By Chinedum G Gbaruko
I am not holding briefs for the Orjis but as stated by John Stuart Mill, ‘the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ There again, the Right Hon. Speaker Engr Chinedum Orji is my namesake. Added to that, I am a concerned Abian who has watched political events in Abia since 2002 and so qualified to pick up the gauntlet.
It has become obvious that an offensive group that goes by the name of Concerned Abians for Justice, of no fixed address, or functional phone numbers and obviously sponsored by destructive persons, mainly for political gains are bent on dragging the good name of Senator T A Orji and family into disrepute.
It could be recalled that the same group in Feb, 2020, took pages of newspapers to highlight buildings, projects and property marked by EFCC and alleged to be owned by Senator T A Orji and family.
Observing this anomaly and evil intent, the Abia State Government through the Commissioner for Information, Chef John Okiyi Kalu, stated then that the marked properties like the Abia Event Center, the Trademore Estates and Abia Hotels to mention a few are owned by the Abia State Government.
The Abia State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the State, followed up with disclaimers stating clearly that those were Abia investments in partnership with accredited investment agencies.
In like manner, Trademore Investments handling some of these projects protested, threatening court action against any who tampers with their investments that are clear and transparent deals with the Abia State government, thoroughly signed and sealed.
The EFCC, knowing their onions has gone through these knowing who and when to prosecute.
Why is this so-called Concerned Abians for Justice intent on railroading Senator T A Orji and family in a crime that doesn’t exist?
What other social crusades have this group embarked upon other than muckraking and chasing shadows?
Has the EFCC become so lame that they need direction and prompting from an obscure and masquerading group that sees blackmail as the only instrument to advance their hideous plot?
Who is the face of this group, their fixed address and functional phone numbers?
Is it not a crime any more to embark on falsehood with intent to smear and mislead?
The Nation Newspapers and others who may be deceived in this wild goose chase should redress as they are liable to be sued for blackmail, slander and serious defamation.
Let me as well make it clear that no matter the thickness of their plots, that they cannot cover the glaring achievements of Senator Orji who after a successful career in the civil service, forayed successfully for 22 years in the political service of his father land judging from 8 years as Chief of Staff, 8 years as the Governor of Abia State, six years as a Federal legislator and still counting.
Commendably, Senator Orji being a modest man believing in the ‘not too young to run policy,’ has vowed to retire from active politics come 2023. Why are these hawks engaging in this degree of calumny? It is not farfetched that Engr Chinedum Orji, the Speaker of Abia House of Assembly and an emerging force in his own rights is the target.
The political achievements of the young Orji is enough to give opponents goose pimples, funny enough they are catching cold when he has not even sneezed.
I therefore advise these lily-livered opponents to wait for his declaration. It is already noted that he is the pied piper of the youths with multiple projects on ground for his constituents including innovative hand-outs and directions as a private citizen even before venturing into politics. Ikuku Oma Abia is already ahead of his mates, no amount of hooting can bring him down from the Olympian height as his grips are firm. In Abia today only the votes count and will continue to count.
Chinedum G Gbaruko, a public analyst wrote in from Abuja
