THE QUEST FOR POLITICAL POWER AND CONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC REALITIES IN NIGERIA

As it is well known, every season has activities that keep persons within it busy. Presently in Nigeria, individuals and groups, especially politicians and political parties, have kept themselves pre-occupied with the pursuit of political power that, expectedly, could be actualized in May, 2015. To that extent, every nook and cranny of the landscape of Nigeria is charged with a very high tempo of political jamboree, manoeuvres and manipulations. Typical of Nigerian politicians, promises are being made left, centre and right. The electorate may not be surprised to hear political aspirants promise to construct bridges where there is no pond, much more river.

A retrospective glance at Nigeria makes it clear that the country will be fifty-five years of independent nation-hood on October 1st, 2015, being the year of the anticipated next general elections. Any man at fifty-five who does not feelinsulted, if addressed as a child or even a boy, must be singled out for a special case study in psychology.

It is pertinent to recall that Nigeria held a lot of optimism for her citizenry at independence on October 1st, 1960. It was a country which leadership manifested vision, mission, patriotism, altruism and transparency. At the time of independence, oil and gas had not become the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy. Emphasis was maximally placed on agriculture and revenue so generated translated to quantifiable development projects. Income from palm produce was used to build the first indigenous University in Nigeria; the University of Nigeria, Nsukka under the first Premier of the defunct Eastern Region, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. In the former Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, as Premier of the region, harnessed resources from cocoa to build the famous University of Ife. In the same vein, Sir Ahmadu Bello galvanized resources from groundnuts and cotton to build the first University in the defunct Northern Region; Ahmadu Bello, Zaria in his capacity as Premier of the region. The country witnessed a buoyant and dependable economy. Nigeria’s balance of trade was assuring.

Before the discovery of oil in commercial quantity, which almost coincided with military adventurism in Nigeria, the Nigerian youths were known for their ingenuity and creativity. The educated amongst them were determined to make their marks in their chosen fields of endeavour and career. Those who could not go to school, took to agriculture, trade or one skill or the another. It was almost a taboo for a young man to come out from school and head straight to politics without first making a mark either in the public or private sector.

One might be tempted to say that the discovery of oil and gas in Nigeria meant more harm than good. This could be substantiate by the fact that Nigerians turned themselves into a mere consumer-nation instead of the producing-nation they had hitherto been. Nigerian youths, whose youthful energy should have intrinsically or extrinsically been channelled towards productivity, have, rather, resorted to being corrosive parasites  hanging destructively on the nation’s economy. It is today, therefore, common to see hundreds, if not thousands, of young Nigerians whose curriculum vitae only highlight their participation in political matters. More than sixty percent of the Nigerian youths do not contribute, in any productive manner, to the growth of the country’s economy. He that does not produce but only consumes is worrisomely and devastatingly a parasite.

As the saying goes, no condition is permanent. The oil and gas sector that regrettably made Nigeria and her citizens live a false way of life has been on a steady decline. Expected national revenue from the sector is no longer feasible. Budgetary implementations have become characterized by precariousness and extremity of pecuniary difficulties, if not impossibilities. The country’s currency; the Naira, has nose-dived to a level of economic discomfort. Many governments in the country appear to be at the cross –roads with the present economic realities.  

It is necessary to observe that because of the materialistic assumptions Nigerians have about governance, many of the present political aspirants to high positions of responsibility may not be in tune with current economic realities that are systematically engulfing every segment of the country’s economy. With the price of oil crashing on a daily basis, oil being recently discovered in some other countries, the United States of America’s policy of non-importation of petroleum from Nigeria, rise in illegal oil bunkering in the volatile Niger Delta region and the current irresponsible and most destructive insurgency by mentally deranged extremist moslems in both North-East and North-West of Nigeria, even including some parts of the North-Central, whosoever is aspiring to leadership in Nigeria in 2015, especially via the executive arm of government, should be prepared psychologically to inherit a system that may have just little, if not nothing, trickling from the Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC.

Any governor in 2015 that will be deficient in vision, enterprise, resourcefulness, transparency, ability to diversify his state’s economy and dexterity in managing and multiplying resources will feel terribly disappointed.

From every indication, Nigerians will not be ready to take excuses from Chief Executives who will fail to deliver on their mandates merely on the grounds that not much is received from the Federal government. Leaders, especially Governors, must be mentally articulate, resourceful and disciplined as to guarantee efficient and effective diversification of their moribund economies. They should also conduct a study on how Governor T.A Orji of Abia State has successfully managed the meagre resources of the state to place it where it is currently without borrowing any dime from the bond market. This piece will not be successfully rounded off if caution is not given that leaders that will succeed  in the next dispensation will surely be ones that will maintain a very reasonably safe distance from sycophants whose only contributions to governance are mischief, treachery, gossip, blackmail and opportunism. May God save Nigeria.

Chief (Sir) Don Ubani; Ksc, JP
(Okwubunka of Asa)

A KLEPTOMANIAC'S DIMENSION TOWARDS THE TRUTH

A KLEPTOMANIAC'S DIMENSION TOWARDS THE TRUTH
By Nneka Obidike writing from Abiriba.

Going by the online media trend of the controversial kingpin of controversies and mass deceit reminiscent of the devil itself. It is clear to OUK that karma has revisited upon him for the 3rd time at the 3rd attempt at relevance in public highlight.

He siphoned over $900mm in a single transaction and sent it to his private business arm, slok holding. Slok holding is a hydra headed entreprise funded from the abia state coffers. The coffers that is was replenished by the federal government with its statutory monthly allocation, niger delta derivation fund, oil windfalls, world bank loans, imf loans, ecology funds, etc

Slok Holdings has its hands in every pie ranging from shipping, banking, airlines, etc. The $900mm that was intended for the human capital and infrastructual development of abia has been secretly funneled into the great kleptomaniac's pocket and he is shamelessly regarded as worthy of an Abian. I reiterate he is not an abian. His citizenry should be stripped because of the untold harm, hurt and hardship he has inflicted on every Abian from 1999to 2007. By implication, he has set Abia back by 20 years. All thanks to Ochendo for making teeth grinding efforts to rescue the state from total decadence and death.

The implications of his kleptomania is many, but few are listed:
1) Due to his mad theft, the state teaching hospital is undeveloped. thanks to ochendo for his massive upliftments in the health sector. it would have been a goner. the kleptomaniac's has caused many to die because of lack of proper diagnosis and treatment. I place all the deaths during his era and beyond on his head. Their blood will continually haunt him.

2) Our schools are under developed. The theft has stripped the schools of the equipment, training, infrastructure, etc that they would have acquired if the schools were rightly funded. This includes the professionalism and expertise that would have been acquired by now.This mega lapse has caused the schools to graduate half baked scholars who are deficient in their chosen fields making them a failure to themselves psychologically. Ouk is the cause of these heartbreaks. His generations born and unborn will face the music.

3) Death Road networks. This has led to massive accidents, decreased commercial activities and armed robbery. The list is so many. The satanic influence of that theft would have aided a lot of breadwinners, businessmen, industrialists, etc but the kleptomaniac is so demonized to steal that he doesn't know.

4) Degraded norms and values. His mad theft has led to deaths and setbacks in the showcasing of our rich cultural heritage and this has negated and destroyed the tourist attraction that can draw people from all angles of the world and foreign exchange we would have enjoyed. We have lost a major reach at world class development and an opportunity at cultural exchange.

I must stop at this point because of the obvious pain and ridicule that this kleptomaniac called ouk has put all Abians through.

My grouse is that he has the impunity to come back to ask to represent abia north senatorial district.

I am insulted.

Every abian that is worth his salt is insulted. We must show this thief that abians are wiser and will not bow to his media hype, his angle at transformation, his lies at being the messiah. Filled with massive lies.

