APGA Is Bent On Taking Abia, But That Won’t Happen . by donzico2: 7 minutes & 42 seconds
There are no airs of officialdom about him. As Secretary to the Government of Abia state Professor Mpka A. Mpka still lives at Abia state University Uturu where he had been an award winning Vice Chancellor. He is also working hard in his new position to make a difference in the administration. In this chat he talks about strides made by the current regime and the political rivalry between parties in the state; Eccerpts You come from a town Abiriba that is known for business how come you ended up a proffessor?My parents were not business people. My father was an agricultural officer. He was a superintendent of agriculture in charge of the old Owerri province and later Okigwe Province in the First Republic .So, my orientation from my father’s angle wasn’t that of the business enterprise. It was the acquisition of good education and that was where he channeled all of my siblings. My mother was the first female Grade II teacher in Abiriba. So again you could see from that angle our orientation wasn’t towards business but towards education.
So for a family to have all the children, the siblings as graduates was a big achievement as at that time. I, for instance, am a graduate of the Faculty of Education, Curriculum Studies. My elder sister was of Education Administration, may be because my mother was an educationist.I’m the third in the line, the first sibling was an educationist, then came the one that did nursing. Even though she did Nursing she also took a degree in Public Administration from the University of Nigeria, and then myself. After myself, my younger sister who is rounding up her Ph.D as a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt . After that came the next two boys, one a Pharmacist, he was practicing in Port Harcourt where he died. We were six of us and we were all graduates.
Even though my father was a product of the merchantile process he saw that there was a limitation. It didn’t give him everything he needed. In fact, he was an apprentice to a businessman and at some stage he decided to pull out as an adult to go to school.It a appears government is gradually commercializing university education rather than funding it. I agree with you that it is the primary responsibility of government to provide education to the citizenry. But at the same time the individual has a right to determine the kind of education, the quality of education that he wants to obtain or parents would want their children to have.Government wants to democratise educational opportunities and given the population of Nigeria more Universities may be needed in order to provide opportunities to the teeming population of people who qualify for education.
But then when government is unable to provide all those universities, there is need for partnership between the private sector and government. That explains why government has tended to liberalize the establishment of universities so that individuals, church organizations, corporate bodies, etc could establish universities. Government is trying to establish standards that must be met; that any individual that wants to establish universities must follow. That’s what the National Universities Commission, NUC is doing. And if the NUC would put its feet down and ensure strict compliance with the stipulated standards I think the problem of poor quality education will be solved.
But It’s not doing enough; NUC is not doing enough because we know of compromises. We know what people do when they go for accreditation; we know. So in principle, yes the guidelines are enough to make the quality of education substantial. But those implementing those standards get compromised along the way. That is the problem we have.Let’s zero in on Abia State. What’s going on in the state?
Let me believe I understand you to say what’s going on in the state. What is going on in the state is excellent administration of Abia State . Let’s start with the vision of His Excellency. First of all let me say that when we judge His Excellency we plead with the people to understand the peculiarity of the circumstances under which he emerged. I was appointed SSG because His Excellency believed that I did well as the Vice-Chancellor of Abia State University. My people didn’t lead a delegation to him. Nobody did. He saw that and because he is talking about merit, he’s talking about competence. He’s talking about credentials; he’s talking about credibility. He’s talking about ability.I commend what he’s doing because this is in the context of limited funds. All of us know. You see, people say go to Akwa Ibom, go to Rivers State . How much is Akwa Ibom receiving? How much is Abia receiving? So we have to judge in the context of the availability of resources.He has led Abia back into the PDP fold. It’s a wonderful plus.
When the kidnappers that were dislodged from River State gravitated into various South-Eastern States, Abia became unbearable and investors fled. It was the connection of His Excellency with the Federal Government that attracted the federal troops and other agencies to deal a fatal blow to that scourge that threatened the economy of Abia State . And kidnapping literally disappeared.All the people in Aba fled. Industries folded up; powerful individuals disappeared, went on self-exile. But today life has returned because peace has been restored.
Investors are coming back. In fact a few days ago Guinness Nigeria Plc returned, they had earlier fled from Aba . They came to launch one of their new product DUBIC lager beer. They have now come, established a brewery and they started manufacturing because the environment is now conducive. These are some of the dividends that we have benefited by returning to the mainstream of the Nigerian politics.
We’re able to plead with the federal government and we received very ready hearing. So part of what they did, they didn’t just come back talking about Guinness, they’re now official sponsors of the Enyimba Football Club Jersy.Abia has industries why is the state not doing well in internally generated revenue.
The factories weren’t functioning. Golden Guinea was not functioning. The Modern Ceramics Industry was not functioning, Aba Textile Mill was not functioning.
These are potential revenue earners. Nigerian Breweries in Aba folded up and disappeared. It is now that it came back.
For Aba, one would say you have Ariaria market why don’t you get revenue from it? Ariaria had remained impassable. You will hear of “Ukwu-Mango” and there are about six to seven roads that are being tarred in Ariaria.
