Nwaka Wants Abians to Stick with Charter of Equity, Backs Ikpeazu

Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia

Former chairman of Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Emma Nwaka, has urged the people of Abia not to abandon the charter of equity under which power rotates among the constituent sections of the state.

He made the call in a statement he issued to bare his mind on the political developments in Abia ahead of the 2019 general election, saying that adherence to the principles of the charter of equity has brought peace and stability in Abia polity.

Nwaka, who said that he firmly believes in Abia charter of equity, was at the helm of affairs in Abia PDP when power was allowed to shift to Abia South with Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu emerging as governor in 2015. He therefore warned against any plan to jettison the charter of equity put in place by the founding fathers of the state.
“Let no one rock the boat of our peace and tranquility,” he said, adding that it would amount to political greediness for people from outside Abia South zone where power presently resides.

According to him, it would be justifiable to resist anyone from outside Abia South who is nursing any governorship ambition because “the natural consequence is avoidable conflict which never serves the interest of anyone.”
He argued that since Abia North and Abia Central had respectively produced governors of the state who stayed in office for two terms, equity demands that Abia South should also be supported to complete its own two terms by giving Governor Ikpeazu a fresh mandate in 2019.

However, Nwaka pointed out that while aspirants from Abia North and Abia Central could not justifiably vie for the governorship seat those from Abia South could challenge the incumbent governor.

“I appeal to those from other zones with the ambition to run for the office of governor to keep their gun powder dry for now,” he counseled, adding that Abia politicians should subsume their personal interest to the overall interest of God’s Own State.

Nwaka explained that his support for Ikpeazu’s second term bid was not only “because he is favoured by constitutional provisions and our laudable principle of rotation” but also “because I hold that he has done very very well, particularly in tackling the infrastructure deficit of Abia State.”

Nwaka appealed to governorship aspirants from outside Abia South senatorial district to perish their ambition in 2019 to enable the zone complete its shot, warning on the consequences of destroying the zoning arrangement in the state.

On the insinuations that Governor Ikpeazu was concentrating development in Aba and neglecting other parts of the state, Nwaka stated that every investment made to improve the infrastructure in the commercial nerve centre of Abia was a worthy investment.

He said: “Aba is the cash cow of the state and with good road networks trade and commerce will be on the upswing resulting to improved revenue from which other parts of the state will be developed”.