2023: Rep Onuigbo Highlights What Ndi-Igbo Must Do

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Igbo nation must rejig its political strategies when it comes to playing mainstream politics rather than continue sobbing about marginalisation, says Hon. Sam Onuigbo representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency.

Hon Onuigbo, speaking during a ZOOM interactive session with Abia Media Forum, a social media platform of top-ranking Abia journalists and media practitioners, averred that a Nigerian president of South-East origin is possible if Ndigbo play smart politics and collaborate with other geo-political zones.

On Ohaneze’s new leadership, Onuigbo aid: “I believe the elected have the capacity and integrity to protect the interest of Ndi Igbo. So I wish them the best and they have my support.”

Continuing, Rep. Onuigbo stated that Ndigbo must lay the ghost of marginalization to rest by restrategizing and playing smart politics which will include collaborating with other tribes and aligning themselves properly to be able to progress and assume leadership at the center.

Earlier in his opening remarks, he had insisted that the session focuses on governance and his representation at the National Assembly, and spoke extensively on his achievements as the first ever second term legislator to represent the Federal Constituency.

“In my extensive one-on-one consultations with people of my constituon when I wanted to run for office in 2015, I coined the acronym EAR which means ‘Effectiveness in performing my duties as a Federal lawmaker; Accessibility of my constituents to my person and office; and Responsiveness to the needs and aspirations of my constituency.

” Looking back, from 2015 to now, I know I have performed excellently in these focal areas.”

Onuigbo maintained that he had attracted several multi-million naira projects spread across the 9 clans of the constituency including the Amachara Erosion Control work in Umuahia South, and another one at Okwe in Ikwuano, amongst many other projects including massive water projects at Obunta and Inyila, townhall at Oloko, electricity projects all over the constituency, health centers at Obuohia and Oloko, etc.

“I have made moves to attract the construction of a Federal secretariat in Umuahia, and we are currently working on the approval for the construction of an interchange at Abia Tower which will be part of a new dualization project that will go from Amachara through Ossah, Umuahia North, ending in Amawom, Ikwuano.

“This is is of course different from the ongoing reconstruction of Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene road. The actualization of these projects will help in the infrastructural development of Umuahia.

“If other political leaders commit to doing things the way I have, the infrastructural decay in Umuahia will be fixed. There are several persons from Umuahia main town who influence decisions in the State government or are/were part of the State government, if everyone plays their part, the infrastructural decay at our state’s capital will be a thing of the past”.

Onuigbo who recently defected to the APC from PDP also explained that the current palliative works by FERMA on the collapsed portions of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene Road do not in any way negate the full reconstruction work going on on the road, adding that funding constraints had been responsible for the pace of work on the road. He nonetheless affirmed that he is keeping his attention on the project, and has reached out to the the Minister of Works and Housing, His Excellency Babatunde Fashola SAN so that adequate funding will be continously provided for the project.

Among eminent Abia journalists present at the session include former Special Adviser, Media to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, former Commissioner for Works and Federal lawmaker, Hon Eziuche Ubani, Senior journalist/columnist, Ben Okezie, Chido Nwakanma, Public/Reputations Strategist, and several others.

• Dr. Emeka Nwosu, former Political Editor, Daily Times chaired the session