₦airaland Forum

Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has charged newly elected Executives of the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to work to take the party higher and ensure victory for her at elections.

The Governor gave the charge earlier today at the State PDP congress held at Umuahia Township Stadium in the state capital, with the new Party Exco emerging.

A former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Asiforo Okere emerged Chairman, while Chief Obinna Nwachukwu was elected the Deputy Chairman.

Ikpeazu charged the newly elected party executives to begin their work immediately and ensure they win new members and galvanize support for the party as the task for winning elections cannot be taken for granted despite the party having consistently won elections in the State.

"PDP is Abia State and Abia State is PDP", the Governor enthused.

He reminded the executives that the party, being the hope of Nigerians in the next general elections, has a very demanding task ahead and called for all hands to be on deck to achieve the set objectives.

He stated that the event was supposed to be a joyful moment for the party but for the loss of three of her illustrious members in the persons of Late Chief Johnson Onuigbo, who led the party to victory in 2015 and 2019, Dr. Solomon Ogunji and Sir Allen Nwachukwu, and prayed for their souls to find rest in the bosom of the Lord.

While assuring them of his support at all times, the Governor reminded the new executives that they have been elected to serve the people and not the other way round. He therefore called on members of the party to also cooperate with and support the executives to enable them deliver on their mandate.

Addressing those who feel aggrieved over one issue or the other, the Governor urged them to always seek redress through the appropriate channels in the party.

He lauded members of the congress organising committee led by Rt Hon. Kenneth Okon for a job well done despite how painstaking it was. He noted that the smooth conduct of the congress in Abia shows that Abia State is unarguably a peaceful State.

Speaking earlier, the party's National Organising Secretary, Colonel Austin Akobundu (Rtd) noted that the party is known for being peaceful and urged all delegates to vote in an orderly manner to elect a new executive that will take the party to a new height.

He disclosed that a lot of work needs to be done as a new administration will be installed at all levels.

He also assured the Governor of maximum support from members of the Party.

Also speaking, the acting State Chairman of PDP, Chief P. C. Onyegbu, called on the executives to ensure they unite the party as one and shun strife and discord.

The other members of the newly elected executives include:
Chief Amah Abraham: Zonal Chairman North
Hon. Chukwu Ezebuiro: Zonal Chairman Central
Chief David Chigbu: Zonal Chairman South
State Secretary: Barr David Iro
Ndubuisi Ukaegbu: Assistant State Secretary North
Prince Ukeye: Assistant Sec. Central
Rich Nwagbara: Assist. Sec. South
Ben Okezie: State Treasurer
Isaac Elekwa: State Treasurer North
Tom Obioha Nwogu: State Treasurer Central
Chukwudi Dike: State Treasurer South
Chinyere Onuoha: State Financial Secretary
Chief Emmanuel Awa: Assistant Financial Secretary
Barr. Dan Nkeiru: State Legal adviser
Barr. Mrs Ngozi Nwangwa: State Assistant Legal adviser
Chief Fabian Nwankwo: State Publicity Secretary
Godfrey Ogbonna: Assistant State Publicity Secretary
Hon. Gabriel Okereke Elendu: State Auditor
Prince Arthur Ajuzieogu: Assistant Auditor
Chief Victor Ebere: State Organizing Secretary
Ndubuisi Onugo: State Organizing Secretary North
Barr. Obinna Nwaogwugwu: Assistant State Organizing Secretary Central
Barr. Eze Onwunma: Assistant State Organizing Secretary South
Lolo Christy Emenike: State Woman Leader
Mrs Nneoma Mgboeyeh: Assistant State Woman Leader North
Mrs Gloria agomuo: Assistant State Woman Leader Central
Mrs. Ogbonna Best: Assistant State Woman Leader North
Chief Patrick Onwuka: State Youth Leader
Hon. Mba Akuma State Youth Leader North
Okpokpo Christopher: State Youth Leader Central
Okechukwu Prince Chinedu: State Youth Leader South

Ex-officio: Mrs. Comfort Wamanta
Mrs Peter Nwaokonko
Nduka Nwarisara
Sunday Nwakudu and
Ken Madubuike Onochiri.

The event which was well attended by the Deputy Governor, members of the National Assembly, Speaker of State House of Assembly, Local Government party executives as well as other party faithfuls featured the dissolution of the Caretaker Committee by the legal adviser, Barr. Omenihu, and observation of a minute silence in honour of the late party chairman, Chief Johnson Onuigbo, late Dr. Solomon Ogunji and Late Sir Allen Nwachukwu.

More pictures from today's State Congress of the PDP

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More than 300 members of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Abia State Chapter, led by Chief Ojiabo Ude Ojiabo, who was the former zonal chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia North Senatorial Zone, have abandoned the sinking ship of the party today and declared for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The formal declaration which took place at the Abia State Governor’s lodge in Aba saw Ojiabo and others hand over their APGA membership cards and other party paraphernalia to the representative of Governor Ikpeazu, Chief Erondu Uchenna Erondu, with the decampees pledging their commitment to the re-election of the Governor and his Deputy, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu.

