By Eddie Onuzuruike
An article, shabbily and hastily written and credited to one Uche Nwosu appeared on the social media, The News Gazette Online, an indication that the person is a guerilla author, who writes to be settled or gratified. If he was sure of his opinion and mission, he would have gone to the print media as they claimed on the byline that he had won laurels on investigative journalism.
The offensive title went thus, ‘Theodore Orji, a great Igbo mistake.’ I shouldn’t have glorified the author with a rejoinder just as I had ignored him for the past two weeks now, but, for the mere fact that facts are sacred and if ignored, the innocent public would assume that it is real.
In principles of Education, we were taught about aims and objectives when one sets out for a purpose. In crime theories, the investigator goes for the motives. What does Uche Nwosu want to achieve by this article? If he intended to run down Ochendo or diminish his achievements, he actually has failed woefully because Ochendo has made all the names he intended, got all the awards that mattered, made friends of impressive capacity, reached all the political heights anybody would dream of, as he is accepted in all geographical, economic and social circles, Ndi Igbo being one of them.
Who the hell is Uche Nwosu? Could he be the one who was appointed as a media aide by Ochendo when he was hunger-stricken and nearly cursed his Chi? Is Ochendo seeking for any political post, running for elections or scheming to be accepted in the Paris club?
As it is said that a drowning man catches any available straw, Nwosu did not adduce any fact to support his claims but only speculated. In fact, he should devote more time to study and practice puppetry instead of loading lies and fallacies as writing.
On the stale case of repatriated civil servants in Abia, it is unfortunate that a man who was employed by the Governor at the time and had all the access and audience, did not oppose neither did he advise against the incident only to turn back 10 years later to condemn the issue. Is it hind sight which they say is 2o2o vision? Or just hatred and calumny which psychoanalysts describe as being more injurious to the perpetrator?
The case of non-indigenous civil servants in Abia was one that took the waves in 2013 in Abia. According to the Gov. then, the salary wage bill was too enormous for the State Government complicated with returnees from other states where Abia people were ejected. Ochendo in order to rehabilitate Abia dislodged workers engaged other governors of the south east in a serious dialogue that lasted for several months. Some complied and others did not. Ochendo had no other option than to send them to their states.
This issue raged and dominated all discursions on Newspapers, radio and T V. Ohaneze inquired, many sociocultural groups intervened and Igbos in diaspora sent delegates to Ochendo and being a caring and listening Igbo son, gave audience to these groups to their satisfaction as he tabled solid reasons for his actions.
Ochendo wasn’t alone in this decision as he consulted widely involving Abia civil servants, leaders of thought, Abia Elders Forum, faith-based associations who supported this solution. A particular person, Rev. P J Okorie of the Methodist Church, who was a victim in one of the northern states joined the campaign and took to the air waves to drive the lesson home. As he rhetorically asked in one of the Radio programs in pacesetter F M Umuahia, can any sane person give out the only food in his house to strangers when his child is crying of hunger?
Funny enough, most of these people were teachers in Aba who congested the primary and secondary schools and beat the UN stipulation of pupil to teacher ratio in a classroom. Many of these Urban schools had more than 5 headmasters and headmistresses in one school at the expense of schools in the rural areas.
Talking about Igbo interest, who has done more for Ndi Igbo than Ochendo? Starting from his name, Ahamefule, a potent Igbo factor, meaning, ‘let my name not be lost!’ He gave out more Jobs to diasporan Igbos willing to come back home, and equally accepted Abia civil servants displaced anywhere in Nigeria. As Gov. he created an office for an adviser on diaspora which wasn’t existent, sponsored him and his entourage on annual congresses of the World Igbo Congress in the Americas. He equally dialogued with NANA, an association for Nurses and Midwives of Abia origin in North America who once was led by Mrs Barth Nnaji, wife of Prof Nnaji of the Geometric Power Fame. While in Abia, NANA commended the Abia Diagnostic Hospital, where one of the nurses, testified that her mother’s trip to America was halted because she interacted online with the Doctors in the Amachara Branch. More of such groups followed added to those he saw while on holidays.
Additionally, he made huge donations on Igbo researches and reactivated the Abia State Scholarship Board, which awarded foreign scholarships to Igbo sons and daughters to study the sciences, including piloting and aeronautic engineering. What more?
Nwosu argued that Ochendo did not expel Hausas or Yorubas but Igbos. That states that it wasn’t a witch hunt but a clear cut policy. The people of other tribes employed in Abia were those who got command employments through NYSC, marriage or transfer of service from the Federal Service. How would you expel such categories? It is on record that some of these employees were recalled by their states but they refused as they were trading in Aba and Umuahia. To see their desperation, they thronged a political party campaign, swelling the ranks with promises to be reabsorbed. If the present governor is willing to take them back, non can stop him as governance is a continuous process. He libelously claimed that Ochendo made his son speaker. This lie revealed his hatred for the Orji family as Rt Hon Chinedum Orji became Speaker, four years after Ochendo left office.
Ochendo is grateful to God and has retired from active politics on his own volition. Look at these: Former Permanent Secretary, former Chief of Staff, former two-term Governor, and former two term Senator of the Fed. Rep of Nigeria! Who would wish for more?