By Chukwudi Nweje
Abia Government, yesterday, dismissed the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a “vehicle conveying decayed politicians.”
It said Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has no interest in joining the party.
Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, said this in reaction to a newspaper interview by a chieftain of the APC in the state, Chief Benjamin Apugo, who said he wanted all Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors with the exception of Ikpeazu to join the APC.
Replying, Kalu said: “We wish to assure Chief Benjamin Apugo that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu will rather be a conductor in a moving vehicle than the driver of a stationary and rickety vehicle conveying decayed politicians whose past and current activities are focused only on stunting the development of our dear state.”
The commissioner described the APC chieftain as a senior citizen who is fixated “on partisan politics as against contributing to the development of Abia State and her people.”
He also dismissed Apugo’s claims that Umuahia, the state capital, has not seen infrastructural development since the Ikpeazu-led administration came to power.
“Aside from completing the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) Headquarters and the International Conference Centre projects in Umuahia, the Ikpeazu administration has commissioned many other projects in Umuahia municipality including Abia Investment House in Ogurube Layout, Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) Headquarters, Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ASOPADEC) Headquarters, Amuzukwu relief market, among others. The administration has also constructed key roads in the municipality including Aba Road, Ukaegbu Estate Road, Trinity College Road, Ossah-Umuagu Isingwu Road, Afor Ibeji road, Roads 2 and 8 of World Bank Housing Estate, Eze I. O. Kanu Road, mediated against gully erosion that threatened Umuagu Isingwu community with five clusters of roads reconstructed within the area, re-asphalted 16 roads and is currently working on Agbama Ring Road, Umuopara Ring Road, Empire Kanu Road and Mgbarakuma roads, among others.”
The commissioner noted that the administration successfully relocated the Law and Agriculture faculties of the Abia State University to Umuahia and delivered a new model school in Ossah Ibeku and more than 30 new classroom blocks in Umuahia municipality.
“It is on record that it is the Ikpeazu administration that successfully relocated the Law and Agriculture faculties of Abia State University to Umuahia as well as delivered a new model school in Ossah Ibeku and more than 30 new classroom blocks to schools in Umuahia municipality. Our assurance to him is that while we have done a lot of work to improve our state capital we are ready and are actually doing even more including completing the new Government House project in Umuahia before the expiration of our tenure in 2023.”
He advised the APC chieftain to stop constituting an obstacle to the development of Abia State.