In his speech, Chief Ojiabo who is from Ndi Etiti Ward, Nkporo in Ohafia Local Government Area, stated that the laudable achievements of Governor Ikpeazu and the need to support their kinsman, Deputy Governor Oko Chukwu, informed their decision to join PDP. He also pointed out that the Deputy Governor, whom he described as their brother and respected son of Nkporo Kingdom needs the total support and commitment of all Nkporo sons and daughters to ensure that he returns to the Government House with his boss in 2019.

According to him, “Nobody who sucked the breast milk of an Nkporo woman will abandon our brother and his boss for other parties. They have done well and we must all come out to show total support to our own and his hardworking boss who has shown more than enough commitment to completely change the narrative of Abia State for the better. Everyone can see the steady progress the state has witnessed under Ikpeazu and we owe him support instead of opposition in 2019.”

He called on old and new PDP members, especially those from Nkporo and Ohafia Local Government Area to rise up to the challenge of delivering resounding victory to the party during the election in 2019.

In his remarks, Governor Ikpeazu who spoke through Chief Uchenna Erondu, welcomed the new members and informed them that PDP is happy to receive them and offer them level playing ground to join other progressives in the party to contribute to the development of the state. He assured that the government will continue to reward the people of the state for the support and faith shown to his administration.

“I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from all segments of the state, including from those who for one reason or another opposed us in 2015. I understand your support to be a call to work harder and deliver much more than we have done so far. My assurance to all our people is that we are committed to accelerating the development of our dear state.”

PDP stalwarts and government officials who were present at the event include Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, Chairman of Aba South Local Government, Chief Emmanuel Emeruwa, State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Sir Don Ubani, Chief Ike Onyenwaku and Chief Kelechi Nwankpa.

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I didn’t force INEC to declare result under gun point, Sen Orji tells Otti

The immediate past Governor of Abia State, and the Senator representing Abia Central district, Chief Theodore Orji, has denied coercing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under gun point, to doctor the result of the 2015 Abia governorship poll in favour of the incumbent Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.

Orji who made the denial was reacting to an allegation by the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Alex Otti, that he (Orji) allegedly stormed INEC headquarters in Umuahia while the results were being collated and forced the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to reverse the cancellation of the results from Obingwa and Osisioma Councils.

The Senator who spoke to newsmen in Umuahia immediately after Otti’s claim was amplified on a radio programme said the APGA candidate lied and had only resorted to cheap blackmail having lost out at the poll.

Orji who spoke through his Liaison Officer, Hon. Ifeanyi Umere threatened legal action against Otti if he failed to retract the claims.

He explained that contrary to the allegation, at no time did he storm INEC office and forced the REC under gun point to declare a false result.

According to him, he only went to protest the action of the State Returning Officer who rashly cancelled results from Obingwa and Osisioma LGA after they had been declared by the respective Returning Officers at the councils.

He argued that as a former Administrative Secretary of the electoral umpire, he was fully aware that it was only the court and not a Returning Officer that had the powers to nullify an already declared result(s).

The senator said he only went to INEC to remind the REC of the illegality of the State Returning Officer’s action after which she cleared from INEC headquarters Abuja which also faulted the action and directed that the error be corrected.

He said it would be wrong for Otti or anybody to assume that his mission at the INEC office amounted to intimidating the electoral body to altar the outcome of the poll in favour of his preferred candidate.

Orji said he had already directed his legal team to analyse the claims by Otti and take necessary legal actions.

He warned politicians to desist from bitter politics and campaign of calumny and focus on issues instead of running down their opponents using falsehood.

Happening now

Abiriba Grand Civic Reception for the Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu at the Akahaba Stadium Ameke, Abiriba, Abia State

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How Alex Otti stole my father’s property and threatened to kill me-Arochukwu man cries out

Q: CAN WE MEET YOU?
My name is Edward Kanu Obiakor Jnr, from ujari village Arochukwu in Abia State. I am the only son of late Prof Edward Kanu Obiakor, the pioneer Rector of Fed. Polytechnic Ado Ekiti.

Q : RECENTLY, FEW DAYS AGO OR SO TO SAY, YOU TOOK TO YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE WHERE YOU LAID A CLAIM THAT A SAID PIECE OF LAND BELONGING TO YOU WAS FORCEFULLY TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU BY DR. ALEX OTTI. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT HAPPENED?

Sometime in 2015, Dr. Alex Otti’s Helicopter, grazed the roof of my late father’s filling station located beside his house in Arochukwu. So I searched for his number, and I called him and asked him to renovate the roof because I wanted to rent the filling station out. He said his PA will take care of it and he furthermore asked me to sell the said property to him, which I refused.
I told him it is not for sale, that that is the only property belonging to my late father that remains. Then he said whenever I am ready to sale I should let him know. I had to put up a notice in the filling station, writing “this property is not for sale, beware of 419”.

I am based in Port Harcourt, sometime in 2016, I was called from the village that caterpillars and bulldozers are in the filling station, bulldozing the property. Before I ran down to Arochukwu the filling station was already bulldozed . When I made my enquiries, I was told that Dr. Alex Otti was the man behind the bulldozing of the filling station.

Q: WHEN YOU HEARD, WHAT MEASURES DID YOU TAKE TO DRAW THE ATTENTION OF DR. ALEX OTTI TO THESE THINGS YOU COMPLAINED ABOUT NOW? HAVE YOU EVER CALLED HIM? DID YOU SEEK TO FIND OUT WHY HE WENT INTO YOUR FATHER’S PROPERTY, WHICH IS YOUR PROPERTY?

