STREAKS OF DARKNESS, PLENTY OF SUNSHINE ON ABIA

For sometime, Abia State has been in the news for the wrong reasons. The reason is the seemingly high incidence of kidnapping and robbery by hoodlums, imitating the methods of the armed agitators in the Niger Delta. They killed, maimed and raped in the name of profit. Adopting crude and savage methods, they carved up parts of Abia and held the people down in great trepidation and anxiety. Thankfully, their activities have been brought to a permanent end by the single-minded and decisive move by the Governor, Chief Theodore Orji to invite crack federal troops to flush them out.

However, for all the consequences, of the senseless orgy of kidnapping none appears more upsetting than the bad publicity it brought on Abia State. For a time, all people wished to discuss was the question of kidnapping in Abia. Predictably, that odious news almost beclouded the good works of the governor, as well as the unprecedented edifying things in other spheres that add to the glory of Abia. For those who did not remember, while the miscreants were rampaging, not a few illustrious sons of Abia were elevated to very high positions at the federal level.

The first on the list of these elevations is the appointment of Lt. Gen. Ihejirika, a native of Ovim, in Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State as Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army. A seasoned and experienced army officer, Lt. Ihejirika’s appointment has been widely celebrated for all the right symbolisms. He is the first Igbo man to head the Nigerian Army, after late Gen. Thomas Aguiyi Ironsi, who was savagely slain in the counter-coup of 1966. It is worth remarking that both men are from Abia State. The most remarkable of all these, especially for the moment, is the irony. At a time, when Abia and Nigeria were being assailed by all sorts of security problems, one great son of Abia State was chosen and given the responsibility for Nigeria’s security and stability.

Another remarkable elevation is the appointment of Mrs. Rose Uzoma as the Comptroller-General of Immigration. She is the second woman to hold that position in recent times. Considered very dedicated and highly competent, Mrs. Uzoma’s elevation did not come as a surprise. She measures up to the mould of the kinds of persons that come out of Abia State. There is no point stressing what Nigerians should expect at the end of her tenure. Whatever her mandate is, you can be sure that the commission will be run efficiently. She will be dedicated and passionate. And she will leave the place better than she met it. That is how Abia people are.

As if these were not enough, the Police Service Commission (PSC) also elevated two Abia indigenes to the position of Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIG). The first is Mrs. Ivy Uzoamaka Okoronkwo from Arochukwu. For some years, she was Assistant-Inspector –General of Police (AIG). Many thought she would have become the first female Inspector-General of Police (IG). But she was only made DIG and number two police personnel in Nigeria Police. Okoronkwo is widely respected for her integrity, efficiency and professionalism. Widely versed in law and other issues, the very beautiful woman is another recent crown on the glittering head of Abia State.

Mrs. Okoronkwo is not alone. Another great son of Abia was also elevated to the position of DIG. He is Mr. Azubuike Udah. Until his promotion, Udah was the AIG in-charge of Zone 2, Lagos. Those who are familiar with the workings of the police will tell you that you must be an insider to be given charge of Lagos. Holding that position meant that Udah knew his salt. But then, there was a pointer. He was the AIG in-charge of Zone 9 in Calabar. He was involved in both the battle against militancy and execution of amnesty programme that has fairly calmed the unrest in the Niger Delta. Udah hails from Bende Local Government Area of Abia State. It was his close attachment to his state that led to his involvement in the botched amnesty programme in Abia State. These two appointments in the police tell a story about the quality of Abia people. There are just about seven DIGs. For two to come from Abia, in spite of the intrigues, balancing and politics, and the wide field of states, underlines that Abia people clearly rank among the first class Nigerians.

In normal times, talking about all these would amount to some immodesty. But things have gone down on the face of Abia. Things have happened to scrawl dirt on the illustrious heritage of the people. So people now forget that the man who built the Eastern Region when he was Premier, Dr. M. I. Okpara was from there. They have also forgotten Dr. Jaja Anuchia Wachukwu, the first indigenous Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prof. Eni Njoku, the first Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Navy Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, the former Chief of General Staff, Mr. Paul Ogwuma, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Major General Ike Nwachukwu, the former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, the Chairman of Pfizer, and also lately Mrs. Arunma Oteh, the Director-General of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC). There are indeed, many significant others in numerous fields –industry, banking and finance, commerce, academia, arts and governance. However, the contributions of these illustrious men and women, and indeed, their star quality stand in danger of being obscured by the deviance of a few misguided citizens who chose to live by the gun of mischief.

