A group, Good Governance Watch has chided Abia State governor, Theodore Orji for over the recent visit of his Sokoto counterpart, Alhaji Aliyu Wamako, describing the visit as a mere jamboree.
The group alleged that the governor tricked Wamako into believing that all is well in the state by taking him to the Aba Flour Mills, a private enterprise, when all industries set up by the government have all gone under. It added that some private industries like the Nigerian Breweries in Aba were cajoled into receiving the guest, but Wamako saw through the trick and went back to Umuahia.
In a statement signed by the Coordinator, Mr. Henry Elekwachi, the group lauded the peer review mechanism which encourages visits among the 36 governors, but regrets that Gov. Orji could not point to any project for commissioning in Aba, even when Wamako demanded to be taken to the commercial town.
“Gov. Orji should have taken Wamako to the Aba Textile Mills, Ogwe Golden Chicken, Abia Palm Plantation and other Small Scale industries that abound in Aba. He should have been honest to tell his guest that Aba is now living on past glory, due to years of neglect by the government,” the statement read in part.
It continued: “Surely, the essence of the exchange visit has been defeated by what took place during Wamako’s visit to Abia state. In all there was no project to be commissioned. Gov. Orji should as a matter of urgency visit his counterparts in Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Rivers and other states; this will go a long way in redirecting his focus towards the governance of God’s own state.
The group called on the public not to be deceived by the commissioning of the Bende road and Afara ring road, during the visit, describing it as a shame that the government is celebrating the commissioning of two roads which are less than a kilometer.
The group queried what Wamako learnt from his recent to Abia state when he was clearly shielded from the bad road network and the flood which the residents of the state have been forced to live with.
It called for the Governor’s Forum to publish reports on the exchange visits among its members as only this would make governors accountable to the people.
It would be recalled that Wamako visited Abia state last weekend, stressing that his visit came on the heels of the directive of the Governors Forum for members to exchange visits to improve governance as well as encourage national integration.
