Let me begin this riposte by conceding that Mr John Okiyi Kalu’s pawky jocularity under the headline vide ut supra was admiration of all and sundry. Kudos to JOK for impressing the gratuitous factotums astroturfing for his paymaster whose four years’ abysmal administration adjudged monumental failure.
However, amid the tributes especially from the village idiots, the Honourable Commissioner for Information must be reminded that the esteemed office he occupied is not for a melodramatic impresario; hence the need for punctiliousness.
Shockingly, JOK made caricature of the notion of noblesse oblige in his impulsive jabberwocky meant to denigrate one of Abia’s finest, Dr Alex Otti when he conjured thus:
“For the first time he (Otti) admitted his Arochukwu origin but claimed that zoning or charter of equity is a PDP thing only. Now that Mazi Otti has publicly admitted his Arochukwu origin Abia voters should ask him why he chose his running mate from same Arochukwu/Ohafia federal constituency.”
Oh dear JOK! Nothing can make a public spectacle of an image-maker, especially an amateurish than marketing a bad product. Psychosomatic challenges can set in, thereby reducing the person to noodle. Your submission simply left me in the invidious position of choosing between weeping for you or censuring you. I however chose the former because I was terribly bemused by your decision to place a premium on obnoxious sectionalism against democracy tenets and good governance in a contemporary society despite your academic exposure.
Deducing from your submission also, it’s axiomatic that you’re not au fait with the precepts of Abia Charter of Equity. To help you our dear Hon. Commissioner, the ACE that was fashioned in 1981 under a committee chaired by the late Dr Michael Okpara and other respected individuals such as, the late Chief Bob Ogbuagu, Chief Aja Nwachukwu, Dr Anagha Ezikpe, HRH, Eze Isaac Ikonne, HRH, Eze Ber¬nard Enweremadu and Dr Nwagbara is no longer biding. The reason is simple. The society is dynamic.
This distinctiveness thus necessitates intermittent aggiornamento for viability and preservability. Therefore, the creation of Ebonyi State and the subsequent deracination of Afikpo zone from Abia State on October 1, 1996 rendered ACE obsolete in toto. Hence, the outmoded ACE could no longer provide the desired model for us to replicate. Do you want to know the reason.? Simple, the adjustment (the removal of Afikpo zone) undoubtedly generated some perceptive and demographic conundrums. I will leave the lesson for another day to spare you further discombobulation.
JOK, image-making is not merrymaking where your objective is to manipulate the psyches of the predisposed, make quick money and hold fais dodo dancing party at the detriment of the government you represent. It encompasses illuminative and pedagogic exhibition of your government’s philosophy.
I am sure you must be hysterical by the praise of those stereotypically silly persons to believe that you have enthralled your audience by deviously twisting Otti’s submission to give respiration to the archaism your government appallingly adopted to hoodwink some impressionable electorate.
You simply committed self-immolation in your otiose effort to pour scorn on Otti by describing him as “helicopter” politician. For your information, Abians need wealthy persons to govern them not some set of hungry individuals who turned Croesus overnight with state’s funds. According to Igbo maxim, “Anaghi Enye Onye Aguo Nri Oha.” This explains why majority of Abians have been forced to destitution because the hungry men entrusted with our common patrimony roguishly enriched themselves with it.
JOK probably believed that Abians are simpletons when he sneakily presented the proposed Enyimba Economic City as Okezie Ikpeazu’s achievement whereas, it’s the brainchild of the Federal Government through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
The stakeholder engagement is still ongoing and for the records it is part of projects under the Public-Private Partnership model, which are to serve as pilot projects. Lagos and Kastina States are other proposed sites. So why the brouhaha?
Made in Aba products did not start under PDP or Ikpeazu’s government. Aba became commercial hub of West Africa under the old Imo State. It’s on record that Aba lost its glory under PDP’s 20 years’ misrule. Why play to the gallery? The best way possible to promote made in Aba products is simply to make the Enyimba City convivial for business. Ensure that roads are accessible by construction, reconstruction and/or rehabilitation of the roads as well as, the upgrading of the infrastructure that are left spavined.
Are China shoes better than Aba made shoes? Why not take the cobblers to Italy and afterwards, import shoe manufacturing equipment and/or partner with Shoe manufacturing companies in Italy to add quality to what we have?
Can JOK tell us what Ikpeazu’s government has achieved in four years despite receiving over N500 billion in revenue, as well as, amassed mickle debts of approximately N104 billion?
Can JOK be bold enough to tell Abians that the much celebrated one-year-one-pillar Osisioma Flyover might be demolished by Arab Contractors because of impingement? What legacy, as infinitesimal as the kitchen line of the past administration christened “Legacy Projects” will Ikpeazu’s government be remembered for?
JOK, I will quickly save you from further embarrassment by telling you that in 2003, other political parties fielded candidates from all the zones against Dr Orji Kalu. His biggest rival, Dr Enyinnaya Abaribe contested under the platform of the ANPP. He eventually came second in that election. JOK, can you tell us what would have happened if he had won?
Also, in 2007 during the gubernatorial election that produced Chief T. A. Orji, the third executive governor of Abia State, all the political parties (about 21 in number) fielded candidates from different zones.
DPP had Mr Ugwu Chris Chibuzo; PPA, T. A. Orji; Fresh Party, Rev. Dr Obiora Onyeamaghala; AC, Hon. Iheanacho Obioma; ANPP, Chief Ikechi Emenike; NDP, Kingsley Onyekwere; RPN, Mr Chukwudi Benedict Agoha; CP, Chief Chukwu Wachukwu; NAP, Christian Wogu; CPP, Samuel Chukwuma Eke; PDP, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu; APS, Barr. Nnamdi Uchendu; APGA, Mr Udodinma Chmereze; ADC, Uche Ihedigbo; AA, Dr Ephraim Iroakazi; and BNPP, Mac Anthony amongst others. JOK, please kindly peruse through this list of candidates and tell us how many Ngwa men were included.
Do not also forget that Ochendo’s biggest rivalry in 2011 gubernatorial election is APGA’s Chief Reagan Ufomba (the protagonist of The Great Ngwa Declaration of 2003). Mr Chris Akomas of PPA and Paul Ikonne of ACN, (all Ngwa men) contested in that election too. At the end, Ochendo was declared winner. He amassed 641,158 votes (which represented 82.33% of votes casted) to defeat his closest opponent, Chief Reagan Ufomba of APGA, who got 49,421 votes, (6.35%). PPA’s Chris Akomas came third with 43,778 (5.62%), while ACN’s Paul Ikonne and LP’s Stanley Ohajiruka got 18,004 (2.31%) and 10,697 (1.37%) to emerge fourth and fifth respectively. JOK, can you kindly tell us what would have happened if Reagan had won? Where was this Abia Charter of Equity then?
Next time, do not write boldly on a subject you knew nothing about. Abians are not fools after all. When next you want to write, Ga juo ese. Maka na oburu na ijuru ese, akaa akowara gi.
Abia Voice, Don Norman Obinna is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, The Realm News (www.therealmnews.com)
