From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Former governorship candidate of the United Progressive Party (UPP) in Abia State, Chief Dike Ogbuehi, has challenged the Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, to take governance serious, mindful of the expectations of the people that voted him into office.
He, specifically, mentioned that the deplorable state of Aba, the commercial hub of the South East was a sad commentary in progressive governance.
Chief Dike, in his Christmas message, released in Abuja, appealed to the people of Abia to be calm and hopeful for better state, while challenging the government to fulfill its promises to the people of the state, particularly the Aba people.
He enjoined Christians and other Nigerians to use the occasion of Christmas to pray for peace, unity, progress, prosperity and sustainable democracy in Nigeria, calling for consciousness of the reason for the season and the love of God demonstrated through His Son, Jesus Christ.
He said: “As a major stakeholder in Abia State and former UPP governorship candidate in the State, l am deeply pained over the infrastructural decay in Aba. I urge the government to take immediate steps to address them particularly the roads.
“The essence of government is to improve the people’s standards of living. Though, past governments in the state neglected the famous Enyimba City, it’s unfortunate that Dr. Okezie (Nwa Aba) also abandoned the good people of Aba who ushered him into power. (what happened to the slogan nwa Aba ga aruzi Aba?).
“The need to execute durable people-oriented projects in Abia State, particularly Aba cannot be overemphasized. A responsible government cannot neglect a commercial hub like Aba for any reason. Dr. Okezie should emulate his counterparts in Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom States by accelerating the State’s infrastructural development.
“It was what motivated me to run for governor in the 2015 general election, to restore Aba’s past glory in particular and other cities/communities in general. Though the year 2020 is tough due to the global COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, but God who preserved and sustained us will see us through the remaining days.”