After reading through Don Ubani’s latest account of his genealogy and his descent to diversionary tactics in dealing with issues he first stoked, I excused my acolytes from responding to him and allow me to deal a final and direct pitch to the vexatious points contained in his piece. 

Closing the chapter on Don Ubani’s vituperations.

After reading through Don Ubani’s latest account of his genealogy and his descent to diversionary tactics in dealing with issues he first stoked, I excused my acolytes from responding to him and allow me to deal a final and direct pitch to the vexatious points contained in his piece.

By every known measure and standard, I should not be in comparison with Don Ubani so I would not edify him by presenting my untainted academic and public service records here just to satisfy his latest effort at clout-chasing. I peaked at the highest level of public service by serving this state as the secretary to the government. I have served and continue to provide high level consultancy services to one of the most influential financial institutions in the world, The World Bank. The records are in public space for Ubani to see.

When leaders and stakeholders of Abia North gathered and decided that we should make a case to the governor and the state PDP chapter concerning the need to reaffirm our position on the peaceful rotation of power to Abia North as the due beneficiaries of the Abia Charter of Equity, it was a decision taken collectively and at the highest level of the party’s zonal machinery. The visit was even more expedient because of the heightening tension created by some persons who are bent on obstructing the chances of Abia North at producing the next governor. Implying that I conceived the meeting without the knowledge of the majority of the elders to advance the personal ambition of a particular politician from Abia North is not only laughable and infantile, but also illogical because I do not know how Ubani and his nameless informants came to measure what constitutes the majority or minority of Abia North elders and stakeholders. At my age and level, I do not need to hide under any cover to promote the ambition of anybody whom I so believe is capable of providing the needed leadership to move Abia beyond where we are. When the time comes for me to lend my support to an aspirant, I would surely do that in the open and with fanfare.

I am glad that Don Ubani took the history lesson dished out to him by one of my acolytes, Sir Uchechukwu Okoro. Rather than applaud the efforts of the unpaid tutor and acknowledge the painful demise of his senseless pursuit and mischievous division of Abia into two parts of old Aba and old Bende zones and excluding a large chunk of another block to cause commotion, Ubani diverted to stoking another unnecessary fire in the polity by exhuming an irrelevant composition of Abia Central senatorial zone.

Typical of his puerile intentions, Ubani did admit that his write up heated the polity up, yet, he continues to do so without remorse by trying to create divisions and mistrust among the good people of Abia central zone. Does Ubani claim not to know that the Central Senatorial zone has produced two senators each from both the Ngwa and Umuahia divides of the zone? Senators Bob Nwannunu and Nkechi Nwaogu are of Ngwa stock while Chris Adighije and T. A Orji are from Umuahia. Why would Ubani become suddenly reactive to the peaceful co-existence of two groups of people simply because he wants to get at the Speaker Chinedu Orji and his father former governor. T. A. Orji for reasons that are clearly not discernable?

Ubani has again revived his penchant for double-speak. On several occasions he has done that. It is dishonourable for a man not to stand on his words even when circumstances have not warranted a change of position. When Ubani served in the administration of T. A. Orji as Commissioner for Information, he did not find the courage to scold the governor on his selfish but unsuccessful desire to ensure the perpetual domination and marginalization of Ngwa people in Abia central zone. Suddenly, he finds it convenient to cast aspersions on T. A. Orji and even going further to abuse the good intentions of a man who respected the lofty charter of equity by ensuring that power moved to Abia South senatorial zone. I want Ubani to cast his mind back to an article he authored while serving as Commissioner for Information under governor T. A. Orji which was published in the Daily Post Newspaper of September 29, 2014 titled Don Ubani: The Difference Between Governor Orji’s CON and Orji Kalu’s MON.

In the said article, Ubani had trolled Orji Uzor Kalu beyond acceptable professional and ethical limits while extolling the virtues of the same T. A. Orji that has suddenly become a selfish manipulator. First ubani said.

“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 Uzor Kalu had to give way to collective governance based on collective aspiration”.

And again you said, “Orji Uzor’s abandonment of the intendment of Abia Charter of Equity gave rise to a high profile 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”

I have reproduced just two passages from the said article just to provide a window into the life and personality of the man called Don Ubani.

I have also produced a link to the said article for you to peruse.

Don Ubani: The difference between Governor Orji’s CON and Orji Kalu’s MON

It is quite unbecoming and unfortunate for a man who prides himself as a Knight of the Anglican Communion to be so unprincipled in his life, character and utterances. Ubani should serve as a beacon of light to this generation and those yet unborn rather than bring disrepute, dishonour and flagrant shame to the church.

I call on the governor and other stakeholders to shun the wicked intentions and useless sense of entitlement being pursued by Ubani and those in the same cabin with him. A man whose words constantly look for meaning in his own life is not worthy to preach virtues of equity to men of honour and should not drag honourable men to the mud with him.  When you fight or play with a pig the pig gets happy and you get dirty. We have lived peacefully with one another for centuries even before the whiteman came to our land. We have continued to live peacefully since the creation of Abia state. Our forebears sat together and in their wisdom charted a cause that would forever ensure that we live peacefully and together as one united and indivisible people. We have for the past 22 years abided by their sacred accord which even present day operators ascribe to and reaffirm its existence and application in our body polity. Posterity would never forgive us if we sit by idly and watch some unrepentant mischief makers truncate the well-intentioned visions of our founding fathers for their selfish ends.

I have by this piece closed every chapter that Don Ubani opened and may wish to open further on these issues as they concern me. I would clearly not be part of his search for influence where none exists.

Dr. Eme Okoro