By Push Uchenna Kalume


Good day, my great people of Ikwuano. I mustn't fail to appreciate God for your lives and for giving us the opportunity to share a common destiny together as sons and daughters of Ikwuano. The  untiring efforts of each of you to make our dear land one of the best LGAs in the country is appreciated. My prayer is that we all live long to reap the fruits of our labours, in Jesus name 🙏.


Undoubtedly, Ikwuano is a land that is blessed with abundant human and material resources. It's a land that has produced great icons in all fields of human endeavors. Name them: national and international Lawyers, Judges, eminent Doctors, erudite Diplomats, astute Politicians and Administrators, agriculturists, outstanding Military and Paramilitary personnel, prolific Authors, respectable Ndi Ezes of high integrity, eminent Clerics, accomplished Sports men and women, the Intelligentsia, successful business men/women etc. Similarly, unbiased and intelligent stakeholders and Clan leaders of unquestionable integrity  are an icing to our cake. 🍰 How much more can a people ask for?


These are the conglomeration of quality individuals that stand Ikwuano out as a great land it is today. We remain super proud of whom we are. 


In time past, politics has posed a great challenge to our greatness and unity. Influence of external forces, especially Umuahia politicians, has tended to tear us apart over time. These forces play Ikwuano brothers against one another. They saw us as fools and weaklings because once they placed one of us in a second fiddle position, he goes all out to pull down his own brothers who are shooting for the actual top spot. This scenario has led to a lot of ill-blood and in-fighting amongst us in the past which our political foes have always taken advantage of. It has thrown up unnecessary political upheavals and needless violence a great number of times. These had portrayed us in a bad light. And other people had ridiculed us as a backward people and folks that were politically inmatured. 


But thanks be to God today for our political fathers who have indeed opened our eyes and came up a political arrangement to permanently address our old reproach. Ikwuano has come of age. The days of political bickering and violence in Ikwuano have gone for good. For this, we must appreciate our political fathers and Ikwuano statesmen who did their best to put that ugly chapter in our history behind us. They achieved this by entrenching an abiding truce among feuding Ikwuano brothers and by coming up with the idea of Ikwuano Charter of Equity. This charter has guaranteed peaceful rotation of political offices among the four sister clans of Ikwuano. This rotation ranges from local government chairmen, State House of Assembly, Federal House of Representatives, Senate, and one day by the grace of God, Governor and President. We will get there some day.🙏


The position at hand now is the chairmanship position of our great local government. Tracing the history of the implementation of the rotational system, it is apt to point out that the clan that took the first shot following the ratification of this agreement was Ariam/Usaka. Our late legal icon, Barrister KC Ugboaja of blessed memory was allowed by candidates from other clans to successfully run for the position of chairman of the local government unchallenged. This was during Orji Uzor Kalu's reign as the governor of our dear state. 


Thereafter, Mr Stanley Ojigbo from Ibere took the slot for his clan. No other candidate from other clans contested it with him. He also successfully served out his tenure. He ran with the flag of PPA.


After him came the turn of Oboro clan. This was however challenged by Oloko who wanted to take it before Oboro. But at a crucial meeting of Ikwuano stakeholders at Ibere, everyone agreed that Oboro should be allowed to produce the next chairman. Sequel to this, Oboro gave us Mrs Ezinne Ngozi Orji who ran under PDP. There was also no challenge  from other clans. She won and served out her tenure peacefully. 


The last elected chairman of Ikwuano local government area came from Oloko clan. Mr Stephen Mpamugo was equally supported by other clans to emerge the chairman also following the spirit and letter of the Ikwuano Charter of Equity. He also ran with PDP flag.


All these chairmen performed creditably well given the limited resources at their disposal. This is mainly because they were free from all incumbrances, animosity and litigation. They therefore focused on their duties and excelled in it. No aggrieved person(s) was  sabotaging them and laying any manner of banana peels for them to fall. Peaceful atmosphere pervaded through out their tenures because the right thing was done to all and sundry, and every clan was at peace waiting for her turn.