Now the next question is: is there a thing for Abia in these appointments? There is enough reason to believe that Abia stood to gain from these appointments. The reason is that almost all their responsibilities relate to security. It will be inexcusable, even for their careers, from the sort of madness in Abia to continue under their watch. If a Chief of Army Staff and two DIGs cannot keep Abia quiet, then their appointments would have been in vain. In reality, these appointments have taken away the difficulty the governor was having in impressing the Federal Government, the enormity of the insecurity in Abia. All that is required now is for the governor and these men and women to work in concert to uproot the problem so that the task of rebuilding Abia can begin in earnest.

Indeed, it would appear that some synergy is coming into place. From the interactions of Mr. Udah with stakeholders in the build up to the failed amnesty programme, he as a trained professional has a firsthand knowledge of the patterns, roots and manifestations of the insecurity in Abia. And this, one can say, he has made available to his colleagues. Beyond this, the recent deployment of troops in Abia, appears to take an unprecedented form. Rather than a sprinkling of soldiers, a huge number of troops are to be stationed at Ohafia, Asa High School in Ukwa West Local Government and Ngwa High School in Aba. What this means is that enough troops are on ground to police the swath of territory where the hoodlums roomed, killed, raped and maimed without challenge a few weeks ago. It was also a great relief to see that the Joint Task Force (JTF) on the Disturbances on the Niger Delta was able to participate in the search for the 15 school children abducted in Aba. Before now, all such suggestions were hard to brook because of bureaucratic encumbrances. Their incursion; there is reason to believe, must have been made easier by the directives of the Chief of Army Staff.

In all these, whether the presence in office of these men and women will be of benefit to Abia depends on a large extent on the governor. Specifically, it depends on whether the governor wishes to succeed in defeating the insurgency permanently. A lot also depends on whether the governor sees opportunity in the cocktail of coincidences that has carried these Abia persons into very strategic offices while he keeps watch as governor of their state. Everything about the temperament of the governor indicates that he wishes to succeed. He has spoken of his willingness to deploy resources to ensure lasting security in the state, and expressed a wish for the troops to stay for the long-haul. These are very good indications of a willingness to succeed. Once he restores security, it is easier for him to get on with the business of governance. And that is the right wish, or goal to pursue.

While it is safer to await the fruits of this optimism, it is impossible not to place on record that out of Abia, has come four fine citizens on whose shoulders the nation has placed enormous responsibilities and indeed, confidence. They represent what Abia is, its true face, and the quality that the people strive to attain. There is huge ray of sunshine on a temporary streak of darkness that fell on Abia.

Abia kidnapping: Catholic priest, LG boss, 100 others arrested
From OKEY SAMPSON, Aba
Friday, October 15, 2010

More Stories on This Section

The Catholic Priest of St. Michael’s Parish, Umuezi, Mgboko, in Obingwa Local Government Area and the Transition Committee Chairman,Ukwa West Local Government Area, Chief Henry Nwokemgbede were among the over 100 persons so far arrested by soldiers over alleged cases of kidnappings in Abia State, particularly, in Aba, the commercial nerve centre.

The arrests were made in the past two weeks the soldiers had been in operation in the area. Disclosing this while conducting newsmen round some dislodged camps of the kidnappers at Umuezi, Obingwa Local Government and Asa in Ukwa West Local Government, the Assistant Army Public Relations Officer, 82 Div., Enugu , Lt. Col. Sagir Musa said the cleric was arrested over strong evidence that linked him with the crime.

He said that when soldiers stormed the camp of a kidnap kingpin simply called Susu in Umuezi, it was discovered that the priest did not only lease out part of his official quarters to the kidnappers, he also converted the church building to a rest house for the hoodlums.
According to him, “the Revd Father allegedly aided the boys who were into kidnapping along the Obingwa axis. To prove the point, when a search was conducted in his Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) parked inside his compound, five expended live ammunition were recovered.

“Again the boys used the building next to his house and were coming to fetch water at his place since there was no water in the camp. Just behind the priest’s house were recovered several used live ammunition, two bank safes, and empty boxes of ammunition,” he said

At the entrance to the kidnappers’ camp within the church which was fortified with sandbags, was a signpost with the inscription: “Welcome to amnesty camp, Abia State – Let peace reign.”
Musa further said at Umuezi, a native doctor who specializes in making charms for the kidnappers to hypnotize their victims escaped into the bush.”

He said the Catholic Priest had been handed over to the SSS for proper interrogation, stressing that if found culpable, he would be punished according to the law. While the priest is still undergoing interrogation, the local government chairman who was also arrested about two weeks ago had been taken to court and remanded in prison custody.

