Another history was added today in the political development of Abia State.
Since commencement of Nigeria’s third Republic, which started in 1999, no PDP Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly had ever considered it wise paying a courtesy visit on the State Executive Committee of the Party in Abia State.
That jinx of nonchalance and ingratitude of more than twenty years was, however, broken today by the Speaker of 7th Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Orji, popularly known as Ikuku Oma Abia.
At exactly 11.30 am today, the Speaker quietly drove into the State Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, at No 45 Finbarrs Road, Umuahia.
Mr Speaker was accompanied by some of his colleagues in the House and friends. They included; the Majority Leader in the House, Hon Solomon Akpulonu, the Member representing Isialangwa-North State Constituency in the House, Hon Ginger Onwusoibe, a Member of the National Executive Committee of PDP, Dr Solomon Ogunji, the Director-General of his 2019 Campaign Organization, Barr Suleiman Ukandu and a friend of his, Chief Ubani Dannie.
In his speech, Rt Hon Orji stated that he came to respectfully inform the State Executive Committee of the Party of his democratic emergence as the Speaker of the newly- inaugurated 7th Assembly, with other Members, as duly constituted in the leadership of the House.
He assured the Party of absolute loyalty of PDP Members of the 7th House. According to him, PDP is the ladder upon which the Party’s elected Members climb to their respective heights and should, at all times, be accorded adequate respect and motivation.
He made it clear that it amounts to ingratitude for any member of the Party to ascend a position but turn round to treat the Party with levity and disregard.
He urged the State Chairman of the Party; Sir Johnson Onuigbo, to establish effective connectivity with all appointees of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu-led Government for effective sustenance of the Party.
Rt Hon Orji did not mince words when he unequivocally said that every problem of the Party must not be directed to the Governor when there are many other elected and appointed members of the Party who should assist the Governor and Leader of the Party in the State in taking care of the Party’s challenges.
Furthermore, Mr Speaker told members of the State Executive Committee that he was unconditionally committed to the success of Governor Ikpeazu’s administration. He, therefore, charged all members of the State Executive Committee to make sure all hands are on deck to guarantee the Governor’s success. As he put it, the success of Governor Ikpeazu is automatically the succees of the Party.
Earlier in his welcome speech, the State Chairman of the Party; Sir Johnson Onuigbo, expressed deep delight that the Speaker, out of his own volition, and unprecedentedly, decided to pay a courtesy visit on the Party’s State Executive in only three weeks after being elected into his new office.
Sir Onuigbo assured him that, for showing this type of respect which is novel in the history of the Party’s relationship with the leadership of the State House of Assembly, the Party will always be ready to offer maximum co-operation and collaboration to the House under his leadership.
Among Members of the State Executive Committee of the Party that were present during the visit were; the State Secretary, Chief Ibe Nwadioha, the Woman Leader, Mrs Stella Igbokwe, the District Chairmen of Abia-North and Abia-South; Engr Mathew Ibe and Chief David Chigbu, respectively, the Treasurer, Chief Chino Uwadinjo, the State Legal Adviser, Barr Ikechukwu Omenihu, the State Organizing Secretary, Barr St Moses Ogbonna, the State Auditor, Prince Ezekwesiri Ananaba, the State Financial Secretary, Engr Chukwudi Benson, the State Youth Leader, Barr David Iro, State Assistant Secretary, Chief J J Okoro, the Chairman of PDP in Obingwa Local Government Area; Chief Kingsley Nnaji, the Assistant Legal Adviser, Barr Paul Nwabuisi and the Chairman of PDP in Ohafia, Chief John Okocha. The State Publicity Secretary, Sir Don Ubani, moderated the meeting.
