₦airaland Forum

Good one..congratulations Mr.President.....wishing you more fruitful years ahead

The Lady who hates Governor Rochas Okorocha – Kenneth Uwadi
Jenifer walked into my room drunk. She sat down.
‘I’ve come to tell you the latest news about Rochas Okorocha ,your Governor in Douglas House,Owerri…. Have you heard that he has embarked on another mass sack of Imo State Civil Servants, claiming that he is redeploying them to their LGA’s? The news is that all workers in Owerri from level 9 to level 1 are going home’ She cried.


Who doesn’t know Jenifer in the neighbourhood? She was among the 10,000 Imo State Civil Servants that Governor Rochas Okorocha sacked on 6th June 2011 for no good reason. Today, she hates Rochas with a passion for making her unemployed. She took up the vodka drinking habit since she lost her job in the Imo State Civil Service. She has dark skin, tiny boobs, long shiny dark hair, and brown eyes. She looks very athletic. Her cloth hugs her body; the lightest of cotton.



‘Okorocha wants to downsize ministries. He said that each ministry will now have just 100 staff. Government House 100 and very big ministries 200 staff.He addressed Civil Servants at the State Secretariat. He was booed. The workers booed him, showing him shege’




I sat on the chair speechless, watching Jenifer arrange her long shiny dark hair before my sitting room mirror. The news of another mass sack in Imo State shocked me. I quickly made phone calls and discovered that the news is true. Jenifer pulled her hair up and piled it on top of her head. She let her eyes look at my eyes, and then she dropped her hair and let it fall down in front of her face. Each time I see Jenifer in this mood, I feel her pains of unemployment and the sadness is so great.


Another mass disengagement of Civil Servants in Imo State in less than one year?. This is in continuation of the anti poor, anti workers policies of Governor Okorocha. When he was campaigning for the peoples votes,he ran, promising to be a ‘Jobs Governor,’ because he wanted Imolites to believe that he would make real progress putting people back to work.


Nearly one year later, we have made no progress on jobs and he not only has no answer on giving people jobs, he don’t think it’s his job to offer one. He is not creating jobs but is busy putting Imolites out of jobs. He has so far sacked more than 16,000 Imolites. He is now sending more persons home in the name of redeployment of Civil Servants to Communities to serve in an illegal Community Government Council.


The action of the Okorocha government is becoming more barbaric given the fact that in Imo State the Civil Servants constitute the largest proportion of salary earners with a large population of dependants. However, the criminal silence of NLC in Imo state further reveals the real face of the current Imo NLC chairman as inhuman and anti-workers.




I hold the strong view that the government can afford to pay minimum wage to workers across Imo and in fact, implement more pro-masses policies without tears. Another mass sack of workers is a sorry development, especially because Imo is fabulously blessed with abundant human and natural resources, and remains a potential pool of the best of what humanity is blessed with if concerted effort is made to develop these huge resources. I am of the opinion that to further reduce the strength of the Civil Service by sacking workers on the basis of right sizing is simply unacceptable. We say NO to this. Even the few available workers in the Civil Service are simply not even enough.


I stood up , touched Jenifer’s wrists and hands.I feel sorry for her.She was sacked months ago now her sister is about to be sacked. Our governor probably overlooked the fact that the average Nigerian worker has four dependents – at least two living with him.Why is he removing food from the table of the masses that voted him into power?

Okorocha should go for policies in Imo that will place giving the people jobs as his highest priority. We need reform to encourage a strong business economy and create jobs. This reform needs to reach every corner of our state, into every industry and every business large and small so that we can achieve a technological, industrial, and agricultural business renaissance here in Imo state.


Jenifer walked away from the mirror. ‘This is not what we bargained’ she said. All the things we were told during the election, all the love we chased, all the good campaign promises, what happened to them?’ She asked.


‘ No be small thing-o’ I said. While the rank and file workers in Imo state are being asked to go home ,the governor continues to enrich himself more and more at the expense of the citizens. If one were to count the amount of overseas trips, times the amount of out of pocket allowances that Okorocha receives plus what is going on in our LGA’s in the name of caretaker government, it exposes the ugly underbelly of what he means when he said he was on a rescue mission.He is really rescuing his pocket.


‘We now have an Imo state of unemployed youths; Imo state were minimum wages are denied workers, Imo state were workers are owed salaries, Imo state were the people are being denied employment in spite of their potentials; Imo state of escalating executive lawlessness, Imo state were LGA funds are looted, Imo state of disregard for constitutional rights. Government in Imo today is Owelle only . Those in government today are suffocating. The teachers are suffering. The civil servants are suffering. Business men are suffering. Even the traders are suffering. What we have now in Imo State is the more you look the less you see.


Well, I’m going.I am angry.I hate Okorocha with a passion.’ She said .

I got up and walked her to the door. Just as she was leaving, she said, ‘Mr Uwadi, please buy me the rice you promised me, Mama Gold rice-o .No, I want Caprice, Caprice rice seems to be better’. I watched her walked away. See how Owelle has turned this young graduate into a beggar.There are many Jenifers’ made unemployed by Rochas out there in Owerri. Save us O God.

Abia farmers to get N1b CBN loan soon
A N1 billion agricultural loan received from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will soon be disbursed to farmers in Abia State.
The state government broke the news in Bende Local Government Area during the inauguration of the 2012 Cropping Season.

Governor Theodore Orji said the government has also paid its counterpart funds for the FADAMA III, the IFAD–NDDC–FGN–Community-Based Natural Resources Management Project and the Agricultural Development Programme.

Orji, who was represented by his deputy, Sir Emeka Ananaba, said the 55 tractors procured by the government would be sold to farmers at subsidised prices.
He said the government is determined to create jobs, reduce poverty, ensure food sufficiency and facilitate rapid economic and rural transformation through agriculture. Orji said the government would subsidise farm inputs through the Growth Enhancement Support Initiative Scheme.

He said the privatisation of the Abia Rubber Company and Nkporo Oil Palm Estates would soon be completed to ensure optimal productivity.curled from http://thejuristlaws..co.uk

OKOROCHA WHERE ARE THE JOBS IN IMO STATE By Kenneth Uwadi


The Supreme Court has given its judgment on the Imo State gubernatorial election petition and OwelleRochasOkorocha is still the occupant of Douglas House Owerri.The Supreme Court had upheld Okorocha's election upon the technical claim that the appeal elapsed the required 60 days as provided by the law.The governor and his cronies celebrated the Supreme Court victory .They shouted in boyish delight, popped Champaign bottles and danced in government House Owerri. In hoarse macho voices, they sang victory songs.In his victory speech, our governor jumped up, boxed in and 'talk the talk' about how he is making Imo State an El Dorado and described his victory as a victory for democracy and a victory for Imo people. He banged his fist on the table and beat his chest about how he is making Imo State a model State and asked critics to give him a breathing space to work. He lambasted critics saying that they are sponsored to paint his administration black. ''If they have some criticisms why don't they watch me for four years'', he said.I have been smiling many, many times ever since I heard this information .For me it is good governance that I am fighting for. My interest is human progress and the progress of Imo people. The wake-up call to vigilance cannot come at a better time than now. Every high profile public servant is like a gold fish. He has no hiding place. His actions will be scrutinized every minute. Like Dr EmenikeNwankwo once said “ Our duty is not to support Okorocha the man no matter what. Our duty is to support what is good for Imo people .If he moves along the line of making Imo what we expect, we will give him our full support''.Okorocha cannot claim good governance when he is not creating jobs.He should not expect praise when he is sending the people out of jobs. Imo State unemployment rate is high. Thousands of Imolites are willing to work but are not employed.Unemployment is the number one issue in Imo state today. In an SP poll, 89 percent of Imo citizens cited unemployment as the state's most important problem. Imo people need jobs. That is how they can put food on the table. Every day, thousands of our unemployed brothers and sisters , including those who lost their jobs due to the sack of the 10,000 jobs, scan the pages of newspapers and websites for job advertisements. Why can't we create jobs in Imo State ? Unemployed graduates, unemployed construction workers, unemployed engineers, unemployed teachers, unemployed security guards, unemployed cooks, unemployed waiters and those desperate for a job in Imo can no longer wait. Job is number one priority in Imo State and Okorocha cannot continue to confuse Imo people with some false claims and abracadabra.The question remains where are the jobs in Imo State?He should stop being over desperate for people's applause and give the people jobs. He sacked the beneficiaries of the 10,000 jobs. Heshould recall the sacked 10,000 legally employed civil servants in Imo state.His inability to create jobs for Imo youths is unacceptable. We want to know how many graduates in Imo State owe their jobs to his efforts. We want to know what new facilities are underway to serve as a job base for the people of Imo State.We what to see him build industries, schools, bridges, water systems, electricity networks and other projects in our LGA's that facilitate job creation.We want to see him build good roads in our LGA's not the coal tar that he is pouring on sand inOwerri in the name of roadsHe should stop making unimaginable promises that we know he cannot fulfill . He should stop the window dressing to attract undeservedapplause.He said he will give scholarship of N25,000.00 per annum to every primary school pupil in the state; N40,000.00 scholarship to every secondary school student in the state; N60,000 scholarship for every OND student of the state Polytechnic; N80,000.00 scholarship per annum for every HND student and N100,000.00 scholarship for every Imo State indigene studying at the Imo state University in addition to receiving tuition free.According to a Professor at Imo State University, out of over 35,000 student enrolment at the Imo State University, about 31,500 are indigenes of Imo State. It will cost the state about N3.5 billion to offer scholarship to the University students as proposed; N416 million for Polytechnic students; and N21 billion for primary and secondary school students, each year.This comes to about N24.9 billion per annum. The average annual income of the state is N 34 billion. Can you see the abracadabra? How will he sustain the free education? Why does he believe that Imo people are this daft?We are not comfortable with the directive that the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Imo State should engage in commercial activities in order to generate their salaries and allowances. Subventions to the MDAs in Imo state have been completely withdrawn which has resulted to over taxing of Imo people. Imo government now churns out multiple taxation and harsh levies on Imo citizens using indecent task forces and unethical conductsWe are not comfortable thatOkorocha has not paid Imo State Civil servants the so-called N20, 000 minimum wage. My sources told me that Imo Civil servants are receiving only N11,000 salary for grade level one.Imo workers are afraid to voice out this truth for fear of victimization. We have not seen any movement by Labour Union in Imo State to address the challenges faced by workers in the state. This is totally unfair and shows that Labour in Imo State has no sense of concern about the plights of workers in the state. Itshould pain and worry NLC in Imo state that workers are hurting.We are not comfortable that he has not redeemed his N100million development fund to each of the LGAs in Imo. What about the N1billion that he also promised to each of the LGAs? He has so far not redeemed these pledges to the LGA's. Where will he even get the money from? Was it budgeted for? He talks too loudly and too often without fulfillment.We are not comfortable that no development is happening in over 90 percent of Imo State Councils. Why are our LGA funds held hostage and why are we deprived the opportunity to function democratically at the grassroots? Why can't we have council election in Imo State? Why must we be deceiving Imo people every month about the allocation given to LGA's. Do the LGA's really receive the advertised amount? He should conduct council election.Who is fooling who? Save us o' God.Kenneth Uwadi,Mmahu-Egbema,ImoState,Nigeria

