* Orji

by Tony Icheku

In Abia State, the Ukwa-Ngwa, Abia South political elite are still firing from double cylinders over the visit of Speaker,  Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Chinedum Orji's visit to former governor of the state, and Senator representing Abia North,  Orji Uzor Kalu.

Latest outburst over the visit is coming from PDP big wig and former Commissioner,  Chief Don Ubani who has labelled Hon Orji a  'betrayer of trust' and urged him to resign as Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly for pledging loyalty to Kalu, an APC chieftain recently released from a Correctional Centre

Ubani, who hails from Abia South is agitated that besides snouting at his party and its current leadership,   Orji asked  Kalu, the Senate Whip - convicted for corruption by a Federal High Court for offences committed as governor - to come lord it over all Abia again.

The PDP chieftain, a former associate of Kalu in a text message fired  to Orji and ten members of the House from Abia South stated:

“Upon all I did for your father’s administration, I was unjustifiably owed seven months of my entitlements. I was not given a car as a commissioner that ceaselessly  defended the administration. There was no severance allowance! I endured all these, taking them as the outcome of man’s imperfection.

“But I am in pains to realise that you are a betrayer of trust. Inexplicably speedily, you ran to Chief Orji Uzor-Kalu, who was released from prison merely on technical grounds, to bow down and pledge loyalty. You did not only pledge loyalty to Chief Kalu of APC, you declared him the ‘Authentic Leader’ of, not even your Old Bende, but Abia State.

 “Democratic Ethics and Decency demand that you resign as Speaker in a PDP-controlled House of Assembly.”, Ubani argued

Ubani, a former Commissioner for Petroleum and Solid Minerals under former Governor Theodore Orji, father of the Speaker,  also alleged that Kalu, sued him for defending the Orji  family.


Theledgerng.com reports that early in the week, Reagan Ufomba, a PDP stalwart  derided Orji's invitation to Kalu as a case of the former handing  the latter a 'bounced check'.

Ufomba continued as follows:
"Mr Speaker merely handed over a bounced check to OUK ab-intio, when he referred to him as “authentic leader”.  OUK knows that the check he has can neither be cashed over the counter or through clearing", says Ufoma in a statement.

"It’s not debatable that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is the legitimate repository of state powers.

"People should therefore not break their heads over an infantile call made to humour a guru to usurp our sovereignty.

"This is because no vacancy existed in government house Umuahia. In fact both the ‘hander’ and ‘handee’ know that non exists. The other puzzle has been who “the counterfeit leader” is?

"Mr Speaker could not have given what he does not have. Is it political game?
Time shall tell"