Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has dismissed as mere speculation the suggestion that he will soon dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defect to the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APC), saying that he would rather stay with his people who gave him the mandate to rule them.
“Let me say it, perhaps for the last time, that I’m in the PDP and will remain in PDP. There’s nothing I want that I cannot get in PDP. I’m saying this publicly again because member of the BoT of our party is here.”
“I have good friends in other parties and I appreciate their desire to have me in their party, but the PDP is where I am and where I’ll remain’, Ikpeazu declared as he commissioned the five kilometre Umuobiakwa-Owo Ahiafor road in Obingwa local government area of the state on Thursday.”
The first phase of the newly constructed five kilometre Umuobiakwa-Owo Ahiafor road in Obingwa Local Government Area was officially commissioned by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Senator Walid Jibrin.
Speaking at the event which is in continuation of his ‘Kinetic Abia‘Project Inspection and Commissioning Programme, the Abia governor explained that his government built the road because it is a strategic economic road which connects to the legendary Onicha Ngwa Hospital and leads also to Akwa Ibom State.
According to him, the benefiting communities would for the first time in its history find an access road to Aba and Umuahia and charged the people to protect the road by ensuring that no bonfire is set on the road and that the drainages are always clean.
He said commissioning of roads will continue until his last day in office, adding that he is in government to affect lives positively and thanked the State House of Assembly for the solid support given to him to perform.
The governor equally informed the teeming crowd at the event that the reason for launching and enrolling into the Abia State Social Identity Number Scheme is to generate data for proper planning and distribution of resources.
He said he equally embarked on capacity building in the State hence, he sent the first batch of students on scholarship to overseas in spite of the economic crunch globally.
While commissioning the road, the Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibrin commended Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for his good leadership style which, according to him, has made Abia State the most peaceful State in Nigeria.
Jubrin observed that Ikpeazu has accommodated people from all tribes in the country and expressed joy that his tour Aba has offered him the opportunity to see the the infrastructural developments of the state.
His word, “What I saw is a proof that Governor Ikpeazu is a progressive governor”.
The Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Chinedum Orji and Member representing Obingwa East, Hon. Solomon Akpulonu thanked the governor for remembering his people, pointing out that the road will add economic and social values to not the people of Obingwa but entire state.
He therefore urged the people to continue to support the governor while describing the road as strategic as it leads to Onicha Ngwa General Hospital and other link roads. They assured that the House will continue to support the Governor
Contributing, the Commissioner for Works, Elder Bob Ogu described the road as a very important road, while the state PDP chairman, Rt. Hon. Asiforo Okere described Governor Ikpeazu as a goal getter.