Running up to the 2023 General elections, men who have found common grounds of bureaucratic larceny without accountability has been struggling to outdo one another in appointing who will represent their greed and extend their control of the state coffers.
In its almost 6 administrative tenures comprising of 2 tenures of the Orji Kalu administrations (8 years), 2 tenures of the TA Orji (8 years) and now almost completed 2 tenures of the Okezie Ikpeazu – making it complete 24 years of celebrated experimental leadership that has accelerated performance in economic and infrastructure development in Abia state to an all time low.
Abia state has remained in the grips of a vicious circle of same bands of men and a political cycle whose sole interest has remained to run a fiefdom bounded by secrets of grafts, alleged diabolism and abuse of rights and privileges bestowed upon them by the hapless citizenry. These self-acclaimed landlords are holding the state to ransom in servitude by impoverishing every known government worker from the cleaner to the pensioner cutting across virtually all sectors of government including education and healthcare, frustrating business activities and bringing entire Abia state to disrepute as the only state in entire South East Nigeria with worst performance index virtually at all sectors of governance.
At some occasions it appears this practice is paying off with the crowd of increasing lackeys codenamed Special Assistants and Advisers numbering in hundreds, men and women whose jobs are hardly defined beyond attack dogs, hangers-on idling about the ramshackle rented government house in Umuahia living on endless promises and dashed hopes of unpaid wages as bait to keep the leash on their neck unbroken.
“Abia state people should ask the acclaimed godfathers, on what criteria is the reigning government and sponsors of those gubernatorial candidates in the ruling party and other parties of interest is going to campaign for its surrogates or on what performance index is it proud to replicate itself.”
“Sponsored candidates have a sole responsibility of protecting the interest of his godfathers in politics at most instances covering their tracks of illicit transactions and records of administrative rascality”
Every electoral year, the same bands of men work their way up to the electorates with brazen deception by inducement, clandestine agreements and the common practice of ‘scratch my back, I scratch yours” policy with each band reproducing its kind, each group worse than the former from 1999 democratic dispensation in Abia state till date.
As the Okezie Ikpeazu administration prepares to take leave of the state, perhaps, leaving it worse than he met it, he does not appear disturbed by any signs of cries of pains, of losses of workers and pensioners who have been rendered completely incapacitated to function in any manner due to endless debts of salaries the government by default has refused to pay the workers.
He is not bothered by the closure and loss of schools, most worrisome, the withdrawals of accreditation of Abia State University Teaching Hospital by the Medical Council of Nigeria completely grounding every healthcare provisions to the citizenry due to crass government neglect, the government appeared least bothered by the mockery of governance in Abia state, the disconnection of government from the realities of economic loss and impoverishment it has created in the state both in the commercial and academic sector.
Running up to the 2023 General elections, men who have found common grounds of bureaucratic larceny without accountability has been struggling to outdo one another in appointing who will represent their greed and extend their control of the state coffers.
Most worrisome is the brazen display of arrogance of the same Okezie Ikpeazu administration, the third in the 24 years of Abia state existence, to replicate the same failures that has characterized leadership of Abia state government till date by appointing another individual to continue from where he stopped.
Allegations are rife emanating from the abandoned state capital, Umuahia and across the state how the Okezie Ikpeazu administration has single handedly picked its own lackey, a considerable front he considers willing and easy to manipulate in order to grow his own fiefdom as others before him and extend the graft and official larceny of the public till, abuse of public welfare entrusted to their care and most importantly cover his tracks of deliberate negligence and mismanagement of public trust.
What will be the campaign message of its surrogates planted in several other parties be;
Perhaps to build another Osisioma bridge or to accelerate the complete destruction of the ailing academic system and teachers by holding on to their hard earned wages, perhaps the healthcare has not been destabilized enough, will the surrogates share another N500 Naira to nursing mothers, or perhaps attracts more Domino Pizza eateries as its Foreign Investment.
The man of his choice is none else but another politically Billboard decorated Phd, an academic title that has been weakened by the ubiquitous daily advertisement of every radio announcement of Mr. governor’s name with a ‘Phd.’
Prof. Uche Ikonne beaming with smiles as he sits in waiting to be handed the keys to Abia state vaults to help himself and send dividends to his master in waiting is not alone in the cloning business.