The army PRO who said the exercise was ongoing and further arrests could be made, took journalists to Asa High School in the outskirts of the city where 21 assorted vehicles recovered from different forests were parked.

The worst internet so far in Nigeria is zoom, its not always connecting and might be too slow at times, u better run fast.

Call 08169651166, how much are you paying for the logo, I will post a review for u later

Call 08169651166 for Instant Logo Design,

TEARS OF A MASTER – STRATEGIST; THE RELIEF OF ABIANS

As a school boy and a cob journalist – on training, we were often told to recite the popular saying that “in” journalism, some truths must not be told”. This aphorism soon became contradictory, senseless and self – serving when we came across a more populist one that told us, at all times and in all situations, you must serve the public good and say the truth without minding whose ox is gored”. I have decided to draw the distinctions above to find justification for the revelations in my own estimation and in pursuit of the universal principle of upholding the truth would definitely serve the public interest, especially Abians who had been hoodwinked for several years into believing that the strategist means well for them.

I have gone through the book, “the master strategist” and came to the utter conclusion that he the gods want to kill, they first of all make deaf. Otherwise, the book is a recitation of evil strategist of one man who took glory in regarding iniquities in his heart. Otherwise, Abians would have known that a man who prides himself as having his way even with criminals should not have been trusted with their collective wealth in the first instance. OUK, recollected how in one of his cheap – popularity seeking ventures at Eyimba Stadium; a known criminal at the Columbia stand (spot for criminals and miscreant that do drugs and narcotic at Enyimba stadium). He called the boy with strong instruction for him to return a friends missing car the next day. True to the bandits boast to his collogues that big boss says the car must be returned tomorrow, OUK’s fried vehicle was found. This is an account that he proudly relayed in print, if only to justify his mastery of criminals and criminal tendencies. It was the same primary and aggregated thievery that he applied and for well over ten years, held Abians spell bound, applied white wash kind of administration were what you see is what you get; worked in concert with his ageless mother and siblings to loot Abia red. He continued funding these boys through Akomas connection as a deputy governor that was paying her mother N30m (Thirty million naira every month) for him to be used as replacement to T.A Orji after eight year record as a governor. Akomas when he was his commissioner was arraigned in umuahia high courth for gun running. Today his boys are everywhere doing kidnapping and armed robbery.

We would be bothering Abians with facts already known if we repeat that the smokescreen he called successes in Abia have since fizzled out. Thanks to the truth. It is like a calabash gourd dipped inside water. No matter how hard you try to suppress, it must resurface. The truth resurfaced recently at a gathering in Igbere, were OUK himself decried how his empire has crumbled. He almost narrowed his blame to his younger brother. Hon. Nnanna Uzor Kalu; a member of the House of Representative who OUK foisted on Abians in place of an articulate, God – fearing and better candidate Chief Mrs. Blessing Nwagba. According to OUK, Nnanna is probably why all he has labored (?) for years have crumbled like a pack of cards within days.

Many, I am sure did not know that OUK has a younger brother who is representing Aba North/Aba south Federal constituency at the National Assembly, the House of Representatives to be precise. Nnanna is basically a sitting duck and Chairman committee on the deaf and dumb. He was awarded this flowery title because of all the years he has spent in the National Assembly, he had neither originated nor contributed to one single bill. Nnanna simply collects sleeping allowance from the National Assembly as each time tv camera captures him, he would be seen sleeping. Reason? He is OUK’s greatest mistake and a great minus to the so called political dynasty.

However, what Nnanna lost in quality representation, he gained in representing his family in the quest to control virtually everything in Abia. As soon as OUK left the stage as Governor of Abia State, Nnanna became his inward looking eye with which he sought to maneuver Abians and their resources. Nnanna would hardly stay in the National Assembly as he runs to Abia every other week to supervise his family’s personal business which Abia State was.
To tell you the senseless and poor reasoning of the Uzor Kalus, they had an unwritten agreement that Abia State would be shared amongst the three major players in the family, OUK, Nanna and their power drunk mother Odiukonamba. They however failed to realize that evil triumphs for a while. It never occurred to them that in no distant time, that Abians would see them as Egyptians who would go into irredeemable oblivion at God’s time.

