INFRASTRUCTURAL MILESTONES OF GOV. T. A. ORJI AMIDST DIVERSIONARY CRITICS AND HIRELINGS
I recently took a scheduled official trip to Abuja and during one of the social frenzies, I and my dependable friend of University years anchored at one of the numerous spots in the capital territory to unwind and exchange banters and pleasantries. Scarcely had we settled down to order our delights than my friend fired me a salvo: “what do you make of this allegation that Governor T.A. Orji visits Abuja on a weekly basis and each which gulps a lot of money?” This was among other diatribes authored by one Mr. Okhiria Agbonsuremi, who as it where, operates behind the envelope created by Ray Power 100.5FM Abuja: “Political Platform” to hurl all manners of outrageous vituperations on innocent public office holders like Governor T.A. Orji of Abia State. I acknowledge in totality, the recent position of Ochendo T.A. Orji, during one of his publications, which sought to welcome criticisms and or public perspectives on seeming interactable matters so long as it is done with an air of civility and decorum of conduct. My confirmatory enquires on the existence of the programme and Mr. Okhiria Agbonsuremi's penchant for making Abia his daily subject of discussion, got me livid with anger, having reconciled same with what is presently the situation at home, and the deadly extent some of us in the pen-profession can go in propagating our malicious falsehood.
If the government of Governor T.A. Orji decides to engage Mr. Agbonsuremi in a legal debacle, will he provide evidence to substantiate his wishy-washy claim that the only thing a sitting governor in the capacity of Chief T.A. Orji does is to stroll into Abuja every week, waste money, go back to Abia and wait for another week. Haba!! This is the height of media caricature. The journalism we profess demands that you consult the two sides to an issue before domiciling it in the public knowledge. I can beat my chest to posit without fear of contradiction that Mr. Agbonsuremi has not made any overtures to any of Governor T.A. Orji's aides with a view to clarifying and or denying his fabricated concoctions. To think that Mr. Agbonsuremi has been feeding Abians resident in Abuja with this incredulous hoax makes it more saddening. I have had course to ask: “of what benefit will it be to a man of Edo origin to cause confusion and disaffection in Abia where he has no stake, if not on the simple premise that he is acting an authored script to satisfy some perceived interest who do not want to identify with the new face of Abia State?
Again, I want to acknowledge another intelligent observation of Abia State Governor which was recently made public during one of his media outing: “Some people have eyes, but mischievously choose to remain blind; otherwise, they will admit that our genuine effort at providing the dividends of democracy is yielding fruits, and they will remain blind.” Mr. Agbonsuremi opted for this class of blind and politically maimed folks whose mind-set is programmed to under-mine others. Else he would have struggled to see the now dualized federal Aba –Owerri road having claimed that he visited Abia on official visit and did not see a single construction work going on anywhere.
A black mailing journalist like Agbonsuremi in my candid opinion should not be prominently positioned to ply his trade in a credible medium like Ray Power 100.5fm Abuja to avoid his verbal abuse on peaceful public servants like Governor T.A. Orji who do not curry praises through gratifications. His stout and principled position is that Chief Sam Mbakwe of blessed memory suffered the same fate but today people have counted miles to adjudge him a performer.
It will not be strategically expedient to further dissipate precious energy reacting to the amusing and obvious obscenities of Mr. Agbonsuremi but not before I draw his attention to numerous infrastructural strides of Governor T.A. Orji, which has even been aired on African independent Television. Management of Daar Communications Plc, which as it were, superintends over these subsidiaries, should not erode our confidence by condoning the frivolities of employees like Mr. Agbonsuremi. I may not be holding brief for others, but his constant and hyperbolic utterance is over staying its welcome in the ears of numerous listeners of Ray power 100.5fm Abuja.
Against the back drop of obvious and glaring paucity of funds largely championed by abysmally low and insufficient federation allocation, and recently aggravated by the destructive global economic melt-down, Governor T.A. Orji has comparatively and conscientiously instituted a reliable path-way for the attainment of infrastructural and socio-economic light for Abia State. Consequently, we are well aware that in the face of a fluctuating allocation, which hovers at boom time between 3- 3.5 billion naira monthly, Abia State whose civil service emolument has risen to N2.5 billion, will in a matter of months take possession of their new twin and ultra modern workers secretariat. This will be closely followed with the investor's magneting International Conference Centre with the capacity to seat over 3500 participants. The old and existing workers secretariat is having a touch of modernity so as to synchronize with the emerging new look at Ogwurube Layout upon which the amazing Central Bank of Nigeria and the re-built Customary Court of Appeal are situated.
