selfless. modest. powerful. completed. diligent. Man of his word. Blessed beyond measure. The consummate administrator. sympathetic. The man of the people. The father of equity. honesty.

Fearing God. Chief Theodore Ahamaefula Orji, the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s distinguished senator, is depicted in a variety of ways by these terms, phrases, and more.

Known by his many admirers as Ochendo or Papa Ukwu, Chief T. A. Orji served Abia State in particular and Nigeria in general with great merit and sacrifice during the height of his political and civil service careers. By God’s grace, he is currently enjoying a quiet retirement in good health.

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Senator T. A. Orji is a remarkable politician and a man of the people. He does not belong to the group of politicians who are referred to as “Man of many words” by British journalist, songwriter, and singer Anthony Howard Wilson in his 1976 album “I Like Your Style.” A man of his word, Chief T. A. Orji made it clear throughout his 2019 Senate campaign that he would step down from politics to allow younger politicians to fulfil their share of the country’s growth.

As expected, the modest Senator fulfilled his pledge. After his second term in the National Assembly’s Upper Legislative Chamber ended in 2023, he honourably left the 9th Senate but did not run for reelection. Today, fresh politicians from all parties flock to Chief T. A. Orji’s opulent Umuahia home to benefit from his wealth of expertise, turning it into a kind of pilgrimage.

The administration of his predecessor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, was stabilised and given more legitimacy by Chief T. A. Orji, a master administrator. Chief T. A. Orji, the controversial two-time governor of Abia State from 2007 to 2015, successfully completed his term in office. The International Conference Centre (ICC), the New Secretariat Complex, the JAC building, and the New Government House are just a few of the structures that demonstrate the previous governor’s soft-spoken nature and taste for perfection.

Since Abia State was established in 1991, Chief T. A. Orji has been a diligent, committed, and honourable man who has held positions in the Ministry of Agriculture, Government House, and the Bureau of Budget and Planning. Through perseverance, he rose to the position of Permanent Secretary, the pinnacle of his Civil Service career. In addition, he served as the National Electoral Body’s Administrative Secretary in Enugu State.

At the end of his term, supporters who bought his forms convinced Chief T. A. Orji to compete for the Senate. Orji was first elected governor of Abia State in 2007 on the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) platform and again in 2011 on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket. Chief T. A. Orji was one of the most productive and successful senators in the 8th and 9th Senates. He introduced several motions of national significance and sponsored several laws.

Among the bills that Chief T. A. Orji, who was ranked as the third most productive senator in 2016, sponsored are the following, among others: SB, Act to Establish the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control Prevention, Biodiversity Bill 2016, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Modification), Portfolio Designation Bill 2015, Deoxyribonucleic Acid (NDA) Bill, Nigerian Oil Research Development Agency Board Bill, and National Emergency Bill 2016.

In addition to legislation, Senator T. A. Orji’s selfless generosity to his constituents was unparalleled in the Abia Central Senatorial District’s history. The Senator T. A. Orji Free Eye Surgery Centre in Umuahia provided free cataract surgery and free eye disease treatment to a large number of Abians.

Chief T. A. Orji’s scholarship program helped thousands of underprivileged undergraduates from the six local government districts that make up the Abia Central Senatorial District. Among many other democratic benefits, the senator’s generosity included town halls, classroom buildings, solar-powered water boreholes, employment opportunities, empowerment, and electrical transformers. Over the years, Chief T. A. Orji, who is incredibly blessed, has lived a life that has had a beneficial impact on others’ lives.

Chief T. A. Orji was born on November 9, 1950, in Amaokwe Ugba, Ibeju, Umuahia North local government area. He was the only son of his mother and the heir to the Warrant dynasty, Chief Tom Ikoro Orji, who constructed the town’s first storey home.

Later, he went to St. Michael Catholic Primary School in Umuahia. Holy Ghost College in Owerri, Imo State, after completing Santa Cruz Secondary School in Olokoro. In 1977, the bright T. A. Orji graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Ibadan.

Young T. A. Orji joined the Imo State Civil Service as an Administrative Officer in 1978 following his Youth Service.

On Saturday, November 9, 2024, the septuagenarian will turn 74. Through divine intervention, Senator T. A. Orji remains robust and content, savouring the companionship and comfort of his beautiful young wife, Chief Mrs. Mercy Odochi Orji (Osinaulu), and their grandchildren.

This is a message of good health and peace of mind for Distinguished Senator T. A. Orji, who was awarded the coveted Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) National Honours Award. To Chief T. A. Orji, happy birthday and 74 cheers.

Based in Umuahia, Uzoma Isiakpu is a media/PR consultant.