₦airaland Forum

AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, CHIEF/SIR T. A. ORJI (OCHENDO) GOVERNOR ABIA STATE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL HAND-OVER CEREMONY OF ABIA RUBBER COMPANY LTD, TO IMONI-YAME HOLDINGS LTD, HOLDING AT AMEKE ABAM, ON THE 5TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2012

PROTOCOLS

DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

I am very pleased to be here today, to perform this significant ceremony, which concludes the official leasing and handing-over of Abia State Rubber Company Ltd, to a private operator, The Imoni-Yame Holdings Ltd.

It is our hope that this hand-over will introduce greater efficiency in the management and utilization of the abundant rubber resources in this area, and to the benefits of the indigenes of this area and the entire State.

This ceremony we are conducting today is borne out of our firm belief that Government alone, cannot solve all the socio-economic problems of our citizens through its singular efforts, but must necessarily seek collaboration with the Private Sector in those relevant areas where shared investment with the State, can provide predictable catalysts to the engines of State development.

This has become necessary, if Governments at all levels are to speedily and adequately address the issue of high level of youth unemployment and hunger in our society. I see today, as signifying another milestone in our Administration’s effort to transform Abia State’s economy, through a more efficient collaboration with the Private Sector in transforming our agricultural Sector policies, for the creation of dependable jobs for our people.

Our Government arrived at the decision to lease the Abia State Rubber Company to Imoni-Yame Holdings Ltd, after a thorough due diligence on the track records of the Firm.

The Company which was founded in 1987 has grown to become the foremost natural rubber export processing and indigenous Engineering Company in Nigeria. It was able to do this through discipline and committed growth; extensive development and cultivation of rubber plantations; strategic planning and committed execution of its operational vision.

Our Government has no doubt that this disciplined and honest private operator, has the resources, human and material, to perform optimally, and be a new source of wealth creation to all the stakeholders in the Abia State Rubber Company, and especially, become the new driving engine in the socio-economic and industrial development of our State.

I therefore urge the land donors of this Abia Rubber Plantations and the operators of this new enterprise, to work harmoniously with the core Investors to achieve high ideals, and where necessary, channel all disagreements and grievances arising in the process, to the State Government, so that sustainable peace and industrial harmony are ensured at all times.

I will also urge all parties to avoid any act that will be tantamount to black-mailing the core investors, when-ever disagreements arise, as our Government will always act decisively to protect both the interests of our citizens and the core investors, at all times.

Also, while our State Government will continue to create the enabling environment for private sector investment and partnership in our State to boost the State’s economic base, we expect investing companies to always stick to the terms of the Article of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

We will not hesitate to invoke the acts of Investors that breach their lease agreements, or those that embark on calculated attempts to exploit the lease assets without proper maintenance, or with wanton disregard of the interests of their operating areas.

Having said this, I want to thank everyone who worked tirelessly so that we could reach the level of collaboration with Imoni-Yame Holdings Ltd, which we are celebrating here today.

The job of creating a new and a more progressive Abia State is a collective assignment, and failure is not acceptable to all of us as an option. Our Government will always be there to offer our support and encouragement to all committed investors and genuine farmers, who are the vanguards of our State agricultural revolution and transformation.

Our current disbursement of N1 billion Agricultural Loan facilities; our assistance in agro inputs and fertilizers to farmers; our provision of tractors and tractor heads at subsidized prices – which are now expanding farm lands in our State; and our planned Liberation Farms in all the 17 LGAs of our State, are eloquent testimonies that our Government desires to make agriculture the largest employment delivering sector in Abia State. We will continue to encourage private sector investments in this area of our State economic activity, so as to truly banish youth unemployment in our State, especially in the rural grass-root environment.

We have today taken a visible step in this journey of enhancing the employment opportunities of our people, and the economic development of our State, through the efficient management of our agricultural resources.

It is therefore now my privilege and honor to formally hand-over the management and operations of the Abia Rubber Company to Imoni-Yame Holdings Ltd, and in accordance with the terms of the subsisting Lease Agreement.

Thank you and God bless Abia State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

virtually i see some people here as ones who revel and delight on discrediting the state government without any fundamental basis of argument on which their lies,fake stories and malignity could be traced on.....in respect to that i notably want to use this moment to refute all lashes of derogation leveled against the state government and the governor of Abia state.....we - the good people of Abia with goodwill and progressive mindedness will continue to give our indomitable might,support ,encouragement and formidable counsel in view to helping the state government in every way we can to assisting on developmental strategies,as such is what a good citizen and good patriotic should be known for......nevertheless ,we shall continue to pray for the state government,governor and his aides ,for
God to provide them with might,wit,wisdom and strength that will hinge on providing Abia state the needed development......in effect,i want to say that whoever derive joy in making caricature of Abia state shall be an object of caricature in his entire life...Abia state is ours....God will not let her down....Our prayer is for our amiable governor to continue in his quest and bring Abia more and more developments.....as for this thread which am reacting on,i made bold to say that nothing about it is real,all is a fake of reality by those who want a crestfallen of Abia state....but abia state is built on a solid rock,all other rock are sinking sands...

Rawlings is an epitome of a good leader and he has seen another who has leadership quality in the person of T.A orji....i must confess that T.A orji is making headway in security matters ,this will bring a long lasting solution to problems pressing down on Abia state......with security as a watch word,there is a chance lot of good thing will sprout from Abia state ,just in time.....people like to reside in areas where there is peaceful co-existence....this in view will usher in lots of opportunity that will bring about development in Abia state..kudos to the leadership of T.A orji ,and thanks to Jerry Rawlings for a time like this....Abia is great,Nigeria is great,Africa is great...long Live Abia state....God bless Abia state

the governor has been on the right track ,doing what he knows best....he has got more years ahead to fine tune the rhythm of abia's song.....

Orji Kalu, In His Guilty Conscience, Should Leave God Out Of It – By Don Ubani


A clear conscience they say fears no accusation. The guilty, on the other hand, habitually wanders from one self-indictment to another, being at war with himself and concluding that arrangements have been perfected to bring him to justice.

The former governor of Abia State, Chief (Dr?) Orji Uzor Kalu, whose eight-year official tenure and three years of imposed control of the fortunes of Abia State left nothing for which Abia people can be proud of has continued t-o indicate interest in stirring the honest’s nest in God’s Own State,

Kalu’s latest idler’s provocative utterances are contained on page 43 of This Day Newspaper of Friday 19th October, 2012. Speaking through his specie Adviser; Political; Oyekunie Oyewunmi; Kalu who no doubt, has become? Prisoner of self-guilt expressed apprehension of what he assumes the likelihood of being ‘probed by the Abia State Government’.

There is no doubting the fact that deep down his heart Kalu knows dial one of the administrative cum judicial legacies the Chief T. A. Orji’s administration should not fail to leave for Abians is not to subject Kalu’s stewardship to .proper accountability. Since Kalu knows this is a necessary step, he should not resort to any panic measure or hide under any cover to seek for public sympathy.

Kalu in his present state of trauma and disorganization/ should also leave God out of it. By trying to claim that he ‘Governed Abia with the fear of God; Kalu is unwarrantedly trying to remind Abians how badly humiliated they felt under his administration which consistently insisted on coercing supporters into one form of fettishness or another.

If he knew God existed and believed in Him, why should he have taken his followers to Umuhuezechi in his Bende Local Government Area or Okija in Anambra State for idolatrous administration of oath of extra-judicial allegiance to his family?

The former Governor should not be mischievous in trying to play on the intelligence of Abians by spuriously assuming he was responsive to the people’s plight. Does Kalu want to pretend to have forgotten that during his tenure my Oil producing people of Ukwa-West pleaded with him unaccountably for the establishment of Abia State Oil Producing Area Development Commission but all their pleas only amounted to hitting the head against a brick wall? He is not happy that what he denied Oil-producing communities of the state, Ochendo, without any hesitation abundantly gave to them. Is it not rather unfortunate that Kalu who, as soon as he was elected Governor assumed the regrettable role of an infant-terrible by crudely insulting all the powers that were in Nigeria and by so doing alienated Abia State from Nigeria’s main stream politics is still deceiving himself with the hallucination of Igbo liberation.

Being driven by parochial and selfish motives, Kalu set up his ‘Orji Uzo Kalu Free Medical Service’, an outlet he cleverly used to extort one million naira monthly from each of the seventeen Local Government Councils of the State. The quality of service rendered by this revenue sapping unit was not as good as one that a patriotic .and more organized mobile dispensary could/ ordinarily have offered. Kalu for eight years could not lay even one foundation stone of a maternity in the state not to talk of a Primary Health Centre.

But the people’s Governor, Chief T. A. Orji, whom he has recklessly and preposterously resolved to cast aspersion upon, has, despite all challenges, built, equipped and staffed two hundred and ten Primary Health Centers in the State. Chief T. A. Orji’s administration has built two functional diagnostic centres, one at Umuahia and the other at Aba. The hitherto ill-equipped Amachara General Hospital has been redesigned, reconstructed, equipped and re-engineered to effectively serve as a specialist Hospital. Orji Kalu, for

Eight plus three years, represented darkness and retrogression and, so, lacks basis for comparison with Ochendo.

Orji Kalu, in his desperation to paint white black talked of ‘over bearing corruption’. Does Kalu think that. Abians have forgotten too soon that equipment ordered by the state Government to modernize the Abia News Paper;. The Ambassador disappeared into the thin air and before they could say Jack Robinson, they had started seeing “The Sun” on the streets of Nigeria-Roads in Aba have always given headache to governments of the day. Kalu, in his commercial amnesia/ would forget that the late charismatic Governor of Old Imo State; Chief Sam Mbakwe, Ph.D, whom he was treating with unmitigated contempt while he was Governor of Abia State, became known as a weeping Governor because of roads in Aba. Governor T. A. Orji has indicated clear interest in rehabilitating roads in Aba. This interest is evident in Aba – Owerri Road which he has dialyzed, Ukwu-Mango, Samek and Danfodio roads. Despite the rains, palliative measures are being put in place on such other roads as Brass, Faulks and Port-Harcourt. Above all, the Governor has assured Aba residents of a full scale rehabilitation of roads as soon the rains abate.

By God’s grace, Ochendo will leave Office on 29th May, 2015 and Commissioners that are currently serving under him, could then beat then-chests and say; our governor built

1. A four-storey elevator-installed civil service secretariat

2. Five thousand capacity international conference centre

3. A new Government House,

4. New High Court buildings at Umuahia and Aba

5. Befitting office complexes at the Ministry of Justice

6. A forty-eight one storey office complex at the Broadcasting cooperating of Abia/

7. Amaokwe Housing Estate

8. Amauba Housing Estate

9. Development of an Industrial Market at Ndume

10. Umuahia Modem Market,

11. Two hundred and ten Primary Health Centres

12. Two Diagnostic Centres

13. Re-designation and Structural Up-liftment of Amachara Specialist Hospital

14. Renovation of Nnamdi Azikiwe Secretariat

15. Rehabilitation of many roads in the State

16. Initiated and enhanced payment of a minimum wage of twenty thousand and one hundred naira to Abia Public Servants

17. Reintegrated Abia to Nigerian’s main stream politics,

18. Unified the generality of Abians

19. Re-directed the government of God’s own state to God

20. Released one billion naira Agric interest free loan to Abians and

21. Worked in harmonious synergy with Mr. President to resuscitate NNPC Depot at Osisioma which became dysfunctional during the era of Orji Kalu.

What can those who served under Orji Kalu as governor point at as legacies of that administration?