Let us go back to the Igbere stakeholders meeting. While OUK rued the loss of Abia State and why he tried to sacrifice Nanna may be for scuttling his chances of holding on with Ochendo, a thought flashed in mind. When Gov. Ikedi Ohakim of Imo state concluded plans to dump OUK’s PPA for PDP, there were speculations that OUK would retire Ohakim prematurely in politics. He was touted to have mapped out enduring formulae to ensure that Ohakim pays dearly for dumping him preference of the ruling PDP. Two years on, Ohakim is still calling the shots at Imo while he saves a whooping Seventy Million Naira Monthly (70,000.000) which was what was giving to OUK monthly from the state coffers. So, OUK was not attacking Ohakim based on ideological shift or strict principles. He was mourning the loss of millions which Ohakim PPA Governorship guaranteed him in Imo. Otherwise, OUK had no business with the welfare of Imolites and would not care a hoot if they were impoverished or not. The same scenario has played out in Abia. If he blames Nnanna for loosing Abia, who would he blame for loosing Imo? God simply at work. By his word, we know that he that keepeth Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers. Abians and Imolites are called by His name and He is faithful and just to retrieve them from the shackles of wickedness. Come with me; let me lead you into the untold story of how OUK and his family planned to hold Abians hostage for at least fifty years. Let me tell us briefly why OUK may suffer eternal hurt. T.A Orji did not look him like a personality who would one day take the path of honor to denounce his family’s strategies of annihilation. Hate, looting and dehumanization of Abians. Ochendo painstakingly followed them to a logical conclusion as though he knew their evil machinations. He waited patiently for them to have a change of heart and honor the social contract they had with Abians. T.A Orji played along for over three years, believing that when you wait upon Gods time, your strength shall be renewed. If you think what he did by denouncing OUK and his team of cannibalists was all about second – term, then you do not know the Abia story. God simply used him to halt a programme designed to leave Abians in eternal penury and advance the cause of one family that accumulate too much for one man to handle during his generation. God used T.A to obstruct a life – time programme of recklessness; designed to strip Abians of their collective heritage and used to finance an imaginary political dynasty to the advantage of one family.

While T.A waited upon the lord, OUK depended on Abian’s lean and embarrassingly meager resources to service his business empire. Even with the global economic meltdown, OUK chains of businesses thrived and did not bother to cut their staff or other budgets because at the end of every month, he received One Hundred and Twenty Million naira (120,000.000) from Abia State government. It was a standing order and did not need monthly approvals. If you are wondering what somebody would be doing with that huge amount when majority of Abians lacked basic amenities, I tell you.

Orji’s Camp Neya mansion at Igbere, his country home has a total of seventy (70) administrative and domestic staff. There are at least thirty – six (36) suites representing the 36 states of the Federation. In the camp, you will also find presidential Suites designed to taste for all former Head of States of Nigeria. This is in addition to a world class golf club, lawn tennis court, swimming pool and a

Conference room. Recall that he had nonce tried and failed to host a CAF meeting in his conference Hall. This is to tell you the quality of facilities in that camp built with stolen funds. That huge edifice needs so much money to remain alive. Again, Orji needs money to revive his ailing businesses and service the non-performing one billion naira loan he collected from Access bank, so that if there is anything like meltdown, it will be felt in Abia; the state that was under his siege and that of his family members.
OUK was not satisfied with the millions he receive monthly. He made sure too that he had a majority take in the decision of who were going to be commissioners and local Government Chairmen. While he shared proceeds from Commissioners with Nnenna, their mother pocketed majority stake in allowance to seventeen Local Government areas in Abia State. It was therefore painful to observe that his family did not spare any single source of revenue in Abia. They were everywhere, from board membership to the highest post in the state. If you want to have an idea of what I am saying, go check out any person that serves as a Commissioner or Local Government Chairman in Abia between 1999 and April 2010, you will see poverty in action. In recent times, people had criticized the amount of money politicians take at the detriment of development needs. Not in Abia, they do not take home nothing, they account to one family such that neither the state nor the appointee or elected person goes home with anything. It was that bad.
If any one of them was lucky to have braved the situation and made a little more than they programmed for him, the fellow pays dearly for it. Their mother, who is the sole giver of power then, would lure him into contesting a juicy elective position. That would be your end because they had only one motive which is to strip you of your resources and bring you back to your knees, so that you will serve them and take an oath of perpetual allegiance.
While the party lasted, Nnanna carried on like the crown prince of the Wales. He did not hide disrespect for the sitting Governor. May be because the Commissioners and Local Government Chairmen were his family’s making, he carried on with them in so much a reckless manner. Severally in state functions, he walked in with over seven key Commissioners to the utmost charging of the Governor and other guests seated. He was able to breach protocols because apart from thinking the state belonged to them, T.A. Orji was overbearingly tolerant. His tolerance paid off. Abians had the last laugh. Today owing to the ingenuity of T.A. Orji, Nnenna and his co- conspirators that held Abians spell bound have returned to where they belong – oblivion.
Not just Nnanna, their mother was a big torn in the flesh of the state. Here was a woman whose personal security compete or even out – numbered that of the sitting Governor. She moves around the state with the longest convoy and still had enough to take his two adopted daughters to school. If you see the long security guards and convoy that convey two seven years old to school, you will weep for Abia. She was untouchable and humiliated the small and the mighty. I have always had a heart of forgiven this woman for her age and most level of education. I say this because her style smacks of absolute ignorance and bereft of sound moral etiquettes. I understand she did not go to even primary school

