ABIA’S UNBELIEVABLE EMPERORS.
The 29th of May extraordinary celebrations that greeted the inauguration of Dr. Alex Otti’s incoming government may have come and gone but not without its appalling moments. The celebrations were nearly marred by infrastructural atrophy and untold level of decay in the state capital Umuahia.
What we always cajoled about the unsightness, unfitness, rotteness, and environmental unfriendliness that makes Umuahia not befitting of our pride once again reared its ugly head for all to see. Umuahia town was stripped naked, overstretched and lacked what it takes to host a big event like the near 100,000 humans that besieged the town on Monday, 29th of May.
Many of us covered our heads in shame at the miserable village status of Umuahia that has experienced stunted growth since the creation of the State, approximately 40 years ago.
Umuahia stadium itself, the venue of the historic inauguration ceremony, was a knock on our heads and bespeak our collective shame. There is no stadium infrastructure across the length and breadth of this country that is as retardant and wretched as the Umuahia township stadium.
The state government looked the other way and watched as Dr. Alex Otti through his Transition Council and committees sunk tens of millions of Naira trying to uplift the state of atrophy, rottenness and rickety environment of the stadium to a befitting event place to host the mammoth crowds that were expected to throng the Umuahia capital village as it were. What a pity.
But the paradox of the pandorra tales is that this same Umuahia while still remaining a village that refused to grow for about 40 long years has produced emperors to flaunt its massive wealth.The infrastructure deficit beholden the State is in direct proportion to the fleecing of the State treasury to create her many emperors.
Thus, monies and resources that got diverted from giving us befitting infrastructure has rather brought us unbefitting emperors as price for serfdom. It is also a price for a society gravitating around pernicious wicked structure.
But the Mccoy of this saga is having two of these pretentious emperors, Theodore Orji and his son coming to celebrate with Abians on victory day at the township that they refused to build for Abians just few meters away from their stately palace. They refused or failed to read the signs as the surging crowds refused to acknowledge their presence even when they were recognized by the MC.
These same emperors vowed to keep Abia beneath their filthy legs until thy kingdom come but God ruled otherwise. They were seen on victory parade day seeking the attention of the man of the moment, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti and genuflecting for a handshake. I also was wondering what was going on in their minds seeing dignitaries across the country, former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Former Emir Sanusi Lamido, VP Yusuf Datti Ahmed, One Arm General, Attan Achonu, Aha Eji Agamba, Iwuanyanwu and many others cramped in that scrap of a stadium. Where is their conscience?
When you also juxtapose the thoughts that the contract for building a befitting Umuahia Township stadium was awarded twice by OUK to his family members, twice by Theodore Orji also to his family members, you will begin to wonder what grain of consciences that’s locked in these guys tiny frames.
The monies that were embezzled under the cover of Umuahia stadium could have given us the stadium complex at Uyo for instance. We cannot continue to be fooled by pretentious and wicked politicians.
I love to see Theodore Orji and his son coming close and seeking rapprochement with the incumbent Governor in the interest of solidarity. But what Abians will love more from them will be to surrender some of their loots back to the state treasury to help Dr Alex Otti in his arduous task of rebuilding the state.
Such a gesture will secure amnesty for them and possibly forgiveness from Abia people. Alex Otti and Abians will need this gesture badly in the light of revelations that salary and pension debts totalling N40 Billion and foreign and other domestic debts totalling another N200 Billion are there in the opening books handed over to the new administration.
Both Theodore Orji and his son can easily buy back this debt from the over N500 Billion finds in their bank accounts by the EFCC since 2018. Such a move will be exhibiting true signs of remorse and contrition and may force others still keeping our stolen wealth to change from their evil ways.
Abians are trusting Dr. Alex Otti to keep his campaign promises to recover our stolen wealth to help develop our State. Any emperor coming close to him now should help him FastTrack the process of recovery of illegally diverted State funds. That is when Abians will begin to believe those emperors that seized and expropriated our resources in times past. Interesting times await all of us in Abia State. Welcome to our New Abia.
Okpotemba Ohafia.