It is high time Orji Kalu learnt to appreciate that having murdered sleep in Abia State/ he would remain tormented and may sleep no more. He should realize that trying to distract the good government and people of Abia State through irresponsible speculative accusation of acquisition of wealth by the incumbent governor who is irrevocably determined to leave quantifiable legacies has only gone to strengthen an already held opinion that Kalu’s characteristic stock-in-trade is enshrined in falsehood and cheap blackmail.source :
http://247ureports.com/orji-kalu-in-his-guilty-conscience-should-leave-god-out-of-it-by-don-ubani/

T.A ORJI has been on the high top spot when it comes to given abia sustainable security in abia state..and he has done so much more to instill formidable security in abia state....am so happy about that...this idea will beget many more development in abia state

‘BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE SECURITY IN AFRICA – ABIA STATE EXPERIENCE’
LECTURE DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, CHIEF T. A. ORJI (OCHENDO), GOVERNOR ABIA STATE, AS A GUEST SPEAKER, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 9TH SECURITY WATCH AFRICA AWARD’S LECTURE, HOLDING AT LA PALM ROYAL BEACH HOTEL, ACCRA, GHANA ON THE 18TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2012
PROTOCOLS
DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!
It is my pleasure to be here today, in this great city of Accra, Ghana to talk about the sustainable security of Africa, and the experience of my own State of Abia in Nigeria. This great and ancient city of Accra which endured series of colonial powers’ intrigues, has for more than six centuries prevailed as a shining star in promoting African historic interests. There is no better place to talk about the sustainability of the security of Africa, - of a people, and - of an enduring idea, than here in Accra. Africa will certainly endure despite its conflicts - just as Accra, Ghana has endured and prevailed.
I salute the people of Ghana; I salute the African Union (AU), which through its organizational activities has collectively given hope to Africa that its conflicts will be managed, if not totally resolved. I also salute the Board of Trustees of Security Watch Africa, for its indomitable spirits of survival and concern that Africa should enjoy a sustainable peace and security, so that our people will devote more energy to developing our human and material resources for the benefits of generations of Africans.
I salute every person here who has not given up hope that Africa will get its acts together and take full responsibility to harness its abundant resources for the development of human security and improved democratization, rather than continue to support despotic and fragile regimes, that promote more conflicts. These search for solutions and optimism that Africa will survive must continue.
I bring good tidings from the people of Nigeria, and especially from the good people of my State of Abia, God’s Own State – which is now living out the true meaning of its captioned name, because we braved all odds to bring sustainable peace to our citizens and made it a haven of peace in Nigeria.
Our country Nigeria presents a clear case of many nations inhabiting one country, and we have been through and survived a series of conflicts arising from our complexity as a multi-ethnic Nation, welded together. We are still searching for sustainable peace and security, and despite an emerging democratic ethos, serious conflicts, including ‘boko-haram’ terrorism still remain parts of our daily challenges, especially as democratization has a tendency to generate its own series of demands and conflicts,
My own State of Abia was for several years locked in violent crisis and criminal kidnapping, which almost crippled our State, our economy and our governance institutions. But through an integrated approach of security framework that focused on maximum policing, military force, improvement of the welfare of citizens, application of judicial and correctional measures, application of the rule of law and collective participation of the stakeholders in issues of conflicts, we have been able to restore peace and sustainable security in our State.
Today, and for close to three years, Abia State is ranked as the safest State in Nigeria. We are now rewarded as the fastest growing economy in Nigeria, with growing internal and external inflow of investments. Our confidence has been renewed in the belief that peace and security must necessarily precede, and re-enforces sustainable development of any State.
It is my belief that even the invitation to speak in this forum is a clear indication that our efforts to achieve human security and sustainable development in our State, is now getting the attention of peace watchers and peace lovers. I am happy to be here to share our experiences, and to further contribute to the sustaining of improved security of our continent. I therefore sincerely thank the Board of Trustees of Security Watch Africa for this rare opportunity of a continental exposure.
You have asked me to speak to this distinguished audience on ‘Building a Sustainable Security Structure in Africa – Abia Experience. I will say that our experience in Abia State insecurity has not been on a straight line, but show a curve in learning process. We first re-learned to review our own understanding of the desirable approach to maintaining security of a State in a volatile environment. We came to know that the ‘control paradigm of achieving security though maintaining the status quo, cannot always produce a reliable security.
We learned that a better security framework can be achieved through a structure that focuses on integrated approach, seeking not only to control the consequences of insecurity, but attempting to galvanize the resources and interests of all stakeholders in a participatory framework to fight the symptoms of the conflict. This approach combines both the rule of law, application of strategic force, and commitments to the welfare of the citizens, to reach a sustainable peace. This is just what we did in Abia State.
We will approach this Lecture in six segments. First, we will look at the state of Insecurity in Africa – what are the drivers? We then address the dominant aim of African security structures and the approaches to dealing with the challenges.
This is followed by a look at the alternative approach, i.e.: Sustainable security framework – ‘what difference does it make’? We then attempt to project the future of African security within the sustainable framework paradigm. This is followed by our review of our Abia State experience; our security challenges, and how we responded to that. We finally conclude the lecture with our recommendations on the way forward for African security.
THE STATE OF INSECURITY IN AFRICA: WHAT ARE THE DRIVERS?

Africa’s security challenges are characterized by a great diversity; and these range from conventional challenges such as insurgencies, border conflicts, resource and identity conflicts, post conflict stabilization crisis, violent extremism, and terrorism (See, African Center for Strategic Studies, 2005).
In recent times, these challenges have become more complex and dynamic. As major transitions begin to reshape African economic and political development, especially after the decades of military rule and authoritarianism, the new democratic institutions, have on their own generated new types of conflicts and violent situations. Also, rapid urbanization in Africa have brought with it, competing socio-political disruptions, that encourage domestic militancy, and other new violent criminal activities, which now challenge domestic and continental security.
Suddenly, militants of all shades and diverse beliefs, kidnappers – political and criminal, and terrorist groups, have added to the lexicon of security discuss in Africa. These, together with the management of State natural resources, markets, illicit goods movements, border administration, and many other subtle factors, have now become new drivers that shape Africa’s regional security challenges.
These major drivers that determine the state of insecurity in Africa, have been properly articulated by Chris Abbot and Thomas Philips (See Chris Abbot and Philips, Beyond Dependence and Legacy: Sustainable Security in Sub-Saharan Africa), as follows:
1. The Nature of the State
2. Legacies of War and militarism
3. Resource Management Issues
African States emerged as creations of European colonial powers, which shaped the nature of the new States.
From the period of independence, the new States bore within them the seeds of conflict, especially as many diverse Nations were fused into incompatible unions of one State. These new and weak States were further characterized by weak institutions, poor governance, and predatory leadership in the post-independence era. This is why the initial spate of ethnic based and border conflicts dominated the African region in the first two decades of independence in the 1960s and 70s. The postcolonial interests and the ideological divide of the cold war era further fueled these conflicts.
The initial ethnic based conflicts in Africa, and the divisive power struggle that followed the politics of the new States, on their own, created legacies of wars and militarism in Africa. Since power struggle and conflicts always rewarded the strongest, African States acquired the tendency to employ counter violence to settle all issues of disagreement, even where dialogue can subsist. This favored the ruling and despotic elites
The implication was felt in the militarization of Africa, increased arms trading, and obtrusive resort to force, even in the midst of decay and underdevelopment. The emergence of military regimes in Africa merely compounded the problems of regional violence and the promotion of conflicts, especially in the development of war economies. The struggle for control of the resources of the State, which had been heightened by militarization, further stressed the African conflict environment to the neglect of its increasingly decaying economy. Many analysts, that this period when African States were enmeshed in violent conflicts constitutes a major factor in its low economic, have observed it political and social development.
It is also a known fact that Africa is richly endowed in many natural resources, which include large deposits of oil, gold, diamond, and many other rich minerals and exploitable resources. Ordinarily, these and its abundant human resources should make Africa the most developed, peaceful and enviable continent.
Instead, these natural endowments have become the curse of Africa, as the poor management of these resources has become major drivers of conflict. As despotic States and their cronies appropriate common resources of their States, for personal enrichment, and often supported by foreign powers, regional arms race escalated and conflicts became more endemic in Africa.
Many African States that are endowed in resources, have also failed to use them to promote the welfare of their citizens, thus creating internal divide that encourage militarism as alternative politics. As Africa acquired a perception as a conflict prone environment, both local and foreign investors, refused to invest in Africa in the long term, living the region to remain perpetually a haven for extractive investment and suppliers of raw materials. These contribute to further underdevelopment Africa.
In recent years, African population has been growing exponentially, and under severe Malthusian threat. This is heightened by the threat of climate-change, which devastates agricultural activities and impoverishes the land. The cross migration of African people in search of arable lands for agriculture and cattle rearing have equally produced violent conflicts in the continent.
All these and many other drivers, now shape Africa’s regional security challenges, and attract diverse approaches in managing the challenges.
THE AIM OF AFRICA’S SECURITY FRAMEWORK, AND APPROACHES TO DEALING WITH CHALLENGES

The security objectives of Africa and its interests, especially after emerging from the clutches of colonialism, should ideally be focused on enabling Africans to go about their daily lives, - freely and with confidence that their lives and property are secured, in a stable and just State of self-rule; that ensures their prosperity in an environment and beyond. This was expected to be the essential first principle for the emerging States and their governance in a post independence status. But ironically, this was not to be in the consideration of the security framework of post independent African States.
The truth is that African security doctrines have focused mainly on the security of the ruling elites, and the maintenance of the status quo, in what has been termed as the ‘control paradigm’. This approach, very often relies on military force to produce compliance of conflicting parties, while ignoring the underlying issues that caused the conflict in the first place.
In this framework, the security of despots, their governments, and those of the collaborative elites, have been foisted on the national Interest of States, and become the defining character in resolving conflict challenges.
A major characteristics of this concept and its perception of security, is that it relegates to the background, the issues of global justice, equity, and people centeredness in the analysis and pursuit of security challenges. This approach has been witnessed where despotic rulers exploit ethnic divisions and neo-colonialism to remain in power while crushing all forms of opposition as security threats. Equally, the growth of military dictatorships with false legitimacies, touting themselves as purveyors of the national interest, have resulted in the acceptable use of force to eliminate all challenges to ill-conceived insecurity. The results have been in more internal disagreements, more conflicts, more violence and more insecurity in Africa.
It was also in the pursuit of a status quo based security, that African corrupt leaders and regimes were protected and supported by western democracies during the cold war era, while prevailing conflicts and violence were forcefully suppressed. These were only to re-appear in other forms to the greater damage of African security.
It is informative to note that over the years, some attempts have been made at the regional and continental levels to address the ‘control paradigm’ of Africa’s perception and approach to dealing with its conflicts, especially through the efforts of African Union (AU), the ECOWAS and the South African Development Community (SADC), through its various more people centered interventions.
These interventions have been well reflected in the Organizations’ Guidelines on democratic free and fair elections, and the collective approach to security management and peace keeping interventions, as well as norms setting for dealing with conflict situations. The AU has equally established a peace and security Directorate, to provide enhanced institutional capacity for achieving security and stability in Africa, beyond the control security structure that aims at only maintaining the status quo (See, Peace and Security Organization, AU Untitled Document, 2004).
But change and implementation of security structures in Africa continent, remain the prerogatives of individual African States, which very often lacked the will power to implement them. But of greater significance in the security management of African States, has been the prevalence of excessive corruption, weak leadership, and poor institutional capacity of States, which all combine, to encourage the State centered ‘status quo’ conception of security in Africa. These issues define why the interchange between endemic conflicts and economic development in Africa, remain difficult issues to deal with, and demands alternative approach for effective management.
ALTERNATIVE STRUCTURAL APPROACH TO SECURITY CHALLENGES IN AFRICA: WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE?