comradeferey,you are a very bogus person with sham news ..please we don't need you to feed us with fake information about Abia state....we know when truth is been told.......Abia has never cried of any of such things like the one u cooked up ...this is crap.as far as Abia state is concerned

My achievements will speak for me, Orji tells opposition
The Abia State government has called on the political opposition in the state to stop distracting the government and join forces to transform the state.

The mammoth crowd that turned-out to witness the commissioning of some completed projects by the Abia state governor, Chief Theodore Orji, last weekend, proved that the gimmicks by the political opponents to cause mayhem in Aba has hit the rocks after all. A few days to the commissioning date of the projects, news made the rounds in the state that the opposition was doing everything possible to stage a big protest march which would dovetail into a complete showdown with the state government and its leadership. To cap it all the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) had gone to Press with advertorials alleging that the government has ailed the people
In his press briefing in Umuahia, the chief press secretary to the Governor, Mr. Ugochukwu Emezue described the advertorials as mere distractions to the ever busy Governor, pointing out that they were only trying to malign Governor T.A.Orji. According to Emezue, Abia state government has, so far, pumped-in more than N5billion to provide infrastructures in Aba alone. Most of these projects (completed or on-going) were started after the governor was sworn-in for his second tenure. Said he; APGA has been raising a lot of dust by falsely feeding the innocent public with the impression that Governor Orji was doing nothing in Abia state. He advised Abians to disregard such antics from that party. He called on the APGA governorship candidate in the last 2011 general elections, Ochiagha Reagan Ufomba, to retrace his steps and come back to PDP.As Emezue put it “the doors of Chief T.A.Orji are still open to receive Ufomba into the fold.”
As at the time of doing this report, virtually all the suspended aides, commissioners, transition committee chairmen and special aides to the governor had been invited by the State House of Assembly for re-screening and appointments. The transition committee chairman for Umunneochi local government council, Mr. Dan Okoli, was recommended for further investigations by a special committee of the House, for his activities while in office, just as Dr. Eze Chikamnayo( former Adviser on Information and public orientation) and Mr. Donatus okorie (former chief of staff to the governor in the Government House, Umuahia), respectively, have been appointed commissioners designate.
Incidentally, one hard fact about Aba is that it is a multi-ethnic city, with residents all engaged in one business/trade or the other. Aba is a no-man's land, next to Lagos and Abuja! Here, the non-indigenes far out-number the indigenes; so that no particular group can conveniently claim to be wholly responsible for what is in Aba. This is the peculiarity of Aba..
However, the completed projects that were commissioned in Aba, included Ukwu-mango/Faulks Road/Amaikonne, Danfodio/East road and the Old Express/Samek road (with a Traffic by-pass implication) as well as the pedestrian bridge at Abia Polytechnic, all in Aba. Of signifinance is the fact that the Ukwu-mango/faulks road gives easy access to-and-fro the Ariaria Internationl market. These particular roads had remained blocked and rendered impassable for decades until recently when help came their way. On the side of the pedestrian bridge located at the Abia State Polytechnics, Aba, the spot had previously, posed serious danger threats to students and staff of the institution as well as others who went there for one type of business or the other as they tried to cross the ever busy Aba/Owerri Road. Some had lost their lives, while a number of others received injuries or maimed for life as a result of the heavy traffic flow there. At the commissioning venues, residents, the neighborhood, traders and students rolled out their drums to give the governor and his entourage red carpet receptions, contrary to expectations and rumours that made the rounds earlier.
Spokesmen for the neighbourhood, including Mr. Henry Kanu and Mrs. Comfort Ukpai, all expressed gratitude to the state government for coming to their help after several years. In continuation of the commissioning spree in Umuahia, the following day, Orji commissioned other completed roads in -and -around the state capital, Umuahia.
Addressing Aba inhabitants later, Gov. Orji, described the inter-play between his government and Aba business community as “an interminable 'cat and mouse relationship' and the obstructive vibrancy of Enyimba city.” He made it clear to them that government will not yield to unguarded intimidations, or succumb to fabrications of half truths that endorse cheap popularities, elsewhere. The governor restated his commitment to leave some legacies behind as he leaves office in 2015, stressing that Aba remains his cardinal point of focus in his developmental strides.
In his words,” we will continue to do everything that it takes to ensure the development of this city, and its full restoration to the glory of all Abians and all men and women of goodwill. I am aware of the fact that Aba remains the foremost commercial, industrial and entertainment city of Abia state. It is also the melting pot for all Igbo races in their commercial and business adventurism, which, itself, raises new and urgent problems of governance seeking for solution.
To sustain these, Aba people are advised to cherish a healthy and clean city, as they develop their stores, markets, factories, all in an attempt to build great wealth for all. They should also owe it as an obligation to pay their taxes and levies willingly to enable government maintain the various infrastructure as well as support and co-operate with one another for the benefit of the Enyimba city. Governor Orji, did not go without making a firm promise to his people;” as we proceed on our chosen, but difficult route of developing Abia state, We promise to lay the desired foundation and break new frontiers in our infrastructures, roads, new landmarks; attain to needs of workers, pensioners, and create new jobs and empower our youths.” CURLED FROM thejuristlaws..co.uk

REAGAN UFOMBA IN A PATERNITY SCANDAL
APGA candidate in the last governorship polls in Abia state Reagan Ufomba’s woes keep increasing daily with the recent revelation by a prominent indigene of Ngwa, Chief Chukwu Wachukwu, that Ufomba is stranger element in Ngwa land.

Chief Wachukwu, who is the president of the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Association of Nigeria told the Jurist laws exclusively that Reagan Ufomba is not an Abian.

According to him, Ufomba whose stock in trade is deceit is from Ogoni in Rivers state. Speaking further, Chief Wachukwu stated that the APGA candidate’s father settled in Ngwa land many years before the Nigerian civil war as he was housed by Reagan’s mother. Reagan is a product of an illicit affair which the mother had with the Ogoni man who was a palm wine tapper in her village.

With the war over, according to Chief Wachukwu Reagan settled in Ngwa land where he grew up as a bastard.
Till date Reagan is not accepted in Ngwa land no matter how hard he tries Chief Wachukwu added.
He warned Reagan to go to Ogoni land and re-unite with his kith and kin rather than claiming indigene ship in Abia state.

When Jurist laws contacted Reagan on the issue he simply said he is a Nigerian and he is free to settle any place he wants. He further gave out himself when he hinted that some elders in the community during the polls started carrying rumours that he comes from Ogoni. “Even if I’m from Ogoni so what” Reagan retorted.curled from thejuristlaws..co.uk

SHARING OF ABIA STATE MONEY
Our attention has been drawn to various publications in social networks casting aspersions on the Abia’s most esteemed persons. These faceless individuals parading as APGA YOUTHS alleged that Abia State government in a bid to rape the State Economy earmarks certain huge sums of money as patronage to persons like Senator Uche Chukwumerije, Senator Nkechi Nworgu,Ugochukwu Onyema, General Ike Nwachukwu’ Chief Ojo Maduekwe and the fisrt Chief of Army Staff from Igbo land, our own General Ihejirika just mention but a few.