We thought that it was unfair to impose a taxation or go to take from them when we’ve not created the enabling environment.In Ariaria area we will now morally feel justified to ask for money, internally generated revenue from them. Before now IGR wasn’t coming!
We have involved in a number of consultants who have done well in some other states of the federation to Abia State and we’re experimenting and the experiment is yielding positive results. And internally generated revenue is beginning to increase now. It’s a gradual process the people have to be keyed into the process..
And that is one. We cut our coat according to our cloth. And when we also remember also that on the average Abia will receive N3.5 billion when conditions are very favourable and we spend N2.5 billion paying salaries and wages we have only N1 billion left. From this N1 billion doesn’t it amaze you that so much is being done. Not less than N5 billion has been sunk into Aba roads as I speak with you.
Sir can you mention the roads?
Three weeks ago we commissioned four roads in Aba – three roads in Aba plus the pedestrian crossing at Abia State polytechnic, Aba. It’s not just creating roads, we demolish illegal structures and excavate drains .
So it’s not just as simple creating roads. What are there for us to see? We could not go to commission things that do not exist. That famous Ukwu-Mango road is a major stake because it reduces the distance to Ariaria market. And within Ariaria as many as six or seven roads are tarred within that environment.
Not to talk about Port Harcourt Raod, Ohanku Road several of them within Aba; Old Express/Samek, Aba-Owerri( Express Road junction Railway Crossing), Danfidio Road, Obikabia Road(eleven kms), Aba Town Hall- Fire Service, Azikwe Road, Umuocham Road, Ohanku Road, East Street Erosion Control completed and work is in progress in several other roads including Umueze Road, Ekeakpara Road, and some Federal roads This is in respect to Aba. The same massive road construction work is going on in various other parts of the State.Needless to talk about federal government roads that are being rehabilitated by Abia State government. If you take Umuahia - Akara Road , it’s a federal road; if you take Ohafia – Arochukwu road; it’s a federal road, but it’s the state government that has taken over the rehabilitation of those roads. Reason: it’s not the federal government that uses these roads. It’s our own people. It’s our vehicles that break down each time they pass there.So, in terms of the roads in Aba and elsewhere there’s hardly any part of the state, including my community, we’re from Abiriba – the road leading from Amogudu cutting through the city into two, passing through up to Ali Ndi-Oriri was tarred by the state government.But talking quite seriously I think in the context of the money we had whether it is justifiable. Yes, because it is not just roads alone. The infrastructural development is to create an enabling environment for entrepreneurs to thrive, that’s why it has looked at and focused and invested in power generation.At the moment there are two power generating sub-stations. One from Osisioma and the other one from Ohinya, Ohinya is close to Umuahia. In the next 14 days or less, Umuahia and its environs will have light up to Isikwuato. And the other one will power the whole of Aba area. We believe that with electricity you can engineer industrialization. Several other things will come easily with constant electricity.
There’s hardly any community in Abia State that doesn’t have a transformer. Yes, there’s hardly any.So if all these things are happening why are people not happy with the regime?There are administrators that do one thing and they go announcing to the whole world “I’ve done this, I’ve done this”, Ochendo by nature is is reserved. He talks very little but does very much.
And unless you are very close to see what he’s doing; it’s like his generosity. He is a simple man.
People sometimes mistake his gentleness for weakness.If His Excellency receives a message that you’re bereaved, if he’s not there in person he will send somebody. I have consistently gone on his behalf to people who would not expect even a local government chairman to pay them a visit.
Now let me address what happened in Aba which is interesting. And I like to say that we in Abia State believe that the burial of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was a solemn assembly that should ordinarily attract the sympathy of all Igbo people; where political differences should be submerged.Unknown to us our APGA opponents had prepared to use it as a political platform. First of all, they told us that the body of Ojukwu would arrive at 7am – in order to allow them flood the stadium with their hired and indoctrinated crowd most of whom were not Abia indigenes. We were warming up for 7 O’clock they gave us another announcement “Oh it’s coming at 12noon” and we relaxed, only for them to fill up the place. And by the time we arrived, the paid and well-indoctrinated hoodlums had occupied strategic parts of the stadium. I understand that each of them was paid N2,000. Check how much money a state government would dish out to hire 20,000 hoodlums and pay them N2,000 each And the directive for them was once His Excellency stands up begin to hoot, once another governor comes up, begins to applaud. Our people are humane; we’re hospitable. Sometimes to a fault. And we allow everybody have a field day and a free hand. More around – in Aba . We did not mind that leadership of several trade unions are non-indigenes. We don’t mind, but then our political enemies have casshed in on this liberality to use those structures that we allowed to exist in the name of democracy to fight against us.Let me tell you, I have security report that APGA planned to take over Abia in 2015 and what APGA is doing is to sow seeds of discord amongst the people.What you’re saying is that the protest was stage-managed?
Stage-managed! Completely stage-managed! And I have my reasons for saying so. If it is the same group, does Aba have how many populations? One homogenous population. How come that when we returned to commission projects it was a heroic welcome that Ochendo received? Then who were those that were hooting a few weeks earlier? Where were they? They have received their pay and gone away!
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2012/apr/25/national-25-04-2012-022.html

