Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo
The political elites of Abia State have been urged to set aside their differences and come together in unity of purpose to save the state from “misrule and sluggish development” which has been its lot over the years. The secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Contact/Strategy Committee, Dr. Ikechi Emenike made the call at a stakeholders meeting held at Umukabia Okpuala in Umuahia North local government. during which strategies were discussed to save Abia from misrule.
The senior party chieftain noted that Abia elites were usually indifferent to issues of governance thereby wittingly encouraging things to continue go wrong in God’s Own State.
He told the gathering of over 1,000 stakeholders comprising professionals, academics, women and youth groups drawn from the 17 local governments of Abia that time had come to save the state and realistically change its narrative
To achieve this goal, Emenike called on Abia elites to do away with docility, promotion of mediocrity, apathy, and political hypocrisy that have been doing much harm to the state over the years.
He said that it was self-deceit for the elites to remain in their comfort zones and allow Abia to wallow in poor development indices, adding, “What is happening in the state is enough to make someone ashamed”.
However, he assured that 2023 would be a defining moment for Abia as there would be no room for business as usual syndrome at the polls “because the people have had enough misrule (and) we have to anchor on and believe in God for the desired change”.
Emenike, who is a development economist, publisher and consultant to international financial organisations including IMF, World Bank, and AfDB, noted that he has deep knowledge of how backwater economies were transformed to global players to the benefits of citizens.
He stated that his desire to lift Abia out of underdevelopment remained unquenchable and if given the opportunity to serve the state as the governor in 2023, the people of Abia would definitely experience a new lease of life.
The highly principled politician said that his international experience has exposed him to the location of resources which could be accessed to make governance work effectively for the people of Abia.
He noted that APC had continued to wax strong in Abia, adding that the party remained in good stead to take over the state come 2023 as “we have made it (APC) the first choice of the people”.
The chairman of the APC registration and revalidation committee for Abia, Senator Muhammed Gada with two members of the committee, Alhaji Sani Mainasara and Mallam Aliyu Babangida, was on hand to encourage the party stakeholders.
Gada noted that Abia has over the past 20 years failed to advance to appreciable level of development even though quality leaders and resources abound in the state, adding that Emenike typifies the quality leaders that Abia should be yearning for.
He stated that he has found in Emenike “an epitome of consistency, highly intelligent, and a man with impeccable integrity and high sense of party loyalty.”
Several speakers, including the chairman of the party’s Elders Forum in the state, Mr. Chris Okpechi, had addressed the gathering underscoring the need to work together to enable APC gain power and end godfatherism in Abia.