Breaking News! Orji Uzor Kalu Finally Arrested in Abuja

Former governor of Abia state Orji Uzor Kalu was today arrested at the gate of Eagle Square Abuja as President Jonathan declares his re-election bid. Our source said Kalu was arrested when he wanted to force himself into the arena with an unmarked car. Security men at the gate insisted that he should be searched before hewill be allowed, but Kalu who wanted to play smart told his driver to force his way in.

At this point the security men ordered him down, searched his car and in the process discovered some strange objects suspected to be bomb. He was promptly whisked away with other female occupants of the vehicle.

More details soon

Incredible! Meet the boy with the biggest hands ever On Earth (Must See Photo)

Kaleem has probably got the biggest hands ever, both weigh more than 2 stone.He is unable to carry out simple tasks like tieing his shoes and buttoning his shirt and gets bullied a lot in school. His mother Haleema, 27, said she knew he was different at birth but was powerless to help and the youngster's hands have now grown so large they measure 13 inches from the base of his palm to the end of his middle finger. 

He currently does not go to school anymore because his teachers complained that his hands scare other children. Kaleem's case is very rare as doctors are puzzled with his condition.
Abeg my people if you born this kind pikin wetin u go do?

 

THE POLITICAL GAME IS OVER FOR UZOR KALU

It is quite not comprehensible by some but its certain that the game is up for OUK. The ex governor of Abia State who has used all mercenaries at his disposal ranging from the sun news papers, telegraph and the most unscrupulous elements called Igbere TV to show case the government of his excellency gov. T. A Orji (CON) in a bad lime light.

With all criticism from a man who has under performed and wasted his 8 years as a governor of Abia State. What could be told of him and what will posterity remember him for? I leave that for you to answer.
But in all these it is so appalling that the same OUK wants to be in the same political party with the governor whom he has castigated on the media thereby abandoning completely the PPA party he founded. Even though his membership in the PDP is yet to be ratified. While gov T. A Orji was gladly welcomed with open hands when he came into the PDP.

 
Secondly, OUK wants to vie for the same position in the Nigerian Senate just as the governor who was solicited by all Abians to represent his people in the senate, thereby abandoning his presidential ambition and NFF chairmanship position.

Thirdly OUK used the youth empowerment vehicle given by gov T.A Orji to carry out his campaign for his senatorial ambition in igbere his home town thereby also abandoning the shovels, head pans and wheelbarrows he gave to the youths while he was governor.

In all these analysis it is obvious and conclusively that OUK is still a learner. This is because Gov. T.A Orji(CON) is still the man who has founded a new and a modern ABIA STATE THROUGH HIS LEGACY PROJECTS

Chinedu Orji and Fake Politicians

By Madubuko Hart

The Chief Press Secretary to Abia State Governor, Mr. Charles Ajunwa, has called on those peddling information that the son of his boss, Chinedu Orji, has boxed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to a corner in order to create an avenue for him to become the next Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, to not only eschew in marketing such information he has said is misleading, but, also, to look elsewhere as the son of his boss is a quiet man who goes about his normal business and does not infringe on the activities that pertain to governance in the state.

In a press briefing, Ajunwa further lamented that such information does not hold water, just as it is baseless and unfounded. He has asked the unsuspecting public to discard the news. What baffles Ajunwa is that Chinedu is neither an official of PDP nor government official. So, how some folks come to conclusion with the information against Chinedu is what Ajunwa has said that he does not understand: all in a bid to blackmail Chinedu and bring the family’s name to disrepute, Ajunwa has said. 

The PDP Chairman in the state, Senator Emma Nwaka, did not speak in a discordant tone to Ajunwa’s. He has warned that there is no iota of truth in the allegation against the son of the governor, saying the leadership of the party in the state has no problem and is not under any pressure from any quarters.

However, a source said that Chinedu is an adult and has the constitutional right to contest for any elective position in the country that befits him, if he chooses. “It is crassness that he should not contest for any elections in the country in the event he has such an interest owing to the fact that his father is a governor,” the source said.

Notwithstanding, Ajunwa has called on all the people heating up Abia State to look for other meaningful trades, as the state is peaceful and cannot be thrown into chaos by anybody no matter how highly placed the person might think that he or she is.

Ajunwa weeps that he does not know what those who are bent on soiling the name and image of the governor’s son gain from their hideous behaviours. He believes that there is no amount of lies that the opposition are hatching against his boss and family that will bring the family and the government down.

.Madubuko writes from Lagos.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOVERNOR THEODORE AHAMEFULA ORJI’S C.O.N. AND CHIEF ORJI UZOR KALU’S M.O.N

The human society, especially governments, has always been confronted with challenges of varying degrees. The challenges, if left unaddressed, could generate tremendous consequences on man and society. Responsible and responsive segments of the human society have, at various times, shown commitment to problem – solving and conflict resolution. Evidence of such commitments has been found in the family, village, church, school, community, industry, bank, government and other forms and levels of human organization.

In the family, for instance, a single member of the family, realizing that the family is poverty-stricken, could decide to sacrifice his or her own personal aspiration, growth and comfort in order to propel other members of the family grow and, by so doing, break the back-bone of poverty. At the village or community level, some individuals volunteer themselves to ginger activities that transform to enormous human development. In the church, many have been known to have single-handedly built a place of worship for God. Many security operatives have patriotically put their lives on line just to save their father- land.

In recognition of these selfless sacrifice made by individuals in order to guarantee peaceful, safe and progressive existence of the human society, it became necessary, for purposes of motivation, that individuals or even corporate bodies that distinguish themselves in any credible field of human endeavour, are not left unnoticed but recognized and honoured.

On March 25, 1863 the President of the United States of America; Mr. Abraham Lincoln, in the name of the U.S. congress awarded honours to some Military personnel that had excelled during the American Civil War which began on April 12, 1861 and ended on April 9, 1865.

In Nigeria, the Federal Government instituted the National Honours Act No. 5 of 1964, during its First Republic, just to honour her citizens and friends who have rendered service to the benefit of the Federation. The Nigerian National Honours, in descending order of importance, are;

(1)​Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (G.C.F.R)

(2)​Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (G.C.O.N)

(3)​Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (C.F.R)

(4)​Commander of the Order of the Niger (C.O.N)

(5)​Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (O.F.R)

(6)​Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (M.F.R) and

(7)​Member of the Order of the Niger (M.O.N.)

The said Act No. 5 of 1964 purely confirms the fact that the Nigerian Government appreciates contributions by her citizens and friends. By this Act, there are seven categories of honour, arranged in their descending order of importance. While commander of the Order of the Niger (C.O.N) is the fourthon the rung, the Member of the Order of the Niger (M.O.N) is the seventh, the last and the least.

Before Chief Orji Uzor Kalu (should it not be Nsiegbe) emerged as Governor – Elect of Abia State in 1998, he had arrogated to himself the conferment of the National Honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (M.O.N). many Abianshad reasoned that if the Nigerian Government  could consider him fit and proper to be conferred with Member of the Order of the Niger, even though the least in Order of importance; it meant that the Federal Government had found him to be worthy of responsible leadership. Unknown to the unsuspecting Abia electorate,that claim by Orji Uzor was completely false. No Nigerian government had everconsidered Orji Uzor Kalu worthy of any honour.

However, a time came in the course of his governance of the down-trodden and economically emasculated people of Abia State when people decided to find out if Orji Uzor Kalu actually was a recipient of the country’s M.O.N. All therelevant books of record were looked into but Orji Uzor Kalu (M.O.N) was conspicuously absent.

Realizing the significance of such a discovery of spuriousness, Orji Uzor, being the con-man he had always been, quickly and cunningly claimed that his version of M.O.N. meant “Madu Oha Nile”, that is the Igbo interpretation of ‘a man of the people’.