This man is a liar and also a lunatic

some one that came out in a media like sun-newspaper to say something about his state and his governor on a true state of mind without any fear could the person be described as lier

AS I WAS SAYING...I respect Prof. Mkpa alot but here and as it concerns defending the indefensible, it will not jell. It will also be an embarassment to the army of graduates who passed through Prof's tutellage if he continues to reel out all these lies to defend his position as SSG to thGov. T.A's rule.APGA is the peoples party that runs across the Igbo landscape unlike the hired crowd of T.A'S party PDP. PEOPLE KEEP ASKING IF WE HAVE soon forgoten the various revolts against him at different fora before DIM OJUKWU'S burial issue. Are we all dafts or robots as you would want us to believe these lies? APGA filled up the stadium before your hired crowd. What about Nnewi and other places. Prof. it will be a hard sale for you as long as T.A Orji remains your boss. He has failed in governance and should honorably QUIT. pROF. HAVE YOU TOLD THE WORLD HOW YOUR GOVERNMENT NOW CARRY MORE THAN 50 BUSES FILLED WITH THUGS TO CHEERS YOUR MASTER ON ANY OUTING TO DROWN OPPOSITION VOICES? haba! Only few days ago, "IKUKU" REMEMBERED THE DOWNBELOW GUYS IN Aba. Prof, this level of settlement and deceit will never work . I believe you are a christian and LIES should be avoided at all times. From your reactions , it shows that your government is getting angry at Aba people...softl, softly. Because the people refused to be drowned. Prof, you should be educated on the character of Aba people..their reactions are usually spontaneous. I advice that your government should stop chasing shadows and be accountable to the people. yOU CLAIMED TO HAVE RECEIVED HEROIC WELCOME WHEN YOU WENT BACK AND DID YOUR HOMEWORK BY BRINGING THE WHOLE ARMY IN ABIA STATE , BAKASSI AND POLICE ADDED TO MORE THAN 50 BUSES OF HIRED THUGS.GOD IS WATCHING T.A and all his sorrogates. CHIKENA !

