The All Progressives Congress (APC), Abia State Chapter has faulted the series of claims made by the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu in his state broadcast marking the 31st anniversary of the creation of Abia State, saying that there is nothing to celebrate.
In a press statement made available to the media, a copy of which TheEconomyonline saw, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu the Chairman of All progressive Congress (APC) in Abia State in commemoration of the creation of the State, commended Abians for their steadfastness and in keeping hope alive for a better tomorrow for us all, our children and children’s children.
His broadcast shows how shallow, forgetful and insensitive his administration and the PDP are to the problems inflicted on Abians in the last 24 years of their misrule. This is akin to asking a “child being flogged to keep smiling” or a Lion asking her victims to join in the burial of their carcass.
The APC Chairman urged Abia people to ask Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu what is there to celebrate. Is he asking Abians to join him to celebrate 24yrs of suffering, misrule and hostage by PDP administration? Is he asking the workers that are owed for over 13 months to join him to celebrate their 13months unpaid salaries? Is he expecting pensioners to join in the celebration of 42 months of their unpaid pensions?
What is there to celebrate, he asked. Should Abians celebrate the de-accreditation of Abia State Polytechnic with their unpaid salaries and allowances or to celebrate the de-accreditation of many courses at Abia State University?
Gov.Ikpeazu in his broadcast claimed that his administration has completed 150 roads in Abia. This is laughable, says the APC Chairman because “it appears that.
Gov. Ikpeazu has forgotten that he was speaking to Abia people”.
“Gov.Ikpeazu should be told that Abians have reached their elastic limit and will vote out PDP in the 2023 governorship election.
“Where are the 150 roads and his signature projects in Abia state? Is it the famous Osisioma flyover that took him over seven years to complete with the help of the Federal Government upgrade of the Enugu-Aba-Port- Harcourt Road?
“When Governor Umahi of Ebonyi State has completed over 16 flyoers within the same seven years despite their poor financial standing, a flyover that cost a whopping sum of over N14 billion from Abia as opposed to N7 billion standard flyover built by Julius Berger in Rivers State?
“Is it the Faulks Road that after spending over N9.3 Billion on a road of less than 5km, the same road has remained both impassable and unmotorable. Where are the 150 roads in Abia, he asked.
Continuing, the APC Chairman stated that Abians do not need his “Rebuilder 360” to show us projects delivered to our various LGAs of Abia as we are here with him in the state. It is shameful and insensitive for Gov.Ikpeazu led PDP administration not to have noticed that Abia is very close to the Biblical city of “Babylon”.
“After 31 years of its creation Aba has remained the most dirty city in Africa, Umuahia is still looking like a glorified village while government house has remained uncompleted ,yet ,it didn’t take Gov. Ikpeazu one year to use pensioner’s money to build a state-of the- art mega home in his Umuobakwa country home”.
The APC wonders how Gov.Ikpeazu and members of his executive council go home to sleep at night peacefully, with families of Pensioners and workers going to bed with empty stomach due to unpaid salaries and pensions.
The chairman lamented that at 31 years old, Abians should ideally be celebrating monumental developmental strides given the enormous human and material resources the state is endued with as a people by the Almighty God. But in reality and all honesty, Abians are merely celebrating the anniversary of the creation of the state with nothing concrete on the ground to show for the 31 years of existence when compared with other neighboring States and others created the same time.
On the way forward, and what to do to escape present quagmire, Dr Ononogbu, urged Abians to cry no more, search no more and look no further because God has heard their cries and prayers by touching credible Abia sons and daughters who ordinarily would have stayed away from politics to come forward to offer their services and expertise and participate in the State’s electoral process in order to Rescue and Develop Abia State.
He therefore, urged Abians to be optimistic and confident in God Almighty adding that an APC led administration in Abia State if given the opportunity by Abians will change the narrative positively and lead our people and the State to our collectively desired vision of a New Abia.
“Abia people must rise to join the All Progressives Congress and her governorship candidate High Chief Ikechi Emenike to rescue and develop our dilapidated state for the benefits of all Abians and unborn generation. We call on Abia people to reject PDP and try a new leadership that is never part of the rots in the state.
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“As we approach the 2023 election, Abians must remain vigilant and be courageous to say “Enough is enough” as Egyptians PDP we see today in Abia government house, we shall see them no more come 2023”.