When I got to the village and saw the situation of things, I mean the filling station being bulldozed by Dr.Alex Otti, I ran to the Eze Aro in Council, the council of chiefs in Arochukwu, when I got there, I laid a complain to them and they said I should bring N8,500 to summoun Dr. Alex Otti, so that they will know the cause of his action. I provided the N8,500, gave it to them and Dr. Alex Otti was summouned. They gave me a date to appear in the King’s palace, on that day Dr. Alex Otti sent one Mazi Nkem Okoro, former Local Government Chairman in Arochukwu Local Government, to represent him. The cabinet gave us another date to come for the hearing of the case, on that day I came to the king’s palace but Mazi was no where to be found. They adjourned the case to another day. I also came alone, Mazi Nkem Okoro did not come, being Dr. Alex Otti’s representative in the matter. They adjourned this case to more than five times, I came alone, Mazi Nkem Okoro was no where to be found. From the look of things I saw that something has gone wrong in giving me the justice I required. I aslo went down to Isiala Ngwa, to report the matter, where Dr. Alex Otti comes from, they also did nothing about the case, so I had to go online to cry out for help.

Q: HAS ANY STRUCTURE BEEN RAISED IN THE FILLING STATION? WHAT IS THE SITUATION OF THE SAID FILLING STATION RIGHT NOW?

The filling station has been bulldozed entirely and Dr. Alex Otti went further to fence the filling station, so right now I don’t have access to go into the said land. You know the filling station shares the same fence with his compound, so after bulldozing the filling station he fenced it, joining it with his compound in Arochukwu.

Q: NOW THAT YOU HAVE TRIED ALL THESE MEANS, THE TWO MEN YOU MENTIONED AND NONE OF THEM SEEMED TO HAVE PAID OFF, WHAT IS YOUR NEXT MOVE?

I believe peace is the best solution to this matter, I don’t have money to take up the matter that is why I went on facebook to make the matter public, so as to get help from anywhere possible. I have also contacted Joseph Otti, being Dr. Alex Otti’s younger brother, I begged him to grant me audience so that I can expalin things to his brother, but he refused, rather he began threatening me, saying his brother bought the filling station.
If Dr Alex Otti can take away my inheritance from me without my consent, then I am afraid about what they could do to me. They have no regard for my late father, a Prof of such reputation, they have no regard for me being the only son of that late Professor. All these while, I have been running around looking for people to help me.
To all Abians, please intervene in this matter because I have nobody, I am just a young graduate without a job and being the only son of my father I don’t think Dr. Alex Otti did the right thing by taking away my father’s property. I also voted for him last election and I am very very disappointed that the only way he could thank me was to rip me off my inheritance. Please I am using this means to appeal to Abia Citizens to help me in this case.

Alex Otti: How Not To Be An Ngwaman

BY MOSES A. ORJI

It has become very necessary to interrogate the audacity, if not effrontery of Alex Otti’s dabble into politics on the premise that he is an Ngwaman.

Ever since he lost the governorship election in Abia to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Otti has found it increasingly difficult to adjust properly and regain composure. Apparently distempered, disoriented and divorced from polite communication, Otti has resorted to abusive and ‘gutter’ language in characterizing Ngwa leaders.

My natural impulse was to join issues with Otti, but on a second thought I quietly subjected it to the philosophical rationalization that the opposition must have something to say, and that the writer would be sobered with time and with some introspection on his unguarded fart. But I was wrong.

In the interview he granted Sunday Sun, and published on April 8, 2018 Otti was unrepentant, pointblank and more daring. In his own words, …”the people that gathered at Okpuala Ngwa were conflicted traditional rulers, ritualists, marabouts and native doctors all gathered to endorse you and you pay them. In a place where people have shame, you don’t do that”.

After going through these reinforced stereotypes, I became convinced that Otti was talking ‘out of the abundance of his heart’. The words he deployed in describing Ukwa/Ngwa people were the true reflection of the people in his own eyes.

It is against this background that I will attempt to examine the steps taken by Alex Otti, a self-confessed genius, in his efforts to occupy Government House, Umuahia as the first Ngwaman.

Maybe I should state on the outset that there is nothing wrong with Dr. Otti or any other person aspiring to govern Abia State, equity or no equity, as long as the law permits. But that everything is wrong when an aspiring leader attempts to hoodwink all of us by deliberately assuming the false character of descending from an ancestory and bloodline that is alien to his, just because he wants to be governor.

Abia State was established on a bedrock called equity. The battle to do equity in Abia has been raging for decades. When it became obvious that the pendulum would be swinging to the Old-Aba zone, Dr Otti quickly abandoned his castle at Atani in Arochukwu, crossed over to Isiala-Ngwa, acquired land in 2012 and began to erect ‘a new home’. With alacrity, he has become an Ngwaman, from Isiala-Ngwa. With his well funded housing project in progress, Dr. Otti then arranged for some traditional rulers (the same traditional rulers he would later berate) to confer a chieftaincy title on him. He was not only transferring nativity and residence, he was transferring title also. He had years back been conferred with the chieftaincy title of “Ugwu Aro” of Arochukwu. He would now become the “Ugwu Ngwa I” of Ngwaland and traditional rulers were not in short supply.