We are pained by these frivolous claims. Though any sensible person would know that no State government no matter how rich would lavishly give out over N500m every month as gratis, we know that the authors are bent on discrediting our best. From the list, we can deduce where the voice is coming from.

After Reagan Ufomba tried in the most futile manner to become Governor of Abia State, he has devised all sorts of means to destabilize the State. It is important we trace where he is coming from to enable us proof that he lacks neither honor nor integrity. Reagan had approached the State government to enable him pay off huge debt from Diamond bank. Having failed to rip off the State, he shamelessly resorted to name calling and unabashed politics of mudslinging.

Reagan had left a three bedroom flat in Lagos State to become Governor of Abia State. Apart from coming from a background of wretchedness, his kinsman Chief Nwachukwu Nwachukwu had revealed that by birth and descent, Reagan is from Ogoni and therefore can afford to destabilize Abia State.

APGA may exist as a political party. We however know that there is no such thing as APGA in Abia State. We know the existence of Reagan and his Ukwa Ngwa brothers (?) who are determined to rock the ship of the state.

Abia State was recently adjudged as one of the most prudently managed States in Nigeria. It is therefore shocking to observe that the State could be paying money to even the revered Uche Chukwumerije, our dear General Ike Nwachukwu and the elite Ojo Maduekwe.

Wonder why Senator Abaribe’s name is not on the list of beneficiaries? Ukwa Ngwa people are determined to unleash their venom on the present regime to cause confusion and promote enormous hate amongst the people of the State. Why would they be pulling all structures just to make a statement that they are warming up for 2015? What would it profit them to scatter and destroy their own State?

Nobody has the monopoly of violence. We call on the so called APGA YOUTHS to stop disparaging Abia’s best brains just in attempt to score cheap political goals. If they are tired of their concept of ‘see no good, hear no good and feel no good’, they should not turn the heat on a State that has long enjoyed some quiet. We need sustained peace in Abia State

OUR GROUSE AGAINST UKWA NGWA PEOPLE

In Abia State now, it is very easy to feel the politics of acrimony, division and mudslinging being perpetrated by Ukwa Ngwa people just because an Old Bende person is Governor.

If our people at home are not disgruntled, if they do not feel harassed and insecured, we honestly do. We can no longer watch while our sons are maligned and discredited. What wrong did we do that our son T.A. Orji would be so abused? Why would anyone think Onyema Ugochukwu is so cheap to live off the State government’s resources?

We are aware of recent attempts by Ukwa Ngwa people to promote disaffection against Old Bende. Everywhere, every social network site, every internet site; what Ukwa Ngwa people do is to discredit Old Bende people. So bad that Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt (Senate Committee Chairman on Information who is dumb) gathered Ukwa Ngwa people at Rowmay Hotels in December 2012 with the sole mandate to create confusion in Abia State. After that ‘clarion call’, what we see on Facebook are different sorts of pages designed to bring the office of and the person of the governor to disrepute.

As a potent product of their meeting, they have been causing disaffection between the Governor and Aba people to erroneously set the tune for an Ukwa Ngwa Governor in 2015. Recently, Aba residents have been inundated with series of lies, fallacies and ill – feelings.

Let it be noted that all the years Ukwa – Ngwa people have run alongside Old Bende candidates. 2015 will not be different. We intend to also make things difficult for them, that is if they will ever win without the support of Old Bende.

We will no longer watch while we are decimated as a people. Old Bende people are by no means cowards and lily livered people. We are strong enough to match them words for words while we wait for them in 2015 to see how they hope to take over a State they had willfully destroyed.

Henceforth, we shall be publicizing details of their nocturnal meetings aimed at destabilizing the State. Since they have constituted themselves into our own Boko Haram, we wait to see how they would lie on the bed they had scattered.

We issue final warning to all agents of disunity and hate. We know them and their contacts. We give them forty – eight hours to dismantle those pages on Facebook being sponsored by Harcourt, Ufomba et al; either which we would confront them head on. We know of Obioma Daniel Ubani (Abaribe’s cousin) who resides at Denmark with personal phone number +49170237608, obi@ubani.info who administers the most fallacious Abia Awakening with his kinsman Kingsley Ahamba who oversees Abia Tower. Abia State belongs to all of us and we cannot watch a few disgruntled elements bring the State to its knees.curled from thejuristlawsblogspot.co.uk

The issue of power unavailability in Abia state has taken a nose-dive in recent time...Governor T.A Orji has played a massive role in this ,as he poised at putting an end to the very power(light) drought in Abia state....The information coming from a genuine source has it that the governor ,T.A Orji made an input to this very positive change by assisting in funding for the evacuation and distribution of the over-due-domiciled supposedly power(light)that federal government was meant to oversee its evacuation..It is said that governor T.A released two hundred million naira to ensure that that power is been evacuated for consumers in Abia to use.Following the implementation of the governor's voluntary assistance,there has been increase in the spate of power availability in Abia state ,especially the capital city,Umuahia, which has raised a lot of surprise as regard to sudden improvement on the power.People have been enjoying power(light)to a very large extent and this has made many to commend the governor the more.A citizen from olokoro,Ikechi Anosike was interviewed yesterday on the issue of the sudden improvement on power in Umuahia,he says" i just have been wowed by this sky-rocketed improvement on power availability.The fact is: my children don't complain about power failure any more and my wife can confidently cook our food and think of reserving and preserving them in the deep freezer as there is no fear of power drought,in fact i have reasons to say that T.A is doing something great as to compare to what we saw of the past leaders..i pray he continues at this very brilliant level ,but let him try and have the light be evenly distributed to consumers not only in Umuahia but to other partS of Abia state.However,this newest development could be traced to be as a result of governor T.A magnanimous contribution on the Ohia domiciled power that the federal government was supposed to evacuate to consumers but due to some circumstances the condition remained unsolved leading to stoic-still situation that called the attention of the governor.In that regard,the excellency contributed monetarily,the sum of two hundred million to save the situation......Abia can now enjoy power supply without experiencing epileptism of any sort of light....

I Bet his life ,Ibra is still counting ,hahahahahahhahaha foolery in the highest order...women shame on to you all...

This is a patriotic gesture of a good citizen,who has a grandiose concern about his own people regardless of ethnicity,religion,believes and language....thats good of you,OCHENDO...we pray for more fruitful years in the office.

It's hard to please men,no matter how best your bested achievements are on the face of the earth.The world on it own is insatiable or unsaturated & the people in it are naturally molded & fashioned with hatred,jealousy,strife,conflict,selfish machination to condemn their fellow man,no matter how good a man's bested interest to keep giving out his best is at all time,his quest to search for that singular,basic means of making the world a better place for all looks abortive.T.A Orji,has a flare to continually seek for one solution-solving means which may be the modest answer to every challenges Abia state is facing or may be facing.He never folded his arms,that i think.He aims at reaching out to sundry places,to enable Abians share from the dividends of democracy.This is the time to refrain from rancorous ,nefarious and falsified rumours against T.A Orji.Let us visit places that have been said that the governor has fixed and the jobs he is creating to help the youths ,this will give room for any critic to say what he feels in order to be able to know if what has been professed of T.A's administration spares him derogation or not.but for me ,i think T.A is doing every thing possible to put Abia ahead of time.....

THE FACT THAT T.A ORJI HAS INITIATED MORE WORKFORCE THAT WILL HELP TACKLE ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION,HE HAS DONE SO WELL BY DOING SO...NOT WITHSTANDING I EXPECT MORE AND MORE OF THE CRITICS IN TANTRUM ,WITH THEIR HEAVY CENSURE WHICH THEY PULL TOGETHER IN AN ATTEMPT TO SMACK HIM DOWN...BUT I THINK HE IS NOT GOING TO LET THAT DISTRACT HIM FROM DOING MORE AND ENGAGING ON MORE IMPERATIVE.....AS FOR T.A I SAY,MORE GREASE TO YOUR ELBOW,I PRAY THAT GOD ALMIGHTY GIVE YOU MORE VISION,STRENGTH TO CARRY ON,PERSEVERANCE,MORE ENRICHED WISDOM TO DEVELOP FRUITFUL AND RESOURCEFUL INITIATIVE THAT WILL BENEFIT ABIANS....GOD BLESS ABIA STATE

