Members of Abia Infrastructure Mandate (AIM) led by its Convener, Engr Odo Ijere on Wednesday the 2nd of November, 2022 met with the PDP governorship candidate, erudite Professor Uche Ikonne in his Umuahia campaign office to discuss his agenda for infrastructural development of Abia State.
This is part of AIM’s programme objectives to meet with who we consider the leading candidates or contenders to the office of the Governor of Abia State in the forthcoming general elections to discuss their agendas or manifestos in other to galvanise public support.
Our objectives in AIM remain to sensitize both those intending to take over from Governor Ikpeazu and the Abia populace of the serious attention and urgency required in the infrastructural theme of the “Rebuild Abia” project.
AIM being a nonpartisan group and comprised of Abia professionals and elites from multifunctional and multidisciplinary backgrounds and cutting across the 17LGAs of the state is desirous of giving a level playing ground for all the shortlisted candidates to present their strategies and plans of rejigging the shoddy state of infrastructure in Abia State.
The Convener of AIM, Chief Engr Odo Ijere, the Okpotemba of Ohafia ably captured the essence of forming the group to put infrastructural development at the front burner of governmental Affairs in his opening remarks before the epic gathering of AIMites who came out in their numbers and Professor Uche Ikonne and his team.
Engr Odo Ijere went on to inveigh before the August gathering that if we get it wrong again in 2023, Abia will be consigned to the dust bin of history. And that the angry Abia populace can no longer endure the burden of poor governance that has held the state down since 1999.
Professor Uche Ikonne who had become an official member of AIM and who also identifies with the objectives of the group was prepared, warm, witty, discerning, analytical, sociable and very professorial in his erudite response to the group. Among the highlights or bullet points of his covenants in his soon to be publicised manifesto are:
1, Government of unity of all Abians irrespective of political leaning.
2, An ideology of inclusivity that expresses Abia First.
3, Government that will be insulated from surrogacy.
4, Physical infrastructure to be developed pari pasu with human capital development that will support infrastructural growth.
5, A propensity to start a new city project in the plains between Isiala Ngwa and Umuahia as envisaged by Abia founding fathers.
6, Road interswitches to emanate from known gridlock intersections like, Abia Tower, Akara Junction in Isiukwuato, Ohafia, Ogbo Hill, Alaoji etcetera.
7, Ohafia to sprout a third Urban town to compliment Umuahia and Aba.
8, Aba commercial and industrial hub to form the basis of a new Abia economic rebirth.
9, An equivalent of a three arms zone that was built in Maitama Abuja to form the basis of a new city between Isiala Ngwa and Umuahia to create a metropolis in a new Abia city concept.
10, citizens participation concept to be employed in remitting governance across the 17LGAs of the state.
The list goes on and by no means exhaustive in the spell binding lecture by Ikonne that lasted for close to an hour on how prepared he is to lift Abia from ruins.
Professor Ikonne’s robust engagement with Abia Infrastructure Mandate was expository and no holds barred. He gave a good account of himself while the mammoth crowd of AIMites that accompanied that visitation was indeed much regaled with excitement at new possibilities emanating from the “Work Station” of Professor Uche Ikonne’s campaign stable.
He was subsequently inducted as an official patron of AIM in our tradition of investiture of “infrastructure cap” on his head as an inductee.
The AIM dignitaries that greeted that occasion include: Engr Chief Odo Ijere, Arch Chief Lucas Eme Uche, Chief Chinedu Jideofor, Engr Chief Damian Agubata, Prince Samson Orji Ukpai, Engr Noble Odemelam, Chief Eze Eke, Lady Precious Uwaoma, Comrade Ibeabuchi Empire Kanu, and many many more AIM disciples who thronged the Work Station of Professor Ikonne campaign office.
[AIM media unit]