Having acquired a chieftaincy title in Ngwaland, Dr. Otti, playing the cameo role and being the hero of his own imagination, walked across to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In 2011, he had voted at Atani. In 2015 he would vote and be voted for at Umuru, Isiala Ngwa. All he needed do was apply for a transfer of voting location, full stop. And this he did. By his own calculation, nothing was going to stop him. He had earlier drafted in a woman with whom he has blood ties as his deputy, and had even discreetly investigated the financial status of notable Ngwa men and women in comparison to his own broad financial war chest.
But he forgot one thing. He forgot that he needed to have a rendezvous with the God of justice and equity. While Otti was riding rough shod over the sensibilities of Abia leaders in their collective resolve to do the needful and correct a historical mistake, the Rotary Club’s moral bell “will it be fair to all concerned?” continued to chime in Otti’sears unheeded.

I have often had cause to sit back and reflect on what could have been the fate of the Ngwaman had Otti succeeded. How could we have taken such a crushing defeat by just one man?

I must confess that on a personal scale I have not fully recovered from the shock of my regrets, having offered myself a veritable tool in his hands while the battle raged.

Since Dr. Otti has chosen to re-launch his campaign by brazenly portraying Ukwa/Ngwa leaders as despicable and evil characters, it may be necessary to zero in on the man himself.

For those who have not had an interpersonal experience or exposure with Dr. Otti, he may come across as a populist leader willing to sacrifice himself for the benefit of the ordinary man. But is that true? Political leadership demands social conscience on the part of aspiring leaders.

The obscene comfort at the disposal of Otti in the midst of very poor people who find themselves trapped in the downward spiral of poverty is a great question mark on the man’s messianic posturing and make-believe romance with the common man.

Corruption is often perceived when our ways and means are grossly at variance, and Femi Falana, a conscientious Social crusader has just revealed the fact that worse corruption take place in the churches and the banking industry. Maybe someday we shall get to know how the son of an itinerant preacher became not just a banker but a financial and property tycoon.

I love the opposition, and I have often found myself in the opposition. But the beauty of the opposition remains in its credibility to speak the truth, and to feed the public with incontrovertible facts. Now, is it true as Otti has repeatedly alleged that Dr. Ikpeazu is owing Abia workers a backlog of 10 months? In what better ways could Otti have deployed Abia resources given what Ikpeazu is doing in Abia today?

Did I hear Chief Tony Ukasoanya, Otti’s henchman, confess that he was returning to the P.D.P because of his excitement on the overall performance of Ikpeazu? Who and who are still left in Otti’s camp of ‘the alliance of the aggrieved’?

The whole story of Otti’s incursion into politics may end up a misadventure. I could see Dr. Otti with the eyes of time as an evolving metaphor, an accident that will eventually happen. I could see his gimmicks and conceited efforts being encapsulated in a book titled, “How not to be an Ngwaman”. It is bound to be a treatise as well as an instructional manual.

It will be read and relished by all except Alex Otti himself, the biblical Peter who would not want to be reminded of the cock. Let’s give time the chance.


BY MOSES A. ORJI
An Ngwaman and Former Chieftain
of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)

Supreme Court affirms election of Ikpeazu, fines Nwosu N4m

The Supreme Court on Friday in Abuja dismissed an application filed by Mr Friday Nwosu, praying the court to disqualify Mr Okezie Ikpeazu as democratically elected governor of Abia.
Nwosu, a governorship aspirant in the 2014 PDP governorship primaries had challenged the nomination and emergence of Ikpeazu as the state governor on the grounds that he submitted “false’’ tax papers to INEC.

He had urged the court to nullify the election of Ikpeazu and declare him (Nwosu) the governor of Abia.

Justice Amina Adamu-Augie, in the lead judgment, described the appeal as “frivolous and lacking in merit’’.

The Justice awarded fine of N4 million against the appellant (Nwosu) to be paid N1 million each to four respondents to the appeal.

The respondents in the suit are Mr Samson Ogah, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, (PDP), Ikpeazu and the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lead judgment was read on behalf of Justice Augie by Justice Sidi Bage.

Nwosu had, in his appeal, challenged the judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri which declined jurisdiction in the case.

The appellate court panel of five Justices presided over by Justice Jimi Bada had ruled that it lacked the jurisdiction to hear and determine the appeal.

Specifically, the court held that Nwosu’s appeal was similar to the suit also filed against Ikpeazu by Uche Ogah which the apex court had decided on May 12, 2017.

Nwosu, who contested the Dec. 8, 2014 PDP governorship primaries had accused Ikpeazu of submitting false information and fake tax documents to INEC.

He had instituted the suit at the Federal High Court, Owerri, presided over by Justice A.L. Lewis.

Justice Lewis had on July 8, 2016, dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.

Dissatisfied with the verdict, he proceeded to the Court of Appeal and finally, the Supreme Court.

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The Supreme Court of Nigeria dismissed the appeal filed by F N Nwosu against Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State describing it as a gross abuse of the processes of the Court and slammed a four million Naira cost against him in favor of each of the four respondents at One Million Naira each.

Details later.

Important news!