hmmmmm

Tanx for your contribution,OLUABIA Gov. T.A Orji is a GENERATIONAL LEADER raised by God to do a unique work of LIBERATION, REBIRTH AND ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT OF OUR DEAR STATE OF ABIA. When all efforts to extricate Abia from the stranglehold of Orji Uzor Kalu failed, God positioned OCHENDO to be our Champion and with Courage and Compassion he delivered Political, Social, Economic and Spiritual LIBERTY to the once enslaved state. Today, T.A Orji is the Father and Founder of the NEW ABIA. He is taking NECESSARY BUT SOMETIMES PAINFUL DECISIONS IN THE GREATER INTEREST OF ABIANS AND THE REAL ABIANS ARE VERY HAPPY AND SATISFIED WITH HIS EFFORTS.Before the advent of T.A Orji's government, LGAs in Abia were owing workers up to thirteen months salary arrears. Aba North closed shop at a time and Council Chairmen were borrowing billions from banks, making returns to Orji Kalu's mother and siblings while the state groaned in debt. When T.A Orji came, he promptly paid ALL the outstanding salaries, promoted ALL civil servants to the next grade level, restored normalcy and motivation and accountability. AS YOU KNOW, T.A Orji is the first Governor in the South East that paid not just the minimum wage but a lot more. Abia workers have NEVER COMPLAINED nor gone on strike because of the very UNDERSTANDING NATURE AND TOTAL ENCOURAGEMENT they receive from T.A Orji. So, YOU CANNOT CRY MORE THAN THE BEREAVED !!! What we are talking about here is that GOVERNMENT HAS RELEASED SALARIES AS AT WHEN DUE BUT BUREAUCRATS AT THE LGAs delayed the processes AND THE GOVERNOR INTERVENED ON BEHALF OF THE WORKERS. Is that a crime? You must distinguish between your primitive hatred of the person of the governor and informed analysis of policy matters.WHERE WERE YOU AT THE TIME ORJI UZOR KALU HELD ABIA HOSTAGE-BUILDING BANKS IN GAMBIA, SUN NEWSPAPER IN LAGOS, SLOK AIRLINES, SHIPS, PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST, VILLA MANSION, NEYA COURT, POTOMARC MANSION AND SIPHONED ABIA MONEY THROUGH COUNTLESS NUMBER OF CONDUITS? WHAT DID YOU DO ? WHAT IS YOUR REAL NAME AND FROM WHICH LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARE YOU ? Have you not asked yourself why despite all the hate campaign against T.A Orji in the media, the man still WON OVERWHELMINGLY IN THE LAST ELECTION? TODAY, PEOPLE LIKE ONYEMA UGOCHUKWU, ENYINNAYA ABARIBE, VIN OGBULAFOR, IKE NWACHUKWU, OJO MADUEKWE, ADOLPHUS NWAGBARA, TONY UKASANYA, DAN NWANKWO, CHUKWU NWACHUKWU, MAO OHUABUNWA, UCHE CHUKWUMERIJE, NKECHI NWOGU,ACHO NWAKANMA, EMMA NWAKA,SUNNY AKU, CHRIS ENWEREMADU, CHRIS NKWONTA, VICTORIA AKANWA, LADY AGUIYI IRONSI, EMEKA WOGU, ACHO OBIOMA, AUSTIN AKOBUNDU, HENRY IKOH AND INDEED ANYBODY THAT IS ANYBODY IN ABIA STATE IS STANDING SOLIDLY BEHIND T.A ORJI!! YOU CANNOT BE MORE CATHOLIC THAN THE POPE. You can only fiddle your frustrated phone in anguish while T.A Orji dutifully carries out his onerous task of laying a solid foundation for Abia posterity. ALREADY, HE HAS RESTORED OUR POLITICAL LIBERTY, HARMONY AND SECURITY. HE IS NOW PAINSTAKINGLY TACKLING THE CHALLENGE OF INFRASTRUCTURE. HE IS FOCUSED AND WILL CONTINUE TO RISE DESPITE THE SHENANIGANS OF IMPLACABLE CRITICS. ABIANS DO NOT OWE YOU OR ANY OF THE FEW DISGRUNTLED IMO AND ANAMBRA PEOPLE LIVING IN ABA ANY APOLOGY FOR RECLAIMING OUR DESTINY.WE TOOK A RECIPROCAL DECISION TO SEND HOME THEIR WORKERS MORE THAN TEN YEARS AFTER THEY SENT OUR CITIZENS PACKING. THAT'S WHAT NIGERIA RECENTLY DID TO SOUTH AFRICANS WHEN THEY GOT FUNNY. IT IS STANDARD PRACTICE AND T.A ORJI IS A GREAT ABIA PATRIOT FOR DOING THAT JUSTICE TO OUR CITIZEN. AFTER ALL, THEY WERE THE PEOPLE ORJI KALU USED FOR TEN YEARS AS COLONIAL WARRANT CHIEFS TO SUBJUGATE OUR PEOPLE. THEY CAN SCREAM AND SHOUT AT THE STADIUM BUT TRUE ABIANS REMAIN HAPPY WITH WHAT T.A ORJI IS DOING ON THEIR BEHALF. ON ELECTION DAY, THEY WILL STILL MIGRATE BACK TO THEIR STATES WHILE WE STAY HERE TO DETERMINE OUR FUTURE.

As i was saying....Emindu, i as well appreciate your defence mechanism but i promise you that your wall will fall flat out of a defenceless, corrupt, and visionless character in the driving seat of governance in Abia.Pointedly i mark it as deceitful regime.Q.E.D It is unfortunate that because you have read articles like mine that have exposed and questioned the relevance of your master to Abians that you suppose am not from the state. You all have murdered sleep and it will elude you from now. No more as usual. We all have equal stake in the state and have every right to query your actions.It is not about OUK but Abians. May i hint you that the dispensation of IMPUNITY is gone. T.A and others of his political group in PDP never won election in Abia state but rode on the two-edged poison of IMPUNITY. Well, the people know that Igbos overwheming supported and voted President Jonathan and his reciprocal adventure of allowing T.A to remain in power has caused him and his party the greatest national embarrasment because it is now evident that he is a misfit. He cannot govern and his media aide substantiated it that he is "INACTION GOVERNOR". Emindu, to show you and your master's degree of wisdom, you are at this moment still defending him for that Aba stadium insult to Abians that, i quote you.. ( THEY CAN SCREAM AND SHOUT AT THE STADIUM ... ). You ascribed to GOD positioning your T.A, I suggest you read your Bible if at all you are a christian because you cannot defend the level of wickedness you and your master have leveled against Abians with your PATCH-PATCH GOVERNANCE.God does give man opportunity to repent and all of you that have ganged up against the people with penchant for acquisition of the common wealth , HE, GOD WILL JUDGE YOU ! CHIKENA

