Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The director general, Campaign Council of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Abia State, Dr Longman Nwachukwu, has said that there would be a new Abia if Professor Greg Ibe emerged Governor in 2023.
He said that the reason Abia was stagnated was due to bad leadership, but noted that time has come for Abians to take over their state.
The former Commissioner for Lands, who stated this during a press conference in Umuahia expressed disappointment over the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led administration in the state.
He said that “Abians are now ashamed to be associated with the state” due to mis-governance.”
The former Commissioner regretted that due to leadership ineptitude and misplacement of priorities, Abia which previously ranked first among the comity of states, had suddenly been relegated to the background.
He said that if the needed attention were given to Aba, the economic honeypot of the state, Abia would be an important industrial hub in the West Africa sub-region.
Nwachukwu blamed the economic and developmental backwardness in the state on the lack of vision, poor coordination and waste by the government in power.
He, therefore, called for the ruling PDP to be “completely obliterated from the political landscape of Abia.”
According to him, “Abians are now ashamed to own up their state of origin due to the disastrous performance of the government in power. Abia has suddenly become a pariah state.”
Nwachukwu who said that the APGA governorship flag bearer was coming with new hope, all the right vision, urged Abians to rally round him.
He said that the major focus of Professor Ibe would be to restore the hope of Abians and make them to become proud of their state again.
“APGA is saddled with the task of leading a political crusade of overthrowing bad governance in all its ramifications.”
Nwachukwu said that the APGA governorship candidate had shown capacity and competence to reposition the state judging from his antecedents in his private life.
The Campaign DG who noted that “over 300 Abians are currently on scholarship in Professor Ibe’s university,” challenged any other governorship candidate with similar scorecard to showcase same.
He decried the plight of workers and pensioners in Abia following backlog of salary and pension arrears, and assured that the sorrows of Abia workers would end with the emergence of Ibe.
The Campaign DG said that Professor Ibe had distinguished himself in the private sector, and would do better if given the opportunity to preside over the affairs of Abia State.
Nwachukwu who debunked rumours over the fitness of the APGA governorship candidate, said that he is medically and intellectually sound to move the state forward.
He urged Abians to disregard the propaganda being sponsored against the APGA flag bearer by those who already felt threatened by his swelling support across the state.