Few weeks ago, the Exco of Ikwuano Federated Union met at Umuahia and Umudike and in the two separate meetings, they endorsed the continuity of this Charter of Equity. 


Also at the Ikwuano Federated Union general meeting hosted by Ariam/Usaka in January this year, same Charter of Equity was also upheld by a resolution of the house. This tells us that *uzo di nma, a gaa ya ugboro asaa.


This has been our legacy and pattern over the years. It's a pattern that guarantees fairness, equity and justice. It's a pattern that brought to an end the era of bad politics in ala Ikwuano. It's a pattern that restores our dignity as a people. It's a pattern that portrays us as a matured people who know what they are doing. It's a pattern that ends our reproach as a people. It's a pattern that deserves all concerted efforts from all lovers of Ikwuano to strive hard to uphold. This charter is a testimony to our political maturity. Ikwuano charter of equity is a charter we shall proudly bequatte to our future generations as it will certainly make them proud of us.


Another very interesting feature of this rotational system is that whenever a few overzealous sons from the clans are tempted to go against the charter by jumping into the ring out of turn, the leaders of their respective clans have always been the ones to rein them in and make such persons see reasons to respect the charter. They are normally persuaded to shelve their ambition until such an appropriate time when it would be their turn. Sometimes they groom and support such agitators for alternative positions. These Clan leaders and stakeholders remain the oil that makes Ikwuano political machine to continue running smoothly. They are men of high integrity who will never allow primordial interests of today to damage our greater tomorrow. They are the custodians and enablers of fairness and equity in Ikwuano. They deserve our highest respect for the great works they are doing for us in Ikwuano. And we hope they continue in this laudable path.


Following the above pattern, and for the purpose of equity, fairness and continuity, all Clans having had their turns, it is once again the turn of Ariam/Usaka to produce the next executive chairman of Ikwuano local government area. While she also helps her brothers from other clans to clinch other political offices zoned to them. Anything contrary to this is tantamount to capsizing the ship mid-sea. It means going back to our sad political past which was marred by anarchy, ill-blood, in-fighting and betrayals. May affliction never rise again in ala Ikwuano. 


It now behoves on Ariam/Usaka to give us a credible, selfless and intelligent candidate who can fit into this era of modern statecraft of the 21st century, and who MUST be fair to other sister clans in all ramifications. 


In conclusion, I plead with our dear brethrens  and friends from lbere, Oboro and Oloko to once again support Ariam/Usaka to give us the best hand to move our dear local government area to an enviable height and to  reposition her to be able to harness our abundant human and material potentials for the utmost prosperity and well-being of umu Ikwuano. 


Ariam/Usaka has always supported each of you over the years in your respective political aspirations. It's now your turn to reciprocate the kind gesture. 


Lastly, I wish to use this opportunity to urge our indefatigable Governor, His Excellency, Dr Alex Chioma Otti who has been performing excellently well not to yield to the temptation of tinkering with this Charter that has guaranteed peaceful and harmonious political atmosphere in ala Ikwuano. Given the hitherto volatile political situation in Ikwuano, he should rather encourage it as doing otherwise will throw his great party into complete disarray in Ikwuano, which by extension can impact negatively on wider Abia state. It also has the propensity of touching hard on the party's foundation which he has painstakingly built over time.


 Abia state itself has a similar Charter of Equity. That's what paved way for smooth transitions of power between Abia North, Abia Central and Abia South in every eight years. This Charter operates freely without bias to political parties. Himself is also a product of this Charter. 


The  Federal government also incorporated a similar Charter that makes power to be rotating between the South and North. Whatever that works well for a people should be encouraged to continue.


N/B: The rotation principle as refered to in this article is not on caretaker or interim chairmen. Those ones are appointed based on the discretion of the governors. Ikwuano electorates have no input in them. The focus of this article is on democratically elected chairmen. This is where Ikwuano electorates have a say and control of who gets the job.


God bless Ikwuano 

God bless Abia state 

God bless Governor Alex Otti.


Push Uchenna Kalume

(Azunchai).