Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has called on political leaders of Umuahia South Local Government to bury their political differences and come together as one family.
Speaking when he received stakeholders from the area, who paid him a solidarity visit at the Government House, Umuahia, the governor said greater achievements would be recorded in an atmosphere devoid of rancour.
“Now that you have come together, the sky will be the limit for Umuahia South.I want to assure you that I will be your ally. You should continue to hold yourselves together and I want you to continue in this trajectory and path.”
The governor also lauded the leadership of Umuahia South for showing maturity in the face of the challenge.
“I give God the glory for the maturity displayed by the leadership. It is the spirit to attract political position and other incentives in a place.”
He promised to address the issues raised by the delegation, especially the poor road network .confronting the area.
To that end, he said opening up of roads in Umuahia South is important in the development of the capital city.
“There cannot be any meaningful development in Umuahia, the capital city, without opening up Umuahia South. We must ventilate and open up Umuahia South. Your demands are genuine and it is righteous to do it,” he said.
Earlier, Chairman of Umuahia South Local Government Area, Obioma Ogbulafor, said their visit was to tell the governor “that Umuahia South is now intact and together despite being in the eye of the storm lately.”
He assured the governor that the council would deliver him for a second term in 2019, having resolved that he is their consensus candidate in the forthcoming election.
In their separate remarks, Chief Tony Ukasoanya CSL Nwosu and the chairman of Umuahia South Traditional Rulers Council, Chief J.C Onwuka, extolled the people-oriented leadership of the governor, which he said has brought about genuine development in parts of the state, and assured they would ensure his re-election to office in 2019.
“You are not a governor who does projects on the Facebook. We are happy with what you are doing and 2019 is not negotiable,” they assured.
They, however, appealed to him to address the issue of Umuokpara Ringroad, the abandoned Ngbarakuma-Umunwanwa-Achingale Road by (NDDC) as well as provision of pipe-borne water, just as they thanked him for addressing the flooding at Ubakala.
The former member representing Ikwuano-Umuahia Federal Constituency, Udo Ibeji, moved a motion for the adoption of the governor as the sole candidate of Umuahia South people for the 2019 governorship poll.
The delegation included former minister and former PDP national chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, CSL Nwosu, Benson Ezem, Chief Emeka Inyama, Chief Tony Ezebuiro, Chief Tony Ukasoanya and the Executive Chairman of the local government, Obioma Bibi Ogbulafor, among others.