Sergey Mavrodi Has Passed Away. MMM is put on “pause”

Dear participants, a tragic event took place: on March 26, our leader and ideological mastermind — Sergey Mavrodi — left his life. In the street, he felt unwell and complained of weakness and heartache. A passer-by called an ambulance, Sergey Mavrodi was hospitalized, alas, he couldn’t be saved. Sergey Mavrodi died at the age of 62.

In this regard, the МММ System shifts to a “pause” mode. It is impossible to provide and get help; Mavros don’t grow. In the near future, Administration will take a decision concerning MMM’s future and report on it officially. Hoping for your understanding.

Sergey Mavrodi devoted his life to serving other people. He abstained from conveniences and material benefits, communication with his family and friends in order that no one could influence him and the System. Sergey Mavrodi worked until his dying day: without holidays and vacations. Mr Mavrody always felt his responsibility for the participants and the System. He never pursued any self-interest.

Mr Mavrodi, long before the cryptocurrencies emergence, predicted that the modern financial system would become a thing of the past. While today we can see that many of Mr Mavrodi’s predictions have already come true: alternatives to fiat money have appeared and they become increasingly widely disseminated. Let us remember the principles that Mr Mavrodi defended: mutual aid and justice; and strive to implement those principles in our life. This will be our best contribution to Mavrodi’s mission.

Sergey Mavrodi is a great man who managed to unite a huge number of people worldwide in the struggle for a single purpose. MMM was his life’s work; he dreamed of changing the world. Sergey Mavrodi, you will always be in our hearts!

МММ Administration

As Sun Newspaper descends into infamy

Our attention was drawn to a front page editorial comment against the Government and people of Abia State published by Sun tabloid on 21st March 2018, with the caption “As Abia descends into rot”. We decided to take some time to find out why a supposed reputable national daily will choose to descend into brazen unprofessionalism that is globally associated with FAKE NEWS outlets.

Having concluded our investigations, our response is more of sympathy for the editors of the media outlet whose journalistic hands and legs were apparently tied by their publisher, who is engaged in one of his regular political malfeasance aimed at distracting the vulnerable.

We are now fully aware of the recent mass disengagement of Sun workers who refused to sell their journalistic souls. We are also aware of the scheme to provoke Abia State Government into a media war that will only serve to waste the scarce resources of the people of Abia State, without adding one meter of road to the infrastructure stock of our state.

We will not travel that road or abandon the work of the people of Abia State to chase after publicly discredited folks struggling to reinvent themselves and their long moribund political careers using their ill gotten free access to the media.

The work of Abia is paramount to the government of Abia State, led by Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, and that alone we must invest resources on.

The kernel of the malicious and provocative Sun editorial is located in the following paragraph:

“We agree with majority of Abia people that Governor Ikpeazu has not fulfilled his campaign promises to the people of the state. That Abia civil servants, teachers and other workers are owed months of salary arrears is an indication that the government has failed to meet its obligation to them. The same thing applies to pensioners that the government owes several months of pensions.”

Our considered response to Sun editorial team is simply to refer our people to two extracts from previous publications of same Sun tabloid.

1. On the 1st of July 2017, Sun published a story with the caption; “Abia Pensioners beg Ikpeazu over arrears”. According to that report,

“Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Abia State Council, has called on the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, to include pension arrears owed its members when clearing debts owed civil servants in the state.

“Rising from a meeting at Umuahia Sub-Treasury Hall, the pensioners outlined debts owed as pension harmonisation arrears, five and half years pension arrears to retired primary school teachers from June 2002 to August 2007 and gratuities which had been outstanding since 1999.”

In case the editors of Sun have forgotten, we wish to remind them that the publisher of Sun Newspaper, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, was the Governor of Abia State between 1999 and 2007. It was his administration that owed pensioners and salaries of workers running into months of of unpaid wages and pensions, as stated in their own publication.

For instance, the younger brother of the Sun publisher, whom he installed as the Chairman of Aba North Local Government Area, did not only leave the LGA with very high debt running into hundreds of millions of Naira owed to commercial banks, he also left the LGA with a staggering 14 months’ unpaid wages to workers and pensioners.

2. In a February 27, 2018 article published by Sun with the caption “Ikpeazu has done enough to deserve a second term”, the tabloid volunteered the following statement after seeing first-hand some of the achievements of Governor Ikpeazu:

“Excited by the governor’s performance, most of the communities visited during a recent tour of the state were of the view that to win a re-election, the governor would not need to campaign in the areas, as his achievements so far were enough to speak for him.”

If the editor of a newspaper, with first-hand information on the feeling of Abia voters, volunteered such opinion, the question becomes; who exactly authored or ordered the editorial comment of Sun as published on March 21st 2018? What manner of pressure was brought to bear on the members of the editorial board of Sun to cajole them into ridiculing journalism?

The administration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu deliberately chose to focus on the task of accelerating the development of our dear state rather than inundating the people of Abia State with excuses and blame sharing. That is why we have never gone on record, in public, to inform our people about the origin of the salary and pension payment challenge in the state which dates back to the 1999-2015.

We are also not interested in comparing administrations or states, otherwise we would have been pointing out that the neighboring states Sun mentioned, in comparison to Abia State, had development structures inherited from 1999-2007 era which subsequent administrations built on. Maybe others can ask Sun editors to point to one single project or legacy left in Abia State by their publisher who presided over our state for 8 years, that we inherited to build on.

