Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, recently went on a blast of project commissioning in the state. He spoke with some journalists after the event and bared his mind on some issues, including his succession plan. Much of last week witnessed the commissioning of several projects in the state, even when your administration is gradually coming to an end. What has been the driving force?
It is the covenant I have with Abians to be committed until my last day in office as the governor. The focus is simply to continue to positively impact on my people who have at every occasion given me massive support. They deserve all the democracy dividends that I can afford and will stop at nothing to continue to provide it for them. We want our people to know that this projects are for them and when you commissioned it, they will know about it. Some of them don’t know about the facilities, so by commissioning them you make them to be aware as the commissioning will create awareness on the existence of such facilities. Like in the health sector, as we were going round and commissioning the projects they were following me, and they were witnessing the facilities we are putting on ground. The projects I commissioned were many, ranging from internal roads, schools, transportation parks, bus terminal and our up-graded Amachara specialist hospital where we have added well equipped emergency section, 100-bed ward, laboratories and administrative block. Very soon we will invite journalists for other ground breaking commissioning. We are sensitizing transporters that very soon they will move to the bus terminal so that we can decongest the urban area. Why we are doing all this is to make our people realise that these facilities are on ground for them to use.
What are some other issues you would want to tackle before leaving office?
There are some projects on ground that we are tackling and will want to finish before leaving office, like the international centre. We will complete it before we leave. The secretariat is completed the other wing is for the civil servants to move in now from the ministry of Works, the e-library is completed it has to be commissioned, the JAC building is almost completed and it has to be commissioned, and the roads that we are constructing, many of them, the government house, the shoprite, etc, these are projects we need to complete, they are foundational projects. The golden Guinea industry, we are working hard to bring back the place. I promised my people that I will continue working until I leave office and I am keeping to my promise and they know that. My dream on Abia seaport and airport is still alive, people are appreciating it. We have all the facilities for the seaport, the Airport and the environment to build all that we want to do are conducive. It’s sad that those before me did not have such vision because most of these projects are foundation ones to kick-start development in the state. Look at the government House, people have been occupying the seat of power here and none have said he would deliver a government House to Abia state. Even the land one of the administrations took, they could not pay compensation, it is not only in acquiring the land. Now we are acquiring the land, we are utilising the land and we are paying compensations and the communities are happy. We are building things that you can see and people are appreciating it. Ours is not cheap propaganda but things you can see and express joy at our efforts. Despite that the federal allocation is on decline we have continued to soldier on and ensuring we improve on our IGR. For us, the magic is prudent expenditure of public funds. It is not all about what you get from the federation account but how prudently you use it because if you depend on the allocation alone things that you will achieve will be minimal. We have tried so hard to increase our IGR ton help us build some of the things that we are doing. We use our funds with diligence and use it for the welfare of the people. Most of the projects I have mentioned to you are capital intensive, there are many projects we have executed, and we don’t make noise about some of them. Do you know how much to sink an ordinary borehole but for me those things are not achievements and we do them with no noise made about it. I talk more about projects that are befitting for the people. I should be talking about reticulation of water everywhere not to talk of sinking of borehole. These things require funds but as far as I am concerned, I am satisfied in my mind that I have used the resources of Abia state prudently for the people and Abia people can attest to it.
When you remember how your first tenure was run, do you feel sad?
Of course, I feel very sad, extremely sad, because if I had not experienced such sad period from the onset, the achievement that we have recorded in this second tenure would have been the achievement we would have made in our first tenure and then those that we could have made in this second tenure would have been an added achievement, but because of godfatherism, meddlesomeness and crude politics, development was retarded. But we still thank God for where we are today because He has taken control. There is no doubt that some people are intimidated by, or jealous over, our record of achievements and they are doing all within their reach to pull us down but I am happy because Abians are happy for what we have been able to do, given the funds at our disposal. I am sure that if the template that I will leave behind for anybody who is coming – if he follows it, it will make Abia better.
Which of your projects are more passionate to you?
All my projects are passionate to me because they are important projects, one is as important as the other. Each compliment the other. You can’t do only health and leave education or education or other sectors. The state secretariat is good just as the government House is equally important. The infrastructures serve different very important purposes and I try to carry all of them as priority projects to the best of my ability. I don’t embark on projects that I will do to be praised, I do projects that positively impact on the people, projects that are legacy projects, projects that will outlive me, projects that will endure and when you check out projects that we do you will have no option but commend us. For me one project is as good as the other and as important to Abians.
Your critics say you are neglecting Aba and concentrating on Umuahia, the state capital. Is it true?
