t was a bad day for Governor Theodore Amaefule Orji, as he assembled a
battery of illustrious personalities to celebrate the 23rd anniversary
of the creation of Abia State in Umuahia last Wednesday.
Rather
than effusive praises, what came the way of the governor were a censure
from no less a person than multi-billionaire, Chief Arthur Eze, who
told the gathering dead pan that, “Abia State stinks.” Venue was the
Michael Okpara Auditorium in Umuahia, the state capital, where the
governor had gathered illustrious citizens of the state, some of whom
were to be given awards to mark the 23rd anniversary. In the session of
comments that preceded the awards ceremony, Chief Eze was recognised to
speak, and what he said, sent cold chill running down the spines of
majority of the people, particularly the governor. “Abia is stinking,”
Eze, believed to have the largest oil bloc in Africa, bellowed. The
audience was stupefied in shock, but more was to come. “Right from the
Abia Tower in Umuahia, the rot hits you.
Abia State is now the
dirtiest in the country. Garbage everywhere, along with bad roads. The
people are really suffering, and you see it in their faces. Are there no
elders in Abia again? If so, what are they doing?
What are the
senators, the members of House of Representatives and other elected
people doing? Nothing.” Then, pointedly, Chief Eze told the governor:
“If you do not know what to do again, please write to President
Goodluck Jonathan, and let him come to your aid. Abia State needs help.”
Having given the gathering a piece of his mind, Eze dropped the
microphone on the floor, and walked out. It was a dazed Governor Orji
who jerked himself out of stupor, and tried to rationalise what Arthur
Eze had said. He told the crowd that the man was referring to the
collapsed Port Harcourt / Aba Expressway, which is a federal road. But
the explanation sounded hollow to the governor himself, and after some
time, he left the venue of the ceremony, without taking questions from
journalists, as such occasion would have demanded. Speaking on the
incident, an associate of Chief Eze, told Daily Sun that the state of
Abia State was really dispiriting, with decay and despondency
everywhere. “I am sure most of the dignitaries quietly agreed with
Chief Eze, only that they could not do so openly. One must commend Chief
Eze’s courage for being bold enough to speak out. Not many people can
do so today. In Abia State today, there is the son of one of the elected
officials, called The Wind, who is like a terror. He silences all
opposition and deals ruthlessly with anyone in opposition to the
government. So, not many people can speak out. But we must commend Chief
Eze for his boldness and conviction.”
Source: The Sun
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