Despite the failures of the 1999-2007 administration in the state to lay proper foundation for then young Abia State at the inception of the 4th Republic, it is on record that we have focused on solving the problems and remedying the foundational defects of the past.

As at today, we are not owing any worker serving in our Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA), as they have all received February 2018 salary and we are still in March. It is also important to note that those categories of workers constitute more than 70% of the state’s workforce.

While we are up to date with salaries of MDAs, we are working hard to bring other categories of workers and pensioners to the same level. But in doing so we necessarily must keep an eye on the revenue profile of the state and the need to also provide dividends of democracy to the remaining citizens and residents of the state who constitute more than 99% of the population of Abia State.

Even with the foregoing, we have diligently managed the resources of the state to ensure that primary school teachers are now owed only 2 months arrears while secondary school teachers have 4 months arrears as against what we inherited.

While we acknowledge the gap in payment between MDAs, teachers, pensioners and some parastatals, we remain determined to ensure that we quickly arrive at the point where all genuine workers in the state receive their wages as at when due and in a sustainable manner.

Despite the heavy weight wages exert on the state’s lean resources, we have never considered retrenchment of workers as an option because of the expected negative socio-economic impact that would have on our people. Even when neighboring states retrenched and/or reviewed wages downwards to match current revenue level, we have continued to carry the highest wage bill in the South East Region and it is on record that Abia pays the highest wage per worker in the region.

Our two pronged plan to ensure sustainable bridging of the wages payment gap includes shoring up the internally generated revenue (IGR) of the state through the automation of the IGR collection, process to eliminate leakages, as well as support our entrepreneurs to grow and willingly pay their fair share of taxes and levies.

We are mindful of the fact that until our monthly IGR exceeds the current monthly wage bill of N2.1b we will still struggle with regular payments because our state’s current revenue profile is lean and continues to carry the highest wage bill and also pay the highest wages per worker in the entire south east region.

While we have religiously ensured that since the inception of the administration workers receive salary payments every month, our short term solution to tackling outstanding payments includes ensuring that workers and pensioners with arrears generously benefit from any extraordinary revenue inflow such as the Paris Club Refund.

So far, Abia state received 3 tranches of Paris Club Refund and the transparent management and disbursement of the inflows have long been applauded by ICPC, peer review team of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), civil society organizations and trade unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress, Abia State Chapter.

When the initial refund of N10.6b was made to the state, the Federal Government advised states to invest 50% to outstanding wage payment and Abia under Ikpeazu verifiably complied.

Indeed, Governor Ikpeazu was brave in deploying 50% of the fund belonging to more than 5 millions Abians to Service the wages of 38,000 workers. The remaining 50% was appropriated to meet the needs of the remaining 4.9m Abians.

Workers and pensioners received N5.6b while N1.7b was devoted to road construction and repairs. Construction of bridges, including Osisioma (Flyover) interchange got N2.6b while hospitals and street lighting got N685m and N200m respectively.

When the second tranche of N5.7b was received, Governor Ikpeazu gave ALL of it to workers and pensioners in the state. He remains the only Governor in Nigeria to toe that path of unquestionable love for workers and pensioners.

It is also important to note that the allocated funds were directly disbursed by a committee dominated by trade unions who determined which outstanding to pay. Abia State government constituted a committee made up of the different labour union leaders, namely NLC, TUC, NULGE, NUP, NUT and Joint Negotiating Council to manage all extraordinary revenue inflows with a view to ensuring that workers and pensioners get their fair share.

Even when Abia State received the 3rd tranche of Paris Club Refund, the government devoted about 60% to payment of workers and pensioners old outstanding. Out of N5.7b received by the state, workers got N3.2b while N2.5b was used to improve the infrastructure stock of the state.

Workers and non workers benefit from the improvement in the infrastructure stock of the state.

While Sun editors skirted the issue, thereby tacitly admitting that Governor Ikpeazu’s record in infrastructure development is unmatched in the history of the state and the South East region, it is important to point out that in 33 months of his administration he has delivered 53 completed road projects and the government is currently active at 78 other project sites spread across the state.

Even late Chief Sam Mbakwe will be proud of Governor Ikpeazu’s infrastructure development record, which has in no small way added to the quality and quantity of infrastructure stock of the state.

Similarly, our late patriarch, Dr M I Okpara, would have acknowledged the extraordinary agricultural revolution going on in the state, with more than 4,000,000 tenera palm seedlings already planted, out of the targeted 7, 500,000 by 2019. Not to mention the poultry clusters, mushroom farms and even the ever improving rice and other cash crops yield in the state under Ikpeazu’s watch.

In addition to constructing the first ever interchange (Flyover) in the state, the perennial flooding challenge at Ukwu Mango area and Faulks (Ariaria) Road has been tackled through innovative deployment of research and technology in road construction.

For the first time in history of Abia State, 4 grade A contractors are working simultaneously on road projects in the state; Setraco at Faulks and PH roads, Arab Contractors at Aba Road Umuahia, Chinese Zhongbon at Osisioma Flyover and Bulletine at Abiriba-Nkporo road.

More than 11 LGAs in Abia State have already benefited from Ikpeazu’s 10km road Per LGA initiative and to the glory of God, Ugwunagbo local government area now have the first asphalted road constructed by a state government since God created the earth.