While the ‘control paradigm’ has dominated security thinking and management in Africa in the past six decades of African statehood and independence, many conflicts continue to fester. The United Nations Development Programme Agency links these conflicts to the declining and low economic, infrastructure and social development of Africa. This has combined with other changing political, economic and security circumstances, to force most African governments to begin to consider some forms of reform in their security institutions, funding and perception, especially how security can integrate with civilian constituents and other stakeholders (See, Eboe Hutchful and Kayode Fayemi, Security System Reform in Africa).
This need to move to a new security paradigm in Africa has been driven by a variant of trends, some of them conflicting. These include reforms in the external securities of foreign Nations, globalism and the end of the cold war conflicts, the process involved in the rebuilding of States and the demands of Donor Agencies. All these now impose the imperatives of change in the old military oriented structure of African security perception.
The drivers to leading to this desired alternative approach to security challenges in Africa have been extensively discussed in Eboe and Fayemi (Ibid), to include the followings:
1. The peace agreements, which brought an end to some African conflicts, also, imposed some changes in security perceptions and the way forward.
2. The growing democratization and dismantling of African authoritarian regimes and political structures, most of them military, began to suggest expansion of security views and new perception.
3. The drive to fiscal restructuring and monitoring of public expenditure, now becoming mandatory in African security structures, now call for reduced weapon accumulation and use as dominant approach to conflict situations.
4. Changing strategic environment brought about by end of the cold war, and its associated conflicts, equally suggest changes in the attitude of developing countries in dealing with their conflicts.
5. The growing importance and reach of regional and sub-regional collective security mechanisms, also suggest the need for new strategies in conflict reduction.
6. The deteriorating security conditions of many African States in the face of global and State economic meltdowns, have induced the need for collaborative consciousness in managing all forms of conflicts.
Under these new conditions, dialogue over security issues have become more acceptable as a strategy, and the need for reform of old thinking and application of security principles in Africa, has become both urgent and imperative.
NOW ENTER SUSTAINABLE SECURITY!

This new approach and reform to African security structure, in which focus is more on ‘human security’ is being given prominence of new thinking, and is acclaimed to be the basis of building a sustainable security for Africa.
Sustainable security in Africa and indeed in any other part of the world is built on the premise that we cannot successfully control all consequences of insecurity, but must work to resolve the causes. In other words, fighting the symptoms will not work, instead, we need to focus on curing the disease, and focus our analysis of security threats on an integrated approach that seeks to prevent the causes of conflicts. Such an approach will need to deal with long term drivers of insecurity, including competition over resources, marginalization of minorities, and even management of climate change and its implications to Africa (See Ben Zala, Looking for Leadership, Sustainable Security in Latin America and Caribbean, Oxford Research Group, Norwegian Peace-Building Center).
Sustainable security in Africa will also take into consideration the justice and equity issues in African States and shift defense spending to human needs, including creation of jobs, and food security. As African States imbibe the concept of sustainable security, they will begin to focus on the root causes of our domestic threats, using the most effective means of doing so, and making cooperation and collaboration with citizens, the police, military and intelligence agencies, the new basis of building trust in a people centered security.
This approach is equally in recognition, that the protection of individuals is critical to both domestic and international security, and implies that the security needs of citizens for their development are not always enforceable through military means. Therefore, national defense, law and order, need to incorporate the broader political, social and economic issues that daily affect citizens’ lives.
Within this wider focus, sustainable security structure, will in responding to security challenges use the instrument of force, only in a manner that is consistent with democratic norms and supportive of human development (See, Security System Reform and Governance, OECD, 2005).
African States, in adopting the sustainable security structures that focus on the entire security of their citizens, suggest agreement:
1. That the security structure must reflect local needs and priorities of all stakeholders
2. That security must be seen as a policy issue that invites input from a larger population, beyond the needs of the elites.

3. That security must move beyond the use of force, and develop integrated policy approaches and responses that cut across other sectors of public action and interests.
4. That application of security, both operational, capacity and design must be accountable to the people, if it will provide lasting solutions.
THE FUTURE OF AFRICA’S SECURITY WITHIN THE SUSTAINABLE FRAMEWORK
We have tried to demonstrate here, that sustainable security does not mean preserving a ‘strong-man State’, where stability lasts as long as the leader is in power. Just as African leaders were supported in power during the cold war, and gained ideological advantage that gave false impressions of security and stability, but ended as fragile weak States, prone to more conflicts. Africa’s survival in the next century will depend on its ability to conduct its security challenges within the sustainable security structure.
This requires that African States, through collective actions, seek first to identify the risks of many State failures, through early warning of conflicts, and know where collective regional intervention will make the difference in resolution. This is because the ECOWAS and the AU in Africa’s security system management, has been important in the collective security approach of the region, especially in containing military coup de tat, peace keeping, and humanitarian intervention, and also in norms setting of Africa’s security system.
But it is also important to further drive these concerns to protect the poor, women and other vulnerable groups, through the collective improvement of governance of African States. This will not only improve the weak States, but also equally assist in the area of poverty reduction (See, Security Reforms System and Governance, OECD, 2005).
Also, both the African States and the regional organizations, need to develop strategies to reduce the pressures on at-risk States, by both addressing urgent problems that affect such States, especially in the building of long term capacity and institutions in ‘the core five areas’ of State policing, modern military, strong Civil service, effective judicial system, and responsive leadership (See Pauline Baker, Fragile States, Not destined to be Failed States, Courier, George Town University, 2012).
It is time that African Peer Group Monitoring, begin to track conflict potentials of the region, by recognizing how individual States fulfill their functions in providing ‘human security’ through protection of human rights, insuring the rule of law, fighting corruption, reducing poverty, growing their economies and fostering the well-being of the population. These are required to operate a people centered security, prevention of conflicts, and achievement of sustainable security (See, Pauline Baker, Ibid).
It is also evident that poor application of the democratization process, in many African States, has in itself encouraged political violence in the continent, and the resort to physical security to provide order. Attainment of sustainable security, will on its own strengthen and re-enforce democracy, through the attainment of social justice, safe environment and economic development.
SUSTAINABLE SECURITY AND OUR ABIA STATE EXPERIENCE

Abia State is one of the 36 States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, excluding the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. It is located in the South East region of Nigeria, and inhabited by the ethnic Igbo race. It is a core State of the defunct Biafra of the Nigerian civil war of secession, which ended after three years of violent and destructive crisis, on the basis of ‘no victor, no vanquished’. But this was after more than one million lives were lost. The implication of this is that the people of Abia State are no strangers to debilitating conflicts and its security challenges.
Abia State is a peripheral oil producing State, and its people are mainly dependent on agricultural activities and commerce, they are also considered as the major trading and middlemen in the merchandizing of local and foreign goods in Nigeria and throughout the West African Coast.
The State’s major commercial city of Aba is reputed as ‘the Japan of Africa’, and the base of ingenious entrepreneurs, whose locally manufactured goods, comparing with world standards, are famously marketed all over Africa and the world; often under foreign labels. As naturally restless and well-travelled people, Abians constitute the major traders in the ECOWAS States and value freedom of movement.
All of these, make a peaceful environment extremely important for the survival of the people of Abia State of Nigeria, and underlies our perception of security threat.
The entire South-East Region of Nigeria, including Abia State, has a long history of security threats. These have been allowed to fester and remain unresolved, over the years. The watershed of these many threats came in the period of the Nigerian Civil War, when the South East Region, for three years, was locked in a war of secession with the Federal Government of Nigeria. Until that period, other minor threats were not considered threatening enough.
During the Nigerian Civil War, the South-East Region was able to survive the Federal might through the collective use of ingenious forces for both offensive and defensive action, until secession was defeated by the Armed Forces of the Federal Government of Nigeria. This resulted in the break-up of the region into smaller ethnic States, and re-absorption into a 21 State structure of a post war Nigeria.
In a post-civil war reconstruction of Nigeria, the proclamation of ‘no victor no vanquished’ was only partially applied, as whatever remained of the people of the South East region, was further marginalized and relegated to the background.
The struggle for ‘individual security’ and resource competition, which emerged in the post civil war South East Region, foisted on the region, violent activities ranging from armed robbery, massive fraud syndrome, and collapse of the values of integrity and enterprise, for which the region was known.
Further balkanization of the region, through the creation of more new States, of which Abia State was a beneficiary in August 1989, became the source of heightened conflicts in the region. All these were further allowed to fester, until tension grew in dimension in the region.
But it was the extended search for social and economic justice in the major Nigerian oil producing areas of the Niger Delta, which created the massive security challenges in the South-South region, and filtered into Abia State. This created the security challenges that tested our ability to create a sustainable security environment for our people.
In the search for social and economic justice in the Niger Delta Areas, militant youths contested the exploitation and utilization of the resources of oil available in their area, and this promoted the massive use of force and political violent agitation in the region. This subsequently degenerated into the use of kidnapping of foreign oil workers and multinational collaborators, as a form of political protest. The later demands for ransom money became the untidy extension of this justifiable political agitation.
In no distant time, this misguided use of violence and kidnapping for ransom money, spread like a wild fire into Abia State, even though our peripheral position as an oil State could not justify any political coloration. In our State, kidnapping and other forms of violent crimes soon became exaggerated to obsession, and as the latest avenue for rapid wealth creation, for both amateurs and professional criminals. Even our unemployed and partially employed youths were ensnared into the business, constituting a complete collapse of social values and massive insecurity.

Our cities, especially Aba, became dreaded and deserted areas, as foreign and local businesses fled the towns and relocated to other areas. The circle of poverty and unemployment grew larger in the land. For close to three years, Abia citizens lived in fear of kidnappers, as people went into hiding. The State governance was helpless in providing security and performing its developmental functions, as citizens cried out for rescue.
WHAT WE DID!
In our attempts to address these security threats facing our State, we were conscious of the fact that security threats, no matter their magnitude, do not emerge over-night. They arise as results of accumulated stresses and unsavory developments, some of them long ignored. In Abia State at that time, we were aware of accumulated public policy failures of past governments, and their implications to security threats.
More than in any other region of the Nation, public policy failures were glaring in our State, as evident in the poor infrastructures and social services, abandoned government projects, especially roads, massive youth unemployment, and declining educational standards. In fact, the self help attitudes of the Igbo man, which in the past provided safety bridges for our citizens, had itself been stretched to its limits, and the belief that individual citizens can do everything for themselves, had imploded into self and societal exploitation, and sometimes, desperate criminality.
It was these realizations that drove our State Government to do its duty to provide ‘human security’, and directly attack those issues that we saw as causing our security threats:
1. We sought to first re-unite the divided political elites of our State, both within and outside the State, and renewed their confidence and trust in Government. We insisted on inclusion of all citizens in the affairs of the State, based on equity in the sharing of State legacies, devoid of interventions of godfathers.

