Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki
The Chairman of the G All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has chided the Minister for Science and Technology for not living up to his expectations in attracting democratic dividends to the party in Ebonyi State.
Okorocha’s reaction was sequel to the complaints by the stakeholders in the state that they were being schemed out from the employment and empowerment programmes of the federal government and inability to pay the rent of the party’s secretariat.
Okorocha noted that it was shocking and unbearable that Ebonyi State has a full fledge minister and the party could not pay N5million rent in the state.
The governor, who came on a familiarisation visit admonished the party members not to blame the president for sidelining the party in the state, noted that the appointment of Onu into the Federal Executive Council (FEC) was to attract government presence to the party in the state.
Represented by the Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Ugonna Ozurigbo, he promised hat all the issues raised would be addressed as soon as possible.
“The main aim of governance is to help people around you. I am the Deputy Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly is to help people around me. To use the position and help others. In the 36 states of the federation, we have 13 major ministers and Ebonyi is one. It is bad that Ebonyi APC has such high profile minister and you are still complaining of marginalisation from the federal government.
“Our visit will definitely address these issues. We are here to know your problems and complaints. Ebonyi State should join hands and build APC to avoid being a minority in the South-east. APC is waxing stronger and stronger, Okorocha said
The state chairman of the party, Hon. Ben Nwobashi noted that the leadership tussle which had factionalised the party has been resolved by the national secretariat of the party, who sent delegation to come and register new members in the state.
Nwobashi said: “We had a team that was sent by the national secretariat to come and register new members and issue of leadership was presented and my humble self is still the chairman of APC in Ebonyi and my deputy remains Pastor Eze Nwachukwu Eze.”
A chieftain of the party and National Coordinator of Buhari/Osibanjo Initiative for Demonstrating Change, comrade Chinedu Ogah expressed optimism that the visit has authenticated Nwobashi as the chairman of the state.
Ogah noted that Buhari has remembered Ebonyi people but “we are selfish in the sense that most of our men don’t want to allow others after the people have suffered for them.”
