Enugu APC Leaders Hail Onyeama’s Nomination as Minister

Enugu APC Leaders Hail Onyeama’s Nomination as Minister

Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

Notable leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State have applauded the nomination of the former Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, for ministerial reappointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the decision as “one of the most appropriate.”

Some of the leaders who hailed the appointment included former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani; Nigeria’s Ambassador to India, Maj. Gen. Chris Eze (rtd); former Secretary to Enugu State Government, Chief Onyemuche Nnamani; Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu; former governorship hopefuls of the party, Mr. George Ogara and Mr. Ben Eche and Princess Ada Ogbu, one of the party’s senatorial candidates in the state.

The former Senate president, who spoke to THISDAY, said the nomination of the former minister for reappointment had shown that the president had implicit confidence in him having worked with him during his first term.

“The president told Nigerians that he will appoint only those he knows very well. We were filled with excitement when we heard that the former has been nominated. This is one of the most appropriate appointments made by the President. Onyeama is firm; he hails from a strong family with noble background.

“He has spent almost half of his life in diplomatic service; he knows the job very well. He’s not a noisy type, he works diligently and quietly. We expect that every loyal party man must file behind him. We must as a matter of discipline support the choice of the president,” he said.

On their part, the former SSG, Onyemuche, and the Ambassador to India, Eze, described the appointment as most deserving and “a square peg in a square hole.”

He said: “During his first term as the foreign minister, the image of Nigeria at the global stage soared. This is not about politics; it’s about getting the right man to the do the job. We in APC in Enugu State are happy with the president, and we wish him greater achievements and exploits this time around.”

The VON DG, Okechukwu, in his congratulatory message to the former minister, dissociated leaders of the APC in the state from a statement purportedly issued by the party’s chairman in the state, Ben Nwoye rejecting Onyeama’s nomination.

“We dissociate ourselves from the said statement especially when no organ of APC in the state held a meeting since the ministerial nomination. As Democrats, we must recognise the hard fact that it’s the prerogative of the president to appoint his ministers,” he said.

Other stakeholders, including Maj. Gen. Sunday Ugwu (rtd), Eche, Mr. Ejike Njeze, a member of the board of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and Princess Ogbu, congratulated the former minister, noting that “an outstanding performance deserves a second term.

“We are happy that the president retained the former minister who gave his all in his first outing for his fatherland. We know what our image used to be but in the last four years, working with the president who is globally rated as a man of integrity, Onyeama has taken the country to greater heights.

“We believe that his second coming will be more outstanding for Nigeria. I want to also state that we the leaders of the APC in the state are happy with the choice, and accordingly, as loyal party men and women, we want to call on others who have personal reservations to also commend the president for this choice.”

Related Articles