By Sunday Okobi
The senator representing Abia Central in the National Assembly, Chief Theodore Orji, has been lauded for the formulation and implementation of the ‘Charter of Equity’ when he was the Governor of Abia State, a policy which resulted in the Abia South senatorial district producing the current govenor.
The National President Coalition of Civil Society and Media Executives for Policy Stability (COCMEP), Innocent Okadigbo, who made this commendation in a chat with journalists in Abuja recently, stated that the implementation of the ‘Charter of Equity’ has integrated justice, equity and fair play in the politics of the state.
He further stated that the ‘Charter of Equity’ has given the people of Abia South a sense of belonging and recognition in the state, thus proving Orji as a core democrat, broad minded, progressive, liberal and undisputable leader of the state.
“The ‘Charter of Equity’ has made the three senatorial zones in the state to enjoy the governorship seat and this political virtue has promoted love and understanding as well as reduced suspicion, mistrust, tension and acrimony in the state, a gesture and legacy of Orji which Abians should always reciprocate,” Okadigbo emphasised.
The Abuja-based media practitioner and civil society activist, however blasted Uche Ogah and his followers for allegedly pursuing ignorant, mischievous, frivolous and time wasting litigation against the state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, over tax matters “because Ikpeazu as a civil servant could not have evaded tax or forged tax documents as he, like other civil servants, receive their salaries after their taxes might have been deducted at source monthly and the system is such that Inland Revenue Board does not issue tax receipts to civil servants unless on request, and it is such that tax receipts of civil servants for 10 years or more could be dated same day or period.”
While drawing the attention of Abia people to Imo State, a sister and neighbouring state where one zone has monopolised power against the other two zones, he noted that “Imo State lacks leaders like Senator Orji,” warning Ogah from Abia North and his co-travellers to desist from tampering or truncating Abia’s ‘Charter of Equity.’”
