Something took me to Abia state on Friday. Actually, I didn’t plan for it but I had to. The last time I went to Abia state was in 2015, Aba to be precise.
We got to Aba and it was like a no other place in filth, bad roads and ‘I don care’ attitude of the people towards their environment. I remember asking people at least 3 times if they have government at all. It was terribly an eyesore to behold. My mind went to all the deceitful posts Ikechukwu Iroha has been making of Abia State on facebook. With it, you would think that Abia is finally moving forward but I can now authoritatively tell you that they aren’t, if anything they are even degenerating.
It beats my imagination and breaks my heart that pictures people post of Aba is not only real but worse in real life. The situation of Abia state is hopelessly depressing at the moment. Many people living in Aba seemed acclimatized to the reality of their environment and thereby look at one as if you are making noise when you talk about their city out of jolting horror.
Ariaria market is indescribable and the Port-harcourt – Enugu express road that pass through the city is horrendously dirty with nylon, plastic and mosquito breeding water mixing with urine, feces and probably vomits from People who can’t stand the stench.
Along that same express road from Aba to their boundary with Rivers state there is no single hospital, clinic, Pharmacy or common patients medicine store. But I lost count of the number of mortuaries along same road. If something happens to someone like accident along that road and you manage to barely survive, your guess is as good as mine. For the benefit of those who can’t guess, the person that survived the accident will be finished up by mortuary assistants loitering that route with 2 by 2 dry hardened Iroko wood and will be thrown into the morgue and wait for body identifiers.
I think Abia state needs a complete political departure from Orji Uzor Kalu’s political lineup or dynasty that has been ruling Abia state from 1999 till date.
Orji Kalu 1999-2007
T. A Orji 2007-2015 – his political son
Okezie Ikpeazu 2015 – date his political grandson
T. A Orji’s son who is also Orji Kalu’s political grandson is the speaker today and also planning to take over from Ikpeazu to continue the debacle and rape of Abia State. PDP needs to lose power in Abia State for that state to move forward. Anambra did it when PDP became a problem and they are better for it. Abia State APC is no alternative as same Orji Uzor Kalu’s political lineup still run the party in the state.
The greatest heartbreaking reality is that Aba is Ngwa land and the present governor Okezie Ikpeazu is an Ngwa man yet the ‘Aba demon’ looks too big for him to overcome.
It should be known that Abia is one of the oil producing states in Nigeria and they earn 13% derivation monthly which Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States don’t earn.
Abia was that state that sacked so called none indigenes from their civil service without notice, pay off, gratuity or pension. T. A Orji’s name continues to live in infamy for that brainless action which has and will never add anything politically or economically to the state.
Abia state has Aba that is close to Port-harcourt the capital of Rivers state and has failed to take advantage of its nearness and explode economically.
Onetime in the past, Eziuche Ubani’s article titled “Melt down in Abia state” broke the internet and drew a big media fight with Abia government then. Instead of righting multitude of wrongs that piece pointed out, they invited him to the dining table with House of Representatives and then commissioner or something and he has since lost his voice. Guess those on the dinning table don’t talk – table manners.
When the diminutive T. A Orji was still governor, billionaire businessman from Anambra, Arthur Eze visited Abia state and was furious at what he saw that he had to bare his mind and told the governor in public that Abia state smells with filth everywhere. He left angrily and that episode wasn’t enough to kick start any positive changes in the way Abia is governed. Onitsha that used to compete with Aba in filth and bad roads has left Aba behind.
There is no difficult task Abians need to undertake to turn things around for themselves other than to sack through ballot any politician that has ever taken pictures, shaken hands or peeled egusi for Orji Uzor Kalu or his relations. That is the only way out for the good people of Abia State.
Written by Obi Ebuka Ebonlois
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