Our healthcare facilities are much more improved, with well thought out interventions made to ensure that life expectancy in Abia State exceeds National average. Our state is the first to launch telemedicine to support the integration of the operations of the 292 primary healthcare centers (PHC) with our increasing secondary and tertiary medical facilities.

In education, 4 new model schools are under construction, across the 3 Senatorial districts of the state, in addition to 359 new classroom blocks built in all the wards of the state.

On Ikpeazu’s watch, our state has maintained 1st position in West Africa School Certificate Examinations for 3 consecutive years.

Even in trade and commerce, Abia is now leading on improvements in ease of doing business in the south east region, with our new one stop shop located at the New Abia Investment House constructed by the Ikpeazu administration already supporting investors.

Our Enyimba Industrial City is set to be unveiled as the most attractive investment destination in Africa.

Today, it takes 7 days to obtain certificate of occupancy in Abia State because of the application of technology in the process of verification and approval of applications. Our MSMEs are resurging and creating new jobs daily because of the well focused promotion and support of Governor Ikpeazu to Made In Aba brands.

Even in the area of youth empowerment, we have moved away from the era of giving wheel barrows and motorcycles to young people as empowerment. They are being empowered through technical training and skill acquisition to become entrepreneurs and job creators. That is why we launched the novel education for employment (E4E) program in addition to funding MSME development programs.

Not long ago, the administration of Ikpeazu sent 30 young Abians to China to learn automated shoe making. With their successful training and return, the state is set to set up the first automated shoe factory that will deliver more jobs and help keep our young minds away from crimes like “419”, rituals, Drug dealing, kidnapping, currency counterfeiting etc.

More importantly, Governor Ikpeazu is building infrastructure that will last for many years after he has completed his two terms of 4 years each.

The era of “action” roads have given way to application of Rigid Pavement technology in constructing key roads in Abia State. Ikpeazu roads come with double drains that empty into suitable storm water collection points and more than 25 of his completed roads have survived at least 2 rainy seasons and still look like new roads done yesterday.

When Abia people praise Governor Ikpeazu and offer their unsolicited endorsement for his second term in office, it is simply because they have seen the work he has done with limited resources. It is not necessarily an acknowledgment that he has done everything there is to do in Abia State.

The great people of Abia State know that whatever has not been done will be done and hence the massive outpouring of love and support for the man they fondly call Okezuo Abia.

We therefore wish to call on the editors of Sun to insist on professionalism even when faced with threats of sack from their owner. As professionals, they owe the nation and their collective conscience the debt of always speaking the truth, even when threatened with the “sword”. Otherwise it will only be a matter of time before The Sun Newspaper descends fully into infamy and earn itself the ignominious tag of FAKE NEWS medium.

Chief John Okiyi Kalu
Honorable Commissioner For Information, Abia State.
25/03/2018

https://www.facebook.com/theAbiaInfo/posts/163377094380996

COMMUNIQUÉ BY THE PEOPLE OF UKWA/NGWA ON THE OCCASION OF GREAT UKWA/NGWA DECLARATION 2 MADE THIS FRIDAY, 2ND MARCH 2018 AT OKPUALA-NGWA, THE ANCESTRAL HOME OF NGWA PEOPLE.

The Ukwa/Ngwa People are the indigenous people of Old Aba Administrative Division. In the present administrative composition of Abia State of seventeen (17) local government council areas, nine (9) local government areas are indigenous to the people of Ukwa/Ngwa.

In their alphabetical sequence, the nine local government council areas are; 1. Aba North, 2. Aba South, 3. Isiala Ngwa North, 4. Isiala Ngwa South, 5. Obingwa, 6. Osisima Ngwa, 7. Ugwunagbo, 8. Ukwa East, 9. Ukwa West.

As a people that are highly, though peacefully, conscious of their political environment needs and realities, their leaders were at the vanguard of demand for the creation of Abia State.

In order to make sure that Abia state, on creation, would be one where equity, justice, fairness, unity, peace and progress would reign, the founding fathers of the proposed State initiated, developed and agreed on a document they aptly named ABIA CHARTER OF EQUITY.

In their broad-minded estimation, the intendment of Abia Charter of Equity was to guarantee brotherhood and peace in the State through equitable distribution of political offices.

During the military tele-guided semi-democratic era of the former military president; Ibrahim Badamusi Babagida to which credit for the creation of the State in 1991 goes, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu from Afikpo was elected Governor of Abia State.

With the return of a full-blown democracy in 1999, and the Afikpo group having being joined with the Abakiliki people from Ebonyi State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu became the second democratically elected Governor of the State.

By the present composition of the State, Abia is mainly or broadly composed of two geo-political zones; the old Bende Divisional people and the Old Aba Divisional people, also known as Ukwa/Ngwa.

Determined to make Chief Orji Uzor Kalu's second tenure seamless and less rancorous in 2003, the convener of this great Ukwa/Ngwa declaration 2; Chief Reagan Ufomba had convoked the first Ukwa/Ngwa declaration in that year at Aba Township Stadium.

