Ikpeazu: Triumph of Abia equity charter
SINCE the creation of Abia State in 1991 by the Federal Military Government, the emergence of Governor Victor Okezie Ikpeazu is the first time in the history of the state that the Ukwa/Ngwa people produced a governor. All the former chief executives of God’s own State, thirteen in number, came from other zones, both military and civilian regimes.
In addressing the issue of power sharing among Abians, the Abia Charter of Equity propounded by the founding fathers of the state has always being invoked to reinstate the question of fairness and equity. So, this scenario played out during the last governorship election in the state when Governor Ikpeazu was unanimously elected as the Governor based on the charter.
It is on record that the Ukwa/Ngwa bloc have waited patiently for other zones to produce the governorship candidate for the past sixteen years, a situation whereby even their own interest was repeatedly sacrificed to appease gods that mean little every electoral year. In spite of this, the Ukwa/Ngwa resolved to forge ahead until Governor Victor Ikpeazu with dint of hard work had several prominent indigenes of Abia State give their blessing to this cause. Governor Ikpeazu has taken a further step in governance with his impressive performance providing infrastructure and rehabilitation of existing ones in the state, giving him an unassailable position.
Awful it sounded to Abians, when going by what happened at Justice Okon Abang’s Court, the purported sack of the governor. But thanks to the Appeal Court judgment reinstating Governor Ikpeazu as dully elected Governor of Abia State. The state indeed singularly stands out as the proverbial test-case for the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. The Appeal Court berated Abang’s wrong judgment because it was grossly erroneous. This is a clarion call that the National Judicial Council (NJC) should fight and clean the profession of those that wants to bring it to disrepute, like Abang who has already made himself a willing tool in the hands of the party in power.
Taking the message home, based on Abia Charter of Equity, this is a position given to Governor Ikpeazu by Abians generally. Why must detractors concoct falsehood to truncate the turn of Ukwa/Ngwa, after all, the stakeholders in Abia project agreed as provided by the charter?
Ukwa/Ngwa land has contributed immensely to the economy of Abia State. Aba, the Enyimba City, still remains the hub of economic activities in the state, offering hospitable environment to all and sundry. Governor Ikpeazu who is from Abia South Senatorial district waited patiently for Abia North and Abia Central Senatorial districts, when they were at the helm of affairs. Why must somebody from Abia North fabricate lies in cohort with “enemies of justice,’’ masquerading as court judgment to thwart an established mechanism of power sharing in the state equitably?
Ikpeazu himself exhibited a high sense of maturaity in the face of unwarranted provocation by “emenies of rule of law’’, asserting as we Adventists believe that his mandate is divine because God is totally in control of Abia as “God own State.’’
