The people of Ikwuano/Umuahia extraction under the auspices of Nzuko Ikwuano na Umuahia Citizens (NIUC), have welcomed the decision of a member of the lower chamber of National Assembly, Hon Sam Onuigbo, to run for the seat of Abia Central Senatorial district of Abia state in the 2023 general election.
Rising from a well-attended and expanded meeting held at Eastern Comfort Hotel, Umuahia, on Monday, the group also maintained that it’s turn of Ikwuano Local Government Area of the State to produce the next senator to represent Abia Central district in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly in 2023, hinging its latest position on the on the basis of equity, justice and fairness, and as well as to strengthen the continuous harmonious relationship and peaceful co-existence between Ikwuano and Umuahia local areas.
The Abia group made its stand known in a communique jointly signed by the President-General, Mr. Ndubuisi Nwabuko Maxwell, and the Publicity Secretary, Mr Chijindu Emeruwa, made available to journalists in Umuahia, the state capital on Tuesday.
The group further hinted that it tipped the two-term member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Sam Onuigbo, and coupled with its unanimous endorsement of the latter’s 2023 senatorial bid, was to encourage him to consolidate on numerous developmental strides he had successfully achieved, and that has also changed the narrative of governance in Ikwuano, Umuahia North and Umuahia south local government area in Abia Central Senatorial zone of the state.
The socio-cultural umbrella, also reiterated that Onuigbo has raised the bar in Infrastructure which among the developmental strides he recorded, was the facilitation of the approval of the ongoing reconstruction work on the dilapidated Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene federal road by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided by President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the federal lawmaker had equally sponsored and spearheaded the enactment of Nigeria Climate Change bill, which unarguably eluded the country for many past years.
According to the NIUC, “We do not want to bombard the general public on the numerous and giant strides greatly achieved by the lawmaker due to want of space and time, but what we saying that his laudable achievements are visible, and on ground for the world to see. Onuigbo has given the Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency Infrastructural facelifts which endeared the ordinary people of the Federal Constituency. There is no gainsaying the fact that the federal legislator has equally continued to demonstrate responsive and effective representation, shrouded on prudence; utilizing or channelling funds accrued to him in the execution of critical people’s oriented projects, which has as well, fostered and enhanced people’s livelihoods, and also provide conducive environment to thrive in the federal constituency.
“We asked him to join the 2023 Abia central senatorial district race for him to continue, and consolidate on many of the gigantic strides he has recorded in the business of lawmaking, sponsorship of bills and oversight functions. And we believe and saying that Hon Onuigbo should be given another opportunity to consolidate and attract more developmental amenities tilted at improving the welfare of the populaces in Abia central Senatorial zone”.
The group also asked the state leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC), to give its senatorial ticket to the lawmaker should the party want to secure a win in the upcoming general election in 2023 in Abia central district, adding that the electorates in the zone are okayed with him, as he possessed the needed and requisite capacity, ability, Competence and expertise to speak for the people in the red chamber.
“We have implicit confidence that he would continue to do his best to provide dividends of democracy to every doorstep of the masses in Abia central zone”, the ethnic group stated.
The Nzuko Ikwuano na Umuahia Citizens, further disclosed that it has begun to mobilize and sensitize thousands of eligible voters from the Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency of Abia state, to obtain their permanent voter’s card (PVC) to enable them cast their votes for Onuigbo, to entrench purposeful and responsive government to rewrite the narrative in the socio-economic and Infrastructural
growth and development of Abia central.
The Abia Indigenous body also appeals to delegates for the forthcoming primary election of the All Progressive Congress to rally around and work towards his emergence as the party standard-bearer, as well as, his anticipated victory in the main general election in 2023, to enable him to turn the Abia Central Senatorial district, as new destinations for inflow of local and foreign economic investments for good of constituents of the district.
The NIU, however, reiterated its earlier warning against any attempt to deny the Ikwuano extraction the opportunity to produce the next lawmaker for the Abia central senatorial zone in 2023, submitting that it would amount to total disservice to the Ikwuano/Umuahia bloc should the National Assembly seat be ceded to another section of the IKwuano/Umuahia federal constituency of Abia state.