With the euphoria of the epic ceremony which greeted the recent Swearing-in of Abia State Governor, Chief Okezie Ikpeazu for a second term yet to abate, especially for Abians from the ‘Aba Zone’ divide, opinions have continued to differ on the power rotation formula in the State.
Governor Ikpeazu, who is of the Ngwa extraction and by extension, by reason of his reelection for another four years, has put his Aba Zone on an eight year track.
However, his critics and political traducers from the ‘Old Bende Zone’ have permuted that Ikpeazu and his people of Aba Zone have reached the limits and are on their way out after the statutory two-term which is expected to terminate in 2023 with no option of further reelection.
But that calculation has been faulted by the President-General of the All Ngwa Cultural Organization (ANCO), Elder (Dr) Sunny Nwosu who affirmed that the doctrine of equity must be allowed to prevail.
Nwosu who spoke while addressing journalists in Umuahia recently, said the hue and cry about succession in 2023 was premature and unnecessary.
Citing an ‘agreement’ purportedly reached between the founding fathers of Aba and the Old Bende zones which would allow each zone to serve out a mandatory two-term of eight years and allow the other do same, Nwosu noted that the Old Bende Zone occupied the seat of power in Abia State from 1999 to 2015, thus reneging on the ‘agreement’.
Accordingly, Nwosu posited that it would be apposite for Governor Okezie to hand over to someone from Aba Zone when he serves out his tenure in 2023. After all, he said, former governors Orji Uzor Kalu and his successor, Dr. Theodore Orji both hailed from the Old Bende Zone.
His words, “Okezie handing over power to someone from Aba Zone in 2023 would conform to the rule of equity. He would be following the footstep of his predecessors. I believe, and rightly so, that equity has balanced the scale”.
While still retrospecting on the colourful swearing in ceremony of Dr. Ikpeazu which held at the Umuahia Township Stadium, Dr. Nwosu urged Abians to pray God to give the governor divine wisdom and understanding as he carefully choose the right people to work with him.
He further advised particularly the unemployed youths to harness the agricultural sector which, according to him, are rife with opportunities.
“Agric areas like farming, fishery, animal husbandry and many other branches of agriculture are begging to be exploited. As long as government creates the enabling environment, no sector can match the income generated from agriculture”, he maintained.
We went on, “I am not happy seeing our youths scouting from one office to the other in search of non-existent jobs. Although looking for job is not a bad idea, I do not believe that the government has jobs to offer at the moment.
“However, concerted efforts are being made by both federal and state government on the areas of job creation, training and empowerments. I urge our youths to take advantage of these efforts of government to free themselves from social vices”.
