Chief Ikoh is the head of
Mezie Obodo, a socio-
political group in the South-
East. In this interview, he
describes the moves being
made to reconcile former
Abia State Governor Orji
Kalu and the incumbent,
Chief Theodore Orji, as a
development that would
uplift the state. He also
calls on the National
Assembly to create an
additional state in the
South-East. Excerpts:
By Charles Kumolu
The frosty relationship
between the former Abia
governor, Orji Kalu, and the
incumbent, Theodore Orji, is
believed not to be in the
best interest of the state.
What is your position on it?
I have been a very strong
advocate of reconciliation
between the two foremost
citizens of the state. One of
the traits of a good leader is
the capacity to reconcile with
those that offended you in
the time past. We should
borrow a leaf from God,
whose attributes include
forgiveness and
reconciliation. The former
governor led the people of
Abia and the present is
leading the people of the
state. This means the former
governor was at a time
leading the present and the
present is now leading the
former. Reconciliation is the
key word. There is a game
being played at the state at
the moment by government
functionaries. The
government functionaries
make merchandise of every
speech or move the former
governor makes, they begin
to run errand for Gov. Orji for
their personal pockets to
show their loyalty. They
believe the more they attack
Kalu, the closer they get to
Gov. Orji, that is chidish. The
governor should be wary of
people making money from
him from these issues. The
spirit of reconciliation should
pervade Abia. For the sake of
unity and progress, the two
foremost citizens of the state
should reconcile if there is
anything between them.
Publicly, they have not told
us there is any issue
between them but from the
body language and
insinuation of their aides,
you will know there is no
love lost between them. They
should sheath their swords
and forget what might have
happened in time past. We
should have a think-tank
comprising past governors
of the state, past council
chairmen, former ministries
etc to chart the way forward
for Abia. We should not be
politicking; this is the time to
build.
What is your assessment of
the incumbent Abia
governor?
I have stopped assessing
Governor T.A. Orji as well as
comparing him with other
governors based on people's
opinions because there is
confusion when you hear
the complaints of Abia
people against the governor
bordering on non-
performance and the
response of the governor.
In the same vein, the
governor has, at different
fora in Lagos, debunked
those allegations. He has told
us his limitations and the
reasons for his poor
performance, including his
resolve not to borrow money
to execute projects.
However, from my
perspective, I look at
governance as complete
business; if you want to
borrow; borrow and justify
it in terms of provision of
quality governance. It
doesn't make sence if you
don't want to borrow to
impact on the lives of people.
If you have to borrow to
make the people see the
dividends of democracy then
borrow reasonably to
improve the people's lot and
when the time comes the
people will pay the debt. You
are not borrowing for
yourself; you are borrowing
for the entire state. It
becomes an offence when
you borrow to put into your
pocket. I have refrained from
joining issues with the
governor on his
performance for the time
being. I give him another
year to see what he could do
before I would start
pointing out issues again.
Even as you have refrained
from commenting on the
activities of the governor,
civil servants in the state
are complaining of salary
arrears?
I have relations in Abia civil
service who are owed three,
four month salary arrears. It
boils down to the focus and
style of governance of the
governor. I don't see reasons
after subjecting workers to
clocking system, at the end
of the month you don't pay
them. It is inhuman and,
biblically, it is wrong as a
labourer is worthy of his
wages at the end of the
month, If you don't pay
workers it demoralizes them,
leading to reduction in
productivity and loss of
confidence in their employer.
Mezie Obodo is the largest
socio-political group in Abia
and, to an extent, in
South-East. What do we
expect from it in 2015?
I don't know how long I will
continue to deny the
assumption that Mezie
Obodo is not a political
group. It is not my personal
brain child. I only played a
role in its formation. It is a
social interest group that is
trying to help and
complement government
efforts in the environment
we are operating. It is made
of people from different
classes and political
affiliations. People who are
gainfully employed constitute
members of Mezie Obodo.
We do social activities not
political. However, if they
want me to push the frontier
forward, I will say, in 2015,
the group will play a role that
no political organisation or
structure has ever played.
Our interest is that the next
governor of Abia State and
some other states in South
East will come from the
Mezie Obodo structure. By
then, from a social interest
group, we could assume a
political position and, from
any political party, we could
push a candidate that will
bring the dream and
aspirations of Abia and other
states in the South-East
people to bear.
theodore-orji1
Somebody who will position
Abia and make it a model for
other states to copy will
come on board. That is our
vision and aspiration. Mezie
Obodo will bring sunshine
back to Abia and the people
will see light and appreciate
the essence of governance.
In this vein, we will play a
major role in 2015 in Abia
and in the South-East, but, at
the moment, we are not into
politics, we don't want to
engage in any political
activity. We have people from
PDP, APGA, PPA, ACN and CPC
and other political parties in
Mezie Obodo. It is a rainbow
organisation comprising
people who share aspiration
of what a community should
be; how people should be
helped and assisted. It is the
largest social group in Abia
State and, in fact, east of the
Niger.
The Igbo say 2015 is their
turn to produce the
president. Do you share
this aspiration?
Igbo's turn to rule the
country has been since
yesterday, not even today,
not even 2015. That is, it is
long over due. We have
people to occupy the
position. We have the talent
and we are enterprising
enough to steer the ship of
the nation. In 2015 when
Igbo man will be in Aso
Rock, that is when Nigeria
will experience growth,
innovation, direction and
purposeful governance. It
must be somebody who has
the qualities and attributes
of the Igbo man. It is high
time we came up with
platform to steer the ship of
this nation to its destiny.
The National Assembly is
amending the Nigeria
Constitution. What are your
expectations?
I expect a true constitution
that will operate in its letter
and spirit, devoid of
ambiguity. I expect a
constitution that will address
the imbalance among the
regions especially the
creation of additional states
for all the regions to have
equal number of states. The
South East obviously should
have additional state(s) no
matter how it is done. Do the
right thing now matter how
it is arrived at. We should at
the end have a constitution
that has the imprint from the
people and not made by a
certain class of the society.
The constitution should give
full autonomy to the local
government; a local
government system whose
finances should not be
controlled by state
government. A council
system that would operate
from the center to bring
down governmental impact
to the lowest rung of the
society is the type of
constitution that should be
in place. Presently, the
governors are running the
councils as their private
estates. To me, local
government does not exist.
No opposition party wins a
council election just because
a governor conducts the
election and puts the people
he wants in order to control
the councils' funds.
Former Governor Orji Kalu
has come up with NjikoIgbo
towards Igbo 2015 project.
Do you buy into it against
your own group?
It is a welcome development.
The group is the coming
together of the Igbo. One
thing about Kalu is that he is
very intelligent, hard working
and visionary, and he will
stop at nothing to make
sure he gets what he wants.
He is somebody who shares
the pains and joy of people.
We in Mezie Obodo will not
waste time to align with
such organisation that is
intended to improve the lives
of the people. We will join
forces with him to make sure
the aspiration of the people
is achieved in the Nigeria
Project.
* Orji Kalu
* Orji Kalu
Kalu has been very upbeat in
political activities and that is
a good signal especially in
Abia State that will show
those who roughshod the
people in the last election
that it is not going to be easy
for them in 2015. The
electoral fraud or heist of
2011 will never happen
again .In 2015, people will
vote and their vote counted.
What happened in Imo State
in 2011 will replicate in Abia
in 2015.
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