BY CLEMENT CHUKWU

IN some of the national dailies recently was  a statement credited to the former minister of Finance and Economic planning, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu decrying the state of infrastructure in Abia state after 22 years of its creation.

According to the report , Kalu who is also an indigene of the state said the state of infrastructure in the state fell short of the aspiration of the its  founding fathers. He alleged that 22 years down the lane no meaningful development has taken place in the state. Being smart by half in his criticism of the level of infrastructural development in the state since its creation, Kalu despite having served as the Minister of Finance and Economic planning at different times  failed to tell Nigerians what was responsible for the state of infrastructure in the state since its creation. While the criticism could best be described as his personal opinion, it is obvious that it was lacking in facts and figures, considering the   factors that were responsible for poor   infrastructural development  in the state before now, and the reality on ground  in the state today.

It is an axiomatic fact that Kalu was part of the military regime that created Abia state 22 years ago. He held prominent positions such as Minister of Finance that was in charge of the disbursement of the Monthly Federation Allocation to states of which Abia was one of them. Before then, he has served as a commissioner in old Imo state.

So he could be described as a system person before now, but appears to have been in political limbo in the recent  times.   In  view of this, it is expected that Kalu having being an insider in the government at the national level for years before now should be sincere and altruistic  in  his criticism. This, he would have done  by   informing Nigerians how much has been allocated to the state  from the Monthly Federation Allocation,   how much has been generated  internally since its creation and how they were managed by successive governments   before now for the development of infrastructure. He would have been bold enough to give accurate data of what was on ground in the state in terms of infrastructure developments before and now. This will help to provide the missing link between the efforts of the past successive governments in the state, and the present in the area of infrastructural developments.

These records are accessible and people like Kalu are a  in better position to know and educate others adequately. That is the only way the people of the state will know those who were actually and directly responsible for their poverty and infrastructural woes since the creation of state. That is how they will know why the state has not had any proper or solid foundation since its creation until recently when the present government after the liberation of the state embarked on massive infrastructural developments that is now changing the face of the state. Kalu’s failure to state these salient points or facts in his criticism raised a lot of questions on the motive behind his recent comments on state of infrastructure in the state. But his decision to follow the easy path in his scathing criticism even as a trained renowned economist has raised more questions than answers and has cast doubt on his intention.

For the benefits of hindsight, it is on record that within the period Kalu served as Minister of Finance and thereafter, Abia state received allocation for years and generated funds internally but successive military administrations   in the state failed to utilize the funds judiciously to develop the state. Year after year, budget figures were churned out, but most of them were never  implemented as  funds meant for the implementations had always ended   up in the   pockets of   allies and friends of the successive governments in the state . These allies and friends  of  government at the state and at national levels who connived  to impoverish the people of the state for more than a decade were indigenes of state who are still walking free today. They even shamelessly have the temerity to criticise the present government thinking that the people are fools and  have forgotten their inglorious roles in the successive governments at all levels in the past.

Nigerians have not forgotten that when they were selfishly benefitting from successive governments at the expense of the rest of the people, they never questioned or raised eye brow on the style of governance or means of which state resources were being dispensed then, rather they decided to play the ostrich, while the state wallowed in abject poverty and infrastructural decay for years. Only for some of them to  turn around now  in a bid to seek   relevance after many years of economic and political hibernation , to baselessly criticise the state government’s giant development strides   from the comfort of their homes .
Even when the state was held hostage for more than a decade by one family between 1999 to late 2010 under the guise of mamacracy, these individuals who are now armchair critics of the present government in the state were no where   to be found   during the liberation struggle. They were more of visitors to the state than indigenes as they avoided   the state like plague for fear of being killed due to insecurity. But courtesy of the effort of the present government, they can now  freely   come home during the Yuletide and New Year celebration, sit in the comfort of their homes to criticise the effort of the state government. This is even when it is clear and verifiable to all that the present government in the state like never before, had through massive infrastructural and human capital developments   laid a   solid foundation for the proper take- off of the state for the first time since its creation.

Kalu’s obvious failure to acknowledge the concerted efforts and strides of the present government   in the area of infrastructural development across the state smack of hypocrisy and insincerity. The present government may have not and may not complete all the infrastructural challenges facing the state in the last 22 years which is enormous, but her speedy effort in the direction so far has brought tremendous changes and relief to the people of the state. If successive governments  in the state  have made half of the effort before now, the state would have been an El Dorado by now.

Today, the state capital, Umuahia which was a glorified village more than a decade after creation can now   boast ofquality access roads, street lights, drainage channels, International Conference centres, steady power supply, New Government House, New Worker Secretariat, Diagnostic Hospital and several   other ongoing and completed projects.The commercial city of Aba that has been neglected for years was not left out as the place is wearing a new look with quality access roads.

Mr. Chukwu, a community leader, wrote from Ukwa-west, Abia State.