Here was a woman who made other women to abandon their husbands and family members to pay obeisance to her. The only thing these women would have to show for their long years of enslavement is the number of songs they composed in her name. Her house was the Government House, while that at umuahia where the sitting Governor, was simply an annex. Local Government Chairmen ran to her after joint Allocation Committee (JAC) meetings. She milked them dry and singularly strangulated development in these council. Today, Abians are free. They would be assured that even in the smallest measure, local governments will start to cater for their needs. If there is nothing, Abians would soon begin to see the dividends of what Ochendo would have saved for the state after denouncing them. We shall also wait to see in coming weeks and months, how far the dynasty would go bearing in mind that the two states from where they fathered their nests have broken lose.
Ohakim started it in Imo, Ochendo followed suit. In the larger political arena, the Uzor- Kalu led by their strategist son and brother is fast losing weight. It will not be long before Nigerians; especially Abians will begin to appreciate why the strategist, feels hurt and is looking for whom to blame from his many woes. Don’t forget, the Masi death is still hanging on his neck like the sword of Damocles. There are strong indication too that his links with IBB may eventually be connected to the twin Oct 1 bomb blasts in Abuja. While we wait, Abians should roll the carpets for quality celebration because the battle is over.

Its just a Commentary,

A real Nightmare!  Last night 33 Nigerian miners were trapped underground and the government decided to send a Nigerian capsule down to rescue them one after the other. A homemade solution was promulgated penultimate (Nigerian English) with a view to placate resource control advocates on whose land, the Mine was located.

When the miners knew of the rescue plan, they began to argue amongst themselves on who goes first.

Fighting broke between the Tiv miners and the settler miners. The Hausa miners began fighting the Fulani miners. The Igbo miners argued that the southwest miners should shut up because they were the cause of the breakdown, hence should go last. This led to various ethnic interplay between the miners and thus distrust began to crumple the relatively peace in the mine.

The relatively few Itshekiri and Urhobo miners began to secretly plot a minority coalition to overthrow the mine supervisor. This ultimately broke down, as age old history of distrust could not hold the coalition. When the peace loving Kanuri Miners developed a lack of confidence in the supervisors ability (a Benue man), they plotted with the Hausa miners for a better solution to get the heck out of there, this coalition ultimately failed, because it was revealed that a settlement money had been passed under the table thus shattering the trust.

  As everything began to unravel and chaos was developing, zoning was suggested but they could not agree on which zone will go first. Eventually in a struggle to determine who goes first, several of them got injured and MEND issued a threat message warning that they would set off a bomb if any South-south miner was critically injured. This explosion detonated a south east grenade whose safety pin was removed but not thrown.

Total darkness has engulfed the mine for the past 3 months.

All the miners have been forced to use lanterns with kerosene, a potential danger, especially that Nupe miners refuse to disarm pointing to the imbalance of power in the mine, if the south south miners had weapons.

Meanwhile, the FEC had awarded the capsule contract to JB (Julius Burger) and we are still awaiting delivery six months later. The root of the problem is that the (company) board of JB (Julius Burger) are made up of Arab, Indian and Nigerian “Big” men from across the varying Nigerian tribes, which prevents a credible probe.

There is a probe going on to unravel this and retrieve the award sum before we get to the issue of what formula to adopt for the rescue and which miner comes out first. In the mean time, traditional rulers from the miners' towns are paying solidarity visits to the president to thank him for his efforts to rescue the miners. This (however) has also hindered the president to get out of the presidential villa to give attention to the miners rescue.

Another issue that we learnt went unresolved was the issue of prayer in the mine, as some of the miners were arguing about prayer space and a riot broke out between the Christian miners, the animist miners and Muslim miners about a lack of tolerance from the other side.