ABIA State governor, Chief Theodore Orji, yesterday directed NEPAD coordinators in the 17 local government areas of the state to embark on a project/programme that would be of benefit to the rural people.Consequently, no fewer than 1,200 indigent residents of the state had been shortlisted for empowerment under the National Poverty Eradication Programme, NAPEP, tagged Social Subsidy Scheme.Special Adviser to the Governor/State Coordinator on NEPAD, Prince Emeka Nwachukwu, explained that the aim of the governor’s directive was to ensure that the rural people felt impact of governance which would better their living standard.
According to Nwachukwu, NEPAD has already identified two sites in Aba and Umuahia for an open market where commodities, especially food stuffs, fruits and crops, would be sold without the involvement of market unions who influence the hike in prices of goods.
With such markets, Nwachukwu said, traders from the North or elsewhere would be able to sell direct to the consumers at cheaper rates to the benefit of poor people.Besides, the coordinator announced that NEPAD coordinators had in line with the governor’s directive, put up proposals, ranging from cultivation of cassava, vegetables, poultry, piggery and fish farming in their various local government areas, bearing in mind comparative advantages of the councils over each other.According to him, in Umunneochi Local Government Area, which has large expanse of cashew plantations, a European firm has indicated interest to set up a cashew processing plant.According to him, this will provide jobs for the rural people and shore up the internal revenue of the council.
Nwachukwu also disclosed that under NEPAD , the state planned to set up three functional Skill Acquisition Academy in each of the senatorial districts for training of unemployed in various trades.He said school leavers planning to write UTME could still attend the academy while waiting to write the examination.
On graduation, he explained that NEPAD will liaise with National Directorate of Employment [NDE] to set them up in their chosen trades.
Nwachukwu said that the empowerment programme would be sponsored by NAPEP, Abuja, in conjunction with the office of the Abia governor’s wife.
He said that the social welfare scheme would be targeted at children between 14 years and below as well as widows and other vulnerable groups.
“Already, the NAPEP office in Abuja has undertaken assessment and advocacy visit to the affected areas and has shortlisted beneficiaries of the project.
The beneficiaries will be given a stipend of N5000 on monthly basis and at the end of nine months, they will receive additional N100, 000 as pay-off grant,” he said.Nwachukwu said that the N100, 000 would assist the beneficiaries to establish a business of their choice.
“The essence of this programme is to assist the vulnerable in the state to establish businesses or other money yielding services,” he said.
He described the empowerment as a necessary move that would enhance the economic status of the needy in Abia.
Nwachukwu said that one local government area each from the three senatorial zones in the state had been selected for the pilot scheme.
He gave the names of the selected local government areas as Ohafia (Abia North), Umuahia South (Abia Central) and Aba North (Abia South).
Nwachukwu added that about 400 beneficiaries would be drawn from each of the selected local government areas in the pilot scheme which would begin in June.
http://thejuristlaws..com/2012/04/orji-tasks-nepad-co-ordinators-on-rural.html

Are states and local governments in the country agents of development or mere conduit pipes for channeling proceeds of federation account allocations? That is the question that stares everyone in the face in view of recent revelations about the finances of most of the 36 states of the federation. While the 1999 Constitution as amended designs the state as vehicle for the actualization of the fundamental objective and directive principles of state policy as enunciated in chapter two of the Constitution, the operation of the component units of the federation as captured in the ground norm has maintained a continuous slide from the ideal since 1999. Coming from a state of abyss under the military, it was permissible however that the finances of the states were at the most unstructured level at the start of the current Republic.
But overtime, it has continued to emerge that the states are doing more of rent seeking than actual management. Fewer states are turning in anything tangible in terms of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), while many have completely left the collection of such to touts and political hangers on, as evidence of political patronage.

Many of the states resorted to the bond market, which in actual fact means spending much of your future earnings today.
The effect of the growing rush for the bond market too will not take eternity to show. From the second term of the Fourth Republic, starting from 2003, some signs of distress were beginning to surface in the management of state finances. The coming into force of the Debt Management Office (DMO) in 2000 created the much needed statistics that provided insights into the financial health of the states. Much attention could, however, not be directed at that because of the battle to free Nigeria itself from the shackles of debt it got entangled in on the platforms of Paris and London Club of Creditors. With Nigeria practically out of the huge debt profile in 2006, concerns shifted to domestic debts and the growing state indebtedness. Right now, the situation is not only worrisome to managers of the economy; it has been described as critical. Chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mr. Elias Mbam said at a senate public hearing held to look into the state of indebtedness of the states that states have become rent seekers, solely living on proceeds of federation account, which are also further tied to bank debts, foreign debts and bonds.

The public hearing was sequel to a motion on the growing bankruptcy in the states moved by Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi on October 27, 2011. The Senator had called the attention of the Senate to the growing concern for the finances of the states and the danger of insolvency facing the 36 states of the federation. Quoting a study of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), the Senator noted that 20 of the 36 states are faced with prospects of unstable and unfavourable financial standing, based on the high percentage of their wage bills in relation to the total revenue accruable. The motion was unanimously accepted by the Senate, which immediately assigned a Joint Committee including Committees on National Planning, Finance, States and Local Governments and Appropriation to conduct a public hearing and report its findings to the plenary.

According to the scary statistics submitted by Senator Adetumbi, only four states of the federation can be said to have healthy state of accounts. They are Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, and Jigawa. While records show that Abia spends 14 percent of its revenue on personnel cost, Akwa-Ibom and Anambra spend 12 per cent on the same, while Jigawa spends six percent on personnel costs. Imo (19 per cent), Kwara (18 per cent); Lagos (18 per cent); Kebbi (16 per cent); Delta (15 per cent) are regarded as operating within the tolerable status, while six states are regarded as completely distressed.

On that list include Kano; Sokoto; Niger; Zamfara; Katsina and Osun.
The statistics presented from the Governors Forum Labour Policy Report for 2011 further indicates that Kano expends 126 percent of its revenue on personnel costs, Sokoto, 62 percent and Niger 56 percent. Zamfara spends 54 percent of its revenue on personnel costs, while Katsina and Osun spend 50 percent each of their earnings on personnel costs to stand rooted on the distressed cadre. States that spend between 48 and 30 percent of their total revenue on personnel costs are regarded as being in critical state and they include Ekiti(48 per cent); Plateau(44 per cent ; Benue(42 per cent); Edo(42 per cent ); Borno(41 per cent); Adamawa(40 per cent ); Cross Rivers(39 per cent ); Enugu(39 per cent); Taraba (38 per cent); Ogun(37 per cent ); Kogi(32 per cent); Yobe (32 per cent); Ebonyi(31 per cent); Ondo(31 per cent) and Kaduna(30 per cent), while states which spend from 27 and 20 percent of their earnings on personnel costs are regarded as unhealthy. They are Oyo (27 per cent); Bauchi (26 per cent); Bayelsa (24 per cent); Nasarawa (24 per cent); Gombe (23 per cent) and Rivers (20 per cent).
Senator Adetumbi further submitted that states have now become social employers of labour with unsustainable high work force which makes service delivery almost impossible. With a weak private sector, he projects that the economy would be in further danger even as states become financially insolvent and increasingly handicapped to finance the real sector and drive growth.

He also presented statistics to further trouble the discerning minds. States have encumbered themselves with bonds from the capital market, much of them long term. The records on ground show that Lagos alone had participated in the financial bonds on three occasions, with a N15 billion bond in 2002 and two other series including N50 billion as the first series and another N57 billion bond in the second series. Other states on the bond market list include Imo(N18.5 billion)Kwara(17 billion); Bayelsa(N50 billion); Ogun N50 billion);Niger(N6 billion); Kaduna (N8.5 billion); Ebonyi(N16.5 billion); Delta(N5 billion); Kebbi(N3.5 billion); and Yobe (N2.5 billion). Osun has disclosed that it will take N50 billion to finance its 2012 budget. With such huge financial burden, it is apparent that the states are not only living from hand to mouth, but are mere appendages of the government at the centre. The Senator submitted that the infrastructural deficits in the states has continued to put pressure on the major urban centres with attendant migration and worsening crime rate. But to the Senator, the fear is not in borrowing but the absence of proper procedures which further exposes the borrowed funds to misuse.
In an interview with The Friday Edition, Senator Adetumbi insisted that states are really enjoying the bad patch of the economy and that there is the need to urgently revise the trend.
He said of the motion: “That motion has brought to the fore the fiscal challenges that most states of the federation are facing. A situation where some states are spending as high as 126 percent of their internally generated revenue on wages meaning that they have to borrow to meet up. Others spend between 60 and 80 per cent of their total revenue as personnel cost, leaving less than 20 per cent for capital expenditure, that is not acceptable in a developing country where the running of the bureaucracy is costing more than what is required to open up the economy.

“Because you open up the economy through education, service delivery, infrastructure and the enabling environment for businesses to run. l am not, however, surprised that most states are now going to the capital market to raise funds but why do you need to borrow even at a very high percent if your internally generated revenue and the money coming from the federation account are enough for you to do what you want to do. They are raising bonds to finance infrastructure projects because there is a gap in their revenue that is not enabling them to do as much capital projects as the development of their states is calling for.”
The Senate reasoned along with Adetumbi and committed the motion to further scrutiny by the Joint Committee. On March 14, the committee gathered stakeholders at the Hearing Room One of the Senate main building to discuss the unfolding scenario of bankruptcy in the states.
RMAFC Chairman and the Debt Management Office did not deviate from the submissions presented by the Senator from Ekiti North on the Senate floor last October. Chairman of RMAFC, Elias Mbam corroborated the findings of the Senator when he declared that the states had so far been living on funds they did not generate.
He stated that most states had mortgaged the monthly allocations from the federation account, due to heavy loans and bonds burden. According to Mbam, besides the local debts, most states have also exposed themselves to foreign debts and bonds, which have practically mortgaged the monthly allocations they receive from the Federation Account.
RMAFC said that as at the end of last year, the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja were owing about N339.9 billion (about $2.165billion), which it said was making it difficult for them to finance developmental projects and grow the economy of the states. That is besides the states’ indebtedness to local banks in short term borrowings and the exposure to the capital market.

