Analysing the Chances of Ikpeazu's Candidature

By Martin Eze

IN 1991, the administration of Major General Ibrahim .B. Babangida created additional states including Abia State, God's Own State. Administrators were appointed to run the state's affairs until 1993 when Dr. Ogbonnaya Onuh became the first democratically elected Governor of the state. He couldn't complete his term because of ministry intervention.

Abia State is divided into three electoral political zones, Abia North, Abia Central and Abia South. Since the creation of the state nobody from Abia South has ever Governed the state either as an administrator or as Executive Governor. In 1999, the north through Dr. Orji Uzo Kalu governed from 1999 - 2007 and Chief T.A. Orji from Abia Central took over, but by May 29, 2015 his administration comes to an end and a successor must emerge. The question is from which zone? That is the issue of the moment. Zoning, though not written in our constitution is one of the major factors that will influence the electorate come April11, 2015.

When it was time for aspirants to emerge,a man from Abia South, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu indicated interest on the platform of People Democratic Party, PDP. After a well conducted and contested primary with other aspirants from all the zones in the state, Victor emerged, a first stage in the race of Government House. As we enter the next phase which is the general election were other political parties will present their candidates, surely the issue of zoning will likely play a major role in the voting of the electorate.
It is unlikely that Abians will vote for a candidate from the same zone with the present Governor Chief T.A. Orji, that equally extends to any candidate from Abia North.

Although, Abia State is largely a people democratic party state but there are some other parties with some presence such as the PPA which is a poster & billboard party. In All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, with less than forty days to general election, the electorate is not sure who the governorship candidate is. Some people say it's Alex Oti while others mention the name of another candidate. If it's Alex Oti, where is he from, is he from Arochukwu (Abia North) or from Aro-Ngwa (Abia Central). Some say he was born in Arochukwu but grew up in Ngwa while others claim he was born in Ngwa but grew up in Arochukwu, with this ambiguity, either way, he is certainly not favoured by the zoning permutation.

Secondly, the performance of the present administration which is a PDP government should have some bargaining chip for its candidate. Many are of the view that with Chief T.A. Orji, who also doubles as Chairman of the Eastern Governors forum , Abians have had a good taste of real dividends of democracy. All the previous government carried out the business of State from Temperance government House while the new Government House he started is almost near completion. He also built a modern state secretariat for office complex unlike his predecessors who made use of scattered rented building as offices which was siphoning the state money. The roads, education, health care, spots etc, all got the attention of the government space will not allow me to enumerate all.
In fact, he ended the reign of kidnappers and robbers thereby making the state a safe haven for private investors from within and outside the country. Ikpeazu as a PDP candidate will likely benefit from these legacies of Ochendo.

The third determinant factor will be the position of the political stake holders in the state. It is not in doubt that almost all the political bigwigs in Abia State are members of the People Democratic Party. Some of these bigwigs influence the voting pattern of the electorate from their constituency because of their past achievements. In Abia Central, we have the likes of Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, former NDDC Chairman who presented a formidable opposition during 2007 election. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, minister of Finance and co-ordinating minister of the economy is also from the central. Some families are benefiaries of the scholarship scheme of some of the bigwigs. Some got employment through their assistance, widows are equally catered for. Some built boreholes and other developmental projects.
The fourth index that could crown it all is the pedigree of the candidates. For Dr. Alex Oti, he is relatively new in the politics of Abia, nothing much is know about him accept that he is a retired banker. His political platform APGA is unpopular in the state. His candidature is still been contested for by another candidate. This crack will certainly affect him negatively.

Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu is the only candidate that is sure of a hundred percent vote from a political zone, the Abia south.

He has held political positions in the past and impacted the life of many citizens, built bridges across all strata. He is not a new entrant into Abia political firmanent.

Mr. Martin Eze, a political analyst, wrote from Umuahia, Abia State.

Abia at 23: How Orji re-destined “God’s own State”

By  Uche Nwosu

At the beginning of every generation God creates a leader who emancipates his people and refocuses them to the part of reformation. Such leader comes rarely, except when they are needed to lead crusade against slavery, savagery and uncertainty like Moses in the bible did. They are great men because God has made him so. According to Henri Frederic Amiel, a Swiss writer, “Great men are the real men: in them nature has succeeded”. Accordingly, Gov TA Orji, the man that is steering the ship of Abia state is a great man that has succeeded in rewriting the history of this “God’s Own State”. As Abia marks its 23^rd year Anniversary under the administration of this indefatigable administrator, it is pertinent to recall Abia’s position before he took over as its chief executive officer.
Having been created on August 27, 1991, Abia was bereft of quality infrastructures because, either by omission or commission, the military that ruled the Old Imo State where it was carved out from shied away from carrying out a sustained developmental process on its territory. And so when Abia state was created by the Ibrahim Babangida’s administration the challenge of the absence of quality infrastructure became its bane.

