* Ikpeazu
By Uche Aguoru, Umuahia

 Politics in Abia State would always tilt towards the absurd, as the State's Chief Executive would rather prefer despotic tendencies in his approach to governance  than abide by democratic tenents. One remembers, how former governor,  chief Orji Uzor Kalu  hired students and thugs to invade the Abia State House of Assembly simply to sack then Speaker,  Hon Christopher Enweremadu. The next Speaker, Hon Stanley Ohajuruka, in a mafia like manner was simply given the nod to declare himself Speaker.

 Gov Okezie Ikpeazu may have chosen less thuggish means to remove the leader of the legislature, Hon Martins Azubuike,   but his methods are  by no means less depraved. Indeed, his motives are even more evil. One is forced to submit that  in a State where numerous civil servants are being owed several months of salary arrears, same as pensioners, only a wicked and greedy leader would deploy funds that would been used to pay these civil servants  for personal purposes.

 The governor's media aides  have laboriously struggled to exculpate the governor of any involvement in the impeachment drama and the legislative mockery that took place in the Abia legislative chambers between the 29th and 30th of December 2016.

 In as much as the craftily wicked, will always find a way to cover up his selfishly motivated actions, but political activities has been so designed that no political activity no matter how discreetly managed can go unnoticed.

 While not trying to involve Gov. Ikpeazu in the political embroglio that engulf the Abia House Of Assembly, I am also finding it excruciatingly and unbelievably difficult to absolve him of any involvement, because if my political memory serves me well it is a practical impossibilty that such a change of leadership will be effected in a House of Assembly without the chief executive being in the know.

 While it is public knowledge that part of the money precisely (N250,000,000) two hundred and fifty million naira out of the (N500,000,000.) Five hundred million that was shared out to the legislatures to get their assent for the impeachment exercise came directly from the governor.

 While not trying to pick bones with  the reasons adduced by the House for impeaching Hon. Martins as all of the reasons brought forward bothers on the welfare of members and has nothing to do with the welfare and interest of the people which they have never protected afterall. My worry is how will Gov. Ikpeazu invest so much interest and finances in the removal of the Speaker while ignoring the welfare of the people who are dying in hunger as a result of government's inability to pay salaries?

 Gov. Ikpeazu may think Abians are  are willing horses, but he may yet fail to ride them all to death. But several questions agitate the minds of Abians. For instance, why did Gov Ikpeazu refuse to present the 2017 budget before the second Speaker, Hon Kennedy Njoku elected on that day until he was  forceed to  resign for Hon. Chikwendu Kalu to emerge as Speaker  all within 24 hours before he  casually strolled into  the Chambers of the to present his budget. Indeed, Gov. Ikpeazu  feigned ignorance of the melodrama that just took place in  the House of Assembly

 Why were  Gov. Ikpeazu, the Deputy Speaker Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe, the majority leader, Hon. Chinedum Orji and some other political interest groups within the governor's clique not comfortable with Hon. Martins Azubuike?

 Having read all the sins listed by the house leadership and read out by Hon. Ndukwe,  the Deputy Speaker, I still ask again "What actually did Martins Azubuike do"?

 My last question and actual headache that has refused to heal concerning the whole drama is, Why will Gov Ikpeazu  show more interest in political power play and convenience than the welfare, education, salaries, health, provision of basic infrastructure and general well-being of Abians.

 When the unrighteous, the intellectually lazy, the politically corrupt and inept, the wicked and the cluelessly are in government, there is little doubt that the society will retrogress to the barbaric age and life become short, brutish and nasty.

Aguoru, writes from Umuahia