The RMAFC submitted at the hearing: “Records available to the commission from the Debt Management Office (DMO) showed that as at December, 2011 the total external debt stock of all the states (multilateral) stood at $2.165billion, while that of the Federal Government stood at $3.5billion and a domestic stock of N5.622trillion for the Federal Government alone. The commission considers this profile as high.”
Mbam also said that as a result of the huge debt profile, there have been consistent deductions from the allocations of most of the states of the federation for settling external and domestic debts and the bonds. He said that the development was an indication that most of the state governments had collaterised their share of the monthly Federation Account receipts to service debts.
Another trend which is worrisome to managers of the nation’s economy is the fact that most of the debts owed banks by states were tied to Irrevocable Standing Payment Orders (ISPOs) issued to the Accountant General of the Federation to deduct directly from their monthly statutory allocations.
Mbam said: “The implication is that these debt overhangs weigh heavily on the monthly allocations due to the states thereby preventing them from meeting their minimum basic obligations to the citizens.”
According to him, deficit budgeting has become a serious challenge for most states, noting that even though deficit budgeting is tolerable within an acceptable limit, its endless application has endangered and forced the state governments to resort to excessive borrowing in order to meet their basic expenditure demands.

He said these excessive borrowings continued even when where the states had obviously no capacity to pay back.
The chairman of RMAFC stated that the consistent demand by the states for their share of the Excess crude revenue account is an indication of the desperate financial position of the state governments to get funds in order to meet costs of governance.
He said: “For instance, the sum of $1.5billion was shared in three equal installments from the excess crude account in 2011 alone out of which states received the sum of $400.8million.”
He told the joint committee that between 2009 and 2011 all the states had a gross statutory allocation of N2.66trillion out of which N266.89billion was deducted as total foreign and other loans within the period with varying degrees of effect on the allocations.
Mbam noted that noticeable indicators of financial distress in states include the cries by states that they could not pay the new national minimum wage in the face of the task to provide minimum services to the citizenry.
“This is a critical sign that the finances of most states and local governments were unhealthy. Today, most states have not been able to implement the new minimum wage. This challenge has made state executives to call for the review of the Revenue Allocation Formula in favour of states.

“Equally, they have also called for the removal of fuel subsidy which they also believe would enhance the revenue accruing into the Federation Account and invariably the statutory allocations to their respective states and local governments,” he said.
Mbam, however, recommended that the National and State Assemblies should consider appropriate legislations limiting the total exposure of states to external and domestic borrowing to not more than 20 per cent of their monthly allocations from the Federation Account.
“In addition, such borrowing should be for economic projects. Furthermore, there should be strict compliance to the relevant provisions of the Borrowing by Public Bodies Act,” he said.
As a way of redressing the obviously parlous state of finances of the states, the Revenue Mobilisation Chairman said that governments at all levels should diversify their economic base in order to enhance internally generated revenue, just as he called for a review of exclusive and concurrent legislative lists in the constitution with respect to the responsibilities of the Federal, States and Local Governments for appropriate revenue allocation.

“The cost of governance should be reduced drastically by cutting down recurrent expenditure, particularly, the number of aides, ministries, departments, agencies, wastages, etc. There should therefore be more emphasis on capital projects,”
Mbam said, adding that allocations from the excess crude account should be targeted at economic projects that have direct impact on the people while relevant government institutions should be strengthened to effectively monitor and ensure full compliance with the extant laws in the use of public funds.

As the Senate is currently awaiting the verdict of the Joint Committee on the way out of the near certain insolvency by the states in the aftermath of the public hearing, some stakeholders are further expanding the frontiers of the argument.
Last month, Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs also extended the barricades of the argument on the indebtedness of the states when he presented a bill before the Senate seeking to ensure autonomy for local governments in country in view of the grinding poverty staring the states in the face.
Senator Abatemi-Usman said that financial autonomy for local government areas in the country would give room for rapid growth and development at the grass-roots level. Though the bill is a variant of the Constitution amendment bills being put together by the Senate committee on constitution review, Abatemi believed that the urgency of the matter, as a result of the insolvency ravaging the states and the certain determination of the states to drag the local governments into the pit mandated him to present it immediately. What the Senator appeared to be saying was that if the states go down with the local governments tied to their aprons, the fate of national economy itself is in doubt.
The senator representing Kogi Central said in the lead debate that the autonomy granted local governments through the 1976 Local Government Reform had been whittled down considerably over the years and that most states of the federation had misinterpret section 7 of the 1999 Constitution to suit their whims. According to him, local governments had been prevented from functioning the way they should due to financial strangulation by the states.

He submitted: “Local governments have, over the years, suffered from the continued whittling down of their powers, and state governments had continued to encroach upon what would normally have been the exclusive preserves of local governments and consequently there has been a divorce between the people and government at their most basic levels.
“There is no gainsaying that the critical roles of local governments have indeed been impaired, in fact, out-rightly subverted because of corruption in some instances by states. In other cases, the process of disbursement of the accruable funds, as allocated from the Federation Account to the respect beneficiary local councils often get grossly abused; while some states deduct certain percentages before the release of the balance, in the name of servicing social amenities and infrastructure, which are non-existent, in most cases, others simply hold on, at will.”

He declared that the termination of the joint state and local governments’ accounts will help to substantially eradicate the anomaly. The senator stated further that the delay in release of council funds and deductions by the states had become tools in suppressing the efficiency and service delivery by local governments across the country.

But all stakeholders know that yanking the local governments off the apron strings of the states would not come as an easy task. The Senate and, indeed, all stakeholders must be on the alert if the idea is to be achieved in that direction.culled from www.thejuristlawsblogspot.com

good gesture of governance..this will effect a change that will facilitate due payment of worker's salaries

There has been massive response of people trooping into Michael Okpara Auditorium in respect to the Governor T.A's public flag off sale of kerosine at a government control price,which was designed to enable Abians benefit from the dividend of democracy....As i witness and participated in the ongoing exercise,people from all hooks and crannies where seen wriggling out,some with a rush,and all with a successful attempt as they scrambled on the queue which was coordinated by some law enforcement agencies to enable a smooth run of the initiative.In view of the on going exercises,many people left the venue with smiles on their faces because they have their cans filled with kerosine.., As this gesture left me with smiles on my face,many other participants were also left with smiles on their faces.Thanks to the Governor T.A Orji for this Awe-Inspiring idea,which has benefited

This is a factual basis to buy into the clarity,transparency and fastidious nature of chief T.A ORJI administration.But its quite unfortunate that migraine-suffering person's who out of their hatred refused to take into account the very many project that the governor has been putting into place.I thank you,Governor T.A,for adopting a more sensitive approach in reaching out the masses by your dynamic notion of proving kerosene at affordable price,to enable the poor masses gain utilize kerosene at a substantial price.I thank the Governor T.A,for instituting this very vindictive gesture of reaching out to his people.....having said that,i want to use this platform to say that governor T.A is unleashing every meaningful idea and gesture that will help offer some benefit to his people of Abia.There has been turn up event on the more dimension which has favoured many Abia citizens .Having taken a critical view of the events and and a foresight of the scenario that evince the more-serious T.A who's been lately overwhelmed by success drive for this state of Abia,i make bold to say he not only embark on a massive or numerous project,he has checked mate some various aspect which will help masses gain access to ,or come to the corridors of his administration and participate in the his administration. It is obvious that T.A might have failed at some point.So is every male becos every created thing is fallible.. but at this present time Gov.T.A is not lacking any purpose...he has got his head straight...but many who are outside the doors and window of the present administration see his governance as a treacherous one without a purpose for the people of Abia state...T.A is on his footings ,to ensure that analytical approach is adopted in bringing out coherent idea and intelligent coefficient capable of solving a problem – or giving a lasting solution to a given task or situation.having said that,i want us to take a cognizance of the work he has done so far by visiting some places around abia state as shown by the abiastate official website >> www.abiastate.gov.ng,to a more critical view before we lash out more crude-hatred-censure based on personal grudges as drawn by influence chiseled in some of us by some rivals of T.A.. We should not employ jungle justice of condemning a leader by sitting outside the purlieus of the government.This is just a tip of an iceberg in the form of what T.A ORJI has been doing since the inception of this second tenure.

