For Abia State Governor, Theodore Ahamefule Orji, the launch of the 40 ford pick-up patrol vans for the Nigeria Police was a dream come true.


Orji had last Friday at a colourful ceremony in Umuahia, donated the vehicles to the Inspector- General-of-Police (IGP), Ogbonaya Onovo.

This according to the governor was to help the police combat crime, especially kidnapping which had become a sore point in the state. Before last week donation, the governor had deployed the Close Circuit Camera (CCTV) to the three senatorial district to monitor the area and nip in the bud any suspicious move.

Although, Orji said the situation was not as bad as been painted by those he referred to as “Abuja politicians,” he was of the opinion that something must be done to arrest the ugly situation.

The governor expressed his administration’s desire to partner with the police in the area of funding in order to motivate the officers and men to perform to the optimum.

As the governor was speaking, shouts of “Ochendo” the governor pet name rent the air.

He said but for lack of adequate funding, the Nigeria Police was a force to reckon with in all international engagement. “I think basically, what is lacking in Nigeria, why our police don’t perform well is because of inadequate funding. If we equip them and giving a condusive environment, they will do well,” Orji enthused

The governor maintained that his administration had engaged some of those who saw kidnapping as a lucrative business to desist and join him to move the state forward.

Orji explained that poverty and unemployment had driven people to see kidnapping as the way out. “Our government is addressing these two issues that have turned our young men to something else.”
The governor said he had appealed to them to come out and those who heeded the call would be rehabilitated and re-integrated into the society to contribute its quota.

Incidentally, all the speakers of the state of assemblies were having their conference last week in Umuahia and the governor was elated that at a time when some “opposition” were crying wolf where there was none, apparently referring to the security situation in the state. Some of our speakers still deemed it fit to chose Abia as the venue of its conference. This is an eloquent testimony that Abia is free from all evils and will continue to live up to its name as “God’s own country”