Eddie Onuzuruike
The month of November spawns famous birth days, events in history, locally and abroad. DR Nnamdi Azikiwe, Odumegwu Ojukwu, Muazu Babangida Aliyu are known November People. Further abroad, Spiro Agnew, a modest former American veepee, Marie Curie, great French scientist are November niners. November is not lacking in events either. In November 1946, Karol Wojtyla who later became Pope John Paul 11 was ordained, so did American president John Adams in 1800 become the first to live in the executive mansion later known as the White House.
Senator T A Orji was born in this famous month on the ninth day of 1950. Do we belabor many writers who prognosticated that when special ones are born, there are signs and wonders foretelling events yet unknown to the commoners?
Chief Tom Ikoro Orji knew this very well and so did not need any fortune tellers when he celebrated exceptionally. The first to erect a story building in Umuahia colonial metropolis outside the colonial relics and equally the first to own a double barrel gun which he straddled across his back as he mounted his motorcycle- a very rare possession those days.
In those days, guns in Igbo land were rarely for killing human beings except for the colonial authority that were then trigger happy, killing the 18 striking miners in Enugu in 1949, sadly in November too, and the female rioters in Aba where about fifty were killed in 1929.
Guns in traditional Igbo society were telegraphic and harbingers of many sorts. cannons announced the deaths of great men and the births of prodigious children. In like manner, Chief Tom Orji Ikoro, Special warrant chief did not spare his cartridges as he boomed excessively in all directions. Hail him! A new Child is born.
Chief Theodore A. Orji, a lone child that became the darling of multiple uncles and aunts came from a beloved wife. We can without fear of blasphemy liken him to the mustard seed that though little became the hugest and tallest tree that has offered refuge to birds of the air and a massive shade for the famished, thirsty and weary.
The Igbos staunchly believe that there is magic in the name and Ochendo like his father’s double barrel gun has projected his true name, Ahamefule where the Igbos have their name restituted and soaring high. Ochendo, though a title has resonated loudly in historic deeds.
Theodore Ahamefule Orji, unarguably has lived the full meaning of his name protecting people, preserving the heritage and extrapolative in a big array of Igbo accouterments. He joined the civil service in 1979, diligently rose to the apex that was capped with the appointment as Chief of Staff which spanned meritoriously for 8 years. His attributes leapt higher in the 8 years of political voyage where his statesmanship was unveiled as he ranked as the first civil servant to transmute to the highest political office in the state as the 3rd democratically elected governor.
In his 8 years of governorship, amid scintillating challenges that read like impossible situations in Hardly Chase novels and Clint Eastwood films, he emerged unscarred. If you have any doubt, google ‘kidnapping in Abia’ and you’ll read about daring situations that frightened the lionhearted. Aba, the commercial nerve center booming with trade and industries, incidentally the most populous in the state became a ghost town overnight. Banks went on emergency shutdown, the police armory and assault vehicles witnessed the biggest challenges worst ever. These daring times within a short period like a nightmare, fell on him like an idle wind and caused the former IG of police, Mr. Mohamed, to declare openly in an interview that ‘Abia is a case study.’
Most of his reforms got chroniclers to dub him the modern father of Abia State. His legacy projects are purely legacy for which he will continue to be remembered. One of them is the International Conference Centre which he built and was said to be modern, equitable to the extent that it can rub shoulders with the ones in Pretoria and Johannesburg South Africa. Dr Adewumu Adesina, former Minister of Agric and now President of African Development Bank, took up Abia citizenship due to the Agricultural reforms. Dr Onyebuchi Chukwu, in his series of visits to Abia, cutting tapes and unveiling structures of Health buildings and sophisticated installations at the Abia specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre was greatly impressed. On these occasions, he was astounded and kept asking for more and Ochendo kept giving.
The diagnostic is a centre where one drop of blood can give hundreds of diagnostic results. Not only that, all departments were located in a single place spawning a chest center, optometrist’s and ophthalmological haven, MRI and uninterrupted power supply. With all these, Abia got listed into medical tourism in a robust synergy with an Indian firm, MECURE.
In recent political forays in the upper legislative arm as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he has equally reflected his shiny armor with bills and motions lined up at different stages and readings.
It may not have been a smooth journey, but when the going gets tough, the tough keeps going. Come to think of it, are there roses without thorns? For the long ranger, it is always a medley of fair and foul experiences, where expressways suddenly meander into bush paths.
Most of the time, you need to save people from themselves. The political situation in Abia where the governorship loathed a particular senatorial zone left the whiff of segregation and discrimination. The Ukwa na Ngwas, highly talented, multicultural and productive with their vast land spangled in 9 Local Governments Areas, had everything but the governorship. It got to the stage where they were scoffed at as the land of deputies having the highest turnout of deputy governors, ranging from Uzoigwe, Abaribe, Cosmas Akomas, Nwafor and Emeka Ananaba. Their political bellyache was cured by Ochendo’s tonic of equity alchemy.
For insisting that power must shift, his friends deserted, allies of many years decamped into inglorious associations most of them for itching palms sake and personal aggrandizement.
Right now he is vindicated. According to Nelson Mandela, ‘there are times when a leader must move out ahead of the flock, go off in a new direction, confident that he is leading his people in the right way.’
Ochendo went the right way. The Ukwa na Ngwa have the crown. T A is in the senate and Abia is happier. The aggressive challenge by Alex Otti and his friends have capsized like a big boat in a shallow stream. The results of governorship elections 2015 have been upheld by the governorship Election Tribunal. What a happier 65th birthday gift to Ochendo in this month of November, the birth month of Zik of Africa, Marie Curie and others.