As regard to Abia, i thank you men of great wit for your words of prowess as regard to how you think the Governor T.A should adopt a more sensitive and sensitized approach in carrying out his administrative regime.The very constructive statement you put up here is like a vindictive institution of learning for Governance and administrative fashions of governing a state.....having said that,i want to use this platform to say that governor T.A is unleashing every meaning tool withing and outside his disposal,wherever he can get it,being that he is not rigid but receptive and dynamic,which is a second nature that helps him to sieve from the chaff and induct some good ideas in the form of persons that will help bring about the turn up event on the more dimension that will favour Abia state.Having taken a critical view of the events and a foresight of the scenario that evince the more serious T.A who's been lately overwhelmed by success drive for this state of Abia,i make bold to say he not only embarked on a massive or numerous project,he is fastidious on the issues regarding the welfare of Abia state,such which enables him to seek and acquire men of prudence.with that as a a fundamental approach,he is quick-witted to flush at any point in time the failed tools whom he has discovered of their clumsy nature and fecklessness.The Government of T.A is open to able-bodied men,mentally and physically fit,men of great prowess,men of integrity,men of unquestionable reputation,effective-task-accomplishing men who can discharge off their duty before time and present an outstanding result that is satisfactory to the eyes of every man.It is obvious that T.A might have failed at some point.So is every man because every created thing is fallible.. but at this present time Gov.T.A is not lacking any purpose and his not lagging behind ,he has got his head straight...but many who are outside the doors and window of the present administration (corridors of power)see his governance as a treacherous one without a purpose for the people of Abia state...T.A is on his footings ,to ensure that analytical approach is adopted in bringing out coherent idea and intelligent coefficient,capable of solving a problem or giving a lasting solution to a given task or situation.having said that,i want us to take a cognizance of the work he has done so far by visiting some places around Abia state as shown by the abiastate official website >> www.abiastate.gov.ng,to a more critical view before we lash out more crude-hatred-censure based on personal grudges as drawn by influence chiseled in some of us by some rivals of T.A.. We should not employ jungle justice of condemning a leader by sitting outside the purlieus of the government.Let us criticize wisely.

As regard to Abia state.@akude, i thank you for your words of prowess as regard to how you think the Governor T.A should adopt a more sensitive and sensitized approach in carrying out his administrative regime.The very constructive statement you put up here is like a vindictive institution of learning for Governance and administrative fashions of governing a state.....having said that,i want to use this platform to say that governor T.A is unleashing every meaning tool withing and outside his disposal,wherever he can get it,being that he is not rigid but receptive and dynamic,which is a second nature that helps him to sieve from the chaff and induct some good ideas in the form of persons that will help bring about the turn up event on the more dimension that will favour Abia state.Having taken a critical view of the events and and a foresight of the scenario that evince the more serious T.A who's been lately overwhelmed by success drive for this state of Abia,i make bold to say he not only embark on a massive or numerous project,he is fastidious which ha s embraced,such which enable him acquire men of prudence.with that as a a fundamental approach,he is quick-witted to flush at any point in time a failed tools whom T.A has discovered of their clumsy nature and fecklessness.The Government of T.A is open to able-bodied men,mentally and physically fit,men of great prowess,men of integrity,men of unquestionable reputation,effective-task-accomplishing men who can discharge off their duty before time and present an outstanding result that is satisfactory to the eyes of every man.It is obvious that T.A might have failed at some point.So is every mail becos every created thing is fallible.. but at this present time Gov.T.A is not lacking any purpose...he has got his head straight...but many who are outside the doors and window of the present administration see his governance as a treacherous one without a purpose for the people of Abia state...T.A is on his footings ,to ensure that analytical approach is adopted in bringing out coherent idea and intelligent coefficient capable of solving a problem – or giving a lasting solution to a given task or situation.having said that,i want us to take a cognizance of the work he has done so far by visiting some places around abia state as shown by the abiastate official website to a more critical view before we lash out more crude-hatred-censure based on personal grudges as drawn by influence chiseled in some of us by some rivals of T.A.. We should not employ jungle justice of condemning a leader by sitting outside the purlieus of the government.Thank you,my dear

ABIA IS WORKING

Abia state governor chief T.A Orji has vowed to transform Abia state with special emphasis on Abia,in the past few months the governor no longer sit in his office his busy at the sites , supervising there project to ensure that contractors are doing their jobs to specification . Right now the governor has spent over five billion naira in Abia alone on road projects .some of the roads include Aba owerri road ,a federal road, rehabhitated by governor .every body in Aba knows the state of this road before it was rehabhitated by ochendo . Also fault a road has been reconstructed such that those going to ariaria can now leave a sign of relief. Ukwumango which used to link portharcourt express road to ariaria market ,hitherto impassable now is being worked upon in fact many says that making this road passable again is one of ochendos gift to aba people .In a matter of weeks the road will be asphalted. Other roads are ohanku road, Ama-ikonne, Ama ogonna, the hordes road.
Aba alone is witnessing the construction and rehabhitation of over 33 roads, most of these roads are nearing completion. In Aba, the governor has constructed an over head bridge at Abia poly to ensure that the students are protected. At Aba the entrance of Aba, the usual chaotic nature at osisioma junction, has given way to a lush green park, which is part of ochendos beautification of Aba . The governor is also constructing a new park at osisioma. In abia state university teaching hospital an ultra modern theater hall is being built for the student doctors while a six hall high court building is under construction in aba. In umuahia, the governor is building new roads and rehabhitating old ones. The bende road is being dualized ubakala road whish is a federal road has been dualized. Ossah road, a federal road was commissioned by President Jonathan few months ago. Other roads are ohagia road, ozuabam road, Amuzukwn road which has been commissioned. Okwoyi road, Ochendo by pass at new umuahia in isikwato, the nuya road is almost nearing completion .just to mention few. In health, the governor has built two diagnostic centre one in umuahia one in Aba recently commissioned by Jonathan. The governor has built 210 health centres across the state. In housing we have the amaokwe and isieke housing estates. A new secretarial for abia workers is at the roofing level which an international conference centre, and the new government house, a high court building are under construction in umuahia.

Ugochukwu Emezue
Chief Press Secretary
culled from www.abiastate.gov.ng

The Abia State Government has said it will sack any treasurer or head of service in the 17 local government areas who fail to submit their council’s wage bill on or before the 12th of every month.It said any worker found to be aiding and abetting fraud through the padding of staff salaries would be dismissed.The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. I. Ochu, who spoke with reporters in Umuahia, the state capital, was reacting to allegations that the government is owing council workers January and February salaries.Ochu said the workers have been paid January salary, while that of February is in the bank awaiting the clearance of their wage bills by the local government auditor-general, when they are sent by the treasurers.He said: “The delay in the payment is the fault of the council treasurers and heads of service, as they have refused to submit their wage bills between the 10th and 12th of every month as expected.”The permanent secretary said Governor Theodore Orji has directed that workers should be paid on the 20th of every month, but those in charge of workers’ salary do not make the wage bills available to the auditor-general on time.He said in January, only nine local governments submitted their wage bill and only six did in February. Ochu said: “As I am talking to you, Bende local government has not submitted its wage bill for January. We have decided to deal decisively with all erring treasurers and their heads of service, as we can no longer allow them to continue destabilising the plans of the government for workers.” state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Eze Idima said the delay in the preparation of the wage bill was because some treasurers, who were suspended by the government, had just returned to their duty posts.

SPEECH DELIVERED BY HER EXCELLENCY, CHIEF (MRS) MERCY ODOCHI ORJI
SPEECH DELIVERED BY HER EXCELLENCY, CHIEF (MRS) MERCY ODOCHI ORJI, WIFE OF THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF ABIA STATE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2012 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, HELD ON THURSDAY, 8TH MARCH, 2012, AT THE UMUAHIA TOWNSHIP STADIUM, UMUAHIA.

It is with great joy, as I formally welcome you all to the 2012 International Women's Day Celebrations in Abia State.

I bring greetings from my loving husband His Excellency, Chief T. A. Orji, the Executive Governor of Abia State, who has been a formidable pillar of support for women. Your Excellency, Sir, I say thank you. And to our husbands, fathers and brothers that have come to celebrate with us on this special day.

The Theme of this year's celebration is: Connecting Girls, inspiring futures.
This theme is very apt in view of the importance of girls' as baton bearers in our tomorrow's relay race to greatness and service for excellence.

The young girl as a future mother, needs a solid foundation to enable her succeed in life. We should encourage her in education, career choice, adulthood as a successful future wife and young mother.

Our girls can be guided to achieve their full potentials in carrier choice as Astronauts, Pilots, Engineers, Computer Scientists, Medical Doctors, Geologists, Sailors and Diplomats etc.

I'm therefore, calling on churches, NGOs, Civil Society, the academia, Government and traditional institutions, Diplomatic and business communities, donor agencies, parents, guardians, teachers and Abians from all walks of life to lend their support for the success of our young girls.

Today, our society is threatened by high Maternal Mortality rate, absence of fundamental Primary healthcare, more complicated medical problems, leading to high risk pregnancies, low standard and quality of education, increasing prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS and many harmful traditional practices (HTP) of early marriages and female genital cut.


This is a clarion call for the entire womenfolk and all stakeholders to rise up and use the opportunity offered by this celebration and look inwards on how best to make a significant difference and help in this fight of redemption and moral re-awakening among women.

