I read an inordinate, childish and jumbled balderdash in form of an article by the defeated APC gubernatorial candidate Mr Uche Ogah through his mouthpiece Mr Great Imo Jonathan.
As a responsible Abian, let me instead of get angry at his pettiness, console him with the truth until he wakes up to the reality that he lost a free and fair contest to a more popular candidate after his propaganda could not get him majority of valid votes in the general elections.
For clarity, I will take my time to respond to his lies one after another in no particular order.
1. His greatest undoing was to tell Abians that
APC FG is the one funding Faulks Road project in Aba. Perhaps he comes from the moon. Abia State government is funding the project 100%. He should recall that his party in the State accused Abia Government of taking time on the project. Why would he turn around today to say a different thing when he noticed the level of encomium on the State Governor? Tufiakwa.
2. He mentioned Enyimba Economic City Project and claimed it was a gift from President Buhari. It seems they teach LIES 101 in APC. It was still his party men that accused President Buhari of being hoodwinked by the Governor by approving such a licence for a project initiated by the Governor of Abia State which according to them, was stationed for campaign purposes. He does not understand that President Buhari only performed a job his office is enshrined to do by approving a business licence that is due for a State after all procedures, payments and due diligence have been certified. Recall also that Presidency eulogized Dr.Ikpeazu for his idea on Enyimba Economic City which has already gone beyond documentary stage to implementation Stage. Federal Government approved the Free trade zone licence for the City after satisfying all the requirements including paying $600k for the licence.
3. Most of the Federal road projects he mentioned were awarded and started by PDP-led federal Govt and that includes the Enugu-Port Harcourt highway. If APC led government have funded the balance payment for the projects fully, why are they still uncompleted as at today? Also know that Ohafia-Arochukwu road and majority of the projects he mentioned including the Second Niger Bridge are still at the embryo Stage. What Uche has succeeded in doing through his media aide is to insult Igbos by reminding us of the abandoned second Niger bridge and other Major projects FG denied us.
4. Portharcourt road Aba is actually an abandoned federal road in Abia State. Instead of those cacophony of noises by his party, they should commend the State Governement for fully funding the project to ameliorate the sufferings of Abians occasioned by the abandonment of the project for years. The same Abia APC used it to campaign against PDP during the polls but unfortunately trying to claim credit for the project. Like I asked earlier, If Faulks and PH Road Aba were indeed APC projects why did they use those projects against Governor Ikpeazu? Have they ever visited the projects to see the contractors signboards showing that they are ABSG projects or they just lie to satisfy their inordinate ambition ?
5. On Military’s support and patronage for made in Aba shoes, It was Ikpeazu’s drive for made in Aba that got the attention of the Vice President when the effort of the Governor was already on CNN sponsored solely by an Abian to drive the narrative of the ” I can do spirit ” of our people on areas where we have competitive and comparative advantage over other states. Vice President fully identified with the project, launched the MSME clinic in recognition of Aba as the manufacturing hub of Nigeria. He doesn’t seem to understand that the proceed from the patronage went into the private purses of the private entrepreneurs. It could’ve been paid to importers as usual but for Ikpeazu’s consistent drive.
6. On the Ariaria power project, it was Ikpeazu that took a step to tackle the power challenge in Ariaria by presenting to the Vice President our electricity issue surrounding Ariaria market and that Aba can only function effectively once the electricity issue is sorted out. Gov.Ikpeazu brought Osibanjo to Ariaria and had interactions with stakeholders which later led to a follow up plans for the electrification projects. This was followed up with a visit by the team from Rural Electrification Agency led by the Managing Director Mrs Damilola Ogunbiyi to the Governor with the engineering company Total Energy Ltd. After all inputs, today, we have a power plant that will power the entire market. Minister for power, Mr Fasola acknowledged Gov.Ikpeazu’s effort before President Buhari and the entire Stakeholders in the market at the official commissioning of the project. It was not done based on party line rather it was done in a Nigerian State for Nigerian people with their money. Enough of the pettiness.
7. On the school feeding programme. FG launched the free schools feeding programme for pupils in primary 1-3, it was only in Abia State that the State government took it to another level by providing resources that cater for Primary 4-6 covering the entire primary school pupils. It is domiciled with Wife of the Governor’s office and the intervention from Abia State got commendations from the Federal Government.
8. I am ashamed that the repatriated late Abacha loot that was shared #10,000 to some Nigerians, was recorded as an achievement by Abia APC even when anyone can hardly survive with the amount per day not to talk of when it is marked refundable by same people they wish to help. It exposes their IQ level as a human beings. Shame on them all.
9. All through the jumbo mumbo, I kept seeing figures..20,000 Abians for training, 30,000 Abians for empowerment, yet no one has ever testified any training from any angle. If they have been looting the money meant for Abia State youths, they should please endeavour to provide it for the training and empowerment that only happened in another planet?
10. It is only ignorance that will make someone to think that monthly allocation to States is a favour dispensed by the Party to State governments even when we are all sharing revenues accrued to the federation account from States and revenues from mineral resources.
Its now obvious that we have been dealing with illiterates disguised as party members and officials that are yet to learn how government and governance work.
Ikechukwu Iroha writes from Ohafia.