2. We then adopted dialogue as a security approach, by engaging kidnappers and all those involved in criminal violence. We called for the trading of kidnappers’ weapons in exchange for money, and eventual amnesty, re-training and re-integration into the society.
3. We chose to collaborate with all stake-holders in the society, including Traditional Rulers, Religious Organizations, Active Youth Groups, the Police, the Military and other security agencies, through the sharing of intelligence information, and monetary rewards for information leading to arrest of kidnappers and violent criminals.
4. We embarked on inter-State collaboration in the monitoring and tracking of kidnappers and other criminals, with the aim of isolating them, for apprehension and legal prosecution.
5. We applied social reform in the State to check gun production ad weapon running, popular in some of our areas, and assisted them to find other areas of gainful employment.
6. We chose to embark on massive developmental projects that target the youths for self-employment, and creation of recreational facilities to engage them to re-invent their energies.
We did all these to re-focus our security challenges on the protection of human beings, and these may have led to the massive cooperation we received from citizens. But in some quarters, it may have given the impression that some crimes do pay.
This perhaps was what encouraged some kidnappers to renew their boldness and callous approach to the level of intimidation of the entire citizenry of our State. This led our State to introduce the collective use of Federal military force in dealing with our security threat. This special moment came, when 15 innocent and vulnerable pupils of our Abayi International School in Aba, were kidnapped, and this worsened the exodus of our people from Aba. The exalted fear was that nobody was safe in the State.
It then dawned on our Government that beyond all measures taken to deal with our security threat, we needed to do our first and most basic job as a government, which is to protect our citizens, their property and their ways of lives.
We honored that contract and successfully collaborated with our Traditional Rulers, the Armed Forces of the Federal Government of Nigeria, our Police and the support of all the willing members of our society. We waged a decisive attack on all the known dens of kidnappers and violent criminals, successfully capturing many of them, while the most notorious kingpin ‘Osisi ka’nkwu’, died in the process. Our inclusion of military force in dealing with our domestic security challenges, merely addresses the perceived weakness of the Nigerian Police, which is under-equipped, poorly trained, and often incapable of withholding the challenges of well-armed criminal kidnapping gangs. But even the raid of kidnappers’ enclaves enjoyed the collaboration of all stakeholders of our State, who both supported and complemented the efforts of Government.
Since this post conflict era of our insecurity in Abia State, our State Government has adopted the strategy of further building the peace by directly contributing to the funding of the Nigerian Police in our State, and providing equipment and logistic supports in vehicles and other movements. These have contributed to the maximum policing of our State and improved joint surveillance of both police and military detachments. The result is that since 2010, Abia State has enjoyed a predictable peace and security.
We are proud to say that both local and foreign investors have returned to our State, and economic activities, including nightlife and hospitality industries are now booming in Abia State commercial cities, which were dreaded areas in the past.
The people of Abia State, especially the youths, are the guardian angels of our new security. We continue to work hard in streamlining and refining the politics of our State, into a merit based standards, where all our citizens can aspire to the highest positions in the State, without mortgaging their conscience to godfathers’ support.
Our merit-based system in the State has marked us out as the pillars of support for democracy and security in Nigeria, and attracted support of the Federal Government and the Nation’s Ruling Political Party, the PDP. Today, our State is the number one safest State in Nigeria, a complete 180 degrees turnaround from three years ago.
Our lessons from what we have achieved in sustainable security of our State, is that Nigerians and any other African nationals, will always be frustrated with governments, which fail to do what governments do, which is to protect their lives and property; their ways of lives, and their environment, for sustainable development of their economies.
We may not have achieved a completely free and non-violent environment in Abia State, but it is our dream that our children will inherit the same free, safe and prosperous State, that we have tried to create in Abia State.
This will only be possible, if we continue to make policies that ensure ‘human security’, that is, the welfare, safety and prosperity of our people, especially the youths, vulnerable women and children. This will not only restore the care value of our society, but also deal with those issues that sometimes make kidnapping and other violent crimes, preferred options.
But more important, we need to ensure an elective democratic system that is honest, accountable, accurate, just and equitable. If we are able to insist on these, we will certainly build a State, where all stakeholders feel obligated to support both the government and security Enforcement Agencies in promoting a sustainable security framework for all citizens. The same goes for all African States.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Sustainable security structure for Africa must of necessity, combine three approaches (adapted from Gayle E. Smith, In search of Sustainable Security):-viz.
1. National security, or safety of the States
2. Human security, or the well-being and safety of the citizenry
3. Collective security or the shared interests of the entire African continent
None of these should focus only on the preservation of the status quo, where the interests of a few elites are dominant.
Our analysis of the security trends in Africa, and review of what we did in Abia State in attempt to achieve sustainable security, leads us to believe that reform in African security can equally be achievable and sustainable African security attained, if pursued within the above three-pronged integrated approach.
But African States must have the confidence to move beyond the control paradigm of security framework, and reduce emphasis on the State, individual leadership, and on military strategy. They need to begin to see security as an all encompassing condition in which individual citizens live in freedom, peace and safety; participate fully in the process of governance, enjoy the protection of fundamental rights, have access to resources and the basic necessities of life and inhabit an environment not detrimental to their health and well-being (See, South African White Paper on Defense, cited in Hutchful and Fayemi, op.cit).
Equally, effective leadership and governance of African States will serve as the best prop for improving African security framework. While we cannot eliminate conflicts and violence in Africa, the quality of leadership and governance of African States, will dictate the extent that adopted security management approaches can move from the ‘control paradigm’ to a focus on human security and sustainability. Where there are strong and committed leaderships, reduced corruption, strong State institution s and political will to reform, African States are capable of creating a sense of cohesion that can reduce interminable conflicts and violence. The benefits can be in the improved development and social growth of Africa.
But by and large, sustainable security structure of Africa can be attained through the followings commitments of African States:
1. Collaboration between the major civilian stakeholders and relevant security agencies, especially in the sharing of soft human intelligence information, appropriate and well funded State policing, and policy dialogue at all levels ( local, national and regional).
2. Increased regional cooperation across Africa to provide integrated trade, strengthening of regional and domestic institutions, and improved legitimacy. Intra regional cooperation in transportation will also facilitate job creation in member States, and reduce internal frustrations of citizens that lead to violence.
3. Implementation of regional collective security as provided in the Peace and Security Directorate of the AU, should be applied on specific objectives that are African driven, with the cooperation and assistance of non-African bodies, tailored only towards the areas of capacity building, training and security reforms of States. This will reduce the direct externalization f African conflicts.
4. Also, the role of the AU in providing a common vision of defense and security of Africa, which include recognition of human security and promotion of mutual trust and confidence, as stated in the AU’s Inaugural Assembly of July, 2002, and passed in February 2004, in Libya, must be fully pursued and implemented by member States.
5. Nations like South Africa and Nigeria need to sustain their regional leadership roles, by strengthening their domestic institutional mechanisms, and through that, drive a more coherent approach to Africa’s sustainable security.
6. African States need to formulate sustainable economic policies that address the growing poverty of their population and other issues that impact on their population, especially the creation of jobs to absorb the youthful and idle minds of Africa. This will be necessary in attaining a demilitarized polity and reduce continuous reliance on military solutions to conflicts.
7. Widespread availability of dangerous weapons among the African public, do lead to the massive response of use of force by security agencies, any time African security is breached. This must be addressed, to enable sustainable security of Africa focus on long-term drivers of conflict.
8. Democratic reforms and accountability of African States should equally reduce corruption and other unsavory tendencies that create inequity and produce resource conflicts. Also with democratic improvement in the rule of law, reform of the essential process of security will equally follow.
9. Climate change and other environmental issues, are new emerging threats to Africa’s security, and must begin to attract adequate collective African attention to address them. Otherwise, these will put greater pressures on African lean resources, escalate competitions, and produce more violence in the region.
Violence and conflicts represent grave threats to life, security and prosperity of Africa, just as sustainable security precedes and re-enforces development. That is why the last decades of low economic, social and infrastructure development in Africa, have equally witnessed concomitant deteriorations in the internal security of many African States.
The above problems may be pressing, but African States can only have the security they deserve, if their security structures are accompanied with changes in thinking; and when that new thinking transcends the status quo, and focus less on the use of institutional privileges to secure the positions of only the minority elites. Instead, all security structures and emphasis, should be on the building of a socially, politically and economically just Africa that focus on ‘human security’ and other real drivers of Africa’s instability.

I THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.

2015 Igbo Presidency: On Mbadiwe’s Postulations Over Kalu
The journey for the creation of The recent article written by former Nigeria Ambassador to Congo, Chief Greg Mbadiwe titled “2015 Igbo Presidency: Where Kalu got it wrong” which was published in several national dailies was quite revealing, instructive and timely especially for the people of South-east zone in their quest to produce president of the country in 2015.
Frankly, there were some missing links and several hidden truths in the article. It is a public knowledge that all the acclaimed successes that brought Chief Orji Uzor Kalu to limelight was more of undertaking and the handi-work of his mother who used her earlier contacts in government circle, especially during the military era to project him. Not that Kalu has been or was outstanding in his endeavours per se.
His emergence as Governor of Abia State in 1999 was not without the assistance of his successor, Governor Theodore Orji who was then an administrative secretary at National Electoral Commission (NECON) where he played a vital role in ensuring that the road was clear for him against overwhelming forces against his candidature.
It is now obvious that outside the corridor of power, people like him has nothing much to offer the society. Even as acclaimed master strategist, Nigerians have not seen his input either in the economy or politics of the country since he lost out of power equation, both at his state and national level.
Against the postulation by Mbadiwe that Kalu went into political hibernation and orphanage after being betrayed by his erstwhile trusted protégés, nobody betrayed him rather it was Kalu that betrayed the people, especially those that assisted him in the rainy day.
If not, how would one explain that the now dead party, Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) which was formed by Kalu and others in 2006 with two states Abia and Imo under its control after 2007 general election were lost to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before 2011 general elections, due to Kalu’s political shenanigan.
That single political incident was enough evidence and eye opener for the Igbos to know what the man who has decided to use his false crusade on Igbo Presidency to re-launch himself back into political relevance ahead 2015 is up to. But unfortunately for him and his allies, their political tricks were old and out-dated and cannot help his political fortunes and that of the Igbos in 2015 rather it will complicate it.
Have Nigerians forgotten that PPA and ACN were both registered as political parties in 2006 with ACN winning only Lagos State in 2007 general election? But today with Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s political sagacity, ACN is in control of five states in south-west and one in South-south zone and has remained the most vibrant opposition party in the country today.
It is obvious that Kalu’s lack of political vision and the quest to build a political dynasty at expense of the people without a solid foundation led to his political failure after 2007 general election. It was due to his overbearing attitude that somebody like the former Governor of Cross River State, Chief Clement Ebri in 2010 suddenly and angrily resigned his chairmanship position of PPA at a time his leadership has repositioned the party as a strong opposition party.
If truly Kalu meant well for Igbo Presidency in 2015, what stopped him from nurturing the political platform he had before now in preparation for the realization of the dream? Has he forgotten that political power is not given on a platter of gold or through noise making?
It was Kalu who hurriedly took PPA in 2007 to join the Government of National Unity (GNU) of late President Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar Adua-led government for what he would selfishly benefit from the deal alongside his family. Before Yar Adua’s demise, he was one of those calling the shots in the Presidency hiding under the guise of (GNU) without considering the interest of the Igbos or the need for Igbo Presidency in 2011 or 2015.
From all indications, it is crystal clear that Kalu has no political relevance now to champion the quest for Igbo Presidency in 2015. This is because, apart from having no political structure on ground to even win any election in his home state Abia, his sudden campaign for Igbo Presidency in 2015 appears to be suspicious and at the same time a smokescreen to seek political relevance and rehabilitation again.
So, there is urgent need for the Igbos to be wary of his latest antics via aggressive and grandstanding campaign, before it alters political calculation and equation for the zone ahead 2015. This is why no prominent Igbo person has lent his support or identify with him since he started the charade.
Besides, where was Kalu during the last Igbo Day Celebration in Asaba where the issue of Igbo Presidency 2015 and other issues affecting the Igbos were discussed by the people of the zone? Or is Kalu working at crossroad with the people he claimed to have been championing their cause?
As Mbadiwe rightly said, Kalu had always made mistakes in translating his vision into reality by being too aggressive and abrasive in approach. Obviously, a leopard can hardly change its colour, so Kalu is at it again, but this time without a vision to be transformed into reality, but has only one aim which is looking for political relevance and rehabilitation that is almost impossible for him to realise.
According to Mbadiwe, Kalu’s argument is predicated on the assumption that the issue of rotational presidency is a settled one. But apart from Mbadiwe’s analysis on how Kalu breached rotational presidency in the past due to his inordinate ambition and politics of domineering, lets take a look at his support for such breach in his state for selfish political reasons.
After being governor of the state for two terms, Kalu was succeeded by Governor Theodore Orji from Abia Central Senatorial zone, because Kalu hails from Abia North zone. But because of his political differences with Orji ahead of 2011 general election, Kalu provided all the needed support for Orji’s impeached deputy, Comrade Chris Akomas from Abia South zone who was his party, PPA governorship candidate in the state during 2011 general election to dislodge Orji from office and alter the political equation in the state as rotation of power among the three zones in the state.
Some people from the Abia South zone were incited against Governor Orji who was seeking for second term in office. It took the political understanding and wisdom of the people of the state to vote wisely for Orji in 2011 knowing full well that Kalu was on political vendetta mission against Orji for liberating the state.
No wonder Kalu was also humiliated in the 2011 Abia North Senatorial election by Comrade Uche Chukwumerije and his younger brother suffered the same fate in Aba North/South Federal Constituency election.
This is because our people knew him and his people very and will never give them chance for any political abracadabra neither in the state nor in the country. It was for the same reason he got the baptism of fire from my people when he recently visited my village, Abriba in Ohafia Council Area of Abia State for a burial, but was allegedly booed by my people for the role he played as a governor by plunging the community into crisis for years in his forceful attempt to imposed a wrong person on my people as the traditional ruler of the community.
If not for the timely intervention of his successor, Governor Orji in the crisis which has returned peace in the community, I wonder what would have given Kalu the courage to step into the community by now.
I learnt that he has been freely moving in and out of the state without any molestation unlike during his tenure as governor, when the state was always in front burner for political crisis because of his aggressiveness and flair for creating political tensions in a bid to subdue his political enemies at all cost. I know that if the opposite is the case now, I don’t think Kalu will allow Governor Orji into the state without molestation.
Finally the quest for Igbo Presidency in 2015 goes beyond failed politicians using the project to seek for political relevance and make unnecessary noise, rather it demands constructive engagements, consultations and dialogue as being done by the South-east governors, leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other prominent Igbo sons and daughters both at home and abroad.
So it goes beyond one-man show or rabblerousing to avoid the mistake of the past.

