What’s your quarrel with Governor Orji’s critics?

When a critic is constructive and persuasive with superior argument, I will be inclined to think along with him. But what some popular tabloids and columnists seem to celebrate these days is the corrosive, poorly investigated line of journalism that evades the cardinal principles of what, where, when and how while not situating the points of discourse. in their proper perspectives. I feel irresistibly drawn to make a comparison between positive and negative criticisms, when ‘critics’ of Governor T.A Orji in their lopsided analysis not backed by facts expose the real objectives of the sponsors of such criticisms.
On the other hand many reporters, and media chiefs who have had the opportunity to visit Abia State and see for themselves what the governor has done in the last 12 months of his second stay in office, attest to the proactive moves of the state government in terms of infrastructure and structural development of a state that had hitherto not witnessed any meaningful development since inception. The areas of emphasis extend to road construction in the rural areas where the farm gate culture is a way of life for the people, a huge infrastructure reclamation of the commercial city of Aba and of course re-designing Umuahia the state capital to wear the face of a modern state capital. The list of work in progress is simply impressive and only a discerning and willing observer can patiently take stock of this developmental pace.

The governor recently asked his aides to report the truth not falsehood; why?

His Excellency Governor T.A. Orji could not have asked his aides to report falsehood. He was only making obvious what ought to be seen as the issues on ground. He has concrete achievements to showcase to everyone and these rattle those who believe governance of the state can be accessed by pandering to falsehood in the public space. The truth is that for every claim made by the state government, the facts are verifiable and since most of the completed and on-going projects are on ground, no previous administration can lay claim to have initiated or completed any. What I am saying in effect is that the governor was right in asking his commissioners, and advisers and all key personnel of his government to report the facts at all times since facts are sacred and verifiable before the public space.
You should know Abia has been the butt of criticism by the opposition whose every activity is aimed at making a cheap point before the electorate. On our part, we are aware that the claim to governance and continuity is in our ability to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people, this is the governor’s focus and he is determined not to be distracted by lopsided criticism while welcoming balanced criticism as a way of improving the policies and programmes set in the Abia blueprint whose input has come from various sources including Abia’s first economic summit sponsored by the state government and which had all eminent sons and daughters of the state such as Okonjo Iweala, and Anya O Anya, making their inputs on the way forward for a balanced developmental pace for the state.
Aba needs a special attention, what is the programme of the state government for the Enyimba city?
The state government has placed great emphasis on road construction and two Fridays ago, His Excellency Governor Orji commissioned the completion of crucial road networks that have long been an eyesore to the residents and traders of Aba..
The emphasis is to give the people an infrastructure network that can help them in their commercial activities that stretch to the sub-region of West Africa. The essential road networks long identified by government include those connected to neighbouring states such as Rivers and Akwa Ibom, who make use of them to do business in the state. With this in mind the focus extended to the Aba/Owerri Road all the way to Osisioma Junction to Motor Park and down to the Asa – Port Harcourt Road, terminating at the Ala –Oji Express Road. The works ministry in conjunction with the contractors on ground worked on the Bata Opobo Junction from the Bata – Ikot Epkene road junction and now to Ukwu Mango, commissioned by the governor two Fridays ago. There is no doubt that the Aba resident and businessman today can attest to noticeable changes in a once squalid environment whose key roads were simply impassable. The work still on ground is enormous after years of poor development and decadence. Beyond the reconstruction work going on, these streets and roads call for constant maintenance and this philosophy has helped in the reclamation of Osusu Road. This extends to the Okigwe Road by Ariaria Market as well as the dual expressway from Omme Junction down to John Udeagbala Junction, which is a five kilometre stretch situated along the Port Harcourt – Aba Road. The Eziukwu Road has also been overlayed with asphalt, and the same is true of the Aba- Agbama Road.Concrete projects overlayed with asphalt include the Amuzukwu to Umuezeagu Road, the Amuzukwu – Orieugba Road, the Timber Road in Umuahia, and the Obikabia Road