The absurdity of Orji Uzor’s claim goes very far depicting the crass of depth of deceit and extortion the innocent people of Abia State were hauled into simply for voting Orji Uzor, whose only agenda was to milk them to a state of unparalled economic deprivation and socio-political instability.

On the contrary and as the Holy Bible puts it, when the righteous is one the throne, the people rejoice. With the emergence of Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji; an accomplished gentle-man, whose paternity and maternity are well known and impeccably documented and whose father, Chief Tom Ikoro Orji, was among his generation of very wealthy Ibeku indigenes and, so, could not have abandoned his family name to adopt another because of excruciating poverty, Abia State started wearing another look. The toga of deceit for  which Abia state Government was characterized during the inglorious era of Orji UzoKalu had to give way to collective governance based on collective aspiration.

For purposes of leaving facts as they are, a very brief juxtaposition would suffice here, (1) while Orji Uzo Kalu coerced Abians into oath-taking in juju shrines before giving them any assistance, Governor T.A. Orji rewarded Abians for their contributions and on consideration for humanity (2) Orji Uzor Kalu used divide and rule and disunity as weird instrumentalities of exploitation of the people of Abia state but Governor T.A. Orji clings to the use of unity and harmony as essential apparatus for state integration, (3) Orji Uzor’sabandonment of the intendment of Abia Charter of Equity gave rise to a highprofile of insecurity that produced the likes of Osisikankwu, stone, Onyime, Dabul, Shalama, and many others who boldly, in their own way, resolved to rebel against the state but Governor T.A. Orji’s approach of carrot and stick restored security and peace in their state, (4) Orji Uzor Kalu left the state with embargoes on promotion of public servants but Governor T.A. Orji came in and gave automatic accelerated promotions to Abia Public Servants , (5) Orji UzorKalu left the state without building a single Maternity or Clinic but Governor T.A. Orji has built well over two hundred Health Centres, an Ultra Modern Dialysis Centre at Umuahia, a second to none Ophtalmological specialist Hospital at Amachara and has carried out quantifiable improvement at  the Abia state University Teaching Hospital at Aba, (6) Orji Uzor Kalu, who claims to be an Aba boy and whose mother traded on local gin, kola-nut, bitter kola and snuff, though on a table-sized level, did not build any market all through his tenure as Governor of Abia State but Governor T.A. Orji, who had neither been a trader nor a business man, built the modern Ubani-Ibeku Market, the timber market at Umudike and the Ohiya motor spare parts, (7) Judges of the Abia state Judiciary operated in dilapidated court-buildings during the dark era of Orji Uzor Nsiegbe but under Governor T.A. Orji, they now sit in buildings that are symbols of modern architectural edifices, (8) when Orji Uzor Kalu was Governor, no single political appointee left office with a vehicle but Ochendo has never asked any appointee to drop his or her official vehicle at the end of his or her appointment, (9) Orji Uzor felt self-esteemed giving Abia Youths Wheel-barrows and tokumbo Motor-cycles as a Governor but Governor T.A, Orji doledout cars and vehicles to Abia Youths, having earlier given more than five thousand tricycles, (10) While Orji Uzor was unconcerned that Abia Civil Servants squatted in distantly separated rented accommodation, Governor T.A. Orji, being a quintessential Civil Servant, did not only renovate and rehabilitate the old Nnamdi Azikiwe Secretariat built by military but went ahead and built a very befitting twin secretarial complexes, (11) the military built the Michael Opkara Auditorium that can hardly accommodate five hundred persons yet Orji Uzor Kalu did not comprehend the utility of  a modern auditorium and its connectivity to tourism but Governor T.A. Orji, being the well educated man that he is, appreciated the significance of what Orji Uzor Kalu’s  intellectual limitation could not allow him embark upon and, no wonder, he initiated and is almost completing an international conference centre that is structured to accommodate up to five thousand guests at any given time, with more than ten different events; seminars, workshops, conferences, or talk shops, going on simultaneously, (12) Orji Uzor as Governor who had right over the issuance of certificate of occupancy felt comfortable operating the affairs of Abia state in aGovernment House rented from the late Air Commodore Emeka Omerua but Governor T.A. Orji, whose first three years of Governorship were shockingly hampered by intrusion and imposition by Orji Uzor, his mother; Eunice Nmecha Nsiegbe and siblings, liberated the people of Abia state and has since the emancipation, embarked on the building of a Government House, (13) While Orji Uzor Kalu recklessly put Abia state at war with the Federal Government of President Obasanjo, Governor T.A. Orji simply reconnected the state to the main stream of Nigeria’s politics and (14) Orji Uzor had vowed and boasted that the people of Ukwa and Ngwa would remain perpetually marginalized and dominated by people of Old Bende but Governor T.A. Orji believes that no society can have peace and development in the absence of equity, hence he is in synergy with the leadership of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to zone the governorship of the state to Abia-South in 2015.

The choice of Governor T.A. Orji as a commander of the Order of the Niger by President Jonathan is desirable, justifiable, commendable and clearly shows the difference between Governor T.A. Orji as Commander of the highly reveredOrder of the Niger and Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, whose M.O.N. has been reduced to mean “Madu Oha Nile”, instead of Member of the order of the Niger.Congratulations Ochendo.


Chief (Sir) Don Ubani; ksc JP
(Okwubunka of Asa)
Umuiku-Isi-Asa
Ukwa-West LGA
P.M.B. 7048
Aba
E-mail: ubanidon@yahoo.com
Tel: 08035523360

Senate moves to ban tobacco production, consumption

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Joseph Erunke

ABUJA—THE Senate has begun moves aimed at permanently banning the manufacturing, consumption and promotion of tobacco in Nigeria.

But the development generated controversies among senators, yesterday, during debate on a bill to that effect just as the Senate President, David Mark, lamented that powerful individuals who were against the ban and regulation of tobacco in the country influenced Presidency to withhold assent on a similar bill sponsored and passed by the 6th Senate.sena-1

Senators, who spoke during debate on the bill which was presented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, PDP, Delta North for deliberation, were sharply divided.

Although the bill, as presented by Senator Okowa merely sought repeal of the act on tobacco manufacturing, sale, promotion and sponsorship in the country, majority of the senators who contributed to the debate on the issue, insisted that tobacco should be outrightly banned in the country.

But the Senate President explained that the bill, as he understood, merely seeks to regulate advertisement about smoking in the country, given the danger associated with tobacco.

He said: “The essence of the Bill is to highlight the dangers inherent in smoking and it also seeks to regulate advertisement about smoking. We have gone one step further to ban it also but when it goes to public hearing, then we will get public opinion on that.

Why the bill failed earlier

Recalling how a similar bill sponsored and passed in the 6th Senate was killed by the Presidency, Mark appealed to relevant authorities not to repeat withholding of assent if the current one scales through.

He said: “Let me remind us that we passed this bill actually in the Sixth Senate and Senator Olorunmibe Mamora was the sponsor. He talked extensively and we had a similar debate the same way we talked now.

“Powerful groups are behind the bill and I remember that in the Sixth Senate a lot of lobbyists were all over the place when this bill was being debated. So I am not surprised that we eventually didn’t sign it but we should have courage to at least do something. I don’t think we should just leave it that way this time around.

“The dangers inherent in smoking are very obvious and I think that at the end of the day we would be able to get feelers from the general public. My prayer is that this time around once we pass this bill, I hope that it will be signed because we are just left hanging at the moment. It is neither here nor there. Nothing has been done.

“Hopefully this time around the executive would be able to sign it. Those who would determine will be the general public – Nigerians – but let me remind us also that this Bill is not just a Nigerian bill. It is far more important because there are a lot of countries that have tried to debate the issue of total ban on cigarette and smoking.”

