RE: Abia 2015; It's Turn of Isiukwuato District
The attention of Project 2015 Door2Door Transformation for Good Governance in Abia State, has been drawn to the postulations of one Chidozie Chukwuemere of Abia Patriotic Equity Network on the issue of which between Ukwa/Ngwa and Isuikwuato clans, succeeds Governor T.A. Orji in 2015, which article featured in the Daily Sun Newspapers of January 6th, 2015. He wrote in support of and earlier claims by another Isuikwuato man, Kelechukwu Omeribe, agitating for and Isuikwuato successor.
While we wish to appreciate Mr. Chukwuemerie for enlightening his Isuikwuato people on where they rightly belong in the scheme of things and in line with the creation of Abia State and its revered charter of equity which he describes as divine, it is noteworthy he merely succeeded in educating Abians on our individual, collective political interests and background and why we must fight for it since power is hardly given but taken.
The names he mentioned no doubts are our strength in diversity and indicate the need for the sustenance of unity, development and justice, in Abia State. Anything less is criminal and unacceptable. As an independent political organization, one would have expected the “Abia patriotic equity Network” to demonstrate high level of patriotism and neutrality on which ethnic group individual should succeed Governor T.A. Orji in 2015. To do otherwise is unpatriotic and inequity. Those who go to equity, do so with clean hands:
As a matter of fact nobody is quarrelling with the wisdom of our revered founding fathers in coining Nigeria's number one state from the first alphabet of the component districts names nor are we quarrelling with its placement or arrangement which saw the largest and most resourceful group or district, “Aba, occupying the rear. Comrade Chukwuemerie may not be aware of the fact that “Aba State movement” championed by the late Jaja Anucha Nwachukwu, a former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the first foreign Minister was as old as the creation of East Central State.
Abia founding fathers, Michael Okpara, M.M. Agbara, AKanu Ibiam and Ezeogo Anagha Ezeikpe among others, virtually went on their knees to beg Senator Jaja Anucha Nwachukwu to join them and jettison Aba State movement so that we do not lose both.
It is little wonder therefore why the largest ethnic district, the Ukwa/Ngwa, came last on the fixing of Abia State. Assuming your claims are predicated devoid of sentiments, parochialism and pettiness, you would have known that Isuikwuato has over time had more than its fair share of the spoils of office.
Long before Abia came into existence, several Isuikwuato sons were part of the policy makers and decision takers. Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu was the first Governor of a new Imo State. General Ike Nwachukwu was the first military Governor of an old Imo State so also was late Admiral Chijioke Kaja. Today another Isuikwuato man, General Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika, who was just dropped as the chief of Army staff, a position that is even greater than the office of the Executive Governor any state. In short Isuikwuato is the elite of Abia state as small as they are. Though they have contributed little or nothing to its growth and development. They have rather collected so much from Abia for their individual, group actualization and accomplishment.
All the traditional rulers of Isuikwuato extraction from the first to the 3rd Republic of Nigeria were Aba made. Enyi-na-Obiangwu, Eloagu, etc. The richest pharmacist of our time, the biggest car dealers and merchants of our time were all made in Aba – the Ukwu/Ngwa land of milk and honey. All these, whiles Abia lived and thrieved in peace, unity and harmony.
Evne in the days of Amadi Ikwechegh who was nominated as military administrator by the trio of Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, Ndubuisi Kanu, and Chijioke Kaja, and his successors, Madueke Aneke and Oguguo, the Isuikwuato cabal held sway. From the days of Frank Ajobena, through Ike Nwosu to Moses Fasanya, it was the same Isuikwuato cabal that ruled Abia State.
No wonder it took an Isuikwuato man to initiate this succession war of 2015. He had proposed a senatorial sharing of the Governorship such that with Abia North producing Orji Uzor Kalu, and Abia Central producing Theodore Ahamafula Orji, the next turn ought to be Abia South or Aba North, Aba South, Obingwa, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East and Ukwa West LGAs. The crime committed by Project 2015 Door2Door Transformation for Good Governance in Abia State was merely pleading with our overzealous Isuikwuato brothers not to divide Ukwa/Ngwa people anymore and along senatorial districts but to allow us go into the 2015 gubernatorial contest as an ethnic entity as enshrined in the Abia charter of equity.
Since then, there has been myriads of reactions with many claiming that Abia central (Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Osisioma, Umuahia North, Umuahia South LGAs) should be excluded. Their target of course is been minted on the political big heads who have distinguished themselves in all ramifications and must have duly saved in various capacity of Government offices both in Federal and State level and people who will never allow for the perpetration of impunity and winner takes all as personified by Isuikwuato mafia.
Ndigbo even timid and politically primitive, have always argued against Northern/Muslim domination/succeeding Goodluck Jonathan because the Hausa/Fulani Oligarchy have monopolized rulership of Nigeria for an uninterrupted 30 years.
How then do we reconcile a situation where the Isuikwuato mafia who have dominated New, old Imo and now Abia state, now wanting to have a yet another short at the Governorship of Abia state at the expense of the geese that lay the Golden Eggs etc Ukwa/Ngwa land. Do our brothers of Isuikwuato extraction who have had the privilege of being grouped as a district alongside the mighty Aba realize that the wealth accruing from oil is from Ukwa/Ngwa district. The economy is driven from Aba, the commercial nerve center of the State which of course made their men opulence and that Aba district is the reason for Abia state today.
Assuming we do not quarrel with the acronym ABIA and the divine sharing formula as postulated by Chukwuemerie, why would Isuikwuato negate his position soon after Governor Orji Uzor Kalu who ruled from Bende district for an uninterrupted 8 years? Only to allow another Bende man Theodore Ahamefula Orji to mount the Governorship for another 8 years.
This ordinarily is dereliction of duties and responsibilities which cannot be blame on the Ukwa/Ngwa people.
Aba cannot be blamed for such negligence. Aba's 2015 turn is non-negotiable. It cannot be comprised. Ukwa/Ngwa land has all that it takes. The earlier our brothers at Isuikwuato realize this, the better for us all in Abia.
Comr. Okechukwu Charles
Coordinator Project 2015 Door2Door
Transformation for Good Governance In
Abia State.