The whole essence of that declaration at Aba was to assure Chief Kalu of the overwhelming support of the people of Ukwa/Ngwa for his reelection. Therefore, by that declaration, the people of Ukwa/Ngwa had collectively adopted Chief Kalu of the PDP, then, as their conscientious Governorship candidate.

Having knowingly taken the above stated political stand, the people of the zone had resolved to jettison the governorship aspiration of even their own sons in the 2003 general election.

Like the political animals they were, and still are, the people of Ukwa/Ngwa had a goal in mind when they left all their brothers who nursed governorship aspirations in 2003 for someone from old Bende. The philosophy of the great Ukwa/Ngwa declaration at Aba was to Support Old Bende complete her 8 years so that Old Bende will support the Ukwa/Ngwa produce, the next Governor of the State in 2007.

True to the said philosophy, at least 60% of the votes cast for the Governorship in Ukwa/Ngwa in 2003 was a reflection of this understanding. Chief Orji Uzor Kalu won overwhelmingly in 2003.

Disappointedly, in 2007, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu who was exiting as Governor of the State did not only renege on the tenets of the Great Ukwa/Ngwa's declaration, he equally discarded the spirit of the Abia Charter of Equity.

Another son of old Bende; Chief Theodore Ahamefula Orji emerged as the Governor of the State in 2007. In the natural peaceful disposition of the people of Ukwa/Ngwa, they carried on peacefully with Chief T.A. Orji as the State and equally played major roles in his reelection in 2011.

The people of Ukwa/Ngwa feel morally obliged to use this great Ukwa/Ngwa declaration being made today at Okpuala Ngwa to, for the umpteenth time, express their heartfelt gratitude in appreciation to Sen. T. A. Orji who, as Governor of Abia State in 2015 successfully threw his weight behind the actualization of the people of Ukwa/Ngwa to have one of their own as Governor of the State.

In 2015, a humble, highly educated, progressively visionary, transparent and law-abiding son of Ukwa/Ngwa in the person of Okezie Victor Ikpeazu (PhD) was democratically elected as Governor of Abia State.

For the first two years of Dr. Okezie's administration and unprecedentedly too, the enemies of equity and progress almost literally dragged him through the length and breadth of the Nigerian judiciary. Our son; Okezie Ikpeazu Ph.D is the first and only Governor that had been pulled twice to the Supreme Court of Nigeria on account of the same election.

We thank God that the Nigerian judiciary, in either case, acquitted itself as the last hope of common man. Truth prevailed in each case and justice emanating from constitutionality held sway.

To be candid, we the people of Ukwa/Ngwa, have been wondering how Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has consistently been able to finance and execute the numerousity of projects his administration has delivered and the ones still under construction.

For a Governor who was excruciatingly subjected to an indescribable wave of unwarranted distraction to have shown concrete evidence of not less than 130 projects within a space of less than 3 years, whoever that does not appreciate him must be a sadist of the worst order.

The people of Ukwa/Ngwa are very proud that the first Governor of Abia State, of Ukwa/Ngwa extraction, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has indisputably raised the bar of performance in governance. He has shown unprecedented political will too in tackling the problems of the State.

In the sectors of Agriculture, Education, Health, Trade and Commerce and Oil and Gas, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has proved that a leader should be capable of thinking outside the box.

Only a short step back to history would remind the good people of Abia State that Chief Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia-North governed the State for two consecutive tenures. The same democratic opportunity was enjoyed by Chief Theodore Ahamefula Orji of Abia-Central.

Based on the above, the people of Ukwa/Ngwa under the aegis of Great Ukwa/Ngwa Declaration 2, today; this Friday 2nd, March, 2018, being Nkwo, do issue the following Communiqué;

1. That the entire people of Ukwa/Ngwa applaud Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for his performances as Governor of Abia State within the period he has presided over the affairs of the State,
2. That the entire people of Ukwa/Ngwa are proud of Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu for the maturity and discipline he exhibited all through the period of his persecution.
3. That the entire people of Ukwa/Ngwa do, hereby, pass a vote of absolute confidence in Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu,
4. That the entire people of Ukwa/Ngwa do, hereby, adopt Okezie Victor Ikpeazu Ph.D as their conscientious Governorship candidate for 2019 governorship election,
5. That no other true indigene of Ukwa/Ngwa shall present himself or herself to run for Governorship of the State in 2019.
6. That no true indigene of Ukwa/Ngwa shall present himself of herself to run as a Governorship running-mate to any Governorship candidate in the State in 2019,
7. That in the Abia spirit of Onye Aghala Nwanne ya, the entire people of Ukwa/Ngwa do, hereby, plead with their brothers, sisters and friends of Old Bende to give their maximum support for the reelection of Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu in 2019 and
8. That the entire people of Ukwa/Ngwa do, hereby, reassure the entire people of Abia State that Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu will continue to treat every section of the State with equity, justice and fairness.
9. That any Ukwa/Ngwa son, daughter, or community that violates this agreement as contained in this communiqué shall be ex-communicated.

This Communiqué was signed by the representatives of all Ukwa/Ngwa Socio-Economic, statesmen and Political groups some of which are;
~Barr. Chibuike A. Nwokeukwu (SAN)
~Sir Don Ubani; KSC, JP
~Chief Ike Onyenweaku
~Chief Reagan Ufomba etc

~PDP Eyez

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=965723666917485&id=866803920142794 (Click for more photos of the event)