dump. Umuahia, the state capital fared to better. Great towns like Arochukwu and Ohafia were cut-off from civilisation due to lack of access roads. The civil service was reduced to ashes, the judiciary even worse.

Most importantly, education became a joke, such a joke that the Abia State University Teaching Hospital was renamed Dr Orji Uzor Kalu College of Medicine. Orji Kalu prior to becoming governor had all the time in the world to educate himself to university level if he so desired but left acquiring university education until he became governor of Abia state and Visitor to Abia State University. Imagine combining university education with the challenges of managing a state? Only in Orji Kalu’s Abia can this happen. For such a reprobate, such a charlatan to even dream of and actually becoming governor of a state in Nigeria says much about our dear country. The likes of Orji Kalu are not limited to Abia state though, they can be found in other states and one day they will be found in Aso Rock; if they are not there already. The future of Nigeria looks bleak.

For more on Orji Kalu’s administration of Abia state, readers are invited to visit this website: http://myownnigeria.com/ARTICLE1.html

Then came the 2007 elections. Again another opportunity was presented to Abians to seek salvation, to extricate themselves and generations unborn from the servitude of Dr Orji Uzor Kalu MON as he likes to style himself. The MON not standing for Member, Order of Nigeria but for Mmadu Oha Nile (A man of the people). What a joker? What a state? What a country? No wonder nothing works. Again as if the Lord has deserted Abia state despite the slogan ‘God’s Own State’, Orji Kalu’s man-Friday in the person of Chief Theodore Orji miraculously emanated as the governor despite Orji Kalu’s destruction of the state but most interestingly, Theodore won the election from the cells of Ribadu’s EFCC. A man locked up for perceived fraud. A man that never campaigned for a day got elected as the governor of Abia state. The electorate does not even know what he looks like. Only in Abia can this happen. Only in Maurice Iwu’s umpired election can this happen.

Theodore’s opponents went to court seeking justice. Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, one of the leading players in this quest for justice initially got one at the lower court. However, this initial justice was finally denied him by the Justice Saka Ibiyeye led superior Tribunal on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 by this pronouncement:

“…… I resolve all the ten issues raised from the grounds of appeal in favour of the first and second appellant. The 1st and 2nd appellants are returned as governor and deputy governor of Abia state…..”

Thereby returning Abia state under the control and servitude of Dr Orji Uzor Kalu using Theodore Orji as a proxy.

One fascinating issue about the elevation of Theodore Orji from Orji Kalu’s man-Friday to governor of Abia state was the story and video pictures going round, showing Theodore’s debasing at Okija Shrine to Orji Kalu’s lieutenants as a pre-condition for making him a governor. This story was initially accepted to be true by the lower Tribunal but later discounted by the Justice Ibiyeye led superior Tribunal.

Another story going round is also that part of Theodore’s debasing at Okija shrine, is his acceptance to resign in due course, with his deputy, to make way for one of Orji Uzor Kalu’s younger siblings to become governor of Abia state without recourse to election.

How true the above stories are, only Governor Theodore and Orji Kalu can tell. But has this got any thing to do with Abia state not attaining its potential? Has the devil taken over Abia state? If this is the case, then there is hope for the state. For the devil cannot and will never defeat God. The slogan, ‘God’s Own State’ shall be actualised, in due course, in Jesus name. The good Lord never deserts those that believe in him. The majority of Abians do irrespective of Orji Uzor Kalu’s supposedly machinations. Abians, now is the time for prayers.

Robot  # 1 | 14.02.2009 21:53

Abia: No Longer God’s Own State Chidi Anyaeche Abia, the Igbo state that was created on 27th August 1991 by military fiat under General Ibrahim Babaginda and dubbed ‘God’s Own State’ by the founding fathers has by under judiciary fiat on February 11, 2009 ceased to be ‘God’s Own State’ and has to be now dubbed ‘Devil’s Own State’. The spirit behind the creation of Abia state was good and benevolent. It was a state, like its fellow Igbo state, Anambra, more than due. They were created to compensate the Igbo’s from marginalisation by the Nigerian establishment. They were few of the fine deeds of General Babaginda as Nigerian helmsman then. The state that produced eminent Nigerians like the late General J.T.U Aguiyi-Ironsi, the late Mazi Martin Okoro, the late Dr. M. I. Okpara, the late Dr. Alvan Ikoku, the late Barrister...Read the full article.

afaukwu  # 2 | 15.02.2009 02:00

The problem of Abia is no different than the problem in Anambra, Edo, Bayelsa, Lagos, Oyo, Kano, Benue and, yes, Nigeria. Singling out one state to thrash in the midst of an overwhelming general rotteness will not fly. I am from Anambra and I approve this message.

Celestine Ji  # 3 | 15.02.2009 09:11

In spite of your misgivings against Orji Uzor Kalu he is not a pushover. I can never stand for Orji Kalu but I visited Abia state several times while he lasted as governor, he made some giant strides. If Aba is no longer God's own state, you are then Satan's tennant? There is need for choice of words and titles when writing.

Ofunwa Villager  # 4 | 15.02.2009 11:16

I hate doing God in issues of governance and politics because in Nigeria God and Jesus has been turned into a ready instrument for deceit and destruction. You are probably a disgruntled Onyema Ugochukwu supporter and waited till your master had tried his luck at the chamber of the final arbiter to unleash this God-laden rant. Get this right, Orji Kalu personify everything evil, everything any state or people who are conscious of their future should avoid like plague. Greed, ego, roguery, blind quest for dominance, total lack of positive vision, the kind that will make even Umaru Yar'adua green with envy. His stoodge, Theodore is merely a pipeline through which Kalu drains the resources of Abia. But your master Onyema Ugochukwu is no better, a heavy drinking, heavy womanising Obasanjo worshipper with nothing but a stinking track record of failures and stealing sticking to his inglorious image. There are no distinction between this two and are you better advised to stop dragging God into a contest between two godless camps. The onus rest on we Abians to rescue our state from these buccaneers but with so much poverty and hopelessness there is just little you can do.

i-go-better  # 5 | 15.02.2009 17:44

Yet you hate Dr Peter Obi for denying Andy Uba, who fits perfectly into your character profile of Orji Kanu and T. Orji, the governorship of your State, Anambra! Where exactly do you stand?

Chidi Anyaeche  # 6 | 16.02.2009 05:49

I-go-better I stand for good government in Nigeria in general and Igbo land in particular. For my view on Andy Uba, please visit website below and apologise to me. http://www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com/newsdetails.asp?id=4&cat_id=19 Have fun. Odenigbo 2010

chimby  # 7 | 16.02.2009 06:46

I am not from Abia State. But i have never heard anything good been said about Onyema Ugochukwu. Here was a man who was once the MD of NDDC and there is nothing you can point to as what he did for his people. The truth is that the man seems worse than Theodore Orji. Though i am not a supporter of Orji Uzor Kalu (i have only supported Fashola of all the hordes of politicians we have in this country) and will never be in support of that rogue, i feel he did \Abians a lot of good by putting in place the current governot instead of that charlatan and thug called Onyema Ugochukwu. Pls point to us one good thing that Onyema Ugochukwu has done for his community when he was in Government. Instead the man was busy fighting for a devillish third term for that chicken General in Otta. In saner climes people like Onyema should be where they rightly belong. In JAIL.