Contributing to the debate on the bill, the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, PDP, Cross River Central, said: “I support and concur with all the arguments as canvassed in the lead debate by Senator Ifeanyi Okowa but I want to ask that in this bill, there is the health component just as it has the economic component.

“In spite of the dangers of tobacco, we have to deal with the use of tobacco in such a regulated manner that it doesn’t create any economic distortion because if we don’t address the economic issues properly, then we will end up with more of smuggled tobacco that is unregulated and our own tobacco industry here will become un-protective. So when it gets to public hearing, I want to urge the relevant committees to balance the health issues with the economic issues.”

Also, in his contribution, Senator James Manager, PDP, Delta South, said: “This is a very harmless bill about something that is very harmful to human health. I used to wonder why the world is shying away from banning tobacco. Instead, they are advertising it. We should not talk of the economic benefit of something that is harmful to human health because you need to be alive for you to enjoy economic benefit of something. Tobacco consumption supposed to be banned. This tobacco, I don’t know how it tastes, by the grace of God, Mr President, I have never attempted to smoke it and I don’t want to know.”

On his part, Senator Smart Adeyemi, PDP, Kogi West, said: “I rise to support this bill. To support this bill, I took time to look at all the various recognitions and issues that this bill intends to address but I want to also say that tobacco deserves to be banned in this country. Today, as we are here deliberating on this bill, I have looked round and said to myself that how many of our colleagues are smoking here.

“ I doubt if there is anybody here that smokes and I want to say here that the rich, the highly placed Nigerians have come to realize the harm that smoking does to the health, that is why they don’t smoke. Smoking was fashionable, so to speak in the 60s and 70s.Then, people smoked and they looked at it that they have attended a particular class, they would smoke and show that they were smoking. Now, Nigerians have come to realized that it is not something to be encouraged.

“So, the question now is, who are the people that engaged in smoking? When you go to Nigerian universities, you see student smoking in the afternoon and night and those who smoke among the students are the poor people, people who are going through the hard economic situation, they resort to smoking as a way of easing pressure. I do not see any reason why we should be here and still encourage tobacco in Nigeria because I do not believe in any economic benefit the cigarette is contributing to our economy. I think we are a blessed nation and we should do everything possible to save the younger ones.”

Senator Anyanwu, PDP, Imo East, while also speaking, said: “I support the bill because I have come to see that all the countries where people smoke openly are the poorest countries in the world. ”

This bill is really to save lives, we want money, we want jobs but we don’t want jobs in an area that will lead to massive death. We should make it very uncomfortable for people to smoke.”

Senator Akin Odunsi, APC, Ogun West, also supported the bill, saying: “I rise to lend my voice to this bill, particularly, to express an opinion that is in tandem with those already expressed by two earlier speakers—Senator Adeyemi and Senator James Manager. I think my position is very clear; any goods that is legally produced should be legally promoted. As I speak today, there has been continuous restriction on the promotion of cigarette and I know that the reason is because we all know that cigarette smoking is dangerous to health.

“And of course, if we look at the economic angle, because of what we derive from the manufacturers of tobacco and the employment that it generates, then of course, we will be cutting corners. I believe that this bill has come short of what we expect, if we all agree that smoking is injurious to heath, even the smoke is injurious to non smokers, then the is no reason why we should continue to encourage the production of this product. I think we should be bold enough at this stage to stop the production of tobacco products completely, because that way, they can still engage in another area of production that can employ the youths of this country. On this basis, I think that we should stop paying lip
service
to this problem we have at hand.”

But Senator Abdul Ningi, PDP, Bauchi Central, kicked against the ban being canvassed by some of his colleagues. He said: “ I think we should only look at clearly what this bill seeks to achieve. This bill seeks to regulate and then control the production- the manufacturing and promotion of tobacco. One of the cardinal principles of creation of human beings is for him to be able to identify what is good and what is right. The issue of banning tobacco hinges on fundamental human rights of an individual and therefore, if you ban tobacco, you must ban several other things. Example, you must ban corruption, you must also ban chewing stick, you must also ban illicit sexual intercourse, you must also ban lesbianism.

“ A human brain is created with the freedom of choice. There is no doubt that tobacco affects somebody’s health and that is what the bill seeks to achieve but no human being will tell me what to do and what do do because I have human capacity to choose what I want. Therefore, some of these choices, we must be caution sometimes when we try to do things that infringe on the choices of human beings. Some people, if they don’t smoke tobacco, they go into coma. There are people who cannot work without tobacco, what we need to do as a parliament is to identify the cardinal problems with a view to regulate. This bill is not aimed at banning tobacco and therefore we should not even go there. Nobody, no nation, no country has gone there and Nigeria should not go there.”

Earlier, in his lead debate, sponsor of the bill, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa explained that scientific evidence has unequivocally established that tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke cause death, disease and disability.

He further said the bill provides generally for protection of present and future generation from the devastating health, social, economic and environmental consequences of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.

He appealed to senators to support the passage of the bill, explaining further that the bill seeks to regulate tobacco products and disclosure of information about tobacco production to the government in order to effectively exercise its regulatory powers.

He recalled that the World Health Assembly, WHA, at its 56th meeting, adopted a treaty on World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, saying the treaty, which came into force on February 27,2005, became the first WHO treaty adopted under Article 19 of the WHO constitution that was legally binding in 176 ratifying countries of which Nigeria was one.

VANGUARD

Current Developments In Nigeria's Counterterrorism Campaign: An Analysis By DHQ

A total of 135 terrorists have yesterday evening surrendered along with equipment to troops around Biu Local Government Area. A group of 88 submitted themselves at Mairiga/Bun – Yadi while another group of 45 terrorists were taken in around Mubi – Michika. They are all being interrogated and processed in conformity with the dictates of standard best practices.

After a show of video clips and photos to the press on recent military operations in Konduga and other places in Borno and Adamawa States, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, addressed the press. Below is the script of the address:


Nigerian troops have been conducting coordinated air and land operations in furtherance of efforts at containing the terrorists in the North East part of the country. Somehow, it became apparent that the terrorists in continuation of their campaign of terror were determined to take over communities around Maiduguri which is their prime target.  There was therefore the need to ensure that communities such as Konduga were protected. It is noteworthy that the terrorists made not less than four attempts between 12 and 17 September 2014 to violate the security and enter Konduga to perpetrate their atrocities.  Air and land forces were subsequently deployed to handle the situation.

The convoy of combat vehicles typical of terrorists’ mission that involves their top commanders, were fiercely engaged by the land and air forces.  Several of the terrorists including some of their commanders lost their lives in the encounters which lasted an average of about 5 hours each.  The troops captured some of the terrorists and their equipment.  In the course of those encounters, one Mohammed Bashir who has been acting or posing on videos as the deceased Abubakar Shekau, the eccentric character known as leader of the group died.    Since the name Shekau has become a brand name for the terrorists’ leader, the Nigerian military remains resolute to serve justice to anyone who assumes that designation or title as well as all terrorists that seek to violate the freedom and territory of Nigeria.

On restoring normalcy after the encounter, inhabitants of the community who were victims of terrorists activities corroborated information on the identity of Bashir Mohammed alias Abubakar Shekau, alias Abacha Abdullahi Geidam alias Damasack etc.  Indeed, the recent devastation on the leadership of the insurgents is attributable to the renewed commitment to the mission of eradicating terrorism in our country.

Meanwhile, a total of 135 terrorists have yesterday evening surrendered along with equipment to troops around Biu Local Government Area.  A group of 88 submitted themselves at Mairiga/Bun – Yadi while another group of 45 terrorists were taken in around Mubi – Michika.  They are all being interrogated and processed in conformity with the dictates of standard best practices.