It should be noted that international women's day is celebrated every March, 8th to mark the liberation of women from industrial marginalization way back in 1908 in the United States. And coming back home, our mothers through the famous Aba women's riot of 1929 liberated themselves and their families by marching out against various forms of societal ills and made an impact.

Again, it should be remarked that the womenfolk have at different times in our history fought against denials of voting right, victimization, sexual harassment, evil widowhood practices, oppression, persecution and other societal ills against women in general.

Since assumption of office, it is worthy to mention here that we have encouraged women to form co-operative societies, built and commissioned Skills Acquisition Centre for women, disbursed loans to Abia women through the MOMS Micro Credit Loan Scheme among others.

It is also important to note that the millennium declaration identified gender equality and women's empowerment both as a goal and essential to the achievement of other goals. We should therefore, support all policies that will help promote women's human right.

Today, I charge all women to co-operate with each other and avoid the Pull her down syndrome. I urge you all to encourage one another by being supportive.

Finally, as I welcome you all to this historic event of the 2012 International Women's Day; may I therefore salute everybody especially, members of the Central Organizing Committee and other Sub-Committees who contributed to the success of this great occasion and remind all of us that this awakening of unity among women towards the State and nation building should be sustained.

On behalf of the PDP government of His Excellency, Chief T. A. Orji in Abia State, I urge you all to continue in spreading the gospel of investing in women and our young girls for gender equality and a better society.

Happy celebrations.


culled from thejuristlaw..com.

Abia PDP chieftain slams APGA
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Mr. Chukwudi Apugo, has condemned remarks credited to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which alleged that Governor Theodore Orji has abandoned road projects in Aba.
Speaking with reporters in Umuahia, the state capital, Apugo accused APGA of inciting Aba residents against Orji.
He said the APGA leadership has “a myopic view of Orji’s developmental efforts in Aba and the entire state.”

Apugo said: “Orji won the election in 2007 and was reelected in 2011. If APGA thinks he is not performing, it should wait till 2015 when another governor will take over and judge him thereafter.”
He said Orji has endeared himself to Abians through his “numerous achievements”, particularly in Aba, which he said has always taken the largest share of the state’s budget.

Apugo named some of the government’s projects in Aba as: the ongoing rehabilitation of the Ukwu-Mango Road, the reconstruction of the Aba/Owerri Road, the building of a pedestrian bridge at Abia Polytechnic junction on the Aba/Owerri Road and the distilling of Aba Main Water Channel, among others.
Posted by thejuristlaw at 3:16 AM 0 comments

BY HON. EZE CHIKAMNAYO
Following the flurry of reactions by concerned citizens to my last contribution, I have decided to put the record straight on some of the issues raised. Apparently, the avalanche of mails, phone calls and enquiries point to one useful direction- that our dear compatriots are willing to participate in the governance process. Therefore, I, thank all those that responded.

The problem of Abia State did not start with T.A.Orji and definitely cannot be solved overnight. This point must be well emphasized. We need to properly situate where we are coming from and then outline what we are now doing to ameliorate the challenges we face. This will bridge the gap between perception and reality as well as redirect the minds of those who are coaxed to make hasty conclusions.

In 1998 when the military finally agreed to cede power, most Abia elites, who ought to have moved in to give direction, were either complacent or skeptical. The vacuum they created was exploited by Chief Orji Uzor Kalu. And so for almost ten years, OUK together with his mother devalued governance and converted Abia into a banana republic. Through a heinous system known as “mamakarasi”, our dear state suffered an almost irreparable relapse. They looted the treasury, disorganized the civil service, compromised due process, castrated the institutions and chased away the few courageous citizens. Aided by the corrupt political process, Orji Kalu defied all attempts by Vin Ogbulafor, Onyema Ugochukwu, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Ike Nwachukwu and many others to take the apparatus of power. Abia thus became his kingdom and whoever wanted to be anything was chained with unprintable conditions to serve the purpose of the devilish rapacious dynasty.

By 2010, the Kalu dynasty moved to implement the second stage of their satanic script. In order to further enslave us, they plotted the removal of Gov. T.A.Orji to make way for another member of their family. At this time, it was obvious that the bickering opposition was in disarray. This was what led to the divinely inspired and courageous movement of T.A.Orji to the PDP. Like the hero he is, Ochendo stepped bravely forward to confront the mamacratic monster and in so doing, set Abia free. He took the risk on behalf of all Abians and yanked off the chains of suppression. Anybody who experienced the horrendous situation under Kalu will not fail to take into account this major generational achievement that surpasses all others. Our political, spiritual, economic and social emancipation from Orji Uzor Kalu and his mother is the best thing that has ever happened to Abia State. And forever, discerning Abia people everywhere will have Gov. T.A.Orji to thank for that.

As Nwa Afo Igbo, I am seriously concerned at the seeming shortness of public memory. Most people who abuse Ochendo today suffer from acute political amnesia. The motley crowd of hired thugs in Aba where there when OUK and his mother held Abia hostage. Yes, Enyimba – Enyi – was there and did nothing. Their shops were taken, the monthly allocation to their Local Governments were looted, for over a year salaries were not paid and heaps of stinking refuse confronted them from Ehere junction to Alaoji. Even when their young ones were extra judicially murdered in their presence by the Bakassi brigands, Enyimba – Enyi –cowardly abetted Orji Kalu’s crimes through criminal silence. But today, like the proverbial tortoise they hiss and hoot at a man ready to bring them out of the latrine to which Orji Uzor Kalu, a supposed Aba boy, and his mother mercilessly dumped them for ten years!

That brings me to Rochas Okorocha and his antiquated mob antics. I make bold to say that what Abia escaped in Orji Uzor Kalu has re-incarnated itself more forcefully in Imo State. In the first few months of assumption of office, OUK showed off so many “roads” that even his sworn enemy Obasanjo christened him the Action Governor of Nigeria. He drove around Igbo land like an emperor – insulting his colleague governors and breaching all known protocol. The same band of bandits that are now shouting for Rochas shouted for Orji Uzor in Aba, Onitsha and Enugu. Alas, what has become of the roads and the mesmerizing man? Do we have two Enyimba City? If in less than ten years Aba people are complaining of zero infrastructure, then where went the purported roads which Atiku, N’abba, and everybody in Abuja was brought here by Kalu to commission? So Imo people should wait and see. By the time the real cost of this Rochas razzmatazz dawn on them, they will speak differently! Like Kalu, he rules like an emperor and impulsively takes major state decisions without recourse to due process. For him, anything that can elicit a few claps of hands from the unsuspecting public is in order. Sirs, is this the kind of quality the Igbos are looking for?
Governor Peter Obi and Sullivan Chime have to their credit solid infrastructure constructed in their states. Fortunately, they did not inherit the type of cancerous rapacious monster we had in Kalu. Yet, unlike Okorocha, they conduct themselves with the decorum and restraint their exalted offices demand. They are educated, urbane and lacking in the type of dramatic pettiness that appeal to the boys-o-yea constituency which abuse people on face book without offering alternative ideas.

An essential quality of good leadership is critical thinking and responsible behaviour. It is a long distance race. It is not quite a déjà vu. That is why after bequeathing Abians with liberty, Gov. T.A.Orji moved quickly to provide security, political stability, infrastructure and a harmonious inclusive atmosphere for all Abians to excel. You no longer hear of Abuja politicians and home politicians. Those divisive demons left Abia with Orji Kalu and are now building their nest in Okorocha’s Imo State.

We are building roads. I am posting a follow up to this write up to prove, LGA by LGA, verifiable evidence of the visible development in every area achieved under Gov. T.A Orji. We have built over 200 health centers in all the local governments. This is because primary healthcare benefit the rural populace and is central to effective healthcare management. We are creating a New Umuahia- complete with a new International market, Industrial market, new Government House, new International Conference Center and new structures for the Legislature and Judiciary. I am inviting a random selection of the contributors to this page on an all expense paid visit to Abia and some of the sites I have mentioned. Gradually, but steadily, we are focused on clinically implementing the Transformation Agenda of Ochendo.

Today, as I watch the unfortunate re-enactment of the Orji Uzor Kalu tragic episode in the style and content of Rochas Okorocha, I wish to remind Ndigbo that it is our adulation of such unprepared men that has kept us in limbo. What we need to do is to responsibly engage our elected officials while giving time the chance to determine who will go the long haul. Ejighi ututu ama nje ahia. In the next twenty four months, Onu kwuru njo ga ekwu nma as far as our Ochendo, Gov. T.A. Orji, is concerned. By then those who confined Orji Uzor Kalu to oblivion will be bearing their stretcher ready to condemn his copy cat whom I am sure will over reach and exhaust himself sooner than later.

