ABIA STATE GOVERNMENT - GOVERNMENT OF THE HOODLUMS BY THE HOODLUMS AND FOR THE HOODLUMS

There is no love lost between the governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji and the normal people of Abia State.  He has been booed and jeered at and thrown rotten tomatoes and sachet water more than any other ruler in the whole world.  He has personally made verbal threats to punish the people of Abia State for their effrontery in throwing pebbles, sachet water and rotten tomatoes and jeering at him in public gatherings.  He declared his intention to restore Aba, the commercial capital of Abia State to the original master plan. 

The last time a plan was made in Abia State was in the 1940s by the colonial masters.  Returning Aba to the master plan is equal to destroying everything in Aba except for the Aba motor park.

As a quid pro quo for the sachet water and rotten tomatoes thrown at him, Governor Theodore Orji did two things.  One, he hired well known hoodlums in Aba.  He really entered into them.  He built a gate in front and back ends of the notorious Yorke Street, Aba. The gate is painted green and white, the Nigerian colour.  This street is inhabited from the beginning of it to the end by hoodlums and never-do-wells, petty thieves, notorious armed robbers, prostitutes.
  These are actually the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of many wealthy men of years past who lost their tambourine through bad living.  They ended up as hoodlums.  They maraud both in the daylight and in the night.  If you wait near their street for a bus or taxi, you really need to clutch your pockets, wares and everything you consider important otherwise they could come directly to you without restraint to snatch them and walk away while you watch and in the glare of the public. 

He purchased a vehicle which is painted green-white-green for them with the inscription –“ Yorke City Boys Express”.  Each time he is coming to Aba, Governor Theodore Orji’s Chief of Staff would bring cartons of cash and give to the hoodlums of Yorke Street Aba.  They would come in their numbers to his events and provide him cheering and shouting death threats to anybody who dares to boo or throw anything at the Abia State Governor.  They sing and chant – “anybody who dares Ochendo would use the earth as his umbrella” – meaning the person would be buried. 

Two, Theodore Orji started demolishing people’s properties and buying up everywhere he could drive people from.  His demolition teams are accompanied by armed Policemen and armed uniformed vigilante people that look exactly like the Yorke City boys.  These armed hoodlums look every inch like armed robbers on secondment with the Abia State Government Service.

The revenue drive process in Abia State is another oppressive mechanism of the Theodore Orji’s government.  There are one hundred and one revenue subheads and possibly more.  All of these are sold to terrible and sometimes retiring armed robber contractors who recruit several other evil looking men who now drive the civil populace crazy to get the money.  They invade homes and waylay people on the highways and arrest them for all sorts of claims and force them to pay huge sums of money in bribes and other charges.  They decide what you pay for the revenue they claim.  They threaten with bodily harm and detention unless you pay bribes to buy your freedom.  They operate in exactly the same manner of highway robbers.  They block roads and jump into moving vehicles and struggle with the driver for the steering and gear of the vehicle.  It is so bizarre that all who have been in the experience have feared that about losing their lives.

The preferred enforcement unit of the Abia State government is a team of armed vigilante staffed by these criminals on secondment.  It is a scary sight to do business in Abia State.

If you have time to visit Abia State you will see the state of dilapidation and the hoodlums on the prowl and you would agree with me that it is government of hoodlums, by the hoodlums and for the hoodlums.

Check it out.