The member representing Umunneochi constituency in Abia House of Assembly, Hon. Ikedi Ezekwesiri has said that Gov. Theodore Orji did not inaugurate any meaningful project in his constituency in his eight years in office.
Ezekwesiri said this during a town hall meeting addressed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Alex Otti, at Lokpaukwu in Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state.
He said that the only projects that were inaugurated in the area by the governor included the roads that the government patched.
He said that none of the 17 roads that were captured in the budgets since 2011 when he was elected into the assembly was built by Orji.
Ezeckesiri, who spoke on behalf of the community at the meeting, also said that the area had been embroiled in boundary dispute with Isiagu in Ebonyi for more than 40 years ‘’without the commitment of the Abia government to resolve it.’’
He explained that the communiqué issued in September 2014 by the National and Abia State Boundary Commission could not be implemented because ‘’the state government refused to assist with the necessary logistics for the demarcation of the boundary.
‘’Umunneochi has no reason to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party, let alone voting for the party’s governorship candidate anointed by Orji,’’ he said.
He therefore urged Otti to wade into the boundary dispute ‘’by ensuring that the process of the boundary demarcation commenced as soon as he is voted into office.
‘’You would have restored our economy, if you do this for us’’ he said, and assured Otti that the area would vote massively for him during the election.’’
He handed over to Otti a copy of the communiqué issued in September by the National Boundary Commission and the state boundary commission for the boundary demarcation.
Responding, Otti promised that the lingering boundary dispute would form part of his first assignment in office, if elected.
He unveiled his blueprint for developing the state, saying that he would embark on free and compulsory education as well as sustainable women and youth empowerment programme.
Allaying the people’s fear that the election might be rigged, he said that the use of the card readers would make it difficult for anybody to rig the polls.
‘’Those who are opposed to the use of the card readers are planning to rig the election but we will not allow them to rig it.
‘’The rat does not eat the property of a man that is wide awake,’’ he said, while urging the youths to protect the votes by waiting for the results to be declared before leaving the polling centres.
He urged the people to come out enmass to cast their votes without fear of intimidation by any person or group, assuring them that there would be adequate security during the polls.
