A speech presented by His Excellency, Chief T. A. Orji (Ochendo), Governor Abia State, on the occassion of his conferment of a Knighthood of the Order of Saint John (KSJ), by the Methodist church of Nigeria, Held at the Methodist Theological Institute, Mission Hill, Umuahia, on the 28th October, 2012

PROTOCOLS
DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!
I am humbled as I stand before you today, to receive this exalted honor of the Knight of Saint John, conferred on me by the Methodist Church of Nigeria, and by no other person than the Prelate of the Church, a holy man that I hold in great esteem, and whose humility and sharp intelligence, I have always craved to emulate.
The Christian Order of Knighthood is a long standing tradition of Christendom, which has for ages served as the exalted ground for encouraging and recruiting fervent Christians to accept the responsibility of devoting their energies and lives to the service of God’s wishes on earth. This is a tradition which every Christian earnestly years for and works for with utmost joy.
I am humbled that you have today rewarded my faith and found me worthy to bear this armor of sacrifice and commitments to the service of God and humanity. It is my prayers that God will give me the abilities and the enablement to serve Him with utmost commitment and the pride of a true Christian, and be his devoted Knight of the order of Saint John, with the shining armor.
The Holy Bible cautions us that no man is righteous unto himself, but it is only by following the commandments of the Lord. From the political leadership platform, where it has pleased the Good Lord to raise me up, I will be the Knight that leads Abia State out of the idolatry of the past, to rediscover God, and reinstate the State in the part of righteousness, so that Abia will live out the true meaning of its epithet as ‘God’s Own State’.
As the Methodist Church of Nigeria has seem me worthy of being exalted as a Knight of God, I and my family will make haste to soldier for Christ, through the path of righteousness in our private and public lives, and always behave in a manner acceptable in the sight of God. As people in authority, we will lead a humble and peaceful life, in all holiness and honesty, for this is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.
We will be a pride to the Methodist Church, to our State and the entire humanity. More than ever before, I now realize, and attest to it publicly, that as a true Knight of Saint John, I hold my position and leadership, not by my power or volition, but by God’s spirit, which as the Holy Bible tells us ‘ In His days shall the righteous flourish’.
It is my firm belief that when we fight and struggle to do what God wants us to do for our State and Nation and as true Knights of God, our hopes will remain anchored in the understanding that no matter the manipulations of the enemy, the righteous shall never be moved.
As the Methodist Church has today found me worthy to be a Knight of Saint John, I am more strengthened to walk in the company of the righteous, for I have never heard or seen the righteous forsaken. As it is said in Proverbs, Chapter 149, ‘But among the righteous, there is favor. The favor of the Lord passeth every other favor, and it can only rest upon the righteous. God abhors wickedness and treachery’.
As you have exalted me as a Knight of Saint John in Government, I shall rule Abia State justly and with the fear of God, and be God’s reflection of the morning light in our State and beyond – where the sun rises, even as morning without clouds. I shall be a shining example of what the Church expects of its own righteous Knights, and will never be a law breaker, or use my position to appropriate to myself what belongs to the people.
As you have honored me today with the Knighthood of Saint John, you have truly renewed my belief and that of my wife in the efficacy of prayers in the search for divine direction.
You have renewed our belief that it is right not to harbor evil mind on our detractors while praying and hope that God will hear such prayers. You have revealed to us what the Bible says that      ‘ the prayers of the righteous man availeth much’, and the Lord will fight our battles.
In our hopes and desire to change the lot of our people of Abia State and turn our collective stories for good, I will continue to seek the path of righteousness of a devoted Knight, because I know that righteousness exalted a State, a Nation and a people.
And at the end, let it be said of me and my family ‘that where the righteous are in power, the people rejoice ( Proverb 29:27). Abia State will truly rejoice in our Government of service, for a Knight of Saint John is in the steering wheel, and to the Glory of God.
Thank you the Prelate of the Methodist Church, the entire congregation of the Church, and all my friends that are here.
God bless the Methodist Church of Nigeria!
God bless Abia State and God bless Nigeria!