By Ihendinihu Alozie Onyenkachi


I start by reminiscent of the struggle for the emmancipation of the people of Ukwa La Ngwa extraction in Abia state in the year 2003 with the loudest voice of "UNU NYE NU ANYI OTU ONU" which was heard loud and clear in all the nooks and crannies of Abia state with our brothers and sisters in the diaspora lending their voices and resources in solidarity with ours here. What happened back then was one of the grandest political reawakening and consciousness in the Ukwa La Ngwa nation. Distinguished Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe was the man that almost everyone of our kinsmen were ready to sacrifice everything for. We can't forget in a hurry some of the events back then. But though we were close but we lost it reason being that the appointed time and the annointed one hasn't come yet.


Fast forward to 2015, that is 12 years later, the greatest of all our struggles as a people came and with our common determination and unity and uncommon political strategy driven by a geuine ambition, trust, and confidence in the annointed one whose time has come, we made history. The man of history is non other than Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu. His humility and robust political engineering endeared him to all  in the state and little wonder in 2019 he made another history by becoming the first Ukwa La Ngwa man to be a two time governor of a state in Nigeria. Yes Ikpeazu succeeded where others failed.


Now to the main focus of this piece. Those of us that championed the struggle back then in 2003, what was our motives? Selfishness?, Greed, or was it for the betterment of our people or for personal gains? I asked because it beats my imagination to see some of those men whom we should see as our heroes and role models shun their kinsmen on the same thing they fought against back then. My worry is why would such men travel as far as Isikwuato to annoiint a Candidate against the wishes and aspirations of our own people? Some have even travelled as far as Arochukwu to shop for another anointed Candidate. What could be their reasons? Some people said it is  bornout  of greed and evil ambition of remaining in power perpetually as if they will live forever. My worry at this time is that these our kinsmen have even remained in power for over 19years cumulatively and others 12 years and 8years with little or nothing to show for it. It beats my imagination that some of these our kinsmen could not even tarred the roads that leads to their"AMA" yet they have taken to advance the cause of the IGBO race while his father's"OBI" is leaking water as a result of the multiple holes on the roofing sheets ochestrated by total neglect and abandonment.  This is simply the Audacity of Failure and Deceit at the highest level.


I have also taken my time to watch this our kinsmen go round to their kinsmen distributing poverty around in the name of empowerment. If a LEGISLATOR can only comeback after four years to share few bags of fertilizer and cartons of indomie, Taiwan and China low grade grinding machines,  to his constituents, then we are doomed if ever we make the mistake of re-electing them again. Have we become so poor that we now celebrate our poverty in the open? No we can't be reduced  to this low esteem.


I have also taken time to go round all the Federal Government Roads in our place, most of them have become death traps and quite unmotoroble and this has affected businesses. Yet these our kinsmen rather than engaging the federal government in constructive dialogues on how to attract Federal presence to our communities, they declared themselves Igbo heroes on the pages of National News Papers and National Televisions. Who is fooling who? When one fails to do what is good for his people when he has the opportunity, he will also participate in the sufferings when you finally retires as those bad roads will also be waiting for your arrival.


The time has come for us as a people to issue RED CARDS to all those who has given Failure and Deceit Audacity in our land. 


Finally, I salute the courage of The Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu to challenge Distinguished Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe on the ballots come 25th February 2023 for The Abia South Senatorial District. I am sure and confident that a man of history like him will change the statusquo. If Hon Chimobi Ebisike could achieve this much in less than 18months, then he is the true Onyeocha la Aba, not those who ran away from Aba some years ago only to come back with another deceitful package. Anyways Aba people are now wiser. Chief Chinwe Nwanganga also has the capacity to change the narratives in the Obingwa Osisioma Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency going by his track records when he was the Commissioner for sports and Executive Chairman of Ugwunagbo LGA.Real men should leave the stage when the ovation is loudest like the likes of Distinguished Senator T.A. Orji. Onye nbiara Oro, hu nwa ya nkwesiri di Ila oooo.



Deacon Ihendinihu Alozie Onyenkachi writes from Aba City Nigeria.