Rawlings receives Governor of Nigeria's Abia State

Accra,Oct. 20,GNA- Former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings has lamented the over-reliance on physical security to enforce peace on the African continent and called for investment in identifying the root causes of insecurity.



He said: “Too often we invest in physical security but that creates more enmity and stress. We should invest more time in political security. Physical security subordinates us and brings the worst out of us instead of the best.”



Former President Rawlings made the call when the Governor of Abia State of Nigeria, Chief Theodore Orji, paid a courtesy call on him at his Ridge office in Accra.



Chief Orji is in Ghana to participate as the Guest Speaker at the 8th Security Watch Lecture Series and 9th Annual Africa Security Awards Ceremony organised by Security Watch Africa.



Former President Rawlings commended the organisers for the choice of subject and said lack of security was a problem confronting the continent.



He said during his tenure as leader of Ghana, his government invested more in reaching the sources of problems and empowering the people, dwelling a lot more on education and doing away with social injustices.



Governor Orji, who received an award for instituting exemplary security policies in Abia State, said he called on President Rawlings because of the special relationship Nigeria has with Ghana.



He said the state government had invested a great deal in boosting security in Abia through the empowerment of the people and involvement of every citizen in governance.



Loans, he stated, had been offered to the youth to start their own businesses, the security forces had been equipped not only with weapons but in the area of intelligence gathering and the state legislature has formulated laws that facilitated the policies implemented by government.



President Rawlings expressed his gratitude for the courtesy call and prayed that all efforts will be made to explore the root causes of the situation in Mali so its resolution will serve as an example of how Africa can resolve its own problems.



He commended Chief Orji for his outstanding leadership and said Africa needed a few more of his ilk.



GNA

There was no evident of ORJI UZOR's administration given sucour to people of Abia state , and there was no people-oriented projects he undertook while in office, there was no provision of good road networks, no free primary health care, no free education, no improvement of worker’s welfare, sports development, among others..OUK was /is a total failure.....ORJI UZOR made the mess of Abia state....he was the architect of the problem Abia had gone through in the past,but we must continually move forward,we must surpass the challenges difficulties he attracted in Abia state....but to his discredit,nobody,well oriented would say good thing about him because he was a total failure,a vision less leader who amass wealth by siphoning funds made to be used on state affairs....he shall see no good thing at the last days.....unless he confesses and embrace God.....and above all,he should return whatever he took from Abia ,then posterity will forgive him and then he would have made restitution .......if not his generation shall ever be remembered for all the evil he did...he owe Abia too many explanations regarding how he ran the affairs of this state....the evil shall not go unpunished

The problem with Abia people is unsatisfactory syndrome ,which i think many have contacted out of greed,hatred and jealousy...u just can't expect ABIA to get better by a flip of a leaf or by a flash in a pan......there is more to development than over anticipating for a drastic and swift change in just a regime or two,besides the neighboring states most people make references of have in many years input consistency in developing their states which took them over a decade to actualize but our is different ,we just want the change to come like a flash of lightening.......we all know,like the adage of old,that says Rome was not build in a day......so lets be cautious by what we say because to actualize a great change ,ABIA state government needs some time to institute that change we all needed,though the governor is working but the problem is that we have been over-expectant and this i think does not encourage growth in any system of government.....

.i will urge us to be productive in the mind in such a way that will help contribute ideas that will encourage the governor and not institute diversity in the system....more so,i think there are lots more way to analyze the level of development the government have attained...i have taken some time to move around some places in ABIA where i read and heard of projects and on-ongoing projects are being put in place,so i saw things for myself and was able to adjudicate the progress that has been made by the governor,so in that regard i have little on more lash against the governor ,than to say he should build upon the progress and achievement he has made so far and establish more enviable developmental project that will challenge people's perception....people of ABIA state,let us join hands and lift ABIA state to an enviable height......let us denounce hate ,jealousy,greed,discredit,disgruntlement.....we can do all things ,only if we believe in our dear our own ABIA state and her leaders,governor and his aides.......lets be positive minded ,not being bias,because ABIA is like one house ,so any divided house can not stand...thank you,UMUABIA

They are either living overseas or in States other than Abia. They hardly come home and had long lost touch with realities of life. Their senses are beclouded in emotions. When you open their bags, what you see is a multi – media phone, camera, ipad and colored spectacle. They have no good paid jobs and are willing tools in the hands of political jobbers, criminals and disgruntled elements. Unfortunately, you will find no records of their positive impact on their immediate communities.

For 24hrs, they get their eyes and hands fixed on a computer. They vowed never to see any good, hear no good and talk no good about their own Abia State. They grumble, blackmail and incite the rest of the people against the Governor and institution of the State. They see glasses of water as half empty and not half full. Every day, they inundate visitors to social network sites with gory pictures. They are wet blankets. Development is only when their brother mounts the saddle of leadership. Meanwhile, they have neither voted nor voted for. They are armchair critics who masquerade as super champions.

They have failed to appreciate that the TAO government is known to have favored NDI NGWA more than any other in the history of Abia authoritative allocation of values. It is therefore foolhardy to claim to represent a people who are blessed with:

Nine out of sixteen Commissioners (Works, Rural Development, Environment, Petroleum, Housing, Special Duties, Women Affairs and Social Development, Sports and Agriculture) in Abia State. By the way, those are choice ministries.
Twenty four out of Forty three Special Advisers
Two out of three federal senators
Five out of eight members of the Federal House of Representatives
Accountant General of the State
Auditor General of the State
Chairman of State Civil Service Commission
Acting Chief Judge
Heads of Religious organizations
TC Chairmen of all Local Governments in Abia South and partly central including the two metropolitan Local Governments in Aba (first of its kind). The implication is that they control nine (Aba North, Aba South, Isiala Ngwa South, Isiala Ngwa North, Ugwunagbor, Osisioma, Ukwa West, Ukwa East, and Obingwa) out of seventeen LGAs



The under listed people should be held accountable for any breach of peace or in event of any orchestrated hate against NDI NGWA. They are fighting a lost battle and further criminally enriching themselves at the expense of their kinsmen who have been promised better days ahead.

Let Abians know them:

· Obioma Ugochukwu Ubani (+49170237608)

Obioma was accessory to, before and after most of the kidnap incidents that occurred within the Obingwa area of Abia State where he led a group of unscrupulous and dissident NGWA elements to cause hurt, untold hardship and untimely death of others.

At the heat of intervention by the Military, Obioma escaped through the help of notable NGWA politicians, though his family house and those of his immediate co – conspirators were torched. It was also gathered that this Abaribe’s cousin was quickly sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu and some others to flee the country and invariably escape being brought to justice.

Obioma who currently resides in Denmark with personal phone number +49170237608 and email obi@ubani.info has been paid heavily by Abaribe and other authors of confusion to destabilize the government of Abia State, cause disaffection, rancor and acrimony amongst Igbos. He was basically directed to set up social network pages like Abia Awakening, Abia Tower and Abia Peoples Voice to achieve this purpose.

Obioma it was who was sponsored to convene a meeting of disgruntled elements at Rowmay Hotels, Opobo Road Aba in December 2011 where they founded The Abia Awakening (TAA), that he has been using to cause confusion in Abia State

· Maxwell Nwadike (229-97-571168)

He is the Founding Chairman of The Abia Awakening (TAA). Maxwell has a Cotonou wife, leaving behind in Aba, his other wife and children who he left at the mercy of poverty and hard life. A greedy Ngwa man who erroneously jumped into the business of selling used (okirika) clothings and bags, his grouse against Old Bende people was that while they made so much money selling used clothings, they refused to show him the way. He ran out of Abia to live in Cotonou and operated with the name Samax International Co,Sarl situated at C / 213 gbenonkpo; Benin. The idea was to stay at the centre of used clothings which Cotonou is. Several years after trying without success in his Okirika business, he resorted to blackmail as a quick way of making money. He does not know where Ohafia is, has never been to Umuahia and does not appreciate the challenges being faced by Isuikuwato, Arochukwu and Umunneochi people. All he wants to achieve is to discredit OLD BENDE people as a means of paving way for the Ngwa man to become Governor in 2015. He has questionable character and exhibits unbridled quest for get rich quick, hence his acceptance of becoming a willing agent of confusion just to make ends meet.

· Patrick Amalaha (+18327578903)

Bad boy of America, Patrick is a disgruntled NGWA man who went in search of greener pastures overseas. Several years on, no tangible progress can be traced to him. He shuttles between overseas and here, people take advantage of their positions to attract genuine government presence and not spread dangerous rumors capable of scaring investors away. Nothing is known of his business as his native home remains his father’s forty six year old house. No wife, no children; Patrick is the Secretary of the infamous TAA. Once known to deal in dangerous drugs and illicit products, Patrick has tried unsuccessfully to get the attention of the State Government for being gratified. He is a
celebrated blackmailer and conspirator of note. Patrick Amalaha is Reagan Ufomba’s kinsman and by association a wet blanket.

· Chinedu Nwogu

He lives in Lagos and also an active member of TAA who was planted by Ochiagha Reagan Ufomba to sell him (Regan) to Abia electorate. For identifying with Reagan, an underachiever and fellow with questionable integrity, Chinedu has proven that he lacks wit and purposefulness.

Chinedu who hails from Isiala Ngwa had written a letter in the past to the State Government pleading for financial assistance. His stiff opposition to the government may not be unconnected to the rebuff he got from a government who feels informed him that the days of holding the givt to ransom were long gone. Chinedu it was who attempted to organize his kinsmen for amnesty when it was certain that his immediate interest was personal gain. His wife confirmed to be a member of the red light district is left to fend for the rest of the family while he carries on with the business of blackmail and criminal conspiracy.
· Lawrence Ehiliegbu (08036725809)

He is a founding member of TAA, a group poised to make Abia comprehensively ungovernable. He is married to Ngozi, daughter of a traditional native doctor in Isiala Ngwa. Lawrence who lives in Lagos was a former staff of defunct Aba Textile Mills where he was initially employed as a casual worker. Though much younger, he was relieved of his job when he was caught stealing finished products. He was to later resurface from his hiding when he got wind of the ‘lucrative’ business of kidnapping. This was not to be as security operatives had taken over his village in Isiala Ngwa. He is working closely now with a serving Senator who is aspiring to be Governor in 2015. He has been contracted to destabilize the polity, blackmail other groups and inadvertently swing favour on the side of an NGWA man. He is a chronic liar and trades in deception, selfishness and greed. Lawrence Ehilegbu is one of the Administrators of Abia People’s Voice, his brainchild dedicated to foisting the NGWA agenda on the rest of Abians.

