The Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has called on the Abia State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to intensify its opposition status in the state.

Onyejeocha who is the Member Representing Isuikwuato-Umunneochi Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives also described the Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu -led administration in Abia State as clueless and totally unconcerned about the yearnings of the people.

She made the statement in her country home of Isuochi, in the Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state when the APC Abia State Working Committee led by the Chairman, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa continued their tour of the 17 LGAs with a Town Hall Meeting at Umunneochi LGA.

The Green Chamber Deputy Chief Whip thanked the party Exco for adopting the strategy of Town Hall Meeting, stressing that the move has rekindled the hope of people that the APC is now very serious to effect the necessary change in Abia.

Onyejeocha charged them to speak against the bad governance of the Okezie Ikpeazu led administration, stressing that the Umunneochi LGA has been excluded from benefiting from any state government projects.

"When the government is bad, it affects everybody and when it's good everybody benefits no matter the party. So, your visit has rekindled our hope. Prior to this visit, many people thought that APC is just a branch of PDP because we were not providing viable opposition.

"We're behaving as if the government of the state will understand that after the election that it's governance. But it's quite unfortunate that the present government in Abia State doesn't have a clue of what governance is.

"And the party in the Federal started to govern the people by bringing the dividends of Democracy. So, there's this disconnect from the state because we're not getting anything. For instance, yesterday the Executive of the state passed some resolutions and approved some road projects.

"It's sad to tell you that Umunneochi was excluded. And Umunneochi is part of Abia. They did it before, my LGA was not included and yesterday again, they repeated it. I was expecting the party to come up strongly to say this is wrong. We're the opposition and we must provide that viable opposition.

"There's no gainsaying that the party in the state has underperformed, they do not care about governance, they're playing politics with the welfare of Abians," she said.

She advised all APC members to get ready for strong opposition politics, saying, "If any member of APC thinks that PDP will hand over power to us, then the person is joking. Powers are taken.

"Nobody hands power to anybody. I believe the party should come out strongly and provide the needed opposition. Having suffered what we suffered in 2019, I believe by 2023, we should be ready to force those people out of the government house."

She noted that the state government's inability to perform has shifted the role of Federal Legislators from the state, who are now expected to perform Executive duties as against their primary duty of lawmaking.

"This government has made people's representatives in the parliament ls to begin to work as if they're Executive. We're not the Executive arm of government. We're just lawmakers.

"The state is collecting money every month for Ecological Fund issues. Go and verify from the ministry of finance. I come from a place where the Ecological problem is so intense and yet the governor has not found it necessary to do even a kilometer road or solve one Ecological problem and yet the party is watching.

"No matter what anybody thinks, we're from Abia and we're representing the people and we're in Abuja. Even if I'm the Senate president or the speaker of the House of Representatives, what I'll bring to you cannot be quantified with what your state Governor can bring.

"The State government is having your funds and the funds will go to units if they're doing projects, but the senate president cannot do much. What the person is going to bring is Federal Government projects in budget.

"But the point is this, somebody is holding your wealth, he's not paying salaries, he's owing pensioners so, if you're Senate president how will you help to pay pensioners in your state and how will you pay people who are being owed salaries?

"How will whatever you're bringing build Hospitals in the 17 LGAs, how will it take the youths off the streets? How will it create employment? So, even if you're a Minister, all you may bring will be 20 percent or 30 percent and we're leaving 70 percent for people to do."

Speaking on the December 19, 2020 Abia LGA election, Onyejeocha urged APC in Umunneochi to show that they have the numbers and do the needful.

"I don't know how we can watch people write the results of local governments we belong to. I don't know how we approve of our attitude that people should bring anybody to come and occupy our LGA seats while the constitution frowns at it. We must show them we have the numbers and people who can win."

Abia APC Chairman, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa while speaking thanked Onyejeocha for all her achievements for the people of her constituency, her empowerment programmes, as well as her leadership contribution to the party.

Internal fight..

I am less concerned

Ikpeazu is the worst thing to happen to Abia state. PDP should be kicked out from that state. They have so messed up the state.



Ikpeazu is clueless and desperately wicked.

Understatement, he is failure reinforced.