Governor Orji and his verifiable projects

Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji of Abia State has executed road projects, achieved in the housing sector, education, agriculture and health sectors. Just to mention a few. The diagnostic centres he built in Abia State can stand among the best in the world. There is the Abia State Specialist and Diagnostic Centre which is among the best with state-of-the-art equipment in this part of the globe. There is the Ohobo Afara Housing Estate and other estates out there built by the governor.

Okagwe Road in Ohafia, Okwoi to Ozuitem Road, Workers' Secretariat, New Government House and Lodge, E-Library, JAAC building, International Conference Centre, ASEPA building, ASUBEB building, skill acquisition centres, Ovim Acha Road in Isiukwuato, modern bus terminal and Mechanic Village in Ohiya, Ochendo Liberation Estates, construction of general hospitals, Abia State Liberation Farms, ASOPADEC Complex, Lodu-Ndume-Ibeku Road,100-bed ward hospitals at different zones, PHCN station at Ohiya in Umuahia, Ubani Ibeku Modern Market, Industrial Market at Azueke, Aba Mega Mall, Shoprite in Umuahia, and youth empowerment project are among the many projects that this government has built in Abia State.

Seeing all these projects, it was Mr. Charles Ajunwa, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor who once confessed that His Excellency has turned Abia rural communities into urban towns. But one Ugochi Ndukwe circulated an article that was meant for the marines on January 20, 2015 titled, "The many failures of Theodore Orji". Ndukwe in her tales by moonlight baptized critique of the government was too lofty. You wonder who paid Ndukwe to circulate that garbage. She said that throughout the eight years of Governor Theodore Orji in office that she did not see any project that the governor had carried out. Such vicious lies against Governor cannot be taken with the kid's glove.

With her very poor grammar and incoherent sentences and paragraphs, it would behoove on us to tell Ndukwe that it is only the opposition politicians and critics of the government who have shown that they are not happy with the government of Governor Orji; 98 percent of Abia people are very happy with the government. This glaring fact pushed the people of Abia Central zone to call on him to represent them at the Senate.

Many of us knew that the governor delayed to accept when his people called on him to go for the senate. So, if he had not performed creditably well, would the people have reposed their trust in him to go for the Senate? One point.

Second point, Ajunwa while reacting to the call in the recent past, said that people know that Governor Theodore Orji has put up an outstanding performance through a very diligent service to the people. If the governor had not instituted any project in the state as Ndukwe wanted us to believe, the Governor's CPS would not had told newsmen that he believed that His Excellency would complete most of the projects he started.

While lecturing neophytes like Ndukwe on how government is run, Ajunwa said that if truth be told, government is a continuum and if there are perhaps some projects that he would not finish, his successor would take them up and complete them. Does Ndukwe know that Governor Orji still has some projects like the airport, seaport, among others, which are already on stream?

For the likes of Ndukwe, Ajunwa would say that Governor T. A. Orji's projects are labelled "legacy projects" and the reason is that those projects were not there before now and they ought to; if there must be genuine development, it is for a smooth take-off for the state but sadly enough previous governments played politics with them. According to Ajunwa, there are projects that must be completed and commissioned and the governor is deeply committed to them.

Hear Ajunwa: "For instance, the International Conference Centre is a world-class project and the place can contain over 7,000 people. It is a no mean feat, as we have never had such before. The one we have now have can take perhaps 500 and at the moment there is no week in the state that there will not be one event or the other, conferences or workshops, both private and government activities going on as a result of the peaceful environment that we have."

Point three, Ajunwa said that the International Conference Centre is a project that is almost completed. Already, ministries have moved in. It is now that a Government House and lodge are being put up because the present one is a rented apartment.

Hear Ajunwa again: "There is also a befitting JAAC building complex where the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the traditional rulers' council will move in. There is the ASUBEB building and we know that before now that parastatal used to be in a rented building but today the story is different."

Hear him: "Most companies find it difficult to hold their annual general meetings and other important meetings because of lack of space. These are some of the things that the governor factored in and said no, that Abia State, as a number one state in Nigeria, deserves a befitting International Conference Centre."

Today, Abians are happy with the edifice, a magnificent structure and very soon, it will be commissioned at Ogurube Layout with other projects too. Don't forget that the centre will not only create employment but will be a revenue generating venture because it will attract people from all parts of the world. The hospitality business will also enjoy from it because people coming in will have to stay in hotels and guesthouses of very good standards.

.Hart writes from Lagos