Fraud allegation: Media trial against Orji, son unfair  – S’East coalition

Fraud allegation: Media trial against Orji, son unfair  – S’East coalition

By Steve Oko

The South East Coalition for Good Governance, SECG,  has decried the media trial of the immediate past Governor of Abia State and Senator representing  Abia Central, Senator Theodore Orji; and his son and  Speaker,Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji over a fraud allegation against the duo.

A group has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, demanding the investigation of the former Governor and son over alleged embezzlement of public funds running into billions of Naira, and opening of multiple bank accounts.

Meanwhile the development has triggered a media war against the senator and his family by their opponents  since last week after the story was run by some major national dailies.

But SECG while reacting to the development, said mounting media campaign against Orji and his family without giving them the benefit of proving their innocence in a court of competent jurisdiction “is unfair.”

According to  a press release by the coalition signed by its President, Isaac Otuonye; and Secretary, Madumere Obioma, respectively, an accused person should be pressumed innocent until proven guilty. 

The release which was made available to our Correspondent in Umuahia also accused Orji’s political opponents who are jittery over his rising political profile of masterminding the media war against the former governor.

SECG argued that instead of resorting to media attacks, opponents of the former governor should allow EFCC to conduct its full investigation into the matter.

The release read in “If the petitioners had submitted their jaundiced piece to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  EFCC,  and allowed the anti corruption agency to do their investigations and come out with their findings,  the South East coalition for Good Governance would not have intervened.

“But we are miffed to note that this was not the case as the petitioners and their paymasters went on a media trial, to ingloriously and unabashedly destroy the good family name garnered over 35 years in the civil service and over 20 years of service to the people and still counting.

“To say that the administration of Sen. Orji as governor of Abia State was undermined by financial heist is to say the least most uncharitable and unforgivable.

“Where shall we commence? The construction and equipping of the ultra-modern International Conference Center reputed to be of international standards which has hosted top government and non-government activities.

“The ultramodern Two blocks secretariat complex modelled after international standards,  the Abia State Diagnostics Hospital,  the Children Hospital inside the premises of Amachara General Hospital,  the Asopadec structure,  the Timber market,  the relocation of the Umuahia Main market to an ultramodern site with state of the art facilities including a police station and Fire Service,  the over 750 cottage hospitals scattered over the length and breadth of Abia in conjunction with the MDG.

“What about the return of Abia as the safest city in the country following the dislodging of the kidnapping and armed robbery gangs that forced all top notch politicians of the state’s extraction including those sponsoring this unwholesome petition to seek refuge away from their communities for which he received accolades locally and internationally,  or the construction of the electric power station at Ohiya which made it possible for Umuahia and it’s environs to begin to have steady power supply thereby giving rise to so many artisans and other ancillary products.

“Is it possible to forget in a hurry that while so many States in Nigeria were insolvent,  Abia was one of the four adjudged to be healthy,  or that at a time when borrowing from the Stock market was novel,  Sen. Orji was among the very few that did not borrow,  or that while some of his colleagues in office where busy globetrotting,  he ensured that his visits outside Nigeria was for the good of Abians.

“Indeed,  throughout his tenure,  it was Abia first,  Abia second and Abia third all the way going by the empowerment program,  housing and educational programs for which the state is still reaping the dividends.

“The peaceful transition of power from the central to the South in complete subjugation to the dictates of the founding fathers of the state remain an indelible and unparalleled achievement which majority of the top notch politicians including the paymasters of the petitioners sought to derail,  but for the tenacity and democratic ideals of the former governor.

“We can go on and on, but suffice it to say that those who questioned the unparalleled and equitable distribution of the Abia State resources should bury their heads in shame.

“We say this without the slightest equivocation that while we do not claim that he is a saint,  we make bold to say that if those before him had made efforts to leave their footprints on the sands of time, Nigeria won’t be where we are today.

“Igbos must stop this mentality of destroying their first eleven, a class to which Sen. Theodore orji equitably falls into because the Chinese proverb says “do not spit it to the well from which you have drunk water because you shall surely thirst again.”