www.yesneko.com

GOVERNOR KALU'S DIVISIVE PERSONAL RULE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

BY

Vincent O. Erondu

Abia State traditionally consists of northeastern Igbo and southern Igbo. Administratively, the people of this area were in the old Bende and Aba divisions. Bende division comprises southern Igbo of Umuahia and its environs and northeast Igbo of Umunnato, Ohafia and Abam, while the Aba division consists of southern Igbo groups of Ngwa and Ukwa (Asa and Ndoki). In spite of little cultural differences between the two Igbo groups, they share a lot in common. They were together in the old Owerri province, Aba-Umuahia province, Umuahia province, and today in the . All these years, there has been no division, no in-fighting or marginalizations of any component of this area or domination of one area by another part of the State. The only recorded division and marginalization were the ceding of 17 villages of Ukwa in old Aba division to the Rivers State - a State that also consists of southern Igbo groups and other ethnic nationalities.

Since May 1999 that removed from power the military juntas that oppressed the country for decades and embraced democracy, there has been a remarkable shift from dictatorship, intimidation and unaccountability in the governance of the country to the rule of law. Every State has shunned the above tenets of military rule and replaced them with a functional democratic government, a system that recognizes separation of powers among the three organs of government. The legislatures at the Federal and State levels of government have become functional. State Houses of Assemblies have long resumed duties making laws, considering bills introduced by the executives, checking and balancing excesses of the executive branch where prevalent without intimidation, molestation and undue interference by the executive. Abia State is an exception to this new order. The State merely changed from a military dictatorship to a civilian dictatorship.

Barely three months of Orji Ugor Kalu's swearing in as the Executive Governor of Abia State, Kalu's administration was besieged with controversies, various kinds of allegations that included the use of vigilante groups against political and personal opponents, improper interference with law enforcement in the State, releasing suspects before they are charged (as in the case of two Ubakala boys who were mistakenly killed at an Umuahia restaurant), sponsoring impeachments against fellow elected officials and contradictions. Regrettably, the then secretary of Abia State Government on whose orders those innocent citizens lost their lives at Umuahia are at large while the errand boys are languishing in detention awaiting trial.

The first bill Governor Kalu sent to the Abia House of Assembly after the confirmation of his administration's commissioners by the Abia State House of Assembly was the impeachment of the

visit us at www.yesneko.com www.yesneko.com

deputy governor of Abia State, Mr. Abaribe, because of personal disagreement that snowballed into State affairs. The squabbles of Kalu and Abaribe lasted almost one year. The squabbles paralyzed and splinted the State legislature into two camps: The old Bende division and old Aba division. Members of the State House of Assembly who did not go along with the impeachment of the deputy Governor were targets for removal. Consequently, notable organizations like the old Bende cultural organization and Ngwa-Ukwa cultural organization nearly joined the fray. As the State House of Assembly members were locked in a squabble over the impeachment of the deputy governor, Kalu moved to destabilize Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers. He dissolved the Council indefinitely. In his bid to further rubbish and tarnish the image and the influence of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, he embarked on the creation of baseless autonomous communities, setting one community against the other including his native Igbere community.

When in June 2000, the Abia House of Assembly, in discharging its constitutional duties looked into the activities of Governor Kalu and were considering an impeachment and subsequent removal of the Governor if found guilty. The governor, through his praise singers and surrogates that consisted of hoodlums, attacked the Abia House of Assembly. The hoodlums destroyed, looted and caused the majority of the legislatures to fly out of the State for their lives. Only nine out of 24 assemblymen remained behind and shamelessly elected a leader. The governor praised the attackers and made available 10 million Naria for the replacement and repairs of the property destroyed in the looting of the House of Assembly. Up till this date the perpetrators of this hideous act of shame have not been apprehended.

As soon as Kalu divided, silenced and intimidated the House of Assembly and the House of Traditional Rulers, he paved the way to personalize Abia State government. Every government activity in the State became personalized as if the people of the State do not pay taxes. He personalized programs of the State government. Abia State paramedic program became ‘Dr.’ Orju Uzor Kalu's medical screening program; road rehabilitation projects became ‘Dr.’ ’s road rehabilitation project; Abia State Broadcasting Service became the governor’s personal radio station and praise singer. The radio station hardly has any meaningful programs like children's program, educational, public enlightenment or cultural programs. It exists and functions to sing praises to His Excellency ‘Dr.’ Orji Uzor Kanu every minute of the day. New phrases like mother Excellency, action governor (a name given to him by President Olusegun Obasanjo for his activities against Igbo interest while serving the interest of his northern hegemonic masters and deposed military rulers in Jos during the PDP convention in 1999) are common rhetoric of the radio station. Even news casting is inundated with interruptions to shower praises on Governor Kalu. He has no qualms about and thrives in using public facilities to promote himself. Governor Kalu should let Abia citizens know the capital improvement projects that are financed with their taxes if all the projects listed above are ‘Dr.’ Orji Uzor Kalu’s personal projects.

