* Onuigbo
 by Uche Aguoru

 Reading through the interview granted to an online newspaper by Hon. Sam Onuigbo,  the legislator representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, my constituency, I felt disappointed at the level of mediocrity and sycophancy my honorable lawmaker  exhibited in the course of the interview, specifically, his applause for Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu's monumental leadership failure.  On second thoughts, I mused: What else do you expect from a bigger failure. A man whose presence is still to be felt and voice yet to be heard in the green chambers after two years. What else do you expect from a representative whose business in the green chambers is to represent his bank accounts and monthly alerts.  What other compliments would you be expecting from one failure unto another if not for kudos from a shameless lot for under-developing the people they were elected to represent and empower.



Other legislators had gone ouot of their way beyond lawmaking to make life better for their downtrodden constituentc. Some  are buying caterpillars and construction equipment’s for their constituencies so as to ensure that rural roads within their constituency remains motorable year in year out. Others  even took a step further to give out agricultural  loans and equipment’s to ensure agricultural development and food sufficiency within their rural communities.

* Ikpeazu 


For Hon Onuigbo, where I know the road to his village had totally collapsed, I have not heard that he had remedied the situation. Ironically, and hyprocritically, Hon Onuigbo is now claiming credit for ongoing  palliative works  on the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Federal Road. Does charity no longer begin at home. How come a PDP controlled Federal, and State governments never did anything for this road, and now a PDP legislator has convinced an APC-led Federal Government to work on the road? My eminent lawmaker, who are you fooling? At repair the road leading to your community, then we can begin to take you serious.

  So far, all I have heard from my representative,  a man who does not have access road to his immediate community in Ikwuano after two years in the lower chamber  is songs of praise for Gov. Ikpeazu:  an  acclaimed failure in governance, a governor who has mismanaged every institution he inherited and owing civil servants 5 months and still counting, A PhD holder who ensured that secondary and primary schools remain on strike since January to date.

A governor who will take loans and receive grants using the instrumentality of Abia State Universal Basic Education Board, ASUBEB and divert same  into the building of a private university in Aba. Today  ASUBEB remains on strike over unpaid salaries. 

 This is  a governor, former street sweeper,  who cannot sweep the street or clear the debris in the state capital thereby giving Abia the inglorious title of the dirtiest state in Nigeria.

 Interestingy, Gov Ikpeazu has  ensured that the road to Hon. Onuigbo`s house in Umuahia remain blocked with refuse. If we may ask, what criteria did our eminent lawmaker us in assessing Gov. Ikpeazu? That question is blowing in the wind. Nonetheless, I know for sure that if the deep calls to the deep, mediocrity will equally attract mediocrity. Afterall birds of the same feather flock together. Long live Abia!
Uche Aguoru, a public affairs commentator writes from Umuahia