A Shouting distance from the Customary Court of Appeal will un-wrap the fast sprouting new government house Umuahia, which succeeding administrations in Abia State have not mustered the courage to bequeath the state. This is just as the project-dominated initiatives of Governor T.A. Orji will not permit him to leave the State Broadcasting Service alone. The contractor handling the office complex of the station recently reiterated his determination to deliver on or before the expiration of June.
The new office complex for judges at the State High Court is rapidly being constructed. In the same vein, Commissioners' Quarters, is receiving massive expansion with the addition of new buildings. Few months' back, the new and Ultra-Modern Planning Commission was dedicate by Governor T.A. Orji himself, for optimum execution of government business.
The Governor has also commissioned the Merry Go Round Ahia-Eke –Umunna-Orpet Road that connected the World Bank-Agbama Road. Same day also heralded the celebration of Okwuta-Bende Link road all situated in Abia Central, which proudly plays host to Umuahia, the State Capital.
The destructive voyage of Mr. Agbonsuremi to Abia if he made any beclouded his sense of objective judgment. In a bid to satisfy his piper blowers, he ignored the exhilarating and pervading sigh of relief ruling the air in Aba, African's commercial hub.
Located in the southern geo-political configuration of Abia State, the verifiable reality is that things are looking up in Aba now. The emotional and fatherly concern of Governor T.A. Orji in the first instance compelled him to urgently award the construction of an over-head bridge at Abia State Polytechnic, Aba. This strategic and calculative intervention is presently mitigating against incessant road mishap which occurs at the Polytechnic's gate.
De-flooding and construction of drainage at the popular Ukwu-Mango to connect A line at the Ariaria International Market, opened up Faulks Road. Informed and objective minded Abians are perfectly in the know that before now, the Ukwu-Mango - Faulks road, was a dead end and residents of Aba have lived with this nightmare for over 20 years. The good news is that a thoroughfare from Faulks road will ultimately terminate at the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road end of Ariaria International Market. How else can we describe a groundbreaking move, if this is not one? The flood prone Ohanku road has been connected to Ehi Road. A drainage work is on going at the East end by Dan Fodio. This will see to it that collected floods are emptied at waterside. Construction of Port-Harcourt road is being complemented with drainage, coupled with de-silting of blocked flood channels to facilitate the comprehensive collection and evacuation of floodwater. At Osisioma junction, same flood concern is being tackled, after which the Osisioma-Ekeakpara road will be re-constructed. The East/Ahia Udele-water side erosion control is a commendable effort of Governor T.A. Orji's government. His people oriented government is dealing with the Obikabia-Isiala Ngwa North express road. The Obohia-Ugwunagbo road is on going, and it is the situation at cemetery road, Ehere road, Umuola road and Old Express-Samec road.
In Abia North, the Governor's onslaught on infrastructural challenge has been awe-inspiring. Ohafia Arochukwu road is being rapidly constructed. Same is the case at Ndioji, Ndiokereke-Abam road, Amekpu-Okagwe Ohafia road, Umuahia-Nkpa-Express road, Nunya-Eluama-Isuikwuato road, Ovim-Acha Isuikwuato road, Ozuitem-Umuhuezechi – Abam road and Imo Bridge at Nneato.
Time and space will obviously constrain me to further educate gropping critics like Agbonsuremi, that Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre located in Umuahia and Aba is already admitting patients from neighbouring states who throng the hospital with critical and delicate ailments like livers, heart, kidney, eye and other allied challenges. This is in addition to over 210 health centers located in all the nooks and crannies of the state, and the diagnostic center is freely available for Mr Agbonsuremi to do a mental check up so as to enable him crosscheck facts before playing to the gallery.
As earlier on somewhere indicated, these submissions are verifiable and for which I challenge the likes of Mr. Agbonsuremi to officially visit Abia State with a view to ascertaining the veracity of this claim or otherwise. Armchair critics, whose indulgence is to deride the innocent, will before long crash their career. Let us look before we leap and refrain from un-solicited exaggeration of Abia matters. Governor T.A. Orji is not in the league of those who institute democratic dividends on the blitz of media platforms.
The state is evidently on-course and in the words of Chief T.A. Orji, history will vindicate the just.
Iyke Ogbonnaya wrote in from Umuahia.
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