Orji dissolves cabinet

By Anayo Okoli

Umuahia— PERHAPS in reaction to the rift between him and his political party and mentor, Governor Theodore Orji of Abia state yesterday dissolved his cabinet which was constituted about one year ago.

But the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Ume Kalu, the Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Uche Ihediwa and the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Emma Nwabuko, were asked to remain in office.

Also not affected by the dissolution which was announced by the Secretary to the Government, SSG, Mazi Donatus Okorie, are the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Mascot Uzor Kalu, who is the younger brother to the former Governor of the state, the SSG himself, and Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya.

The dissolution also affected other political appointees such as Special Advisers and Personal Advisers, including about 300 advisers that were appointed last month.

Political observers in the state see the action of Governor Orji as a step towards freeing himself from the alleged stronghold of former governor Kalu and his mother who had been having huge influence in the governance of the state in the last 10 years.

The dissolution was yesterday being run intermittently in the state owned radio, Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State [BCA].

It was believed that most members the cabinet was candidates nominated by the former governor and his mother, hence the need to sack them for the imminent political tussle between the governor and his mentor.

Sign of the crisis between the governor, mentor and the party on one side last week when the National Working Committee [NWC] of party invited him and others for alleged acts of indiscipline. Though the governor did not honour the invitation, it was learnt that the party resolved not to give him ticket for 2011. Instead, the party was said to have ceded the ticket to Chief Stanley Ohajuruka, a former speaker of the state House of Assembly and currently the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency. Incidentally, Ohajuruka is of the same Umuahia stock as Governor Orji.

Since then there has been mild tension in the government and pressure on Governor Orji to leave PPA and free himself from the alleged stronghold of the former governor and his mother.

Just last weekend, a group known as Movement for Abia Reunion (MAR) mobilized thousands of people in support of Governor Orji and urged him to muster the courage and dump PPA and also demanded an end to what they called stronghold of the governor allegedly by the former governor and the mother.

“We urge our dear governor T.A Orji to immediately hearken to the voices of vast majority of Abians at home and abroad who have consistently asked him to stay away from the distraction of a notorious political family of godsons and god mothers. We have resolved and demand that Dr T.A Orji jettisons the PPA political platform in preference to a more people friendly democratic structure free from “mamacratic” interference”, Movement for Abia Rebirth said in an eight point communiqué presented  by its spokesman, Chief Don Ubani.