@emindu,
Are you saying there is no truth in this account of Orji’s latest outing?


Governor T.A Orji’s reign of terror in Abia: 5 citizens jailed for voicing their opinion

This past Easter, Iyke Ekpo and a group of his friends wined and dined at an Umuahia restaurant. They also cracked jokes and talked Abia politics. Iyke told his friends the simple, basic truth about Theodore Ahameful Orji’s administration: The governor and his son Chinedu are only robbing the state blind and are doing nothing whatsoever to ensure democratic dividends trickle down to the people of Abia.

Unbeknownst to Iyke, one of those sitting on the table with him was an informant to Governor Orji and his son. He was quick to report Iyke to his paymasters.

Iyke is an employe of the Umuahia General Post Office on Aba Road. Tuesday April 10, Iyke had gone to dispatch mails when he received phone calls from some people who identified themselves as members of the State Security Service. They had asked him to come meet with them somewhere in Umuhia so they could discuss an urgent tip they received from Abuja regarding criminals plotting to use the post office to ship out documents that would affect Nigeria’s national security. Iyke promised to meet them once his work load was lessened.

But these agents could hardly wait. They proceeded to Iyke’s office where they pretended to have come to mail out letters. As they were being attended to, Iyke drove in.

On sighting him, the agents hastily went to grab Iyke even before he could alight from the car. They tried forcing him into the boot of their car. As he struggled with them, the scene attracted the attention of passersby and those of his coworkers. These people came to Iyke’s aid. In the midst of the scuffle, he escaped and scurried into the post office for safety, locking the entrance door behind him. At this juncture, the agents resorted to beating to stupor all those who had come to the postal worker’s aid before breaking the entrance door into the post office and shattering its glass windows to force themselves into the building.

In the melee that ensued inside, one of the agents was beaten mercilessly while one of his colleagues who stood busy making calls and reporting events to the governor and his son, on seeing the dramatic turn of events called for back up when he realized he and his fellow agents of death were trapped in the premises of the post office because the gates had been locked.

Not long after the call, the Bakassi boys arrived. On seeing the locked gates, they climbed in through the fence. The post office called in the police, who on arrival, were able to calm frayed nerves, not before arresting Iyke alongside his colleagues who had helped him fend off the agents – Chigozie Okogbuo, one Harbour who works for the engineering department of the company, Jeremiah Obasi, the security man that locked the gates, as well as one of the company’s drivers who was two weeks away from his retirement. They were taken into police custody.

The matter all of a sudden took a ridiculously dramatic turn: Instead of releasing these men after a few hours, the police kept them and turned against the post office which had called in for their help. The five postal workers were were hurriedly charged at State High court 4 for plotting to kidnap the Governor Orji and his son Chinedu after failing in several attempts to frame them up.

Contacts started going on underground to effect the men’s release. The first lawyer the post office tried to retain refused to be of any service to them. The second one, a SAN, after collecting money to appear on behalf of the men feigned sick the next day in court. Sources say he was sternly warned by Chinedu to steer clear of the case. Therefore, fearing for his dear life, he tactically withdrew from it.

A judge refused to hear the matter until a more pliable judge was found who remanded the men in prison custody at Afara till May 3 when the case would come up for hearing.

Having spent eight days in detention, the men were released Wednesday, April 18, after a high level network of contacts went to plead with the governor and his son on their behalf. The charges of the case, which has now been referred to the AIG in charge of Zone 9 Area Command, have been reduced to assault and battery instead of the original kidnapping which was more serious and not bailable by law.

Chinedu Orji, also known as Ikuku Ochendo, is the lord of the ring in Abia State. Everyone in the state lives in fear of him and neither want to be in his bad books nor at the receiving end of his wrath. The men at Umuahia General Post Office are at least living witnesses to this fact.

Written by Kaanayo Nwachukwu

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Abia state definitely need APGA to come for their rescue b4 is too late APGA the power house