· Sussan Uzoma (Separated from her husband)

He (yes, he because her kind of woman are those addressed as Mr and Mr because she knows how to oppress even her former husband) is also a co – founder of TAA. Susan who is an NGWA woman claims to be a lawyer (must have attended an Indian College as her command of English is horrible) is separated from her husband. She lives in Lagos from where she imagines a failed Abia. Susan got the boot from her husband for acts of infidelity and criminal association with men. This is evident in the fact that she is the only female Admin of TAA matching the other men wickedness for wickedness. Her known occupation is being an ACTIVIST which is the same as saying she is idle and unfortunately unemployed. Susan who is one of Maxwell Nwadike’s concubines is equally determined to cause trouble in Abia.

· Igwe Samuel Obioma ( a murderer)

Igwe lives in the UK. An Ibeku man who is known to have murdered one Aham while he lived in Umuahia. Igwe has a murder case pending in court. Having tried without luck to get the Governor, a fellow Ibeku man to criminally protect him, Igwe went on self exile. He has never hidden his disdain for the Governor. An active member of TAA who has refused to highlight the amazing developments going on in his native Ibeku, it is yet to be seen how Igwe; a confirmed murderer would be gifted with the moral justification to criticize the Abia State government. It is however certain that he cannot hide for too long as the long arm of the law awaits him.

· In the coming days, I will reveal Chinedu Ngaranwere (08032004399) and others like them who vowed that Abia must be held spellbound. I watch as events unfold to see how far they can go.

@kenneththik,what are u trying to say?..honestly,u have nothing good to comment about the thread from IKndukwe.....the issue is that many are looking at abia from a far distance ,and he who stares from a distance sees nothing

Those mention are agents of REAGAN and OUK.....they were used and are still utilized by them to perpetrate evil....but as darkness does not comprehends light,they shall never be numbered among us the true sons and daughters of ABIA state...

Those mention are agents of REAGAN and OUK.....they were used and are still utilized by them to perpetrate evil....but as darkness does not comprehends light,they shall never be numbered among us the the true sons and daughters of ABIA state..

Reagan Ufomba and his allies are faces of deceit :
Chinedu Nwogu and Reagan Ufomba, Faces of Deception,
early this morning, one Chinedu Nwogu of the infamous The Abia Awakening (TAA); attempted to paint a very wrong picture of my native NGWA LAND. He gave the impression that my people are d
iminished for want of credible candidates and enterprising personalities. That was the height of deception. I was however glad that, finally; after months of operating in veiled coloration, TAA has exposed itself as a willing tool in the hands of underachievers who masquerade as statesmen. We now know that the reason they dedicate plenty time discrediting the government of TAO is to pave way for a political dwarf to take reins of power. No group can acquire power through blackmail, at least not in a democratic setting. Ngwa people know this and must distance themselves from these paid agents of calumny, destruction and poorly executed blackmail

In his piece, he tried to eulogize what in his mind are the towering credentials of OCHIAGHA REAGAN UFOMBA who he witlessly gave the acronym of ORU (meaning a slave). I hope he was not referring to the already established fact that Regan is an Ogoni who settled in Ngwa Land. While I take exception to that disingenuous tag, I will also quickly remind him that the battle for the Governorship of Abia State come 2015 is reserved for only NDI NGWA of notable and proven track records. The last time I checked, Regan Ufomba did not make the list.

Chinedu Nwogu attempted rather unsuccessfully to inundate us with chains of University degrees credited to Reagan. Good as that is, it appears defeatist as best practices of governance have little or no relationship with one’s paper qualifications. It reminds me of that popular Igbo rhetoric that, “ka Dee John gachara ami, o leekwanu boot ya?”.

There is no record anywhere to justify the usefulness of Reagan’s very many degrees. The short and uneventful shot he had at governance was marred by lack of integrity and gross under performance. Chinedu may need to tell us what benefits accrued from that short spell as an aide of former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu. Rather, we covered our faces in shame when it was established that our dear Reagan in an attempt to convert Government vehicle to his personal property lied that the car was involved in a ghastly motor accident. That was too cheap for a man who was entrusted with so much public goodwill. What can a billionaire be doing with one unit of government vehicle? Does Chinedu also know that while in government, Reagan was empowered to handle distribution of fertilizer and other inputs to farmers? Reagan could not pass the integrity test as farmers were made to pay much more than government approved prizes. Let us go to the archives to check how many farmers of at least Ngwa extraction that benefited from that assignment.

If Reagan truly owns chains of businesses in cities outside Abia, we can as well tag him the biggest “ Oka mma n’mba 1 of Abia” for denying his people the combined benefits of establishing industries in their home land. I ask, how would Reagan explain sinking billions (who dash awo coat?) elsewhere when Abia begs for private concerns that could offer jobs to very many Abia Youths who yearn for job opportunities? Not even the dumbest fool can give in to that cheap lie.

For the records, Reagan was never mentioned as a replacement for the late Deputy Governor. First, he lacked the integrity to be so honored and mostly the party was shopping for a politician who had verifiable grassroots support. Reagan hadn’t the prerequisite political clout to be Deputy Governor as he was largely seen as a greenhorn. It is therefore unacceptable to present him as Ngwa’s most qualified replacement for Dr. Chima Nwafor.

Ngwa people already have strong stigma following them. What we need mostly now is to find a way to salvage an already worst case scenario. We have been credited with a whole lot of bad news including labeling us fraudsters, kidnappers and common criminals. Chinedu Nwogu should begin to lead the campaign for improved awareness on the perception of NGWA by the rest of Abians and not further insult our intelligence to accept a man who had contributed in under developing NGWA LAND nay Abia State.

Come 2015, NGWA people will present a formidable candidate, whose popularity rating is overwhelming, whose integrity status is not questionable and who would be bold enough to look Abians in the eye and tell them; I have done so much to better your lot. There are fools who went to Harvard. Harvard has also produced selfish people and the University by any means does not wash off the stinking smell of dishonesty, greed and low life.

I will advise Chinedu Nwogu to look inwards, else Abians would confirm that NDI NGWA are not committed to the arduous task of taking over in 2015. If Reagan is all we can present, that would be a polite way of telling OLD BENDE that we are not ready yet.

Abia -Police assures Aba residents of crime-free yuletide


Mr Wilson Dankwano, Commander of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Squadron 55 at Osisioma, near Aba in Abia state, has assured residents that the city would be crime-free during the `ember months’.

Speaking to newsmen on Sunday at the squadron base at Osisioma at an occasion to show appreciation to friends of the squadron, Dankwano said that the police were fully prepared to contain security challenges during the `ember’ season.

“Our men are always on the move. We are adequately prepared, what we are asking for is the cooperation of the public to volunteer information when necessary.

“With the strategies employed by the command to enforce the law and the assistance offered by the army and the Abia Government, residents of the city would continue to sleep with their two eyes closed,’’ he said.

Dankwano said that crime, including kidnapping which brought the town to its knees in the past, had been eliminated with the cooperation of sister security agencies.

According to him, some security measures have been put in place to ensure that the prevailing peace is sustained.

The commander expressed gratitude to the Abia Government for its support to the command, lauding the efforts of some individuals who had continued to assist the police.

Dankwano assured that the police were ever ready to discharge their duties, advising residents to remain law-abiding. sources: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/09/police-assure-aba-residents-of-crime-free-yultide

Former governor of Abia Uzor kalu got more than he bargained as OAU students made good their threat by booing him as he managed to deliver a speech at a lecture in their school yesterday. Eye witness say Kalu was thoroughly embarrassed by the students who booed him as he arrived the lecture hall. The booing almost disrupted the event as the VC begged them to no avail. It became worse when Kalu mounted the podium to speak. The students did not allow him to talk but he managed to mutter something before his security details sensing danger whisked him away. While he was being smuggled away the students started throwing sachet water at him until his convoy left the school.source :www.http://thejuristlaws..co.uk/

THAT OUK's LETTER TO ABIANS

He has refused to let sleeping dogs lie. The more he tries to pacify Abians whose collective psyches he bruised for eight years, the more he adds salt to injury. OUK has just written a letter to Abians denying leaving any debt and insistently claiming that while he was Governor, salaries were paid as at and when due.

Again, I want to present OUK to the competent court
of public opinion. For those who think it is foolhardy to dwell on the past, may I quickly remind them that a man who cannot ascertain where the rain started beating him would not know where it stopped.

I am compelled to believe what the Chief Press Secretary to the Abia State Government said about OUK. The CPS said without mincing words, that OUK did not have the faint idea of how monies were cornered and spent as his mother call the shots. The CPS told OUK that the Abia State Government will not respond to him as they can only talk to his mother who ran the government. OUK according to him minded his very many businesses and did not have time for the day – to – day running of the government. The implication is that OUK does not know a thing. As shameful as that seems, OUK has by the contents of his letter to Abians fueled the speculation that he was indeed a Governor in Diaspora.

It is pertinent I remind OUK a few things that would help shape his though in future. In the public opinion court, it is unpardonable to lie in defence. My reasons:

1. While OUK was Governor, hospital – patient relation was at its lowest ebb. It was in his administration that workers of ABSUTH were owed eleven months salaries that resulted in the death of many patients, workers and dependents of workers. While the workers sent a warning notice to government for a strike owing to non – payment of salaries, the tough ODIUKO told them to return the keys to the hospital to her. Gradually, that hospital was locked for months. When academic and clinic activities returned to the hospital, the then CMD spent about 1.6m to clean up the hospital as it had turned to a forest within those months.
2. College of Medicine ABSU almost lost their accreditation for incessant disruption of academic activities. History records that while OUK was governor, ABSU medical students spent an average of nine years for a six year course. These facts are verifiable. Ask medical students in ABSU between 1999 and 2007.
3. Ifeanyi Ikwechegh was OUK’s brother who he appointed Chairman of Aba North LGA. By the time Ikwechegh came, another of OUK’s stooge had left six months arrears of salaries. Ikwechegh, who ran the Council from OUK mother’s kitchen, compounded the woes of Council workers by extending months of unpaid salaries.
4. While OUK was Governor, Council workers in almost all the 17 LGAs were owed arrears of salaries
5. ASUU of Abia State University, Uturu had called out their members on weeks of strike to protest non – payment of salaries by the OUK government.

There is nothing wrong in OUK not doing anything while he was Governor. But, the repeated insulting of our intelligence by saying he developed infrastructure while he was Governor is not only morally unacceptable but empirically damaging. Which infrastructure?

Again, I am compelled to tell OUK that the ghost of his willful underdevelopment of Abia State is haunting him. He missed the golden opportunity of etching his name in gold. He is not making any head way with us by his lies. Again, I challenge him to say what he achieved as Governor. At the risk of repeating myself, I will quickly remind him that:

1. He bought new seats and re – roofed Aba Township stadium which he shamelessly renamed ENYIMBA INTERNATIONAL STADIUM
2. He refurbished Cemetry, Osusu and Umule Roads and they all collapsed after four months.
3. He lived in a rented government house for eight years
4. He employed public funds to finance his private businesses. If this is not true, what did he have that Abia State government lacked that he was able to run SUN NEWSPAPERS while NATIONAL AMBASSADOR belonging to Abia State Government was killed by him?

He said that he maintained peace and security while his administration lasted. Who introduced BAKASSI? OUK! It was the activities of Bakassi boys that desecrated Aba, reason the city has remained under the firm grip of familiar spirits.

