By Chidozie Anthony
On February 17 of 2020, there were sponsored publications on various newspapers alleging that N500m was withdrawn by the Sen Theodore A Orji administration of Abia state from the security votes of the state and transferred to personal pockets of his family. The question that has not been answered is how that is even possible.
What exactly is the truth?
Has Abia State, ever received such amount as security votes? No! Here are proofs of this.
Abia state between 2007 and 2015 before Sen T A Orji left government, his government got a total of N38.7bn and the disbursements were itemised by him to the EFCC and they signed off on it as true. In none of the matters was he indicted to have diverted the monies to his personal pockets. If there’s anything about the man Sen T A Orji, it is his loyalty to the people of Abia state regardless of whatever zone an Abian is from.
The claim that Abia under the tenure of Sen T A Orji even received Ecological funds also turned out to be false and the EFCC also confirmed it and the financial records of the state prove it to be true. Senator T A Orji and his family have been a subject of attacks over frivolous allegations just as yesterday’s own and will not stand as usual unless there are state and non-state actors who are hell-bent on driving their personally conceived notions of supposed ownership of the state.
This brings me to the point where I am rudely reminded of how a certain group of people went and forged a supposed Hari Krishna paper claiming that it was an oath between the current governor of Abia state HE Okezie Ikpeazu and Sen T A Orji as a contract to rob Abians of their heritage and dividends of democracy. That has also been proved to be false.
The Orji family has been under many forms of media attacks over the years and one begins to wonder if there is more to this than meets the eye.
Yesterday, as the media space buzzed with screaming headlines “T A Orji and Son arrested by EFCC”, a cursory look at the people propagating the news without confirmation or knowledge of what transpired is enough to tell you that it is a politically motivated action aimed at diminishing the towering image of the man T A Orji and his son who has been the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly in the second tenure of HE Okezie Ikpeazu and brought meaningful and impactful legislation to Abia state and its people.
This brings me to the question; WHO IS AFRAID of the ORJI family?
After the media buzz which died almost immediately as it started, EFCC released a press statement clearing the air on the purported arrest and also informed the public that there was no arrest nor was there any form of questioning as the Senator was met at the airport while trying to board a flight for his trip for which he has been cleared by the financial crimes commission to travel as at yesterday.
News also had it that Engr Chinedum E Orji, the current speaker of Abia state House of Assembly and son to the former governor and serving Senator for Abia Central willingly came to Abuja upon learning of his father’s purported arrest and both went home together before evening.
A simple question is; if anyone had anything to hide or run from, would he have taken that bold step and turned himself in to the EFCC?
The Speaker has long returned to his home and is even more relaxed than he is because as they say ” a clear conscience fears no accusation”.
You may try to pull a man down but you can only succeed if God allows it and God is not a God of injustice so those who are hellbent on destroying others will definitely meet their doom.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent opinions and viewpoints of StandardObsevers.com
