Nigeria: Abia - A State in Purgatory
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Lagos)
OPINION
April 10, 2007
Posted to the web April 10, 2007
Dick Ulu
Lagos
What chances does Abia stand to be redeemed out of its long gruelling experiences of the past years? Years of frustration that has created nothing, no succour, no hopes but a lethargic state. For Abia, it has been a vision less endeavour and a crass exhibition of ineffectual managers in governance in which those who would have made a difference were readily relieved of their positions.
Many Abians already believe that the last eight-years is probably closer to full blown hell than purgatory. Yet, people of this state as well as people of other states know that Abians are profoundly endowed. Abia is full of natural, skill, and entrepreneurial resources that if exercised properly would lift the people and place to admirable new heights. Indeed, make it a new bench mark for state development in the country.
For the benefit of doubt, and lest it is over sighted, Abia was home to a number of thriving state-owned manufacturing enterprises before now. These include, the Golden Breweries, the brewers of one of the most successful regional lager beers-the oyoyo nmim ; a glass industry, Aba textile mills, Akwete Weaving, etc. On the private sector, the state also enjoyed a proliferation of a lot of SME from cable factory, furniture works, metal fabrication, even herbal preparations and more.
Unfortunately, hardly any of these have survived the visionless, ineffectual and purposeless type governance. A purposeless governance produce bad governance inspite of rhetorics of good governance, transparency and accountability. A purposeless governance 'talk the talk' to the people whilst endlessly pursuing their wanton self interests.
Good governance is attainable, good governance is simply the product of, leadership (governance) with a clear purpose, a purpose out of the purpose of the state. Tell me, if we wish, that the state of Abia has no purpose i.e. a purposeless state. Then I ask why was it created? Was it a fall out of contemporary political expediency or a mere bloated patronage? If it was, a purpose could have been found after so long and can still be found.
There is no doubt, Abia was thought out as a way to facilitate the peoples' development through proper and focused development and application of its resources. I dare not attempt to inflict any more punishments to those patriots who fought to see the state of Abia created by discussing how their honest and selfless endeavours and expectations have been so abused by the pretenders of Abia.
Who are the 'pretenders' in question? The Abia pretenders are those who know nothing about governance but make hypocritical shows of patriotism and leadership. So they come, grand standing and falsely making their ways into political leadership to enrich themselves by looting and bleeding any viable public enterprise to death. Hence today Abia itself is so badly hemorrhaged. The project Abia becomes appropriated as personal project. These pretenders boast publicly to the people often claiming to be richer than the State.
Now, we have seen the pretenders in action, I ask is it not time enough to say no to them by choosing real people to lead Abia out of and away from purgatory? Real people of Abia are patriotic and selfless. They humbly and truthfully recognize that Abia is bigger than any individual or group of individuals, however much they own or have. We must stop this hemorrhage of Abia now or risk its eventual death.
Change may soon come. With change, perhaps hope, thank goodness for democracy and politics, both of which sustain the essence of choice and participation. The forth coming guber race will be test for the people of Abia. Again, Abians will be opportuned to decide to continue their mournful living or choose a visionary leader who will in turn lead them out of purgatory. The April guber election more than any others before, is critical to whether Abia continues in purgatory or proceed to hell or heaven.
Indeed, some passages in the Holy Bible aptly describes the preponderance of misrule and glut in Abia State since 1999. Proverbs 28 Verse 28B When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding Haven't Abians been in hiding? Proverbs 29 Vs 2 when the wicked rule, the people groan And now, Abians know better.
Legendary William Shakespeare in Julius Caesar gave mankind this admonition: There is a tide in the affairs of men which taken at the flood leads on the fortune; omitted all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries . Abians, it's now or never. This is a clarion call to all good people of Abia, to stand up now and make the RIGHT CHANGE. Lets take advantage of the tide at the flood and go for the fortunes otherwise continue to languish in purgatory. But God forbid such again.
Perhaps, we have all along never had a real choice in the governance of Abia State and therefore may be excused. Aptly captured by the Latin saying ex nihilo nihil fit meaning out of nothing comes nothing. But this time around we have a choice and a good one. Thank goodness, we also have Chief Onyema Ugochukwu in the race. The Abia Project may eventually be on the road to actualization when we elect Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, a real person, a seasoned person with credentials that include some of those rarest like integrity, humility, fear of God and genuine concern for all and above all informed courage. The bad times can be brought to an end to usher in good fortunes when Abians mass out to vote Chief Onyema Ugochukwu as Governor in April 2007.
An Onyema Ugochukwu government will herald a basket of attitudinal, behavioural and societal transformation. No more shall we be taken for such reckless long ride of mediocrity in which empowerment of people translate to creating Okada riders or law and order substituted by unleashing terror on the people. Have a life, regain your freedom of enterprise; vote Ugochukwu. Away with the pretenders and let your votes say enough is enough, I shall not dwell in purgatory in place of God's own state anymore. Do not complain any more just go for it. Send pretenders home for good.
Onyema Ugochukwu knows the difference. He knows your right and would not give rights as privileges. He won't give fish but teach you to fish. No hand-outs in lieu of failure to perform for you. This is the time to seize the tide and flood and go for your dream fortunes.
April 14th is the date to leave purgatory and commence your return to God's own state. Abians have a choice to either stay in perpetual degradation or step up to fresh vista of modernity, order and realistic development in all sphere of our life.
Related: Nigeria: Abia - A State in Purgatory
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Nigeria: Abia - A State in Purgatory: from allafrica.com
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