Ex-Governor T.A Orji Booed In Abia

THERE appears to be no end to the public disgrace the immediate past governor of Abia State, Chief Theo­dore Ahamefule Orji would receive from the people he superintended their affairs for the past eight years as he was, last Friday, for the umpteenth time, booed.

Orji’s abysmal failure in office as governor made him incur the wrath of his peo­ple, who booed and pelted him with sachet water at ev­ery turn of event in the state.

The public embarrass­ment, which started in the premises of an Orthodox Church in Aba climaxed during the burial of late Igbo leader, Chief Chukwuemeka Odemegwu Ojukwu at the Enyimba stadium in Aba.

But when people thought this public embarrassment was over, particularly as Orji had left office, in line with the popular saying that the “evil men do lives after them, the former governor was again last Friday booed at Mbutuoma, Osisioma Ngwa Local Government during the burial of the late husband of Senator Nke­chi Nwaogu, Dr. Rowland Nwaogu.

Orji, who came with his wife, Odochi, had hardly entered the venue of the fu­neral service when the peo­ple, on sighting him, began to boo him, reminiscent of his days in office.

The day could not be saved for the former gover­nor even as Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP) members, who were perhaps mobilised in anticipation of the public odium their former leader would face, began chanting songs in an attempt to neu­tralize the booing.

Some people who spoke with our reporter after the incident said they were re­strained in their actions, by the mood of the day.

A civil servant who wouldn’t want his name in print said the mourning mood they were that day did not allow them vent their anger on the former governor.

“It was because we were mourning that made us not to express how we felt about the former governor. As you came into Abia, I know you must have passed through at least our sister state of Imo and then, you will be able to know why we feel the way we do for this man.

“I am a local government worker; we were owed four months salary before the former governor left of­fice and you want me to be happy with such person? Never.”

On the contrary, the same crowd that booed former governor Orji, cheered ceaselessly to the point of interrupting the sermon by the Anglican Bishop of the Aba Ngwa Diocese, Rt. Rev. Nathan Kanu when Governor Okezie Ikpeazu arrived the ceremony.