HAS GOD ABANDONED ABIA STATE?

The answer to this question appears obvious.
The physical, social, security and political rottenness that the state has become seem to be clear evidence that God has abandoned Abia, ostensibly known as “God’s Own State”.
If cleanliness is still next to Godliness, then Abia State cannot continue to be God’s own state. It must have been abandoned by God to have come to the point it is today. In 2005, my six year old son, after traveling from Aba to Calabar asked on our return to Aba and I quote: ‘is Aba the dustbin of Calabar?
When Olusegun Obasanjo garrulously worked this country as his vineyard as President for 8 years, he made one light touch-down visit to this state throughout that period. Even as Obasanjo who is considered to have wasted more resources of this country than the worst corrupt governor has done against any state, he practically hounded state governors whose corruption level could not even match his own presumed corruption level. He took issues with many governors on development of their states. In all the 8 years, Olusegun Obasanjo never said a word about Abia State. Once when he was asked about Federal roads in Abia State, he was heard saying: “ask your governor”. The truth is that he never bothered.
There is a truism that says ‘leaders are given or allowed by God,’ and ‘a people deserve the leaders they have’. On these premises, one can conclude that ‘if Obasanjo and Orji Uzor Kalu were given or allowed by God and are the leaders that Abia people deserved, then God must have long abandoned this state to these two deadly worms to canker Abia State at the same time and in the very threshold of development. It is doubtful that God would work in league with these two men.
Umuahia, the capital city of Abia State in the last 9 year now has not had a grain of sand added to it on what the late Sam Mbakwe did when he was governor of Imo State.
Aba, the commercial nerve center of Abia State has been tagged the “’ABA’ndoned” city. It has physically decayed as wood abandoned in the rain for several years would. Major roads have been cut into two or three impassable spots by erosion in the middle of the city without being fixed in 9 years. Federal, State and Local Government roads have remained unmaintained and no new ones have been constructed in Aba since Sam Mbakwe. Where any road has been built or repaired at all, the quality has been so criminally poor that they wear out with the very next rain.
If you travel to other states in Nigeria, you cannot but conclude that God has abandoned Abia state. In Imo State, Governor Achike Udenwa made a few imprints in other areas. But he took his senatorial zone – Orlu Senatorial Zone – that had received little or no development in the past and transformed it into an evidence of God’s presence among men. Roads were built, water projects were built and kept running till date, electricity projects were completed and commissioned.
In Ebonyi State, Dr. Sam Egwu impacted on the people as to their needs for roads, agricultural infrastructure and education. He built a University and a teaching hospital and equipped them. He gave out post-graduate scholarships to many indigenes to produce manpower for the university and the new state that has been disadvantaged over many years of neglect. At the end of his 8 years tenure, the people called him Emmanuel meaning God with us.
In Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige who should have had no qualms to get anything done since Olusegun Obasanjo paid all his evil-supervisory attention on him for reneging on the sale out of the State to his cronies, built roads and bridges and open up several Anambra State villages and communities connecting them in the circle of oneness which is evidence of God’s love among men.
Architect Obong Victor Attah transformed Uyo from one blind capital city with one inlet and few narrow outlet roads into a State capital connected by roads to all the major centers and local government council headquarters in Akwa Ibom State. His successor, Godswil Akpabio is doing much more proving that he is God’s will for the people. He has opened up the whole of Akwa Ibom State in a matter of 18 months with superb roads built by no less a company as Julius Berger.
Donald Duke transformed Cross River State from a sleepy civil servant State to the center of the world in Nigeria. If you lived in Calabar during pre-Duke time and came back now, you cannot recognize any road or location. They have all changed for good. Streets lined up by trees, paved roads with pedestrian walkways, refuse bins decoratively pinned to trees. On return to the South in 2005, but for Cross River State, I was about to conclude that God has shifted base to the Northern part of Nigeria. Donald Duke did not stop at roads; he provided running public water system that is functioning. He built up five other cities that had been in doldrums for decades. He transformed Ugep, Obubra, Ikom, Ogoja and Obudu. He brought the world to Obudu. Cross River State has far lower revenue allocation from the Federation Account and internally generated than Abia State. Donald Duke deserves a development established in his name. The only other governor in Nigerian history who can be considered close to Donald Duke is the late Sam Mbakwe of Imo State.
If cleanliness is still next to godliness, then Cross River State is truly the Canaan City of the God.
In this season of governance 2007 to date, some State Governors are already making giant strides either to improve on the achievements of their predecessors where they achieved anything or to break away from the circle of doom of the past and bring developments to their people. Notably among these are Godswill Akpabio in Akwa Ibom State, Fashola of Lagos State, Chibuike Amaechi of River State who in 18 months broken the Odili jinx that had indicated that Port Harcourt could not be developed.
As these giant strides are noticed all over Nigeria in this present political dispensation, just look around and or ask what is happening in Abia State. Well the only thing that is visible is the painted yellow cars and buses and “free” school mini-luxury bus with the picture of Governor T.A. Orji emblazoned on them. This is clearly reminiscent of days when all Abia State Government contracts awarded not by the State Government but by “His Excellency, the Governor”. All institutions are named after the Governor, all evidence that God is not among the people again.
The Niger Delta Militants in Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta States started kidnapping as a means to protest exploitation and provide resources for their military operations. Kidnapping, unjustifiable as it is, is a weapon employed by militants who are fighting for a cause. However, in Abia State, kidnapping has become a major criminal business and has become a daily scourge. Nobody is safe - little children, housewives, rich men and women and anybody considered to have money or someone who could spend money on their behalf. It started with targeting these people. These days there is no targeting. People are accosted on the road and abducted and ransom demanded. This is happening on daily basis. There are probably over 50 rings because of the number of kidnappings recorded in one day. They drive through the streets with their victims and are not challenged.
Recently, chiefs of one community visited another with items of customary warning to tell their children to stop kidnapping their sons and daughters; otherwise, it would be war.
Do we need to look for any further evidence that God has abandoned Abia State?
I sincerely wish to be wrong.
Francis.