OUK should consult with his mother before going to press. His mother seems to know more than he does, at least as it concerns Abia State between 1999 and 2007 source : www.abiastateupdate..com

Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, Tuesday inaugurated the board for the implementation of the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P), saying it “must be implemented with human face for the benefit of the needy and the entire state.”

He said the state’s share of the N411.036 billion accruing to states and N203.23 billion for the local government areas would be directed to the SURE programme for the execution of “carefully designed” projects in “carefully selected areas”.

Based on this, he explained that the state would wait for a directive from the Federal Government before the board would commence utilisation of the SURE-P fund, which he confirmed, had been kept in a dedicated account.

According to him, the board would supervise the way the subsidy money is utilised “to ensure accountability in the implementation of identified projects.

The governor also commended the Federal Government for partially removing the subsidy on petroleum products because of the burden it imposed on government and more “especially as the subsidy, disproportionately benefited the wealthy and the oil cabals” at the expense of the masses.

“Subsidy removal therefore becomes reasonable if resources saved from subsidy are re-directed to serve the entire Nigerians in her areas of need, which can be made through the SURE-P,” Orji said.

He said the 11-member board of SURE-P was carefully selected among eminent men and women that “will in line with our government’s tenets of transparency, integrity and accountability, ensure that Sure-P is implemented with a human face.”

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/orji-wants-sure-p-implemented-with-human-face/124746/

OPEN LETTER TO REAGAN UFOMBA: UNREPENTANT CONFUSIONIST
OPEN LETTER TO REAGAN UFOMBA: UNREPENTANT CONFUSIONIST

Let me address you as OCHIAGHA for I can confirm that you bear the name for one simple objective – to perpetuate confusion and beat drums of war in Abia that adopted you as a son.

Lately, you have been regular on facebook; dissem inating on all manner of unfounded, baseless and wicked rumors against Abia, the State that protected you from
public outrage when it was even confirmed that you harbored die hard kidnappers and promoted terrorism within your Isiala Ngwa make shift home.

According to you, TAO is history and has concluded plans to render 40,000 persons jobless and homeless. This he hopes to do by demolishing 1,800 houses. I appreciate your knowledge of Mathematics but quick to add that you have never used it to the advantage of Abia, at least in a positive sense. Your Isiala Ngwa ( I hope NDI ISIALA NGWA will forgive me) suffered grievous faulty marginalization during the last delineation of constiutuency. The area needed Mathematicians like you to help salvage the situation, but because you are O KA NMA N’MBA, your voice was thin.

You asked how a new Govt House and an International Conference Centre can add value to lives of Abians? Again, you gave yourself away as lacking in common sense and quality reasoning. You need lessons on tourism and economic values. Do you know how much the Govt you advised from 1999 – 2007 paid as rent in that Government House? Do you also know that a permanent and government owned Government House would have saved huge costs? In the whole of Abia there is no single 1,000 capacity hall that could host conferences and international retreats and you think we are okay with that? Do you know how much NIKE LAKE RESORT returns as profit for providing that facility? I leave the public to judge you and your reasoning.

At the time you were OUK’s Adviser, there were over 200 of you in the State Government’s payroll. You did not complain because apart from being morally bankrupt, you lacked the wisdom to know that was recipe for under development. Your poor knowledge of Mathematics was the reason you told us that TAO has 500 Advisers when in reality there are 43 Advisers working with TAO. You will also need to tell us how you multiplied human beings that are 43 to get 500.

Today, you are a later day saint shinning only in Facebook and other social media sites. The question I ask is this, what is your pedigree in relation to the overall development of Abia? Aba had long been known to have ingenuous artisans and a haven for small and medium scale enterprises. Where is your industry in Aba, given that Abia is twenty one years old? John Udegbala (Tura), Udensi (Dubic), Ina Obasi (Quanta water), Maduako,(Terminus Hotels) Mandela Obasi (Evergreen), Anthony Olekaibe (Anzyy Shoes) just to mention but a few are some of your age mates who have practically demonstrated faith in the Abia project. They employed Abians and opened up opportunities to grow Abia economy. They did not run to Calabar because they want to answer mega billionaires.

For eight years, you glued your disingenuous, gluttonous and annoyingly lazy self to OUK’s administration and by extension, supervised that naked aggression, unabashed looting and aggressive under development of Abia. You did not complain. From the point of political, moral and economic obscurity, you want to be Abia State Governor. Your ambition is in order but you will need to appreciate that Abians are not daft. They also do not have poor sense of history and know well that REAGAN UFOMBA is not in the shade of those who mean well for Abia or the one we can entrust our collective wealth in his care. source www.abiastateupdate..com

THE OUK DISASTER

Each time OUK has opportunity of talking to the press, he reechoes how ‘he single handedly’ made TAO. As OUK is busy playing god, he would need to tell us between him and TAO, who helped the other first. OUK had virtually gone on his knees begging TAO as INEC senior official to give him lessons on how to go beyond the popularity of School Leaving Certificate. At the time, while T
AO was an influential technocrat, OUK was coming from the background of a fraudulent businessman.

Other places where things are done accordingly, OUK should be in jail or the least thinking of how to forfeit Abians’ collective wealth which he criminally converted to his personal own. I hope OUK is not one of those who get more foolish as they grow older. Otherwise, he ought to know that a genuinely repented criminal starts with restitution when asking for forgiveness.

I am ashamed that the only thing OUK could claim he did for eight years was constructing Old – Umuahia Road and the Ebem Ohafia Road. Since I am a liar, let independent assessors visit this place and confirm why OUK deserve a permanent RED in the history of Abia politics. I am ashamed that he prides himself as having built a hospital (primary health) when he rubbished the State University Teaching Hospital by owing them upwards of eleven months salaries. Only a selfish, greedy and retroactive leader would so behave

He has asked us to forgive him. Why not, we have forgiven him but plead with him to let sleeping dogs lie. We plead with him to give us time for the hurt he inflicted on us to heal before he adds salt to injury. We plead with him to give us time to mend the weak structure he laid as Abia Foundation which has affected every other facet of our lives.

Adults don’t lie at least willfully. Christians do not make comments that deceive others. By saying you did not leave debts as Governor, I will only say; it is your trademark. You were the same person that gave empty boxes as money at the University of Maiduguri endowment fund launching several years back. You deceived a whole University community and lied to them you did not know the boxes were empty.

Nigerians know better than you think. Abians have access to records and we could confirm that by the time you left, the State Government suffered deductions from its monthly allocations owing to the monies you borrowed to service you very many private businesses. Otherwise, there is nothing to justify the huge sums of debt you bequeathed as a parting gift to Abians.

“Go back to your archives. Obasanjo made me the Action Governor for that regime on account of the Aba roads that I constructed. He came to Aba and campaigned on those roads. Anywhere in the world, roads are maintained every two to three roads, if not, they will collapse. I cleaned up Aba”.

I do not want to believe OUK has short memory. For the records, OBJ visited Aba in 1999 shortly after OUK was sworn in and unfortunately the only such visit he made until he left office in 2007. he took him to that Faulks Road end of Umule whch he had repaired up to Okereke Road (meanwhile MCC and up to TONIMAS was not motorable) within few months of being sworn in. By passing, OBJ christened him ACTION GOVERNOR believing that if he could do that in few months, Abia would be haven after four years. We all know what happened after.

OUK also attempted constructing Osusu Road with speed, same with Cemetry Road . It was within this period that the concept of DUBAI ROAD was sneaked into Abia lexicon. OUK knows that all those roads collapsed in less than four months after construction. I also need to remind him that in one of his popularity testing shows at Enyimba stadium, the mammoth crowd cursed and abused him. What rent in the air was GA KPOO DIRTY, O GINWA BU MUGU (go and clean Aba, you are the Mugu, not us). At the time, Osusu had collapsed, while literally all the nooks and crannies of Aba were littered with heaps of garbage. The late Eleke Chukwu (Aba North Chairrman at the time) did an emergency repair at Ehime Rd end of that Osusu Road (with wheel barrow, trowel and shovel). If OUK knew that roads are maintained two to three years, let him tell us the last time he maintained Osusu, Cemetry and Umule befoe he left. Cemetry Road has remained an eye sore tile date just after four months of the ACTION GOVERNOR’S wayo.

Those who use the Old Umuahia Road he said he constructed would be better judges. Let us look at the quality of roads OUK constructed while his bogus title of ACTION GOVERNOR lasted.
Truth is, he was reputed to have done the most substandard roads in the history of Abia State and the records are there. Ask residents of Umule, Osusu and Cemetry.

OUK should be ashamed because while he was gallivanting and erroneously ascribing to himself the title of ACTION GOVERNOR, his sister governors were practically demonstrating governance. While OUK did the Old – Umuahia Road and the general hospital in his native Igbere,

1. Chimaraoke Nnamani constructed a modern hospital at Park Lane and upgraded the ESUT Teaching Hospital in addition to building ESUT permanent site
2. Achike started and completed the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, in addition to constructing a model workers secretariat and by the way a whole lot of standard roads
3. At Rivers State, Odili simultaneously took on a whole lot of projects, including a model Government House while OUK lived in a rented apartment as Governor
4. Sam Egwu gave Abakiliki the facelift that made it look like a State capital while OUK did not do a single capital project in Umuahia.
5. Donald Duke did wonders with the TINAPA INITIATIVE while Obong Victor Attah started the Airport Project. Whither OUK? Dustbin of history

I ask OUK again, at what point in his government did he remember the future of those he is asking to forgive him? He took us back twenty years and would need to give us forty years to rebuild all that he destroyed.

The chairman of PPA in Abia state Ezeogo Emeka O­nuoha has warned former governor of Abia state Orji Uzor Kalu not to make any come back as far as politics is concerned as he will regret such attempt. Onuoha who sacked Kalu from the party recently told NAN and the Juristslaw that Kalu who should be ashamed of himself was busy trying to polish his battered image in his recent interview. According to him Kalu cannot win his ward in any election as Abians have rejected him. Emeka Onuoha who said that Kalu and his family will not be re admitted to PPA which is almost dying, said he is shocked to hear Kalu say he did not leave any debt for the present administration. "Kalu is a born lair everybody know he left 30b naira debt. He stole Abia printing press to open SUN newspapers, Onuoha declared. The PPA chairman urged EFCC to prosecute Kalu quickly as his delay tactics will not work. Kalu is a crook he concluded.

http://thejuristlaws..com/2012/09/ezeogo-emeka-onuoha-has-warned-ouk-to.html

WE WILL ONLY REPLY ORJI UZOR KALU’S MOTHE

The Abia State Governor, Chief T.A. Orji has watched with interest the various reactions trailing Orji Uzor Kalu’s barrage of lies against the State Government and indeed the person of the Governor. Interestingly, he has been replied by persons who are not even in government or close to the governor. Many of them provided glaring evide
nces that should serve as food for thought for Orji Uzor if he still has any iota of the fear of God.

The Governor is not keen on responding to Orji Uzor because it would amount to responding to the wrong person. Those who had been Governor truly know that there is not hidden about the finances of a State especially as it concerns servicing of external debts. The State Government would not have made up those figures to discredit him.

Elder Mrs Eunice Uzor Kalu was the de facto Governor because while Orji Uzor Kalu pursued his private ‘okirika’ business with vigour, he left the day to day running of the State to his mother, the self – styled autocratic ODIUKO. It is therefore possible that Orji Uzor did not know how much was borrowed. Now, that he is awakened from his long slumber, he should ask his mother.

Governor T.A. Orji restates without mincing words that he inherited a debt burden of Twenty eight billion naira (N28b) which Abia State Government has since been servicing. The Governor is waiting for Mrs. Eunice Uzor Kalu to make a statement regarding the real position of debt burden. It is at that time that the Governor would give a more detailed reply. In the meantime, Orji Uzor should stop exposing his ignorance and keep minding his private business which he did for eight years he was ‘toddler Governor’.

