Nigeria: A Fresh Start for Orji in Abia

Vanguard

24 June 2011

Nigeria: A Fresh Start for Orji in Abia

 

Anayo Okoli

THE April 2011 elections have come and gone. And in Abia State, like other states where elections, specifically governorship election held, Chief Theodore Orji was inaugurated on Sunday May 29, 2011, and he has since began a four-year journey into his second term.

His inauguration followed his declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the governorship polls, which was contested by 20 political parties. Four of the political parties are already at the tribunal protesting against the INEC's decision, alleging various degrees of irregularities at the polls against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Orji, who will clock 61 years this year, was born in 1950 in Umuahia, the present capital city of Abia State, to the family of late Chief Tom Orji Ikoro, said to be a renowned warrant chief and a district officer (DO). Humane and unassuming, Governor Orji is of Ibeku stock. Ibeku is one of the clans that make up Umuahia. He was a civil servant, who rose to the pinnacle of his career, permanent secretary, before he retired. He is married to Mrs. Mercy Odochi, a strong force in his life, and they are blessed with five children, four boys and a girl.

His first term was not very eventful in terms of achievements. He was faced with many 'wars', in court by the opposition, which challenged his first election for three years, and his mentors, whom he later confessed to the people of the state, were holding him in bondage, and not allowing him to express his development vision.

So, the aggregate of these 'wars' frustrated him and he could not deliver to the people what he had in mind, according to him. Hopefully, the new regime that has just begun will be free from the encumbrances suffered in the first four years.