According to Georges Braque, the legendary French artist, “Truth exists; only lies are invented”. This supposition clearly and completely put a lie on the lips and even obliterates the scripting of fifth columnists that are bent on derailing or even truncating the smooth transition of power at the governorship level from the Abia Central Senatorial zone to the Ukwa-Ngwa axis of the state as the chief executive of the state, Gov TA Orji has pledged.
In as much as this season (the season preceding the 2015 general elections) calls for the analysis of the events likely to occur during the elections, innuendos, allusions and falsehood by doomsday visioners, seers, prophets and investigative reporters will only but cause more harm than good to the Abia nay Nigerian society whose citizens and leadership are brazing up and indeed formulating a peaceful and acceptable transition of power at that level of governance in 2015.
It is despicable that while the government and people of Abia state are trying to ensure an agreeable transition of the highest political seat in the state to an axis that the stakeholders will settle for, an amorphous group is doing the dirty job of dishing out false information in the social media of how Gov TA Orji purportedly singlehandedly endorsed the deputy generally manager of Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as his successor in the office.
The write-up which recently appeared in one of the online publications called THEWILL, tried to pull the wool over the eyes of some Abians. In the story, its writer purported that Ikpeazu was chosen by Engr. Chinedu Orji and marshaled to Gov TA Orji for endorsement, adding that three days after the meeting with Engr. Orji, His Excellency, Gov Orji held a meeting with him and purportedly endorsed him. The writer further alleged that Okezie Ikpeazu was thereafter directed by His Excellency to proceed to Abuja and Lagos to consult with Abia stakeholders for an all-round acceptance.
The report also claimed that a meet-the-stakeholders team was hurriedly foisted with Chijioke Nwakodo, the economic adviser to the governor, as the leader of the team and that the delegation later ran into some brick walls when they met with Senator Ike Nwachukwu and Senator Adolph Wabara who expressed their indignations over the endorsement. The report also alleged that the “campaign team”, having run into trouble waters thereafter aborted their Abuja trip and returned to Abia state.
The writer has indeed said nothing new in his so called detailed investigation except to expose his sponsors’ hidden agenda to fly a kite that will be difficult to accept by the generality of Abians. Just two weeks ago rumour mill had it that Dr Okezie Ikpeazu had been endorsed by Gov TA Orji as the PDP flag bearer for the 2015 governorship election in Abia state. It is on record that this rumour, as strong as it was, was swiftly recanted by the state government which reiterated the position of Gov TA Orji to give Abia stakeholders and the generality of Abians the opportunity of collectively choosing his successor.
A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor in that regard clearly stated the governor’s position, adding that Gov Orji was concentrating on providing more dividends of democracy to the people of the state than venture into the issue of who takes over the reins of government from him; a project that will come more than a year from now. One is at loss on why some hack writers and reporters have made Abia an issue of political decimation. Abia government, unlike some other state governments, has reconnected the state to the path of progressive development in all spheres.
The quick economic growth of the state that has raised Abia to the status of the fastest developing state in Eastern region, the high quality of its education; a development that places it second in the last Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) should have been a delight to any online or hardcopy publications’ writer or reporter. Indeed, in as much as the freedom of any group or individuals to express their opinions on issues of common concern to the state is accepted and recognized, it will however be seen as wicked if such group or individual deliberately deceive the unsuspecting public on a serious issue like the Abia governorship issue.
The writer and his sponsors may have caused the report to be published in order to heat up the polity. The publication may also aim at disparaging a particular aspirant considered to be unacceptable to them in order to force their choice to the government and people of Abia state. Whoever told them that the governor’s son, Engr. Orji or the wife, the Abia first Lady interferes with people’s aspirations to the extent that they congregated and chose Gov TA Orji (Ochendo Global’s) successor, a high profile political position?
Come to think of it, is Okezie Ikpeazu not qualified to assume the office of a governor? In as much as this writer is not holding forth for Okezie ikpeazu, it is reasonable to say that Abia should choose its best for the exalted position, and Okezie Ikpeazu is among them. We also have others like Barr Friday Nwosu, who is eminently qualified and so on. The pudding, they say, is in the eating. Therefore, like the Abia governor has consistently maintained, the best will be chosen from the lot that would come out to vie for the exalted office, pointing out that the primaries of the governorship will be free and fair devoid of government’s interference. It is therefore the right of stakeholders and the people of the state to pick the right person as the PDP candidate, a write that should be exercised within the realm of decency, reason and democracy.
The writer was just fantasizing when he alleged that a campaign team for Ikpeazu was raised to meet with Abia stakeholders in Abuja and other cities of Nigeria a forth night ago and that the team was rejected by Abia stakeholders in Abuja particularly Wabara and Ike Nwachukwu who questioned the undemocratic nature as they allegedly insisted that the so called endorsement will cause disaffection within the PDP family in the state.
Abia PDP stakeholders are always working in tandem with Gov Orji. They have not disagreed nor have cause to disagree with him because the Abia chief executive has consistently kept his doors open for advice and genuine contributions to the affairs of the state. He has carried everybody, particularly stakeholders along in the running of the state. Therefore, there is no basis for disagreement with Ochendo Global on that issue because his decision on it is known and accepted by all.
Therefore, the writer and his sponsors must not impose their thoughts and fantasies on the people of the state, because the governor or members of his household has not endorsed anybody as the PDP candidate for 2015 governorship election for Abia state. Both the son and the Abia first Lady are occupied with their daily routines of offering succor to the less privileged, the youth and the women. Therefore, no sponsored write-up would undermine this God given role. At this juncture, it is pertinent to warn the public against gulping some of these frivolous reports and articles in the media particularly the online publications hook, line and sinker.