As for asking for forgiveness, any human being should oblige the other forgiveness. However, since forgiveness is an entirely spiritual matter attached with some statutory obligations, it would be right to advice Orji Uzor Kalu to start by publicly renouncing OKIJA politics and may be seek God’s intervention for the very many atrocious and unprintable acts he committed as ‘toddler Governor’.

His claim of opening roads in Aba is already in the competent court of public opinion. History will vindicate the just, while God will punish the wicked.

• source from Emezue,the Chief Press Secretary to the Abia State Governor

HOW OUK UNDERDEVELOPED ABIA STATE

Ordinarily, I would have wished OUK well in his self appointed political exile. I had thought he was genuinely resting so that the generation he caused so much pain would have passed away before he could think of inundating us with the decision to RETURN.

OUK was in the saddle in Abia State for eight years and his only achievement was he sustained a long – drawn
battle with OBJ. In his mind, that made him a super champion and self appointed Igbo leader.

Few weeks after he was sworn in, he took off in break neck speed. Little did Abians know that he was set to hoodwink them. He did and successfully too, otherwise he would not be thinking of returning to politics in a State he labored so much to under develop.

For those who brand FRANKIE JAMES an alarmist and wet blanket, these are my reasons:

1. All the roads OUK did in Aba collapsed after four months. Ask people who lived in Cemetry ( he selfishly renamed it Orji Uzor kalu Road), Osusu, Omuma and Umule.
2. If he truly constructed roads, Aba would not be complaining of poor and dilapidated roads just a week after he left office. That was not what happened to Aka Road in Uyo done by Obong Victor Attah.
3. While Chimaraoke Nnamani was busy transforming Park Lane to a world class tertiary health facility, OUK killed ABSUTH as workers were once owed eleven months arrears of salaries. It was the period his ODIUKO mother ordered the keys to the hospital be returned to her as the workers could go to hell for all she cares.
4. While Achike was building the gigantic workers Secretariat in new owerri, OUK was constructing his CAMP NEYA country home at Igberre. That structure at the time was being maintained by over fifty paid staff. This people were paid from the Government House.
5. Ibori with all his thievery status was still able to build a world class Stadium in Delta State while OUK, even with all the millions of dollars he got through Enyimba only managed to facelift the Township Stadium at Aba. OUK shamelessly tagged that rag tag arrangement an INTERNATIONAL STADIUM.
6. Sam Egwu did so well to make Abakliki look like a Capital. That was at a time when the only structure Umuahia had was the poorly constructed Okpara Auditorium which OUK inherited.
7. OUK lived in a rented Govt. House for eight years and never thought it good to find a befitting and sound structure called a Government House. I am sure few Abians know that the Govt. House where he lived is owned largely by the Omeruahs and their neighbors
8. It was during his regime that shops were littered everywhere in Ariaria thus distorting the once well laid out market. It was build twenty, take ten and give ODIUKO ten. Today, erosion threatens to annihilate traders and residents around the market. From 1999 – 2007, it was widely believed (and that is true) that more shops were erected than there were in the market’s over thirty years existence before then.
9. This is the same thing he did in Abia Poly, causing his Igbere kinsmen to be employed more than the institution’s lean resources could carry. What was the need of taking the glory for employment that you could not honestly fund? Which AbiaPoly did he build? Abia still remains the only State in the South East with one Federal Higher Institution. That was the standard OUK set.
Abia just started afresh because OUK wasted twelve solid years (yes twelve because he held the State under his firm grip until July 2010). I belive this because it was after July 2010, that Umuahia started looking like a State Capital. For those who think he succeeded with Enyimba, they should ask what Enyimba did with all that money. No stadium, no corporate office, no office accommodation and unfortunately no bank account. What manner of achievement is that?

Let OUK allow sufficient time for the injury he caused us to heal. I beg him in the name of anything he holds scared.

ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE...THE FACE OF A BLACKMAILER
Odimegwu Onwumere (Remember him?) is a renowned hatchet man known to have perfected in the art of blackmailing politicians and other members of the public for
his own personal aggrandizement.

Onwumere has again engaged in another futile effort as he tries in vain to blackmail Engr. Chinedu
Orji (Ikuku). In a poorly written article, (his now famous trademark), the ex – convict who claims to be a poet questioned the rationale behind the powering of OCHENDO YOUTH EMPOWERMENT SCHEME by Ikuku. As any comprehensively uninformed person would do, Onwumere views the activities of Engr. Chinedu as corrupt and unnecessary.

For the records, Engr. Chinedu is first a bright and ingenuous Abia Youth before being the son of the Governor. He does not hold any political office, neither is he employed by Abia State government. He has the interest of budding Abia Youths at heart and has consistently sought for a better life for the very many of them, who suffer one form of inhibition or the other. The Empowerment Scheme is the brainchild of creative thinking. He uses two major skills – appealing to the conscience of the haves in the society and then speaks to wealthy corporate bodies, individuals and groups with reason. In turn, he harnesses tremendous support from these bodies just for the benefit of Abia Youths.

Engr. Chinedu by dint of his track record of humanitarian services has attracted enormous goodwill to himself. This unquantifiable goodwill is what he has put to great advantage just to help the Youths who are considered the most vulnerable group in our society.

What does Onwumere hope to achieve other than blackmail? What is corrupt and unnecessary about caring for the downtrodden and the distressed? Is help not better when it comes at no extra cost to the government? This latest scenario is even more worrisome, given that; by the way, Chinedu does not wield any political influence, does not hold any political office and not in any position to appropriate or approve the spending of public funds. Who is this person that thinks just by being creative and kind, that you assume the status of a demi god and corrupt official?

Nigeria: Abia Honours Obuh


Abia State will Monday confer a special title on Flying Eagles coach John Obuh for his remarkable achievements in the game.

Obuh, 52, will be honoured by Abia State with the title of 'Oke Orji' in Umuahia.

"I'm most humbled by this accolade. This is a challenge, which will only make me to work a lot harder," said Obuh, who is in the process of acquiring his DFB 'A' coaching license.

The Flying Eagles coach, who as a striker in his playing days featured for several top clubs like Enyimba, Enugu Rangers, Abiola Babes, Julius Berger and Udoji United, led Nigeria to win last year's African Youth Championship in South Africa.

He was also in charge when Nigeria reached the final of the FIFA U17 World Cup playing a brand of purposeful and entertaining football.

He is currently guiding the country through the qualifying tournament for the next year's AYC in Algeria.

His team dumped Tanzania on 4-1 aggregate in the second round of the qualifiers and face their South African counterparts in the final round next month.

Three years ago, he guided Kwara United back to the Nigeria Premier League and has worked at various top clubs including Kano Pillars, Heartland, Enyimba and Wikki Tourists.
Tagged: Nigeria, Soccer, Sport, West Africa

Orji: state police decision was collective
By Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke 03/09/2012 00:36:00
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Orji Orji

Abia State Governor Theodore Orji yesterday said the decision to support state police was collectively taken by the governors.

Orji, whose claim came weeks after North’s governors backed out of the agreement, said the decision was collectively taken for effective security checks.

Speaking with reporters in Umuahia yesterday on his return from his yearly vacation and working trip to the US and Europe, Orji said: “While I was out there, I heard different stories from our colleagues in the North who went and organised their own meeting and said that they don’t want state police.

“But, as far as the Nigeria Governors Forum is concerned, and I was there when this decision was taken, that is where I stand. If there is anything to the contrary, the Southeast governors have not met on the issue of state police. The Governors Forum took a decision. It was both general and binding on all.

“We have not gone to the Governors Forum to reverse it. That is our own opinion. But, if eventually the party, as an organ, comes out with a decision, as a loyal party man, I will be bound to abide by that decision.”

Orji said the state would reopen talks with an investor interested in building an international hospital at Obuaku City in Ukwa West.

The governor said: “I combined my annual leave with searching for investors. I held discussions with an investor from the Southeast who wants to build an ultra-modern hospital at Obuaku City whom we had already given the Certificate of Occupancy.

“The project was delayed because of kidnapping. By the second week of September, we will reopen discussions. If the land is not encumbered, they will go ahead, but if otherwise, we will find another place for them because they are serious.”

Orji promised that Abians would reap a harvest of projects, adding that his administration would realise all the on-going legacy projects, including the International Conference Centre, the new Government House Complex, the new secretariat buildings, Ubani Ibeku international market, the Industrial Market and other road projects.

The governor restated his desire to focus on rehabilitation of infrastructure in Aba, saying that Aba will be the priority of the administration. The government is only waiting for the rains before swinging into action, he said.

On the dwindling Internally Generated Revenue, Orji said his stand to change the Accountant-General (AG) and the Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), is irrevocable due to the static nature of the Internally Generated Revenue level.

He said the ongoing financial repositioning in the state would be in the interest of its revenue and that of the people, pointing out that more heads will roll if that will develop the state.

“The tenure of AG and the BIR Chairman is not permanent and can be changed at any time. Anybody in this position must be up and doing to rejuvenate and re-engineer the state IGR that has been revolving between N250-N300 million monthly. I have advertised the positions and it is final,” Orji said.

Gov Orji to demolish 1,800 homes on sewer lanes in Aba

Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State has threatened to pull down 1,800 buildings allegedly built on sewer lanes in Aba. Orji issued the threat on Monday in Umuahia, while briefing news
men on the plans by his administration to transform the commercial town. He said that efforts so far made to build the city had been stalled by flooding, which resulted from the blocking of drains and sewer lanes.

The governor said, the problem of Aba is flooding. So, for you to succeed in developing the city you have to carry out flood control. “An aerial and land survey had been conducted and 1,800 houses are built on drainage.” Orji alleged that the owners did not secure approval before erecting the structures and charged them to “look for alternatives elsewhere.”

He said that government would open up all the drains for free-flow of rainwater and begin massive road construction in the city at the end of the rains. He said that the government had contacted the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to intervene in the rehabilitation of the deplorable Obohia Road. Although he described the revenue generated from Aba as ‘paltry’ he said that ‘no government could afford to neglect Aba’ because of its economic relevance to the state. “The highest wage bill in the local government system is from Aba North and Aba South Local Government Areas, while government gets the least revenue from the areas,” Orji said.

He gave the assurance that the construction of the proposed waste recycling plant in Aba would soon begin. The governor also spoke on the dilapidated Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway, and said, the Abia portion of the road was the worse. “We have also contacted the Federal Government and Ministry of Works over the poor condition of the road and they have promised to do something,” he said. He said that the newly inaugurated Abia Road Maintenance Agency had been given the marching order to fix all the potholes in different parts of the state. via DAILYSUN

Abia targets N2bn monthly IGR
The state government wants to expand its revenue base
Article | September 3, 2012 - 2:47am | By Ikechukwu Onyekwere

In a bid to increase its revenue base, Governor Theodore Orji of Abia state has announced a monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) target of between N1 billion and N2 billion for the state.

Orji disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Umuahia, on the efforts by his administration to boost the state’s revenue base.

"The state is bound to produce a minimum IGR of between N1 billion to N2 billion monthly."

He said that realising the target would entail reorganising the state’s Board of Internal Revenue.

He said that already, the government had advertised the position of the chairman of the board in order to get a capable candidate for the job.

"They can be changed at any time; no tenure is permanent; even as a governor, we will go away by 2015.

"The emphasis is on how to shore up the IGR, because that is what is going to sustain us, make us survive and make us accomplish our projects.

"This is why the people who are in charge and galvanizing the forces that will generate this revenue must be up and doing."

He warned that he would not condone any laxity or any attempt to frustrate government’s efforts.

"What we are trying to do is to rejuvenate and re-engineer the system to work very well and give Abia the desired result."

The governor, who was away to the U.S. for his annual vacation, said that he held discussions with prospective investors, adding that the results would soon manifest.