Abia Needs Change: Okezie Ikpeazu Cannot Be Forced Into Glory

EMMANUEL UGWUMBA

Whiles thinking about Abia state today, I remembered a story about Abraham Lincoln of America and how he was forced into glory. The story has it that he was not any different from the average white folk who supported slave trade earlier on. But the American civil war made him a changed man. Because he needed the support of slaves who were mostly on the other side of the divide. He abolished slave trade, proclaimed liberty for the oppressed and gained alliances in order to defeat the opposing side and successfully brought America back together. The book: Forced Into Glory, tells it all

I saw this element of politics in Anambra when Dr Chris Ngige opposed his godfathers in 2003, he exposed the corruption that was holding the state backward and made the world realize that Anambra had enough money for her development, but that some forces we’re sharing the resources at the expense of the state. Since then, the state has taken a new turn for good. It has been difficult for those that came after him to loot the treasury and turn around to complain that there is no money

Originally Dr Ngige was part of the cabal, but when the time came he chose wisdom above churvnism and selfishness. He aligned with the masses and he was FORCED INTO GLORY.

This is unlike Okezie Ikpeazu, who is looking for cheap excuses to justify his failure in office as the Abia State Governor. I’ve heard one of his aides say; the reason the stooge governor has not achieved anything is because he was facing court cases.

Yet he did not say that Ikpeazu has not been receiving federal allocations and generating huge IGR; which he is sharing with his godfather. Neither did he say that those who had cases with him in court had taken over government bank accounts and are now in charge of the state resources. He did not also say that they had ambushed contractors who have been paid to do projects in the state. And he did not say that they stopped the governor from paying salaries of civil servants.

Another of his numerous unproductive aides who was trying to make excuses for him even went on a self indictment trail by comparing Abia State with Enugu State. He told the world that in comparison with Enugu, Abia state led by Ikpeazu has done wonders. And the reason he gave for saying so is that “Enugu in a year gets about fifty billion naira whiles Abia gets about about fifty four billion naira”

Again according to him “Enugu generates about twenty two billion naira monthly, whiles Abia State generates about fourteen billion naira monthly”

What a self indictment!

From the facts presented by him, is it not obvious that Abia State is governed by criminals?

He told the world that Enugu gets less federal allocations, yet is far ahead in terms of development compared to Abia State. Enugu gets less but is not owing pensions, salaries and gratuities like Abia State.

To make make matters worse, Enugu generates 22 billion in IGR per annum whiles Abia State generates 14 billion per annum. Yet they are not ashamed to say that to the world.

Abia has two major income generating cities; Aba and Umuahia, with other major developing towns and markets, while Enugu has only one major city; Enugu. Whiles Abia boasts of having the biggest commercial city in the South East (Aba) with over half a million shops and business, Enugu is populated by civil servants.

Yet Abia State has civil servants from whom taxes are deducted from at source, even when their salaries are not being paid by Okezie Ikpeazu.

It is obvious that Okezie Ikpeazu and government officials in Abia State are looting both Internally Generated Revenues and at the same time looting Federal Allocations.

And the types of projects Abia State government led by Ikpeazu puts on display as achievement are mediocre and shameful to bring to public domain.

If you go to Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and even Imo State, you will discover how low Abia State have sunk.

The stooge in government and his voodoo proponents lack creative ingenuity and the capacity of mind to lift Abia State from the doldrums.

But my worry is that, if there was anything that could have made him to perform, it was those court cases that he is using as excuse. At least the pressure (if any) should have made him perform better in order to proof something to the people.

For example, when Dr Ngige was under pressure from political opponents, he did wonders in Anambra state and he won the hearts of the masses.

But nay, ikpeazu is using political opponents as excuse for his inability to perform.

And one wonders: when did having an opposition become a reason for non-performance?

Ikpeazu has received billions so far from; IGR, Paris Club Refund, 13 Percent Oil Derivations, Federal Government Bailout Funds, Monthly Allocations, Local Government Allocations, International Fundings Ecological Funds, Special Security Funds. But he cannot account for how he has spent them and what he spent them on.

Those who claim to defend Ikpeazu have not told Abia people how much resources that has been made available to him in the last 3 years and the things he did with them. They have not told the people if those few mediocre projects they spend millions of naira weekly to advertise with poorly constructed narratives and none ingenious choir music are commensurate to the billions that has been coming into Abia.

It is a shame that with all the resources available to him, he is still owing common salaries. To the extent that teachers and lecturers are being owed for months whiles schools are closed down and students are at home.

Yet and unfortunately you still find some mediocres from the state who are trying so hard to defend Ikpeazu’s failure by telling us about other governors who have failed and those who governed the state in past and did not do well. They dismiss his failure with a wave of the hand comment without facts; which a sign of stupidity.

Whiles people are asking questions about his regime he and his aides are busy talking about the past. Or how else does one describe delusion?

By what standard do they judge development? Is it by what they are doing in Abia State or what? And by who’s standard?

If they say that the ongoing mediocre patches of streets in the name project is development, it is obvious that they have abysmal sense of judgement.

Abia is lagging behind and that is the truth. Anybody who is part of those deceiving people will not escape the wrath of God.

And the real challenge here is that, based on our experience in Nigeria, most governors perform better in their first tenure, because they want to be re-elected. In most cases they don’t do much in their second tenure because they have nothing to proof.

This was exactly how T. A. Orji came with excuses in his first tenure. He lied to Ndi Abia that Orji Uzo Kalu was the one who was holding his hands from developing Abia state. The people made the mistake of believing and sympathizing with him. But by the time he got his second term, he literarily buried the state in poverty. His second tenure became a metaphor for Abia degradation.

Now history is about to repeat itself except Abia people wakes up to reality.

This is three years into Okezie Ikpeazu’s first tenure, it is obvious that the worst will still surely happen if Abians don’t send him and his T. A. Orji’s relics packing.

If Ikpeazu cannot perform in his first tenure to impress, what would he do if given a second tenure? Your guess is as good as mine.

If Abia people make the mistake of returning Ikpeazu, they will have themselves to blame for many years to come. The ongoing looting of the state treasury by himself and the T. A. Orji’s family in this first tenure will be a child’s play compared to what they will do if he is given another tenure. They will render the state irredeemably poor and scavenged.

Ikpeazu does not have what it takes to make a difference, excuses are his method for stealing. HE CANNOT BE FORCED INTO GLORY!