Ndi Igbo should abhor the culture of hypocrisy. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. When Abia people where sacked in other Igbo states, it ought to have elicited the same uproar that was the case when our government reluctantly reciprocated as a result of practical realities. Yes, Aba belongs to Ndi Igbo but it is still part of Abia State. We cannot allow the residents there to treat our government with contempt and treat our laws with levity. Most of the residents do not pay taxes regardless of whatever government does to improve the infrastructure there. They have over the years converted every room and corner to stalls and markets. In the process, waterways, drains and even major roads are blocked. When you pull down the illegal shanties to prevent flooding, they revolt. When you build a new market for them, they resist. No matter what you do, they complain. But when it is time for them to carry out their civic responsibilities, they move back to their home states. So, we know Aba. We also know those sponsoring the few street urchins for useless political effects. Majority of Abians are not perturbed. They know what Chief T.A Orji has achieved and are dutifully supporting him to achieve more.

Ndi Igbo must evolve a system where all public officials are rated based on character, competence and visible results and not just on the basis of publicity stunts pulled mostly by the empty vessels that straddle into our political space. Ndi Igbo must beware of this second Orji Uzor Kalu making more noise than meaning. We should not forget how some, in the last batch of governors, pummeled us with pageantry only to leave us with debts, disillusionment and disunity. These are fleeting wayfarers whose foray in politics has created credibility problems for Ndi Igbo.

For us in Abia, we are happy and satisfied with the consistent political and visible infrastructural achievements of Chief T.A Orji. Like all men of history, his place in Abia and Igbo politics can only be correctly assessed at the end of his stewardship. He has taken a lot of courageous and necessary decisions to further the Abia interest. In the last few months, he has proven to all and sundry that the political and economic liberation of Abia State is all that is needed to make the desired change. Ndi Igbo, therefore, should join hands with Abians to appreciate and applaud his outstanding efforts.

Ogbonne Kalu, 65, hails from Amaokwe Item, in Bende local government area of Abia State. She lost her husband 20 years ago, and since then, she had depended on proceeds from her cassava farm to feed as well as train her five children- two of them who are now university graduates.
This is not an isolated case. Indeed, cassava cultivation and production from the mainstay of the economy of Item people, as well as several other communities in the 17 local government areas of the state, is an enterprise considered as an exclusive preserve of women, many of them elderly.

Cassava is a root crop of the botanical family and the major root crop grown in Nigeria. Some other principal root crops grown in the country are sweet potato, turmeric, Irish potatoes and others.
Cassava, which has been neglected by research workers, is now receiving attention at both national and international research centres. The significance of the crop in tropical agriculture has been recognised in the area of its growth potentials, human and animal food, its enrichment and fortification, toxicity, industrial uses, economics of production and genetic improvement.

The leaves, researchers say, constitute a good vegetable rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. The biochemistry of the crop has proved that the protein in the leaves is equal to the protein in egg. The leaves and roots, according to researchers, if properly processed, can provide balanced diet protecting millions of African children against malnutrition.
The root crop serves as food; provides employment and raw materials. Cassava can be eaten as fufu, garri, tapioca. It can also be eaten raw; roasted or fried, boiled, and in many other forms.
Furthermore, cassava serves as raw materials for bakery industries, starch for textile industries, and adhesive glucose for pharmaceutical industries, ethanol for brewery and bottling industries, as well as feed for livestock. About 22.0 million metric tonnes of cassava, produced annually in Nigeria, was used to feed livestock.
The economic importance of cassava, as well as its consumption by both human beings and animals, apparently propelled the Governor Theodore Orji-led administration in Abia state, to offer necessary incentives such as fertilizer and improved varieties as well as technical know-how to cassava farmers in the state.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the state government has a programme to allocate tractors to small-scale cassava farmers, and it seems to be doing well in this respect.
The government is also looking beyond subsistence cassava farming and production, against the backdrop of the importance of the root crop to human growth and economic development.
According to one senior official of the Abia State government, the administration is providing an enabling environment to attract large scale cassava farmers to the state, as well as industrialists, who would use raw materials from cassava to promote bakery, textile and pharmaceutical industries. “And if we are able to do this”, said the official, “the government would have succeeded in providing jobs for some of our unemployed youths, as well as increasing the internally generated revenue of the state”.

Courtesy: The Leadership

We killed more than 10 soldiers – MEND
MOVEMENT for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, yesterday, said that it was not only four military men that were killed in the March 2, gun fight between Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, with militants in the creek of Bayelsa State, adding that over 10 soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel, were killed.
It also said none of its men was killed in the encounter and challenged the task force to produce the corpse of any of its fighters that was killed.

JTF had, after the bloody fight, said that it killed Shedrack Itokofuwei, an alleged sea pirate, who led the attack and killing of Lt Col Malik and three naval ratings.
Meanwhile, the Police in Bayelsa State said they have recovered the bodies of five policemen killed by unknown gunmen on the Nembe Waterway on March 1.

Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Eguavon Emokpai, said in Yenagoa, yesterday, that the remains of the five cops had been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre Mortuary in Yenagoa.
Emokpai said the policemen were shot at a marine police post along Nembe waterway by unknown gunmen.
MEND in a statement by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said: “Unfortunately, we are again compelled to respond to the rambling of the spokesperson for the JTF. We urge the public to discountenance the propaganda of JTF, which attributes the attack on its convoy to pirates.
“Since when have pirates in the Niger Delta been known to travel in such large numbers as admitted by the JTF, which for once is forced to concede to the loss of a senior officer? “ source: thejuristlaws..com

•Suspended officials at Abia Assembly •Youths back governor

Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has said his administration will not be distracted by the opposition’s criticisms.

Speaking with reporters yesterday in Umuahia, the state capital, Orji said: "My administration will not be distracted by any political party. We are focused on developing the state and improving our people’s lives."

He said his administration has invested over N5 billion in the repair of infrastructure, adding that the government, with the collaboration of the Federal Government, will soon revive the Aba Regional Water Scheme.

On the suspension of some government officials, Orji based his action on security reasons.

He said: "As the chief security officers in their different local government areas, government expected a lot from them. Security is paramount and we have to take measures to correct lapses."

The suspended officials appeared before the House of Assembly yesterday.

Seventeen local government chairmen, 10 commissioners, the chief of staff to the governor and his deputy, security advisers and heads of some parastatals were suspended over security issues.

The state’s Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the burial of Chief Dim Ojukwu, headed by Prof. Joshua Ogbonnaya, also appeared before the Assembly.

The suspended government officials and members of the LOC appeared before an Executive Session of the Assembly for questioning.

They were accused of not mobilising people at the grassroots for the funeral and causing a security breach.

The invited persons were at the Assembly Complex as early as 9am, wearing long faces. They refused to speak with reporters. The closed door meeting, which started at 10am, ended at 3pm.

Speaker Udo Oko Chukwu and other members declined to comment on the meeting.

Clerk of the House John-Pedro Irokansi said the press would be addressed on the outcome of the meeting later.

Security operatives had a hectic time controlling a crowd of youths at the Assembly entrance, who were in support of the governor’s action.

Singing solidarity songs, the youths carried placards with inscriptions, such as, "TC chairmen, disappointment to PDP", "Wayo chairmen, we fire all of you by fire by force", "Greedy TC chairmen, carry your loads and go", "Ochendo go ahead and chase them away, they are greedy".

Other inscriptions were: "Sidon dey look commissioners, bye bye for now" and "Suspension not enough for them, we need their expulsion from both the party and the government", among others.

Speaking on behalf of the youths, Coordinator, Abia Youths Movement, Uche Ogbusuo said: "The action taken by the governor by removing and suspending some political office holders is a welcome development. He has shown that he has the zeal to sanitise the system.

"We cannot just fold our arms and watch our governor, who has exhibited a high level of dynamism in leadership in the past years, be undermined by the carefree and nonchalant attitude of some political office holders.

"We salute Orji for taking this bold step. It is high time he probed the political theories of this state. What he has done, though a tip of the ice berg, shows we are in for a change.

"Youths are tired of hearing thesame names since the inception of this regime. We thank Ochendo for this bold step and are solidly behind his action." source: http://www.thenationonlineng.net

Ndigbo in Lagos and Benin Republic have commended Chief Theodore Orji
for the impressive role he played in the burial of Late Ikemba of
Nnewi Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu.
Chief Emeka Ezimako who led Ndigbo in Benin Republic and Chief
Ikemefula Johnson leading various Igbo groups in Lagos to receive the
Governor at Lagos Airport told Abia number one citizen that they
watched with keen interest how he criss-crossed the country from
Zungeru to Nnewi to ensure that Ojukwu was given a befitting burial.
They patted the Governor on the back for ensuring that Aba stood still
for Ikemba despite all odds. They urged the Governor not to be
distracted by the antics of a few people who do not want Abia to move
forward.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary Ugochukwu Emezue,
the Governor thanked the mammoth crowd for the warm reception given
him. The Governor who thanked President Jonathan for honouring
Ojukwu in death applauded Abians For trooping to Enyimba Stadium to
pay their last respect to Eze Igbo gburugburu.
Gov. Orji once again used the opportunity to call on Ndigbo to be more
united and hold unto those ideals Ojukwu stood for. He assured them
that no amount of distraction from the opposition will stop him from
transforming the State in all sectors. He called for their prayers and
support always.
UGOCHUKWU EMEZUE
Chief Press Secretary culled from www.abiastate.gov.ng