The Defence Headquarters applauds the gallantry of the Nigerian troops who have remained undaunted and professional in prosecuting this campaign against terror. The keen interest exhibited by our neighbours and allies is commendable and we appreciate them.  All allies in the war against terrorism are hereby assured of the Nigerian military’s resolve to maintain momentum in the efforts to decimate and defeat terrorists. The invaluable efforts toward achieving sustainable peace and victory against the terrorists are highly appreciated.


It is nevertheless necessary to alert all citizens that there is still the need for even more vigilance and cooperation with the security forces.  Everybody is required to remain alert to ensure that we are not taken unawares by terrorist elements who might want to carry-out isolated attacks in any part of our country.

Is Ochendo Global truly a bad leader? (1)

Permit me thank you for your responses to the congratulatory message posted on my Facebook wall on Sunday in honor of my State Governor, Ochendo Global TA Orji. I understand and appreciate the various perspectives and really never expected that just one congratulatory message is enough to change hearts and minds hardened over the years by a persistent and unrelenting media attacks on a man I know to be a good leader and a good man to boot. The only exception to this appreciation are those who descended to the gutter of ignorance and patterned illiteracy of resorting to abuse as a way of making their points. You failed your parents, teachers, pastors and our educational system. Whoever taught you that abuse is a form of public debate needs to be stoned asap. He has given society the type of members we will rather confine to the gutter. Yet I will pray for you to change for the better, for my sake and that of humanity. I have also taken measures to quietly delete those I consider below baseline of reasonability from my personal wall, in obedience to the age old saying that no matter what you do for an animal it will always prefer to enter the forest. One thing you can take to the bank is that the abuses didn't get to me and will not change me or my views on the man Ochendo Global. I even told a "concerned" friend of mine that if I were an aircraft I won't be a stealth bomber but rather a Boeing 747 that takes off against the wind.

For me, life is not a popularity contest for which I must follow popular views and sacrifice my conscience for popular acclaim. I also do not have political ambitions that require popular acclamation to succeed. For those who know me, I have been there several times. The last time was on the issue of Igbo representation at the National Conference where some sought to make issues out of General Ike Nwachukwu's leadership of Ndigbo at the event. My “unpopular” position then was anchored on three premises: General Nwachukwu was the unanimous choice of the delegates, not imposed by Ochendo and he is the best available material who will do better than others before him. The usual populist crowd descended on my person and position heavily but I took off against the wind, as usual. Where are the populists now that Ike Nwachukwu has led the most productive Igbo delegation to the national conference? Have they congratulated him or even sought to put pressure on the Presidency to implement all the agreements of the conference? Have they even assessed the outcome of the conference beyond the knowledge that a section of the country they claimed Nwachukwu was mortgaged to is railing against the outcome? "Whosai", they have gone on another unproductive populist expedition.

Before venturing out to answer the question formulated by the title of this note, permit me to say that you must understand leadership to know who is a good or bad leader. The simplest definition of a leader in the applicable context is "a person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country". I suspect that most of us are leaders in one form or another including leading at family, club and associations levels. The devil is in whether we are good or bad leaders. (I leave us to pass judgments on ourselves). But if you have ever failed in leadership you already know who a bad leader is because you know yourself. Likewise if you have ever succeeded in a leadership position then you know what good leadership mean.

In a broader sense, Leadership has been described as "a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task" (Thank God for Wikipedia). The key to knowing a good leader is therefore whether he or she accomplished "key tasks" using the resources available to him or her. To know that, you must first know what those key tasks or challenges are/were. If you know that you can then grade the person to know if he failed, passed, excelled or otherwise. Such an assessment must be based on well defined parameters with weights attached to each item based on what the assessor considers to be most or least important. But we must avoid the endless expectation trap because no single leader is capable of solving all the problems of a people and every solved problem brings new challenges. It is therefore fair to say that every leader will solve some problems and leave others unsolved for the next leader. That's why we say governance or leadership is a continuum.

One thing that is known to all students of leadership is that every leader confronts unique challenges in time and measurement of his effectiveness is based strictly on how he managed those challenges. Not in the absence of new challenges after him. George Bush faced 911 challenges whereas Obama is facing ISIS challenge. Both men also confronted economic issues but at different times the economic challenge might be more important to Americans while at another time the military challenge will require more attention. May be it is fair to say that Bush handled 911 better than Obama is handling ISIS and resurgent Islamist terrorists whereas Bush failed to handle the economy well and Obama did better. As apparent as that may be, in measuring which of them is/was a good leader you necessarily must define parameters and the surrounding circumstances which we call "facts behind the figures" in the business management world.

What exactly were the real challenges faced by Ochendo administration on assumption of office and in the course of service as Governor? Permit me to itemize the most pressing issues in no particular order.

1. A near non existent capital city (Umuahia) lacking in the most basic of infrastructures including state owned government house, office and home accommodation for civil servants and near zero social life.
2. A state pocketed by a cabal of the privileged with an oozing air of spiritual impurity and ‘cowboyism’ as a brand of leadership with "the more you look the less you see" achievements.
3. A highly polarized state as a result of what started from a "girl-related" misunderstanding between his predecessor and his deputy that practically pitched Ukwa-Ngwa against Old Bende axis of Abia.
4. A devastating criminal brigandage bench marked by kidnapping and armed robbery that totally paralysed the state's commercial hub, Aba, and it's environs. Virtually everyone who is somebody fled Aba and commercial activities grounded to a halt. Some of us who loved Aba found it hard to see a recovery path for the town and we naturally relocated our businesses and families to safer climes.
5. The security situation at Aba even impacted neighboring cities like PH, Owerri and Uyo with the spill over effect that citizens of some of those towns were even discouraged by their state governments from traveling to Aba as they also contended with their own versions of kidnap business boom across the South East and South South.
6. All major markets at Aba including Ariaria market were almost totally shut down with less than 20% operation level. Key industries like NBL, IEA, Lever Brothers were badly affected while banks and many other financial institutions scaled down operations, relocated or closed completely.
7. The state had backlog of unpaid salaries arising mostly from the mismanagement of local government funds by cronies of those in government.
8. High debt profile arising from Mbakwe era debts and heavy borrowing by the preceding regime for projects that nobody can point to even with the left hand.
9. Personal insecurity was the order of the day with citizens afraid to speak up at the risk of a visit by assassins and sundry miscreants who were agents of those in and around the corridors of power. Many unexplained murders were recorded.
10. Aba roads decayed as a result of neglect and failure of few "reconstructed" roads within 2 years. That was compounded by the total failure of key Federal roads and the old drainge system at Aba.
11. The political space was closed with Abia elders and stake holders shut out of governance and the state was officially in the bad books of the Federal Government.
12. Terrible sanitation system at Aba in particular. The culture of dumping refuse on the road, gutter and anywhere but waste bins continued unabated.
13. Educational performance was dropping rapidly with decaying school infrastructure, ill motivated teachers and poor school management. The state was not in the top 5 bracket in WAEC and the state owned tertiary institutions (ABSU and Abiapoly) were barely existing.
14. Terribly poor transport system with motorcycles (okada) flooding Aba and Umuahia roads as the major source of transport. Only the orthopedic hospitals can tell how many Abians were coming in for treatment in those days and to make matters worse, the bikes became the preferred vehicles for armed robbers and kidnappers.
15. Usable health care essentially was given by only the General hospital at Aba, Teaching hospital and Queen Elizabeth Umuahia (aka FMC Umuahia). The greater number of citizens were treated by patent medicine dealers (aka chemists) and traditional healers

Having formulated the top 15 issues that the Ochendo regime faced at inception and while in power, I am tempted to grade him on all the issues given that I am the one setting the exam. But I will also welcome a new examiner to formulate his own issues based on his understanding of Abia state (before and during Ochendo's regime) and grade the Governor. Such examination should naturally pass the test of objectivity and knowledge obtained by observation and testing of facts (also known as science). It is only when you have done so dispassionately that you can contest my position that he is a good leader. I know what second hand information obtained from a hostile media (mainstream and social) can do to someone. For instance, last December we visited Abia state Government House as a group to see the Governor and present what we considered pressing Abia and Igbo issues to him for review and action. One of those on our delegation was a foreign based Nigerian who previously formed his opinions against the Governor based on what he has been reading as well as the poor state of Aba roads. He was among the selected team that initially went in to see the Governor to request that he meets us as a group. The Governor obliged them and met us late in the evening. All through Ochendo's presentations and explanations on the challenges of leadership in the state, this same person was clapping for him, nodding approval and later told me and others that the man is a grossly misunderstood person. I don't know if the attraction of populism has forced him to change that view today and I sure will like to know. Or may be he came to Umuahia with the mind set that he was coming to meet a fabled "moron" and was merely excited that he met an Ochendo who was by far better than he was made to believe. Na only him waka come so na only him know.

