Orji Uzor Kalu’s conviction last Thursday by a Federal High Court in Lagos for misappropriating N7.65 billion belonging to the Abia treasury during his eight year reign as governor has again brought to the fore, the tragedy of misgovernance that has hindered development initiatives in the state in the last 20 years. There is the general conviction amongst most watchers of south east politics that Abia is the worst governed state in the region with poor infrastructure, aggravated poverty levels, dirty environment and a poorly motivated workforce as proof that something is definitely wrong with the prevalent leadership psyche in the state.
Why Kalu failed
As governor, Orji Kalu had the opportunity to transform the fortunes of the state, set Abia on the path of rapid industrialisation and ultimately, help the land fulfil its potentials as the creative hub of the region. Kalu became a governor in 1999 at 39, the youngest the state has ever had and many had expected him to employ the energy of his youth to develop the state as both Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy did after becoming presidents of the US in their youth. Unlike Kennedy who introduced what he called the “New Frontiers” to advance development across the US in the 1960s, Kalu had no grand ideas, no strong vision and most tragically, no sincere commitment to developing Abia.
A lot of commentators have tried to dissect Kalu’s failures as governor; while many blame his woeful outing on the limited education he had before becoming governor (his academic qualifications remain a major doubt till this day), others insist that the overbearing influence of his mother and other family members distracted him while for some other pundits, Kalu was a victim of his own ambitions.
Kalu wanted to build a political dynasty in Abia, he wanted to control the dynamics and rhythm of south east politics, he wanted to be president and who knows, he also had his sight on several business interests including oil and gas, aviation, media, real estate, construction and general contracts. Leadership experts would tell you that to succeed in an executive position; you need a single-minded devotion to your job, vision and a commitment to recruiting the best hands. Kalu had none. He was too distracted to be an effective governor. He was mysteriously renowned for hiring mediocres, men who bring nothing but greed and charlatanism to governance.
Abia would have been different; only if…
It is true that Kalu was not a pauper in 1999 when he emerged as governor. What is also true is that he had an insatiable hunger for money. Imagine what the N7.6 billion the former governor stole could have done for Abia- the number of teachers that could have been recruited, schools built, roads constructed and modern settlements established. Kalu never cared about Abia and had no qualms stealing everything for himself. The horrible road network you find in the state, the dilapidated school buildings, the paucity of teaching staff in most secondary schools and the state of moral decay in the state are all testimonies to Kalu’s failures as governor. Interestingly, he would likely spend the next twelve years at a correctional facility, serving his punishment for betraying the trust of Abia voters and sabotaging the future of its unborn generations.
Twenty years later, things remain the same
It however would be unfair to remotely assume that Orji Kalu was the only Abia governor that failed the people. Truth is: none of the tree governors that have ruled the state since 1999 has lived up to expectations. Matter of fact: each succeeding governor has been a worse version of his predecessor and in the estimation of political watchers, the incumbent Okezie Ikpeazu is the worst the state has ever been saddled with as even elementary matters of governance such as payment of salaries and pensions, repair of intra-city roads, evacuation of refuse heaps and management of transport services within the urban areas are certainly beyond the managerial scope of the governor.
It is hoped that one day, he would like Orji Kalu, stand before a judge to explain what he has done with the over 200 billion naira that has accrued to the state since May 2015 when he took over the reins of power. He won’t be in power for ever and his immunity would be yanked off as soon as he exits the office. Then, he would have his day in court. If there’s any lesson to be picked from Kalu’s ordeal, it is the truth that no crime goes unpunished- however long the wheels of justice grind- surely, everyone would have his moment with the judge.
The Theodore Orji Years
Another interesting character in Abia politics is Theodore Orji who ruled the state from 2007 to 2015. Orji was Kalu’s chief of staff for eight years- his longest serving aide and close confidant. Kalu pulled all the strings to make sure he was succeeded by his chief of staff and even when Orji was arrested by EFCC officials and dumped at Kirikiri Prisons for allegedly conspiring to loot billions from the Abia state public purse, Kalu took it upon himself to go round the length and breadth of the state, soliciting votes for his anointed successor. Orji Kalu, as many who are close to him know is a fighter who cannot be cowed by obstacles. Kalu was so determined that he must be succeeded by his chief of staff that not even a fierce opposition from the then President Olusegun Obasanjo could stop him. At the guber election held in April 2007, Kalu’s man crushed Obasanjo’s backed Onyema Ugochukwu of the PDP to emerge governor- even while in Kirikiri.
Things went smoothly between the duo after the May 2007 inauguration but skirmishes emerged and in less than three years into Orji’s reign. He fell apart with his benefactor, sacked all of Kalu’s men in his cabinet and demanded total loyalty from those who remained. Public facilities named after Kalu were quickly renamed and in the worst demonstration of political vindictiveness, Orji got the management of the state owned university in Uturu to revoke a public administration degree it had earlier issued Uzor Kalu while he was a visitor to the school. Kalu’s family was declared public enemy and commentaries were sponsored on the state owned radio to demonise the Kalus. Orji told stories of how Kalu’s greed, love of fetish practices and involvement the occultic made him severe ties with his mentor. The governor announced that he had liberated Abians from the demonic yokes imposed on the state by the Kalus and was prepared to set Abia on the path of rapid development.
The few things Theodore Orji refused to tell Ndi Abia
It was however not long before Abians discovered the real reason Orji pushed Kalu away: to make himself the sole proprietor of the Abia treasury. He perhaps got tired of sharing power and funds with Kalu and realised suddenly that he had the power to push him away. Theodore made himself the principality in the state’s politics, running public affairs as he saw fit and replaced the Kalu dynasty with the Orji cabal.
His hitherto unknown son- Chinedu- suddenly emerged as a major power broker, a go-to man for those seeking one favour or the other from the government. In no time, Chinedu whose career history was unknown emerged as one of the richest men in the state with alleged total control over the state’s IGR and other critical government privileges. He was also alleged to be responsible for vetting appointees, contracts and similar responsibilities you would have thought were the exclusive privileges of elected officials.
As with the Kalus, the interest of the state meant little to the Orjis. Aba and Umuahia became the garbage capitals of the world, roads were impassable and schools- especially those in the rural areas lacked teachers in critical subjects. Abia’s urban infrastructure was (still is) the worst in the old eastern region and for the Orjis, that was nothing to worry about, all that mattered was how much could be siphoned after several party leaders have been “settled.” Under the Orjis, Abia became a state where nothing worked and only sycophants and their families smiled on the regular.
At the end of Theodore Orjis eight years on the saddle, he handed over to Okezie Ikpeazu whose electoral victory was disputed up to the Supreme Court. The former governor retired to the senate while his son procured a seat for himself at the state house of assembly. Abia became a personal fiefdom of the Orjis and the people watched helplessly in shock.
It therefore came as a relief in November 2018 when the Punch newspaper reported exclusively that the EFCC had taken the former governor into custody to account for N27 billion which went missing in the state’s treasury during his reign. While we continue to wait for the outcome of EFCC’s investigations, spare a moment to think about the implication of this for the state: a former governor is in prison for stealing N7.6 billion, his successor is being investigated for allegedly defrauding the state of N27 billion.
Pray, can any state survive this level of mindless looting? Will Abia ever recover from the grand thievery of the last 20 years? Even more importantly, how much of these sums can be recovered and funnelled into urgent development projects in the state? Perhaps it is about time the question Peter Obi threw to Ndi Anambra in 2002 is directed at Ndi Abia: Are we cursed or are we the cause?
