The second term bid of Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu of Abia has, this afternoon, received additional boost.
In a Town Hall meeting with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu at Banquet Hall in Government House, this afternoon at Umuahia, President-General of Abia State Town Unions; Chief George Mgborukwe, who led more than two hundred members of Executive Committees of the seven hundred and thirty-nine Unions, expressed their appreciation and unflinching support for the Governor in his legitimate aspiration for a second term.
The Governor, after expressing gratitude to the Town Union leaders, told them that his administration, apart from the normal investment in infrastructure, is committed to building a viable and dependable future for the State.
Governor Ikpeazu said in pursuit of the above goal, his government, the first in the whole of South-East, has been able to formally attract an Import-free Trade Zone for the State, which is being sited in Ukwa-West, Ukwa-East and Ugwunagbo local government areas. He also said an Integrated Agricultural Establishment has been earmarked for Umuahia while a gigantic Golf project is in the offing for Ohafia.
Governor Ikpeazu expressed optimism that by the time his administration would be done with his integrated development programme for the State, the present dependence on federal allocation, which guarantee is not assured, would be a thing of the past.
The Governor, who is a Scholar in government, used the opportunity to express that some governorship candidates seem to be immorally unmindful of the principle of equity and justice as it should apply to governorship in the State.
He frowned at a situation where a governorship candidate of an opposition Party from Arochukwu picked his running-mate from Ohafia which is in the same federal constituency with him and wondered what he expected to be the portion of the remaining fifteen local government areas of the State!
Continuing, the Governor wanted to know what would be the fate of Igbo people, who have been complaining of marginalization with regards to having only five states which is the least in the country, if a candidate whose original and real surname is ‘Lawani’ from the North, becomes the governor of the State, invariably and unacceptably reducing the number of Governors of Igbo extraction to only four. He called on the Union leaders not to lose consciousness on the importance of equity and identity.
The Governor, who promised to carry the Unions along in his administration for effective development of the State, especially the rural areas, directed the Permanent-Secretary, Government House; Elder B E Ogbonna, to effect inclusion of some members of the Town Unions in the Board of Abia State Maintenance Agency; ABROMA, for optimal results.
Earlier in his speech, the Predident-General of Abia State Town Unions; Chief George Mgborukwe, a well acclaimed business merchant of Umunneochi extraction, pleasantly informed the Governor that they were in the Banquet Hall to show solidarity with his administration which has done exceptionally well despite unwarranted deployment of much time and enormous resources by unpatriotic elements in the State to distract him from concentrating on provision of dividends of good governance.
The P-G made it clear that based on their critical analysis of realities in the State for the past three and half years and out of their conviction, they have decided to put in their efforts, both individually and collectively, to make sure the Governor will be re-elected on March 2nd, this year.
Chief Mgborukwe, who intimated the Governor with the Unions’ resolve to confer a Platinum award on him, requested the Governor to assist the Unions with an office in the State Capital and also make them an integral part of the State Government.
