Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, has assured the oil bearing communities of a better deal when the main opposition party comes to power in 2023.
He gave the assurance at Ohambele, Ukwa East Local Government Area during a meeting with party stakeholders, noting that the entire Ukwa East and West local governments have been serially neglected by successive Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governments.
Abia earned its status as oil producing state and component of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) due to the oil wells in Ukwa West and the capped oil ones in Ukwa East.
Emenike, who described Ukwa as “a blessed land” with oil and good topography, decried the persistent neglect of both Ndoki and Asa people, whose land is the goose that lays the golden egg for Abia State.
He had, while on his way to Ukwa East with his entourage, experienced the deplorable state of the roads leading into Ukwa, noting that it was the effect of bad governance that has spread across Abia.
According to him, nobody “after passing through this road(Azumini-Opobo road) and others in Abia State” would not be moved to be part of the coming change in the state.
“When the change comes that road you’re seeing in very bad shape will be in good shape,” he said, adding that it appears that the ruling PDP government “loves bad roads” given the decay all over the state.
The Abia APC leader regretted that building of roads has continued to be part of election campaigns whereas an elected government should be talking of bigger issues and not mundane ones like road construction.
“Don’t worry about development,” the governorship hopeful told the oil-bearing communities, adding “all we need is for you to be part of the movement for change.” He said the roads leading to Ukwa would be among the priority projects when he takes the reins of power.
He stated that if Ebonyi State could achieve the quantum leap in development over the past seven years with far less revenue compared to Abia, “we can do better and even create the economic base for sustainability”.
The party leader therefore, charged party executives and stakeholders at wards and local government to redouble their efforts in sensitising and mobilising people to obtain their permanent voters cards (PVC) and use them to bring the change that Abia needs.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Abia APC, Dr Kingsley Ononogbu urged Ndoki people to entrust the main opposition party with their votes in order to bring about good governance in Abia.
“Our party won’t make promises we won’t fulfil. You can be sure that if we get to where we are going(government house) we will attend to the needs of Ukwa people,” he said.
The host of the meeting, Rev Felix Akara and other Ndoki stakeholders that spoke commended the APC governorship candidate for showing concern to the plight of Abia’s Oil bearing areas and assured him of their unalloyed support.
“I am happy he(Emenike) has seen the way we are at Ukwa land. There is no road. We will give him all the support he will need to succeed in 2023,” the cleric said.