The problem was so pronounced that the then military administrator, Navy Captain Frank Ajobena had to resort to converting school buildings and personal houses of residents of Umuahia to offices and government houses. Against this backdrop, the Library Avenue Primary School not only became a government office but a cabinet office. The Emeka Emerua house, situated at the GRA Umuahia near the school was renovated to serve as the Abia government house. Ironically, that is where government house Abia state is currently situated until the current Gov TA Orji’s intervention.
It was also on record that Ajobena also embarked on the reconstruction of some roads and buildings to accommodate the army of public and civil servant who, having being disengaged from the civil service at Owerri, had to travel from Owerri to Umuahia on daily basis, to perform their official assignments. Even though he tried to position the state to a level that befits a modern state, Abia remained a huge glorified local government.

Indeed, it was so until the administration of Dr Ogbonnaya Onu. Though his was a diarchy (a combination of civilian and military government), Onu’s administration that came on stream in January 1992 was terminated with other governors when General Sani Abacha staged his November 17, 1993 coup d’état. The unceremonious removal of the government left his dreams unfulfilled and made Abia worst for it.

Consequently, Abia continued to grope in darkness; seeking for a Messiah that did not come under subsequent military regimes in the state. Though, it had some flashes of good governance during the military regimes of late Col Ike Nwosu, Group Captain TemiEjoor, Col Moses Fasanya and Col Anthony Obi, the state was far from attaining its Eldorado, as the state still lacked basic and developmental infrastructure in Umuahia and Aba, its two major cities.
However, in May 29, 1999 the fourth republic was ushered into the country and Abia had its second civilian administration. There were high expectations as the People Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Orji Uzor Kalu was sworn in as the second executive governor of Abia state. Actually, what were considered Kalu’s modest achievements in his eight-year administration were blurred by invectives and verbal onslaughts he unleashed against the central government under the leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

As a result, Abia was considered an enemy state and yanked off from the scheme of things. In this regard, the expectation of the people that their state had returned to the track of sanity, progress and development following the commencement of a democratic government were dashed by Kalu’s quirkiness. And Abia was worse for it. It indeed cringed under the suffocating pang of unforgiving Obasanjo, who did all but allow Abia have any meaningful project from the federal government until he handed over to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

The state of affairs in Abia continued to be pitiable until the incumbent governor Chief TA Orji took over in May 29, 2007 as the third executive governor of the state. Even though Ochendo had a frustrating start, he cautiously steered away from obstacles and clogs laid on his way to governance. These impediments were meant to derail his administration. He began by reconciling the state with the Yar’Adua led federal government; an accomplishment that translated to the present President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Determined to work in order to move Abia in next level, Gov Orji began what today are known as Abia Legacy Projects. He indeed carried out a revolution that saw to the building of housing estates in Aba and Umuahia; construction of roads, enhancing rule of law and quick dispensation of justice by building modern office complexes and residential structure for judiciary officers.
Before he became governor Abia political space was polarized as politicians of Abia origin based in Abuja pitted themselves against their counterparts in Abia state. But Ochendo stopped this by remarkably assembling hitherto political enemies to one large and accommodating umbrella. It has been considered as a masterstroke. In fact it is interesting to witness those politicians who disagreed politically since 1999 come together under a common front to move the state forward.

Gov Orji has carried out the revolution to all sectors, be it political, economic and social. Since his second tenure in office (at the renewal of his mandate in May 29, 2011),  theIbeku born technocrat has built not less than 2,000kms of roads scattered across the state which include Nkata-Alike-Umuahia, Umueze-Agbo-UbaniIbeku, dualization of Tower-Isieke, Ibeku,Umuafia-Agbama, Umuafia-Ndume, Okwoyi, Umukabia,Ohuhu-Mkpa, Okagwe-OmaekpuOhafia ring road, UkwuMango, Old Express/Samek, Abia Polytechnic pedestrian bridge, Danfodio and East street.
There are others too which space cannot accommodate. But suffice it to say that Sir Orji has gone out of his way to provide security by empowering women and youth with skill acquisition and vehicles to sustain them and work as employer of labour. In other subsectors such as healthcare, housing, electricity, security, peace, education, transportation, tourism, infrastructure etc, the Abia state government under the leadership of Gov TA Orji performed excellently. It is on record that the specialist and diagnostic hospital at Aba and Umuahia which it built is yet to be equaled in terms of medical equipment.

On women affairs, the state government through the office of the wife of the Abia state governor, Lady Mercy Odochi Orji has given premium to the development of women and children as well as indigent and elderly and persons living in disability. Over 200 women of various levels have received trainings from the office. Even in education, the Ochendo administration has invested huge sum towards qualitative education. In fact it is its core priority areas. There is a functional free transport services for students in Aba and Umuahia. Scholarships have also been instituted by the government.

As Abia Celebrates its 23^rd Anniversary it is pertinent at this juncture to salute the vision and courage of the elder statesman and founding fathers like Dr. Michael Okpara, the Premier of the defunct Eastern Region who led the crusade to create Abia state; Dr. AkanuIbiam, Dr. Maxwell Agbara, Dr AnaghaEzikpe, Eze Bernard Enweremadu, Chief Ugorji Eke, Chief Nnanna Kalu, Chief S.N Nwagbara, Eze IssacIkonne, Chief Emmanuel Adiele, Chief Bob Ogbuagu, Eze C. N Nwosu ( who led the students body) and of course the good and hard working people of the state for their resolve to build an ingenious state.

• Nwosu, a Public Affairs Commentator, wrote in from Umuahia, Abia state.