My Dear Governor,<\/p>\n
ABIA WORKERS AND PENSIONERS DESERVE THEIR PAY
\nPermit me His Excellency, to begin this letter by extending to you, a note
\nof felicitation on your recent victory at the Nigeria\u2019s Supreme Court. I
\nam glad that going forward, you now can settle down and attend to the
\nall-important task of governance and providing leadership to our
\nbeleaguered people. You will agree with me that our state has not been
\nentirely fortunate in matters of governance especially since the return of
\ndemocracy 18 years ago. Your predecessors- Orji Uzor Kalu and Theodore
\nOrji, the man who single-handedly railroaded you into the government house
\nwere at best, mediocre leaders who cared less about the masses. The men
\nwho came before you saw governance as a bazaar first and foremost.<\/p>\n
Your Excellency, I know for sure that in your private moments, you will be
\nwondering where the over 2 trillion naira that has accrued to the state
\nbetween 1999 and present have gone into. When you visit Anambra and ply
\nthrough their good road network system, you will be wondering why Abia
\nstate which got an even bigger share from federations account and IGR over
\nthe years cannot boast of anything similar in terms of road network.<\/p>\n
When you visit Onitsha and Awka and see the massive urban renewal projects
\nthe state governor has embarked on over the last three years, you will be
\nasking why Aba and Umuahia have remained an eyesore and a testimony of the
\nendless rot that has been the lot of Abia state while other states made
\nprogress. His Excellency, I am sure you will be burdened by similar
\nquestions when you visit Enugu state.<\/p>\n
You will agree with me that these states have done far better than Abia
\nwhen it comes to providing quality infrastructure for their people and
\ncommunities. Is it not shameful that while Enugu city ranks amongst the
\ncleanest cities in Africa, Aba without doubt is at the very top when we
\nbegin to count locations with the worst waste and dirt management records?
\nYou may also recall that the situation was not any better when you headed
\nthe state\u2019s environmental management agency- ASEPA. His Excellency, why
\nhas Abia gone far behind states like Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi when it
\ncomes to promoting and sustaining sound initiatives to promote governance
\nand administration? His Excellency, the Ebonyi state government is leading
\nthe nation in rice production and other initiatives to mechanize farming
\non the largest scale, Anambra is not too far behind. Enugu is remodelling
\nschools, empowering their people and preparing the state for the emerging
\nnew world. Where is Abia in all of these your Excellency? As shocking as
\nit may sound sir, Imo state appears to be doing much better than the state
\nyou now govern.<\/p>\n
What has happened to God\u2019s own state sir? As bad as your colleague- the
\nloquacious and dubious Rochas Okorocha is, he appears to have done far
\nmore than you and your predecessor combined have offered to the people of
\nAbia. Go round Abia sir, what landmark structure has been constructed in
\nAbia in the last ten years? What grand initiative has been put in place to
\npromote youth employment, economic empowerment and quality education? Sir,
\nwhere or in what area has Abia led the way in our beloved Biafra land?<\/p>\n
Enugug and Anambra lead the way in the provision of quality
\ninfrastructure, Ebonyi and Anambra are ahead in agriculture, Imo has
\nsomething that appears like magic going on in\u00a0 education- yes, it does not
\nappear real but at least, something is happening, what exactly is going on
\nin Abia sir?
\nDue credit to you sir. I must tell you that I am deeply impressed with
\nyour efforts to promote the Made-In-Aba brand.<\/p>\n
I tell you that you are doing what is right and you are encouraged from
\nthis quarter to keep up the good works. The best works of our people must
\nbe showcased on a global scale and I am personally proud of what you have
\nstarted and strongly wish you to continue.<\/p>\n
That brings me to the next and perhaps this letter\u2019s key object of
\ninterest. His Excellency, workers in the state are dying of hunger. I
\ndon\u2019t mean dying figuratively, they are dying real death. They are
\nchocking and starving to death sir- right under your watch. They can no
\nlonger buy food to eat, majority have withdrawn their kids and wards from
\nschools, some have since been pushed away from their rented buildings by
\ntheir landlords who are also feeling the bites of the present economic
\nreality.<\/p>\n
His Excellency, majority of Abia workers are becoming despondent,
\ndepressed and are being pushed to extreme measures by the inability of
\nyour government to pay salaries regularly and consistently.<\/p>\n
His Excellency, why will Abia be owing her workers when Enugu and Anambra
\nstates are paying as at when due? It is on record that Abia earns more
\nincome than these states. Why can\u2019t the workers in the state receive their
\nmoney as at when due? I know Federal Allocations have fallen but I am not
\nsure Anambra and Enugu states had their allocations raised. Please if you
\ncannot decipher how they are able to pay their workers as at when due from
\na distance, kindly pay the governors a friendly visit to learn a thing or
\ntwo. Abia workers can no longer suffer the indignity of indebtedness to
\nalmost everyone. They can no longer continue to live with the shame of
\ncalling people all over the place to send them money. His Excellency,
\nthese people are working and a worker according to the Holy Book deserves
\nhis wages. The case of Abia workers cannot be different.<\/p>\n
Kindly pay them whatever is due them at the end of each month. It is not a
\nprivilege sir, it is their due right.<\/p>\n
His Excellency, you may be shocked to realize that your made-in-Aba
\npromotion would fail woefully if workers in the state cannot patronize
\nwhat is manufactured in Aba because they are owed a backlog of salary
\narrears. A man would need food in his stomach before he can start sampling
\nthe latest flip-flop from Aba. I would tell you what your are not been
\ntold by your sycophantic aides and carpet beggars. \u00a0The workers in the
\nstate wanted you to lose at the Supreme Court, not because they were so
\nexcited about anyone else taking over. They just got tired of the quality
\nof leadership your political family offers.<\/p>\n
If you permit me, I would tell you that the people just want someone who
\nhas had no dealing with the government of Orji Kalu and Theodore Orji.
\nThey wanted a face who is not use to being in government because your
\nfolks and yourself have been nothing but total failures. They needed
\nsomeone who is not given to deceit and employment of the BCA for lies and
\nwrench gutting praise singing. They wanted someone who will pay them by
\nthe 25th of every month, someone who will build their roads, build new
\nschools and repair existing ones, someone who will revive agriculture with
\nall sincerity and seriousness- not on BCA. They want someone who will show
\nthat Abia is not cursed. They wanted to be lead by someone who has no
\naffiliation with Eunice Uzor Kalu or the Theodore Orji family.<\/p>\n
You can reverse this negative perception Mr Governor. You can start today.
\nYou can start by offsetting the salary arrears of the state workers and
\npensioners immediately. His Excellency, cut off all ties to the Ochendo
\npolitical cult. Stop all payments to them and use that money to work for
\nthe state. Ngige did it. Theodore Orji himself did it. You too should. You
\nmust liberate Abia from the curse of greedy leadership. The workers are
\ndying and you have to stop them from going into their graves with curses
\non their lips.<\/p>\n