I speak and write of an Ochendo Global I have studied from far and near. I speak of a man whose picture hangs in my private parlor for over 3 years now because I not only like his stablizing leadership style but also feel a little like him-misunderstood but well intentioned. I write about a man surrounded by powerful enemies of means who have succeeded in swaying the minds of millions against him to use just one criteria to judge him negatively-Aba roads. I am even surprised by some of his transducers who had hitherto argued that we are too backward as a people to place roads at the top of the ladder when measuring leadership efficiency in Nigeria. Not that I actually agree with them because I still think that Africa in general is still at the level of infrastructure development. More so when you are looking at commercial cities whose people are mostly traders and farmers. They need good access roads in addition to other things. For me, a healthy mixture must be in place for the overall progress of the state and the spread should be such that all areas of the state have values from the government.

With your permission, I will now do the job of a rating agency, albeit an amateur agency. I expect to show some form of bias because I like Ochendo and most of what I will discuss may not be apparent to you. Some details, I will gloss over for the sake of peace and unity of Abia, as presently constituted. What most know about Ochendo Global are basically whatever the controllers of the media establishment choose to tell the public. Unfortunately, Ochendo Global is "old skool" and will likely not pay what others pay for positive media reviews. As I was typing this note, I saw a colleague of his from a neighboring state who was celebrating his birthday on television When I tried switching channels I noticed that AIT, Channels and NTA were all carrying the birthday event "live and direct". I know what that means in tax payers naira and kobo terms and can tell you that even if you point a gun at Ochendo he won't spend such money for "onyonyo". Is that good in this day and time? I will leave his media team to answer and may be share their frustrations working for a fiscally conservative retired civil servant as against the young cowboy of Abia 1999-2007. It might well be also argued that a bit of that conservatism explains why Ochendo chose to work with the same core executive team that worked with his predecessor. Most cowboys of today's Nigeria will assemble a fresh team of their own they can trust, but not the trusting Ochendo with good conscience.
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Someone reminded me on my wall about the latin phrase "Vox populi, vox Dei" which loosely translates to "the voice of the people [is] the voice of God", I smiled inwardly knowing that vox populi killed Jesus even without as much as a proper charge against Him. And when Pilate insisted on proper review, vox populi merely responded with "crucify him...let the sin be on our head and our children's head". I leave historians to review that Biblical travesty that happened with all those who truly knew Jesus refusing to speak out so as not to be mobbed by a manipulated crowd. Amazingly that included his apostles and sundry men and women who benefited from His ministry on earth. While as Christians we condemn the Jews of those days, how many times have we as individuals bulged at the prospect of challenging popular views? Our situation is made worse by the new social media where to remain "popular" you must tow popular lines or refuse to speak up as people are being lynched. It is tempting to ask if we don't have people who truly know the essential Ochendo at Nigeria social media community. Or have they all been silenced by the jewish mob?

I will take a stand because I usually take a stand. I took a stand on Stella Oduah, Ike Nwachukwu, Sanusi Lamido and many others. I am taking a stand on Ochendo Global.

For long I personally opted not to engage on Abia issues principally for 2 reasons: I preferred to work behind the scene and help get things done for our people given that I have reasonable access to those in government. Secondly, I know that once I publicly take up an issue there is no retreat no surrender. I will surely take sides with the truth I know and good conscience.

Nobody on either side of the Abia debate will ever, in good conscience, tell you that I said Aba roads are in anywhere near satisfactory state. I have continuously engaged my contacts at State and Federal levels on the poor state of some key roads at Aba. One online friend on my wall while commenting on the poor state of Aba-Ikot Ekpene highway posted a picture as proof of Ochendo's failure. What he didn't know was that “his” picture was actually taken by me in 2012 as part of my appeal to the Federal government to come to our rescue and as published on my wall; from where someone apparently picked it up and circulated until it got to the person who reposted it to my wall ostensibly to chastise me. Funny, he even presented it as current picture whereas I know that Federal road is worse than that, currently. I have videos I will publish on Federal roads in Abia state and a documentary on them is under production. I will publish them extensively in December if I don't see movement of caterpillars along those roads with serious intentions from the Federal Government.

Similarly, I have pictures of Osusu road, Ngwa road, Ohanku road, Obohia road, Ariaria and Milverton that I have already forwarded to people I know in ABSG. Those are state roads in need of urgent fixing, and many more are in similar conditions. I have received assurances that work will commence on some of those roads latest October. If I don't see action by mid October, I will also publish them. But if I see action, I will publish the action. I will not behave like some of my friends who inundated social media with images of George’s field Aba but when it was fixed no picture was published even though we all see the transformed George’s park daily.

Someone asked me why I still support Jonathan fiercely even with the bad Federal roads and I replied that road infrastructure is only one of my parameters for measuring good leadership. On many other issues I consider him a good leader, especially for holding Nigeria together at a time like this and under extreme stress. He passed my leadership test even without scoring excellent on all issues of governance. It is the same standard I use in measuring Ochendo, Amaechi and others. When I say Amaechi is a good administrator but a divisive politician, I know what I am saying. If to you it means I hate Amaechi or even sold out to him, why should I lose sleep over that? Uwe ezu oke is someone's name and I apply uwaezuoke (you can't have it all) principles in measuring leaders. But I don't forgive leaders who kill. Jonathan is not a killer. Ochendo is not a killer. Amaechi is not a killer. Fashola is not a killer. Sullivan is not a killer. I have varying degrees of affection for them and you may wish to add that I LOVE humble leaders. They win all the time with me because I understand where the virtue called humility comes from. It comes from the spring called humanity and only few fetch water from that spring.

Now here is a practical human joke. Many of my fiends that are abusing Ochendo also support Jonathan. Amazingly they feel no qualms that South East Federal Roads are in bad state under Jonathan's watch. Possibly they also feel he has done well on other scores. But once Abia and Ochendo is involved, they curse and rant about Aba roads as prima faciae sole measure for good governance. Are they well or just playing populist politics? Is it not possible to apply same standard of measurement of leadership across board? I leave that to social scientists.

Back to my emergency rating job which I intend to do in no particular order. Based on what Ochendo met on the ground and the resources available to him, I will score him 45% with state roads. (Since this review is not about Jonathan, don't wait to read how I rate President Jonathan vis-à-vis South East roads). I have looked at Abia's budget from 2007 to 2014 and believe that Ochendo could have done more inner city roads at Aba in particular. Yes, he fixed Azikiwe road, Geometric road, Georges, Ehi road by shopping centre, Milverton (which later failed), Eziukwu by Aba Owerri road,and a few other bad portions, his revenue stream could have accomodated a minimum of N2b expenditure per annum on Aba inner city roads. With that amount over a 7 year period, things would have looked a lot better. May be the massive funds injection into securing Aba since 2008 impacted on that alongside other challenges he faced. But the least we expected was that every dry season some maintenance work will be done on Aba roads pending when the required funds for brand new drainage system becomes available to make the roads stand longer after rehabilitation. He could also have leveraged on his good relationship with President Jonathan in the past 3 years to get the Federal government to make an intervenion at Aba with special emphasis on the 3 major Federal roads that serve as entry and exit points to Aba. To his credit is the fact that inner city roads at Umuahia have improved on his watch. I like the look of Ogurube layout, Azikiwe road, new Okpara roundabout and others.

