Encomium
THERE is no doubt that former Abia State governor is a billionaire! But what many don’t really know is his love and taste for out-of-this-world edifices. With a couple of luxury property in Umuahia, Port- Harcourt and Abuja, the immediate past Abia governor has since become a lord in the real estate enterprise.
Though Orji is alleged to have bought scores of property in major South Eastern cities and beyond, his associates insist he did so legitimately. They claim he retired as a top civil servant and director at the Independent National Electoral Commission in addition to being in government for 16 years. They also remind critics he was Chief of Staff to former governor Orji Uzor Kalu all through his tenure.
Obviously, the most beautiful private residence in the state capital, Orji’s mansion is on a street (Tom Orji Ikoro, off Finbers Road, Umuahia). The area is surrounded by Abia State property, including government ministries and agencies and parastatals.
Though mobile police men stationed around the area couldn’t allow ENCOMIUM Weekly to take photograph, we noticed a cluster of architectural wonders in the hood, some of which allegedly belong to the former governor’s son, Honourable Chinedum Orji, a member of the Abia House of Assembly.
Rumour mongers also claim that the very influential politician and power broker has practically bought Umuahia and Aba in desperate move to acquire choice property in Abia.
ABOUT T. A. ORJI
Theodore Ahamefule Orji, CON, was elected governor of Abia State on May 29, 2007. He was re-elected on April 26, 2011.
Ochendo, as he is fondly called, was formerly a career civil servant and served as the Chief of Staff to Abia Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu.
Theodore Orji, 65, hails from Amaokwe Ugba, UmuahiaIbeku in Umuahia North Local Government Area. He attended Santa Crux Secondary School, Olokoro, Holy Ghost College, Owerri and obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the University of Ibadan in 1977.
Orji enlisted for the National Youths Corps Scheme on graduation and was deployed to Sokoto State as a teacher at Government Secondary School, Shinkafi, Isa Local Government Area.
On completion of the National Youth Service Corps Scheme in 1978, he began working as an Administrative Officer in the old Imo State civil service in December 1979. Orji subsequently served in various capacities in the Cabinet Office, Ministry of Lands and Survey, Ministry of Agriculture, and Imo State Government House.
When Abia State was created in 1991, T. A. Orji returned to Umuahia where he served in Government House, Umuahia, Bureau of Budget and Planning and Ministry of Agriculture.
On March 1, 1996, Orji was seconded to the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON), now INEC, Abia State as Administrative Secretary and was later redeployed to Enugu State in 1997, where he supervised the elections that ushered in the democratic government in the state in 1999.
Thereafter, he returned to Abia State as Principal Secretary, Government House, Umuahia and Chief of Staff to the Executive Governor.
In December 2006, Orji won the gubernatorial primary of the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) to contest the 2007 governorship elections in Abia State. On April 14, 2007, he resoundingly defeated his closest rival, Dr. Onyema Ugochukwu by over 200,000 votes to emerge governor of Abia State. He thus made history as being the first governor in the history of Nigeria to win his election while in detention. He was sworn in on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 as the third Executive Governor of Abia, God’s Own State.
Orji was re-elected governor on April 26, 2011.
Theodore Ahamefule Orji in April 11, 2015, won the Abia Central Senatorial election to represent the people of Abia Central Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate.
Theodore Ahamefule Orji handed over to Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu as the fourth democratically elected governor of Abia State on May 29, 2015.
Chief T. A. Orji has been recognized and conferred with many traditional titles, including Ochendo Ibeku, Utuagbaigwe of Ngwaland, and Ohazurume of Abia South.
Senator Orji is married to Mercy Odochi Orji and they have five children.
