Governor Orji Driving Development in Abia – By Madubuko Hart

Posted by admin Abia, Articles, Columnists, Madubuko Hart, NNP Columnists, State News Sunday, November 9th, 2014

By Madubuko Hart | Lagos, Nigeria | Nov. 9, 2014 – A critical look at the government of Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State spells one thing: There must be something positive about him and his government that critics of his government do not want the world to know, so they are doing everything within their coffers to malign the government.

Barely few months to go out from office, newspaper reports are that the governor is commissioning many projects, when many of his counterparts are locking their heads in political fights of the titans.

Speaking with select journalists recently when he was reported to be commissioning one of his projects, he made one confession that his critics are suffering from envy of his numerous projects. A journalist with a national newspaper asked the governor the reason behind his commissioning of numerous projects whereas he has barely few months to stay in power. The governor without mincing words said that he was doing all that because of the covenant he had with Abia people; to perform till the last minute he would be in office as governor.

The governor believes that it is positive to impact on his people because of the immeasurable support he said that they give to him. The governor said that Abia people deserve every democratic dividend he could afford. He said that the reason he was commissioning the projects was for the people to know that the projects were for them and create attentiveness of the existence of such projects.

In the words of the governor: “Like in the health sector, as we were going round and commissioning the projects they were following me, and they were witnessing the facilities we are putting on ground. The projects I commissioned were many, ranging from internal roads, schools, transportation parks, bus terminal and our up-graded Amachara Specialist Hospital where we have added well equipped emergency section, 100-bed ward, laboratories and administrative block.

“Very soon we will invite journalists for other ground breaking commissioning. We are sensitizing transporters that very soon they will move to the bus terminal so that we can decongest the urban area. Why we are doing all this is to make our people realise that these facilities are on ground for them to use.”

On the grounds for this article, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Charles Ajunwa said that his boss had lined up many people-oriented projects to be commissioned apart from the many projects that he had commissioned. It’s observable that there are many projects that the governor said that are on ground, which his administration was making sure they were finished before the tenure elapse. Such projects were given as the International Conference Centre, Government House, E-Library, Workers’ Secretariat etc.

According to the governor: “The first wing of the secretariat is completed and occupied by civil servants while the second wing of the secretariat which is completed is yet to be occupied, the e-library is almost completed and it has to be commissioned, the JAC building is almost completed and it has to be commissioned, and the roads that we are constructing, many of them, the government house, the shoprite, etc; these are projects we need to complete, they are foundational projects.

“The golden Guinea industry, we are working hard to bring back the place. I promised my people that I will continue working until I leave office and I am keeping to my promise and they know that. My dream on Abia seaport and airport is still alive, people are appreciating it. We have all the facilities for the seaport, the Airport and the environment to build all that we want to do is conducive…

“Ours is not cheap propaganda but things you can see and express joy at our efforts. Despite that the federal allocation is on decline we have continued to soldier on and ensuring we improve on our IGR. For us, the magic is prudent expenditure of public funds. It is not all about what you get from the federation account but how prudently you use it because if you depend on the allocation alone things that you will achieve will be minimal. We have tried so hard to increase our IGR to help us build some of the things that we are doing. We use our funds with diligence and use it for the welfare of the people.

“Most of the projects I have mentioned to you are capital intensive, there are many projects we have executed, and we don’t make noise about some of them. Do you know how much to sink an ordinary borehole but for me those things are not achievements and we do them with no noise made about it. I talk more about projects that are befitting for the people. I should be talking about reticulation of water everywhere not to talk of sinking of borehole. These things require funds but as far as I am concerned, I am satisfied in my mind that I have used the resources of Abia State prudently for the people and Abia people can attest to it….”

The governor added that he was happy for the experiences he had impacted in Abia and was still impacting, even when some people were running amok for the achievements that he had made in the state. The governor said that he loved all that he had done in the state as regards projects because each of the projects is complimenting the other.

Hart writes from Lagos

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