That brings me to his performance at Umuahia as the capital of Abia. Feel free to say that I felt let down that the regime before Ochendo virtually left Umuahia the way it met it. I can't wait to read a cogent reason why the fabulous Camp Neya private home of our ex-governor was built without an equivalent new government house at Umuahia in 8 years of that regime. My only consolation is that I have seen the new government house under construction by Ochendo and I feel a sense of pride at the ongoing work. I hope and pray that come May 2015 our new expected Ngwa born Governor will live and govern from that architectural masterpiece. As someone who have gone round Umuahia including Oguibe layout, aptly described as new Umuahia GRA, I am satisfied with what Ochendo has done. I have visited the new twin state secretariat complex, ASUBEB building, E-library complex, wonderfully finished international conference centre and many more projects that can provide the foundation structures for the emergence of a new Abia. I applaud the vision and the courage that relocated the Umuahia market away from he city centre with a new sructure rising rapidly beside the new Okpara statue with water fountain. Based on what he met and leaving behind, I can confidently score Ochendo Global 80% with improvements on the status of Umuahia. May be some will begin to see the usefulness of his efforts after the anticipated creation of Aba state next year.

To properly position the improvements at Umuahia you might need to compare it with other new state capitals created same time and at same income bracket. There is no basis to compare Umuahia with Owerri or Enugu, like many want to do. Under Ochendo, Umuahia is now properly positioned for further growth.

Security is another area Ochendo has done very well. Today you can leave your house at 9pm at Aba to go and eat ukpa and nkwobi at George’s street, listen to ‘sekem’ music at Enitona or evergreen Terminus hotel and check into Benidon at 12am without fear. It was not always like this. A time was when I personally won't be outside at 5pm in Aba. I know even traders were not able to buy and sell freely in those days. Even the area of personal freedom, including right to agree or disagree with those in power, is greatly enhanced under Ochendo. It could even be argued that the lack of "fear factor" is responsible for many of the false publications against the Governor we read online including comically fictional ones like the adapted nollywood tale of an army captain pummeling his son or his son killing his PA. That people even believe and spread such information without an iota verification shows how much we have degenerated.

On security I will score him 90% because he faced a massive challenge and was able to pacify the situation and bring the state back together. He has not been sending assassins after his opponents and that also counts greatly. There are no muscle men in Abia breathing down people's necks in and around the government house. I am yet to read of people being taken to shrines to swear allegiance to anyone and people no longer disapper anyhow. Unlike the past, there are no headless bodies here and there in Abia. I salute Ochendo immensely for that because I know there was a time we couldn't even attend night vigils to pray against social evils. Today, you can criticize the Governor in broad daylight from the pulpit without fear of persecution. But a time was when all the pulpits in Aba silently muttered prayers to God to come and liberate us.

On simple emperical basis of published WAEC results I make bold to say that educational sector in Abia is in good hands under Ochendo.For two consucative years the state has maintained second position behind Anambra. Some states that were in the first 3 before have dropped without notice or hullabaloo. But I can bet that if Abia had dropped from second position two years ago to 3rd last year it will be front page news. Even the new school structures built by Ochendo have led many to debate if projects funded partially or wholly with SURE-P state allocations should be counted as achievement of the incumbent Governor. Amazingly the same lynch mob failed to make same distinctions with some state SURE-P funded Rivers model schools or even check how their favorite State Governors funded their own projects. The debate only quietened after I showed my friends a copy of a state budget that captured SURE-P revenue. May be we need a special online school to teach people that by law all Federal revenue, including SURE-P, must be shared between the 3 tiers-Federal, State and LGA. If the Federal applies it's share to counterpart funding of Niger Bridge or Lagos-Ibadan road, they are Jonathan's projects. Likewise the states can apply their shares to projects of interest within the programs mandate area.

To think that all that argument came because people are bent on denying one man his due honors shows the enormity of the challenge Ochendo is facing with negative media. Well, that won't stop me from scoring him above 70% on educational improvements. I know the condition of ABSU and Abiapoly he inherited and have no doubt that both tertiary institutions are better off today. For those who don't know, Abia State is blessed with four functional Universities including Federal, State and private universities. All top class institutions. The State has two major cities to cater for; Aba and Umuahia with Ohafia rising.

Since my mum passed on 2 years ago I have not visited the teaching hospital at Aba but I have seen unverfied images that are not looking very good. But the last time I was there it was in good condition with improved access to diagnostic facilities. Umuahia has a modern diagnostic centre and it is full credit to the healthcare infrastructure in Abia that we hardly read of Abia Government officials flown abroad for medicare. I recently visited a top government official in the state who was involved in a ghastly motor accident as he was receiving treatment at Umuahia. In most states in Nigeria people at his level would have been flown abroad with chartered air ambulance and loads of hard currency. He was treated in Umuahia and returned back to work within six weeks. Again, on the strength of the massive proactive preparation I witnessed first hand in response to possible Ebola outbreak eventuality, I will score Ochendo above 70% on healthcare improvement. I also took into cognisance the over 30 new health centres scattered around rural Abia that sprung up on Ochendo's watch.

No doubt the transport system in Abia is much better than Ochendo met it. His empowerment scheme for youths and transporters have worked well. His courage in banning ‘okada’ from Aba and Umuahia roads is worth applauding. I challenge anyone who witnessed a better empowerment system in Abia to speak up. I am not interested in discussing "wheel barrows" as empowernment tools but I am permitted to wonder why the wheel barrow man was celebrated whereas the man who gave many buses and taxis as empowerment is abused. Is it because the later is not in control of a mega buck media empire? As far as improvements in transport sector is concerned, I will score Ochendo 75% because he didn't do monorail for us. I want Abia monorail from Aba to Umuahia so let me keep 25%. But don’t imagine I don’t know about the tricycles he gave out free to many Abians.

Early last year I noticed appreciable improvements in waste disposal at Aba. When I asked questions I was told about a model waste collection system that rewards those engaged within the system. Does anyone know why that model failed? Aba is back to it's old self in the past three months. I noticed that the rot started again after whispers about possible gubernatorial annointing of the AGM in charge of Aba who was reputed to have arrested the poor sanitation situation. Word out in the street is that his rivals to the plum job are delibrately sabotaging him to weaken his prospects. That might not exactly be farfetched because I once passed a neat road at Aba on a Friday evening but by the next morning as I was driving out of town I noticed a massive refuse heap on the same road. By Monday morning I saw pictures of same road with the refuse heap in one national tabloid. That same day the image showed up at Facebook as another evidence of Ochendo's failures. Politicans get heart sha.

My grand mother told me that “onye ndiro gbara gburugburu na eche ndu ya nche” (a man surrounded by enemies watches diligently over his life) so there really is no sustainable excuse for the return to poor sanitation. Moreover, the state of the final disposal points at two different locations along the PH-Enugu highway are not exactly good advertisements for diligent painstaking effort at improving things. The authorities at ASEPA should push the dump site further away from visible locations along the highway. Alternatively, they should think outside the box and construct an indigenous incineration unit for waste management. Surely the know how exists at Aba, the fabled Japan of Nigeria. Unleash the genius and the solution will appear. But since Umuahia is even cleaner than before, I will award 60% to Ochendo on sanitation improvement. Should I score Aba people on sanitary practices too? Nada!!! Make I still dey waka along Aba streets freely maka umuazi iwum barabara na ala. But umu guy ibem, ejigh dorty anya ishi bikonu.

