RECENTLY, THE GOVERNOR OF ABIA STATE, CHIEF T. A ORJI, RECALLED NON-INDIGENES INTO THE STATE PUBLIC SERVICE . IN THIS NEWS COMMENTARY, CHUKS IBEGBU , A PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANALYST LOOKS INTO THE IMPLICATION OF THIS EDIFYING DECISION.
A time comes when a statesman exhibits those attributes that endear him to the people despite the difficult and surrounding circumstances. Some years ago , Abians in some neighouring Igbo states were sacked by the governments of those states from their public service simply because they did not hail from those states. Many of those Abians had put up more than twenty years in the service of those states. They were denied their entitlements and benefits. Under such shocking circumstances, the Governor of Abia State, Chief T.A. Orji , after a sober reflection decided to re-absorb the sacked Abians and acted like a statesman by contacting the Governors of the neigbhouring Igbo and other states to create openings for their own people working in Abia public service. They were subsequently disengaged.
The purpose then was to create openings for the sacked Abians from those neigbhouring states in the Abia public service. There was undue uproar and villifications from fifth columnists as if it started from Abia State. When the other states did the same thing, these fifth columnists did not raise any eyebrow. But in the spirit of God's Own State and to show unparalleled example Governor T.A. Orji decided to recall the disengaged non-indigenes. This commendable act should be emulated by other neighbouring states that did the same thing in the past.
By so doing , the much needed Igbo unity and solidarity being championed by Governor T.A. Orji would become a reality. The affected workers should also redouble their efforts when they finally resume to increase productivity and re-position Abia State as the number one state in Nigeria. Abia is for all Igbos and Nigerians as this act has shown.
Governor Orji has by this magnanimous act buried the trauma of indigene versus non-indigene saga which actually started from neighbouring Igbo states. These states should also take a cue from Abia State and recall all Abians and other Igbos they sacked in their state public service some years ago or pay them their requisite entitlements.