There is also the Umuahia – Ohafia Road, Ohafia Arochukwu Road, Nunya – Eluama Road. Aba’’s drainage system has long been a source of concern to the extent the Ukwu Mango stretch was covered with garbage and stalls and houses built on it. This is history as Ukwu Mango has been reclaimed just as the need to fix the entire drainage system in Aba is a major challenge, with the construction of the Osisioma Modern Motor Park and asphalt overlay of major roads in Aba.
What problems were on ground when you assumed duty as Commissioner for Commerce and Industry?
One was stifling bureaucracy and lack of vision to drive the industrial and commercial setting of the state, no demographic profile of trades and traders, and a well articulated design for revamping the moribund industries. These industries include among others, the Golden Guinea Breweries, International Glass Industry- Aba, Aba textile Mills, Modern Ceramics-Umuahia, the metallurgical complex, Aba, Abia Hotels, Enyimba Hotels, Aba and many more. If these industrial complexes are revived, they will be able to absorb over 80 percent of the unemployed people in the state. I inherited all of these and have long given them a prioritised attention. At the commercial end, there is what we have identified as unwieldy trading activities going on at every nook and corner of Aba, the commercial city of Abia. Such activities turned the city of Aba into one large monolithic market. There was no difference between the residential and trading zones. Then there is the enormous amount of refuse generated and dumped indiscriminately at every turn both in residential and non-residential parts of the city. Naturally, these have affected drainage as the various outlets for such drainages became blocked. Notwithstanding the Governor’s directive to relocate these traders to designated markets, they were adamant, prompting him to set up the Environmental and Allied Task Force which is being housed by my ministry.

What is your game plan for resolving these contradictions?

First the basic operation of the task force the Governor inaugurated was primarily to compel compliance to Government directives and instil sanity in the market place. This task force-the Environmental and Allied Task Force, that is, was charged to keep Aba clean and relocate traders to designated markets. We manage the operations of this task force and this has afforded me the opportunity to record a reasonable success so far in terms of sanitising the city. It is painful to Government that the obstinacy of the traders will leave it with no option. Even the Governor daily laments to us that the operations of the task force must be laced with human face. It is a daily operation and it is not cheap. Except for the Governor’s determination, it would have been impossible to sustain the operation beyond one month. So far the exercise itself has opened up new investment opportunities as investors are embarking on construction of new markets.

How do you intend to revive these moribund industries in the state?

First, I’m carrying out a technical evaluation of these moribund industries to enable us approach foreign investors. This evaluation extends to financial audit. The government’s investment policy will provide entry and exit plans for the investors. Yet I must admit we have a handicap here. Let me use Golden Guinea Breweries as an example. Government allocates funds to help maintain the salaries of its skeletal staff as well as keep the plant and its premises in good shape. This allocation remains constant, yet government does not have the latitude to dissolve the board and management because the brewery is a publicly quoted company (Plc). We have approached Budweiser, the Sona Group, Heineken and South Africa Breweries. We cannot just come in to turn around the fortunes of these industries. We cannot just dissolve the board by executive fiat. The situation right now is that we are talking to the management and board to agree with us on the take off plan and we are going to summon an AGM of share holders to fine tune these details

Modern Ceramics

The ceramic industry was concessioned to the Catholic Church but unfortunately no major turn around has taken place since the take over deal. We are yet to know what their problems are and why the management has not gone into full production

IGI

With a production line utilisation of 20 percent, we think this is not ideal. We are reviewing Churchgate and its management of IGI. Its tenure and conditions need to be reviewed if we must move forward. The management of Aba Textile Mills also needs to be reviewed as the place is completely comatose. It has been vandalised and converted to a warehouse for imported items. The governor recently constituted a committee whose charge is to come up with the best and quickest way to resuscitate the industry and put it back on stream irrespective of the management constraints.

Abia Hotels Limited

We are talking to a core investor who is going to upgrade the Umuahia section to a three star hotel in partnership with the state government. Arrangement has gone far and we are at the stage of dotting the Is and crossing the Ts. The metallurgical complex needs an injection of funds to complete the various sections. This is one project that requires heavy funding.

Aba with eight big industries holds a potential to employ 40 percent of all the graduates produced in the entire South east. It is also the governor’s desire to establish modern markets that will accommodate the traders and their associations currently trading in unauthorised places. I share that passion with the governor and we are at an advanced stage of developing these markets in Umuahia and Aba.

We have three large markets on the drawing board with the ultra modern complex-Abia International Industrial City Centre, attracting a major investor from Spain. The first phase of the complex will have 25,000 stores of international standard. The other two markets have also reached advanced stages. There is the Ukwa Wholesale Market whose development is being undertaken by a local investor. There is also the General Building Materials Market among others, packaged under a PPP arrangement.
Umuahia
Umuahia, the state capital is not being left out in the development of modern markets. The Ubani-Ibeku Market located close to the Umuahia/Ozuitem Road is mapped out to accommodate the present Umuahia Main Market. On completion in the next one year, the main market will be relocated to give Umuahia a befitting look. In the same vein, the Ohia Mechanic Village is at 80 percent completion stage and the mechanics are expected to relocate to the market at the end of this month. An industrial market is being built in Umuahia and dealers in timber and building materials, as well as other categories of traders will move in there within the next six months.
http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/politics/43111-%E2%80%98orji%E2%80%99s-achievements-have-left-the-opposition-behind%E2%80%99.html

are you serious or perhaps simply one of his supporters benefitting from the crumbs he leaves behind. this post find most pathetic.