A lot of people don't know or don't care to know the real revenue profile of Abia state. For most, Abia is an "oil producing state" with one gold mine of a commercial town called Aba. On paper, they are right because Abia is listed among the oil producing states with the oil deposits found around the Ukwa axis of the state. Aba was also a commercial hub in Nigeria, though the correct characterization should be "used to be". When people talk about Abia as an oil producing state they conjure an image of a state flush with cash and oil installations like Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Delta states. The only way I can expain the difference is to state that in 2014 Akwa Ibom budgeted about N470b, Rivers N485b, Delta N451b, Anambra N145b and Abia N115. The size of the budget of each of the first 3 states approximates to more than four times that of Abia. Even then, Abia only recently joined the above N100b club. In 2009 Abia budgeted N65.24b and the budget was not even fully implemented because of revenue shortfalls. By 2010 Abia's budget size was still N65.7b. For those who can't see the picture well enough, MTN's monthly revenue is about N60b. Furthermore, Aba ceased to be a "major commercial hub" in 2009 following the kidnap siege. Key industrial concerns left Aba for safer havens. How much do you exactly expect impoverished traders to deliver in taxes? In case you don't know, it is doubly difficult to collect taxes and levies from traders than organized private sector. Where was the "massive" IGR from Aba expected to come from? Aba traders effectively started recovering in 2012 but business is still very slow. Only NBL has effectively returned to Aba with plans for expansion in the card. Thank God. PZ is holding out well and never abandoned Aba people but their operaions are at a much lower scale now. Staff strength is reduced too. Equitable has effectively been killed through a misguided communal action. Those are the key drivers of Aba's industrail challenge. Can Udeagbala's soap factory do for Aba what Equitable was doing for the town? My answer is NO. Even those who now buy bombadier jets don't have a single investment at Aba outside real estate acquired while in power. Amazingly these are the same people that fund the massive anti-Ochendo social media lynch mob.

"God dey" and "dia is God" mean same thing-God exists and will judge us all.

I make bold to state that outside the situation with Aba roads, Ochendo has scored highly on most fronts. History will credit him with stabilizing Abia and laying the real foundation for the emergence of a great Abia. If he can muster the resources to do at least 10 inner city roads at Aba, including Federal owned PH and Ikot Ekpene roads, he will be celebrated on a grand scale by May 2015. The incoming government will then take up the challenge of first relocating Ariaria and ahia ohuru markets as well as reconstruct the drainage system and pursue the development of a new Enyimba city around Osisioma before doing any further road work in the current old Aba city. Government is a continuum and it is fair to say that if Ochendo had met good roads he wouldn't have bothered with new roads at Aba but will rather invest on other towns like Umuahia, Ohafia, Abiriba and Arochukwu. I do not expect his successor to spend too much resources at Umuahia beyond maintaining the facilities Ochendo has put in place. The challenge is at Aba and we should focus there for the next 3 years at least. Hopefully Ochendo will deliver another legacy of midwifing the first Abia Governor of Ngwa origin.

When the new politically assembled social media warriors for the cause of Aba and Abia tell us that Aba people are suffering, I agree partially with them. Our points of disagreement are on two fronts: Aba is not Abia but one of the cities in Abia. Secondly, while it is politically correct for them to locate the problems of Aba with the state government, I will rather move further and tell the whole world that Aba "problems" stem from three distinct groups: Federal and State governments have failed to do their part and the people of Aba have also contributed to their own woes.

If the Federal Government led by our President Goodluck Jonathan had reconstructed Aba-Ikot Ekpene road and highway that is now unusable, Port Harcourt Aba that is in near state of total failure and the associated entry points to Aba which are all within Federal jurisdiction, visitors to Aba will atleast have good access to the town. Business will boom because a good percentage of those who patronize Aba markets come from Akwa Ibom, Cross Riverand Cameroon.We are cut off totally from them because of the poor state of Ikot Ekpene-Aba and Ikot Ekpene-umuahia highways. Unfortunately most citizens can't make the distinction between state and Federal roads, but the law is clear on responsibility for Federal Roads maintence.. Likewise if the state government had leveraged on the current good relationship between the Federal Government and the state (from 2010 to date) they would have impressed on the leadership at the centre the need to do the needful for Abians that voted for both governments as well as approve world bank funds for reconstruction of Aba drainage system.

It will be too generous to excuse residents of Aba too. In the first place, some of us warned about the dangers of the 2008-2010 kidnap wars with emphasis on the potential to devastate the state socio-economicallly. Many of the movers and shakers of Aba that fled in those days are yet to return having settled in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu. Whatever investment associated with them is gone with them. Sometimes I also wonder if Aba people need government to teach them how to properly dispose refuse. A typical Aba resident will wake up midnight and sneak out to dump refuse on the street and gutters. If it rains in the day time, they have a refuse disposal boom day. They drop them for water to carry to possibly Government House Umuahia for collection by the Governor. Even those who come to designated dump sites will rather dump refuse around the dump site instead of into the bin. Emere ya unu eme bikonu?????

There is an emerging fourth group responsible for Aba woes. They are the social media political hirelings who have no sense of allegiance to the great Enyimba city beyond working for their pay masters. They have continued to thoroughly demarket Aba and scare away visitors. Please someone should answer me honestly: does it make sense for a resident of Aba who has been living there for years, buying cars and new clothes to come to social media and tell the world that Aba stinks and is dead? If Aba stinks, why are you still living there? Or are you a pig that thrives on stinking wastes? One of them even recently abused Aba people and claimed that there was herpertitis B outbreak in Aba. And people clapped for such barefaced lies. Even during the scary early days of Ebola outbreak, there was no attempt these mischief makers spared to scare people with false reports of Ebola outbreak at Aba. All that because of politics????

Let me tell those who are resident at Aba and are involved in spreading such information: you are hurting yourself. You are the provernial cricket that was being roasted and yet believed it was producing oil. In case you dont know, the number of visitors to your shop is reducing because people are afraid to come to Aba because of what you have been writing and sharing about Aba. Even those from other states that are helping you to rebroadcast them must be thanking their God for their luck in getting a mugu that wil help them kill off Aba as a commercial hub and take the business to their preferred towns and state. Every customer that Aba loses will certainly show up at another city's market. And without those businesses Aba is nothing even with all roads tarred and plastered like heavenly streets.

Even if you want to join the lucrative online critics trade, please take time to learn how to criticize without harming yourself and people you love. It takes more time to build than to destroy and I can assure you that even if you fix all the roads to Aba it will take years to reverse the ill feelings you have created towards Aba all because you want to help your master bring down Ochendo. Unfortunately for you and your masters, Ochendo will complete his 8 years tenure whether you like it or not. To add salt to your self inflicted injury, his people will elect him to the Senate without your vote, if he chooses to run for Senate. It is really as simple as that. My humble advice to you is to concentrate on seeking out the best Ngwa man to replace Ochendo as Governor in 2015. When the next governor comes he will build on Ochendo's successes and learn from his mistakes. But if you continue to attack Ochendo and make it difficult for him to support the emergence of an Ngwa governor that will focus on Aba, you will have to live with your hand work. I am from old Bende and have nothing to lose if the next governor emerges from the moon. My only worry will be that I have not personally served the cause of equity and fairness. I can live with that. Can you???

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ”
—Mark Twain (1835-1910)
[Samuel Clemens] Humorist, Essayist, Novelist

O kwa unu sim puta? Aputalam!!!

JOK 23/9/14