That is what our critics will say and they will always find something to say to bring you down. The criticism is not correct; it’s false. You know, Abia state has two important towns, Umuahia is the state capital and Aba is the commercial capital. There are some projects that you must site at Umuahia, like the government House, state secretariat, etc. Aba also will need projects that will be peculiar or beneficial to the town. The most important thing in Aba are the roads, power, environment, etc and we are not neglecting any of them. When there was kidnapping, it was in Aba that it was more severe than in any other place and then we concentrated our efforts in Aba and we fought kidnapping to a standstill. We gave Aba a conducive environment and people are no longer running away from the town. We have more resources that have gone to Aba, given the nature of the town, but what many fail to understand is that the money we put in Aba does not show out; it is difficult to notice like the one spent on Umuahia. The problems of Aba are many and we are dealing with them in the best possible way. Little money you spend in Umuahia is noticed. In Aba, for instance, there was a road we did for 1.8 billion but if I use such amount in Umuahia I will construct many more roads that will stand out because of the topography of the area. You will be surprised at the road of one hundred million naira you construct in Umuahia when you compare it to the road of even 500 hundred million you put up in Aba. Look, this Umuahia must look like a state capital in all ramifications. Most visitors that come to the state the first point of call is mostly Umuahia, they may come and go without going to Aba, so the impression they carry away will permanently be in their minds. So you have to make Umuahia look like a state capital. You see, the truth is that we have invested more money in Aba than in Umuahia or in any other town in the state, in terms of power, in terms of construction of roads, in terms of opening up the drains, erosion control, in terms of refuse disposal. Aba generates over 5000 cubic metres of refuse on a daily basis and you may not know how much it costs us to cart away the refuse. No other town, even Umuahia, the state capital, generates such waste. If you leave the refuse just one day and you don’t refuse it, there may be an epidemic there. It’s not easy to do some of these things but we are not relenting in our efforts. Our critics are saying that we have neglected Aba just because of roads, of course you cannot do all the roads in Aba the same time. It’s one after the other but we are not relenting. Is roads everything? If you have the best roads but with insecurity will you still walk on such roads without fear? I have provided a conducive environment for people in the state to do their businesses and we are not resting on our oars. Some of them that were here what did they do to address the security problem in Aba? There were times banks were not opening in Aba but such things have become history now because we pressed the right buttons. Before now many people in Aba were hiding their expensive vehicles for fear of being kidnapped or fear of armed robbers but is that still the case now? If those that claim they did a lot of roads in Aba are telling the truth, then why should the people complain just after few years, where are the roads they claim they constructed? Abians know their propaganda antics and are not taking them serious. I am a man that came and restored security which is very important, I came and restored the health sector to keep them healthy. Security is first and foremost thing which I have provided and I have improved the health services tremendously so that they will be alive and healthy to do their business. It is sad that some distractors are somewhere leaving the main issue and merely talking of roads forgetting that roads without other sectors in place will still amount to nothing. You have to be alive to walk on the road, you have to be alive to carry out your work or business. We are not neglecting any sector and until I leave office, I will not neglect any sector. You have to be alive to the roads because construction of roads is something that is continuous. You construct, it gets bad tomorrow and you maintain it. It is something that every governor who comes here will do but in the case of insecurity, it does not come every time and when it comes you tackle it head-on and still put surveillance on ground. I know how much we spent when there was insecurity here but now it is history and I am happy with what we were able to do.
What does the recent National award, CON mean to you?
It means a lot to me. It shows I am recognized by my country, that my efforts towards uplifting my state and the country have been recognized by the federal government. So, it gives me joy that my efforts to play my little part for humanity are appreciated. It is not a dash; it is not an honour for every person. Many people desire it but they don’t get it but I got it after a thorough assessment by a group of intelligent, eminent and worthy committee members of well-respected citizens. You have to be qualified to merit it. The committee put you on a scale of test including integrity test and if you pass, they will mark good for you and if you fail they will put you aside. Look, it is not all the names sent that survives the committee’s screening. That I got the award after the screening shows that I am doing well and for me, it is a challenge to do more. I thank God and the federal government for giving me the award.
Some of your critics say you have an anointed candidate as your successor. Is it true?
The only process I know is the primaries. Any anointed candidate, if there is anything like that, must come through the primaries; nothing more, nothing less. It is both the party and Abians that must be involved in the process of electing the person. I cannot impose any person on Abians; the person that will emerge as my successor must be the choice of the majority of Abians. He who passes the primaries is my anointed person.
There is still this persistent call for you to represent your senatorial zone at the Upper House. Have you decided?
The urge has been tremendous and I have seen that if you don’t answer the clarion call you are going to fall out with your people. The urge is not only from Abia Central, it’s also from Abia North and South urging the governor to go to the Senate and this is the first time it is happening in this state, that people are calling on a sitting governor to go to the senate. The form was bought for me not with my money but stakeholders in the state went to buy the form for me to show how serious they are. Well, at the appropriate time, I will speak on the issue and I will invite the Press on my position.