All Citizens Forum And The Call To Propagate The Laudale Efforts Of Gov. Ikpeazu

By Okechukwu Keshi Ukegbu

I attended a reception in honour of the Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman of the All Citizens Forum, ACF, Hon. Solomon Nwaigwe by the ward 8, Obingwa Local Government chapter of the forum on the invitation of the LG coordinator of the forum, Elder Santos Godwin. For the purpose of clarification, ACF is a political unit within the Peoples Democratic Party.Its core mandate is to propagate the ideals of the party and the basic qualification for membership is membership of PDP. The forum is fast gaining grounds in the 17 local government areas in the state.

The turnout for the event was very impressive. The bigwigs of the forum and the party both within and outside the ward were in attendance. They include Chiefs Fred Eme (aka Atiku), Okezie Alaribe, Uche Irondi,Victor Omenihu, Barr. Henry Chilaka ( members of the BoT). Others are Ubani Ikongwa, Hon. Chibueze Otete, Ugwunna Ogbonna, Engr. Uche Onyekwere,the host and the coordinator of the forum in ward 8, Obinna Prosper Monday, and the great Omo, Hon. Omeonu Onwumelu, who mastered the ceremony.

Several attractions can form the peg of this article: the glowing address of the ward coordinator; the wonderful treat on Hon. Nwaigwe and his entourage by Chief Fred Eme (Atiku) at his residence; the captivating response to the address of ward coordinator by the BoT chairman, among others.

The demands made by the members of the forum in the ward were touching. The first demand reads: " That about 65 percent of our members are farmers and it is no doubt we are in the farming season that we are given fertiliser to help us produce at large quantity and feed our children". The secind reads:" While about 15 percent of us are unemployed and this percentage is shared between those who university degrees and those who do not have academic qualifications".

In response to the demands, Hon. Nwaigwe promised them 25 bags of fertiliser and asked them to compile the names of the unemployed youths in the community for futher interventions. The promise of 25 bags by the BoT chairman is highly- commendable for multiple reasons. One is that price of the commodity which has hit the roofs and is out of the reach of these rural farmers.

Another leg to this argument is that the soil nutrients in these areas have drastically depleted to the point that without the application of fertiliser, these communities witness disastrous harvest. Second is the these communities are agrarian communities that depend on their farm produce for survival either at the subsistence or commercial level .On the employment issue, the provision of employment opportunities for our teeming youths is the best form of empowerment. On this note, my appeal is that actions should be expedited in this direction.

I singled out one remark among the several resounding remarks made by Hon. Nwaigwe in his speech. That is his apt assessment of the unprecedented and wonderful performance of Gov. Ikpeazu in his close to two years administration. What enthralled me most is the indices he adopted in his assessment. One is the sum that has accrued to this administration from the federal allocations since its inauguration in May 29, 2015. Two is the number of projects the administration has completed within less than two years.

Comparism is a key tool in analysing performance both at the individual and corporate levels. We all know the state of the economy when the present government came into power up till now. The harsh economic situation, occasioned by the dwindling oil revenues, grossly affected the allocations that accrue from the centre to the states. What Abia is currently getting can be compared to half of what it was getting previously. Besides, the number of projects the government has completed is unprecedented in the history of the state. No efforts are spared in all the five thematic areas of Gov. Ikpeazu's administration as well no part of this state is spared. The ironical aspect of the whole episode is that the governor is able to achieve all these strides amid protracted electoral litigations.

There may be divides on this issue. It is natural because everybody can never flow on a page due to different perceptions on issues. Perceptions on issues can be informed by ignorance, mischief as well as honesty and truth. I bet that these perceptions and assessment of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu's administration be anchored on informed analysis of the multiple challenges the administration is facing and its ability to surmount them and deliver the dividends of democracy to Abians. On this note, i beg members of All Citizens Forum to incorporate as part of its mandate, the propagation of the laudable efforts of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu.

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