By Tony Icheku

Ahead the 2023 General Elections, the scramble is on for several elective positions, from the local government to state and  federal. For the people of Ikwuano LGA in Abia State, the Ikwuano State  Constituency for the Abia State House of Assembly, ABSHA is the closest they can get to power. 

Sixteen years ago, they got even closer to the seat of power when an Ikwuano lawmaker emerged the Majority Leader in the House, but Ikwuano people never felt the impact in terms of dividends of democracy.

For 20 years, Ikwuano had faithfully voted the PDP, it has been like sowing to the wind and reaping the whirlwind. And now they are beginning to ask questions, they are beginning to examine themselves: Is it that the axe is not sharp or the cutter is inexperienced?

The electoral tenure: 2019-2023 would go down as one of the worst in terms of governance and socio-economic development in Abia, going down to Ikwuano, the most polite word to describe their experience would be atrocious. It was the year of the locust for ndi Ikwuano: The most numbing experience the people had was thoroughfare through the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene road which collapsed to a most terrible extent that it now became a death trap.

So many deaths, so many accidents, heavy losses in  material, manhours and other resources. And nobody spoke for Ikwuano. It took one more death to rouse the students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, MOUAU to anger and to rise in protest, before a reluctant Governor Okezie  Ikpeazu agreed to do  a makeshift palliative.

As the entire local government whimpered, groaned and suffered, not a voice was heard amplifying the unfortunate state of affairs. This was the point, the people's representative would have cried loud and consistent till action is taken. Of course, Abians are familiar with the strident voice of Hon Obinna Ichita representing Aba South State Constituency lamenting over bad roads in his Constituency.

Who would have spoken for Ikwuano? Who speaks for Ikwuano? Or who should speak for Ikwuano? The LEGISLATOR representing Ikwuano State Constituency.

In a democracy the legislature symbolises the power of the people as it's functions in governance confers on it the eyes, ears and voice of the people.

Indeed, representation - of the interests, grievances and aspiration of the people - is the legislature's foremost function and the basis of it's legitimacy. 

If at the point of its need, no one spoke for Ikwuano, does it mean it had no representation in the legislature? Hon Stanley Nwabuisi is recorded as  the Ikwuano's representative in ABSHA. Maybe at that point in time he was on sick leave, or annual leave or simply overwhelmed or lacked words to express the demands of his people to the powers that be, but the moot point is that he failed to live up to the peoples expectations

The Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot-Ekpene maybe a Federal road, but after the protest, it was the State government that intervened with palliative repairs. As the angry

students marched in anger to Government House, they should have waited for the Federal Government.

 How about the roads in Ikwuano that ought to have been repaired by the Abia Govt? Like the Amawom-Ihim-Amuru-Nkalunta road that is totally collapsed and shut down currently? Infact, over 80% of inter-community roads in Ikwuano  are hardly passable.

The questions on the lips of Ikwuano people is 'Does Ikwuano have no portion in Abia state?' 'Don't our representative sit in the House of Assembly when  the Annual Appropriation Bill is passed into law?'

Next to law-making, control over finance or expenditure is the Legislature's next most important function. 'So is Ikwuano never captured in the Capital Expenditure of Abia?' And nobody asks questions about it?

Discussing the issue in one of the social media platforms, Mr Ken Mbagwu stated thus "We must be reminded that recently road contracts were 

awarded by the Abia state government to all the Local Government Areas of  the State excluding Ikwuano. We raised alarm on this platform. 

Right up till now, no such road is awarded to Ikwuano and  nobody has given any explanation to the people of Ikwuano if we are still legitimate  part of Abia state. I mean we must have mechanism to help us produce Ikwuano sensitive public officers".

Questions and more questions without answers have been the lot of Ikwuano people since return of democracy in 1999. One after the other, lawmakers who had represented the Constituency ended up representing only their stomach.

Such damning state of affairs which had seen Ikwuano in retrogression development wise is responsible for the search for a true people-centric representative.

According to Mr Chibuzor Moses, a community leader: "We Ikwuano people are looking forward to 2023 when we will pass our verdict on those currently representing us. It is not in dispute that Ikwuano is the most neglected in Abia state, and for me I put the blame squarely on the man  currently  representing Ikwuano in Abia State House of Assembly.

"I want to say with all sense of responsibility that the incumbent member, representing Ikwuano has failed woefully in all functions of a legislator: representation, law-making, and over-sight as far as we in Ikwuano are concerned.  I put it to you that any party  which fields him for  a second term will meet with rejection at the polls. Remember what happened to Theophilus Ugboaja. No amount of rigging will save him, go  across the length and breadth of Ikwuano and do your own findings"

Mr Eme Ukazu, a businessman, says those aspiring to represent Ikwuano State Constituency must be outspoken and independent-minded. 

"We want representatives whose loyalty is to the people, not godfathers. We don't want aspirants who are going there to work for their second term and end up doing eye service in order to be considered good boy and given an automatic second term. We also want people with definite future political ambition not politicians who would be satisfied being local champions "

According to Dr Nkem Ugah, such aspirant must be "people and development-centered"

For Mr Ndubuisi Francis, aspirants for the Constituency seat must be people-centric, not a selfish or self centered politician who would use the people as ladder to power.

"Ikwuano is the most backward in Abia. We need a lawmaker with empathy, with vision. One year is long enough to turn things around in Ikwuano"

Mr Nnamdi Ugoala, an IT expert says only those with requisite experience in community development and service to the people ought to be considered  for the office. "We need a representative with vision and determination to drive economic development and empowerment in Ikwuano"

For Mr Kame Ugah, a Chartered Accountant, echoing Warren Buffett, says "Integrity. Qualification and hard work should be used to assess a prospective  House of Assembly aspirant. Definitely if he/she has integrity, he/she will carry people along."

The people, employers for the position have listed traits required of  prospective aspirants, but in the spirit of democracy, and in the spirit of give  take,  the incumbent need  convince Ikwuano people that in terms of  infrastructural development,  youth empowerment, health care delivery, human capital development and inclusion in state affairs, that he deserves right of first offer. The game is on.