The governor’s successes earlier, to destroy all democratic institutions and checks and balances in the State have manifested themselves in his one-man military style rule of the State. Abia State has become an island of dictatorship in an ocean of emerging democratic states within the Federal Republic of Nigeria. One man rules Abia State without regard to the constitution. The governor thinks that Nigerian constitutional provisions for ‘Federal Character’ in appointments, open bidding for public contracts, legislative approval of all executive appointees, budgets and contract awards do not apply to Abia State but to the Federal government and perhaps other States of the Federation. He takes separation of powers for granted.

visit us at www.yesneko.com www.yesneko.com

Governor Kalu has been making the road passable at Aba and other parts of the State. This is commendable. Abia State, like most other eastern States, are in need of roads regardless of the quality of the roads built so long as they are an improvement from what the roads were since the end of the Nigerian-Biafran war. Nevertheless, is it not mind boggling that the governor should single handedly levy or tax landlords in the city of Abia for the rehabilitation of roads without the approval of the Abia State legislature? Is it not disturbing that the road contracts are awarded in violation of the proper guidelines and procedures for contract awards? Is it not embracing that while other States in the south-east region engage the services of world renowned and reputable construction companies like Julius Berger and Star bag at a cost of 14 to 15 million Niara per a kilometer of road, Governor Kalu pays 50 million Niara per a kilometer to little known and less reputable companies for substandard road construction? Where are the transparency, probity and accountability that Governor Kalu preaches? Abia State needs good road construction by reputable construction companies at comparable market prices.

The road rehabilitation contract awards shed light on Governor Kalu’s recent declaration that he left a business of 16 billion Naira turnovers to become the Executive Governor of Abia State. May the Governor indicate the nature of the business, where located and produce tax papers to support this claim; otherwise, the claim will be taken as a ploy to cover the pork barrels from the road contract awards. Public officials declare their assets before taking office and not when they are 18 months in office.

Governor Kalu’s divisive techniques have not abated or ended with the creation of autonomous communities whose leaderships and (Ezes) are glorified futures polling agents. He has directed his efforts to the creation of local government areas, even though the Federal Government has made it clear that new local governments will not be funded. Unnecessary balkanization of the country into States and local governments without guidelines and standards other than as political goods and favors to friends and notables in communities have not produced desirable results. It has created inequality, over representation and under representation. The absence of guidelines and standards explain why Lagos, the most populated city in Nigeria, has 27 local governments and the city of Kano, which is not even the second largest, has 50 local governments. By the same token Kano has more representation at the national legislature than two or more States combined together. This imbalance was designed by the northern military dictators to cheat other States of the federation. It was a calculation to attract more federal revenue to Kano. The copycat of military regimes, Governor Kalu of Abia State has embarked on this exercise for similar motives and election purposes under the guise of bringing government closer to the people.

A responsible government would empower a panel just to establish the guidelines and standards for communities agitating for new local governments. The conditions should include a sizable population. The agitators should be made to understand their duty to sustain the local governments. The existing local governments from where new ones would be carved should retain its original names. Governor Kalu should redirect his local government-creating panel to establish guidelines, conditions and standards for incorporating new local governments instead of altering the administrative structure of the State arbitrarily.

The country has not fared well with the military style creation of States and local governments. It has given the country a defective structure hence the hue and cry for restructuring of the country. Creating new local governments in Abia State in military fashion will result in defectiveness;

visit us at www.yesneko.com www.yesneko.com

increase the cost of running the state without increasing revenue. It will increase the imbalance that already exists in the State. It is on record that old Aba province constitutes 50 percent of the State while old Bende division is 40 percent and non-State indigenous residents in the State accounts for 10 percent. Over seventy five percent of the non-indigenes also live in Aba. Appointments, voting district or constituencies and representation at federal and State legislatures and number of local governments should reflect the population make up of the State. Any policies to the contrary are sheer-calculated marginalization of the old Aba division.

It will be hypocritical for the governor to continue to act or pursue policies that are contrary to his every day pronouncements. Recently, Governor Kalu has been very out spoken criticizing President Obasanjo’s marginalization policies against the southeast geopolitical zone. By his recent pronouncements, we thought that the Governor has discovered some facts he was not privy to before the Jos Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention in 1999. It is a common knowledge that President Obasanjo as a military head of State in the 1970s did not only write the script and laid the foundation for Igbo marginalization but also pursued policies to reduce the Igbo to a minority status in a country the Igbo is either the largest or the second largest in number. The President has continued to pursue those policies with some modification. His messages in attacking the President on these issues are to the point but actions speak louder than words. The governor need to address the imbalance and marginalization in Abia State, erase all appearances of impropriety, enthrone probity, accountability and avoid military style divide and rule before he could be taken seriously in his new found crusade. Otherwise, the crusade will degenerate into a ploy to cover his shortcomings. It will be a crusade for him to serve the wishes of his Hausa-Fulani masters and retired military Heads of State. It is not for Igbo interest. Governor Kalu should not be taken seriously when it comes to matters affecting the President. Kalu is not his own man in such matters. His relationship with the President is dictated by the hegemonist and retired military heads of State who he refers to as his people in the North.

Vincent Onyenowe Erondu is a Television Commentator on African Affairs in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, USA.

visit us at www.yesneko.com