For fear of reprisal or outright failure, allegations are rife, the departing governor has to extend his chances to other characters he still considers willing accomplice, planting them in other political platforms while his former masters whom he is alleged to have rebelled against are hell bent to take a revenge by searching out for a replacement in other parties to retain their ruffled fiefdom of graft and diabolism.
“Politics in Nigeria is an all comer’s game of contest, the basic rule is to get involved, Alex Otti by every means necessary has never relented to get involved and change the existing statuquo of rot and leadership failure in Abia state and it behooves the electorates most importantly those with the privilege to shape decisions and influence opinions to pursue the great change Abia desires
In all these game of chess, one thing remains obvious; sponsored candidates have a sole responsibility of protecting the interest of his godfathers in politics at most instances covering their tracks of illicit transactions and records of administrative rascality and abuse of public trust deposited in their care.
Most worrisome is how the citizenry fall for the bait and endorse their own tormentors. The rural voters where there is huge voter population has been so impoverished so much that gifts of wrappers to the women group, salt, rice and branded t-shirts remains a fancy perks to woo unsuspecting victims of this grand larceny of people’s collective wealth and conscience, then the elites and the ‘so educated’ whom in most cases take delight in complains of bad governance without getting involved in the change process are equally culpable.
The change process Abia deserves involves you getting down from your tall comfort corners to find out the situation of political events in your villages, your wards, local governments.
When many of the ward Chairmen are so impoverished, neglected and are only a handy tool to front the inordinate desires of the weak men in the leadership saddle of Abia State government, the menace of sponsored governors by godfathers with ill intention towards the development and emancipation of Abia state and its people will remain a thriving business
“People of Abia state will have themselves to blame for accepting to be deceived for so long if they fail to stand by men courageous enough and determined without the veiled support of any godfather to consistently pursue change and free Abia state from the chokehold of diabolism and manipulation.
Running up to the 2023 General elections, men who have found common grounds of bureaucratic larceny without accountability has been struggling to outdo one another in appointing who will represent their greed and extend their control of the state coffers.
As it was from Orji Uzo Kalu (OUK) to T.A. Orji and Okezie Ikpeazu, with each duplicating himself in the mold of anyone he considered a sure-proof lackey that won’t pose a challenge whenever he will be ordered to empty the state treasury for his godfather and their gangs or to cover up their tracks of graft and outright robbery of the people’s welfare.
Of the 36 States listed in the 2022 National Salary survey till July 31st as published by BudgITng, Abia state sits at the top with workers wages held up for as long as 30 months plus without scruples, how such a government plans to replicate itself in the midst of all the alarming failures and ridicule in governance calls for soul check.
Coming to the 2023 general elections, Abia state people should ask the acclaimed godfathers, on what criteria is the reigning government and sponsors of those gubernatorial candidates in the ruling party and other parties of interest is going to campaign for its surrogates or on what performance index is it proud to replicate itself.
What will be the campaign message of its surrogates planted in several other parties be;
Perhaps to build another Osisioma bridge or to accelerate the complete destruction of the ailing academic system and teachers by holding on to their hard earned wages, perhaps the healthcare has not been destabilized enough, will the surrogates share another N500 Naira to nursing mothers, or perhaps attracts more Domino Pizza eateries as its Foreign Investment.
People of Abia state will have themselves to blame for accepting to be deceived for so long if they fail to stand by men courageous enough and determined without the veiled support of any godfather to consistently pursue change and free Abia state from the chokehold of diabolism and manipulation.
Every man is entitled to his opinion and angst in times as this, however, I am of the opinion that; of all the guber candidates projected by mainstream parties, Dr. Alex Otti, the gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party appears as most formidable and man enough to stand by himself and the support of the ordinary people.
It takes passion and courage to navigate the complicated terrain of Abia state politics and remain focused. Alex Otti has remained focused and independent of any kind of manipulations both human and diabolical.
Politics in Nigeria is an all comer’s game of contest, the basic rule is to get involved, Alex Otti by every means necessary has never relented to get involved and change the existing statuquo of rot and leadership failure in Abia state and it behooves the electorates most importantly those with the privilege to shape decisions and influence opinions to pursue the great change Abia desires with utmost sincerity and commitment.
Njoku SaintJerry A. is the Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Abia State
