By  CHIDI NKWOPARA & ANAYO OKOLI
OWERRI—Clerics have declared war on Abia State Government over its indigenisation policy, as the parish priest of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Egbelu-Umuhu, Rev. Father Ben Ogu, has called for Governor Theodore Orji to be declared persona-non-grata in all states of the country.

Similarly, the Bishop of Praise Centre Ministries, Owerri, Rt. Rev. Stafford Nwaogu, described as shameful the policy which has led to removal of names of non-indigenes from the payroll of Abia State.

Rev. Fr. Ogu said: “Governor Orji ought to be sanctioned for destabilising the Igbo nation. He should not be allowed to use any road or airport not built by Abia State Government. He should be declared persona-non-grata by other states of the federation.

“We have a dumb leadership in Igboland, otherwise royal fathers, governors, religious leaders and political bigwigs in Igboland would have called the erring governor to order for destabilizing the nation.”

In his reaction, the Catholic Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, Bishop Ugorji, said yesterday that  the payment of N18,000 minimum wage to workers was not a justifiable reason for Abia  State Government to sack thousands of non-indigenes who have worked in the state for decades and contributed to its development.

Ugorji called on the government to rescind the decision which, according to him, has presented the state in bad light to the whole world.

But Abia State government, in a swift reaction, maintained that the financial burden imposed on it by the N18, 000 minimum wage was too much and so needed to shed off some of its workforce.

He blamed the mounting problems facing Nigerians on the docile nature of the populace, stressing that the people ought to show that they deserved respect and accountability.

On his part Bishop Nwaogu lamented the fact that people had been sacked from a place they should ordinarily call their home.

According to him, it would have been more tolerable if the “despicable act” was perpetrated elsewhere and not in Igboland.

He said: “Most Nigerian leaders are self-conscious instead of people- centred. God gave Nigeria more than enough to move the nation forward and improve the welfare of its citizens but we have continued to stagnate at 51.”