By Tony Icheku



 "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent"


The lawmaker representing Ikwuano Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency, Hon Obi Aguocha finally went dancing in the marketplace - naked! To the shame and chagrin of his constituency! Our people says: "When a mad man walks naked, it is his kinsmen who feel shame, not himself..."


Aguocha, by his imbecilic rambling reaction to a video attributed to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu has rubbed potty on the blessed memory of great Ohuhu-born political titan  'MI Power', Dr Michael Okpara; the award winning journalist and editor of note, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu and several other Ohuhu born greats who etched their names on the national and world maps.


It is pertinent to note here that since his resumption at the National Assembly, Aguocha insipid, bland, colourless outing has been a source of concern to his constituents in the three LGAs making up the Federal Constituency...not one constituent has a good word in his favour - as a matter of fact, he is yet to respond to a Freedom of Information Act letter from his ward demanding accountability from him regarding several Federal Government palliatives passed through Federal lawmakers to the people - from the first N100 million rice palliatives to several Constituency Projects, Aguocha has not delivered a dime to his constituents 


In Ikwuano LG, Aguocha has been declared a persona non grata for his brazen promise of delivering a second LG to them and distancing himself from them after winning his seat


Comparing the Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu with Aguocha is like comparing an eagle with a butterfly! 


In place of Aguocha's timid stuttering Kalu is bold, courageous and outspoken in the defence of his beliefs and politics.


 Writing of persona like Kalu, Maya Angelou wrote, ” One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, merciful, generous or honest”.


Kalu belongs to the APC which holds sway at the Centre, while Gov Otti is of the LP which controls Abia State, therefore Kalu, expressing his desire to bring Abia into the mainstream of national politics is consistent with his outspoken style of calling a spade a spade! Such declaration is consistent with the politics of an opposition party desiring to take the seat of power.


Perhaps, Aguocha who rode to power on the wings of the Obedient movement fails to recognise the Rainbow coalition that propelled Otti and LP to power in Abia State. No doubt, Aguocha suffers from amnesia, else he would have remembered that Otti reading the signs of the times defected from APC to LP in order to ride on the waves of the Obedient movement. Perhaps Aguocha did not that his performing colleague, Hon Amaobi Ogah won in a Federal Constituency which overwhelming voted for Otti and LP.


Kalu is a politician who works his talks, from delivering the South-East Development Commission, SEDC to the South-East, to delivering a Federal Housing Estate to his constituency plus numerous Federal projects attracted to Abia State.


 Kalu has been consistent to his core values, and  maintains acordial relationships with Gov Otti whom he calls a close friend. Thus his views that  Abia State should align with the APC-led Federal Government is consistent with his transformational proactive politics and leadership. Like a good friend who will always say the truth to a friend, Kalu has simply told Otti to return to APC if he wants a second term. An obident wave would not happen a second time in Abia. Everyone on the streets of Abia, perhaps except inconsequential, fly by night politicians like Aguocha knows that for sure


The Deputy Speaker  even as a first timer,  recoded tremendous human capital and infrastructural developments in his constituency. Can Aguocha beat his chest and tell his constituents how much he has done??


Even the very simplistic assignment of delivering the bags of rice to his constituents Aguocha has proved incapable of doing. How inept, how incompetent can a Federal lawmaker be? It is little wonder therefore that his constituents have initiated a recall process because of his shameful abysmal, lackadaisical, lacklustre representation.


 Besides moonlighting and flexing in Abuja red district zones, and running around the shadows of Gov  Otti, what else does Hon Aguocha do as a Federal lawmaker?


Recently the Deputy Speaker received a number of decampees into his party,  a testament of his popularity and rising political profile. Across Abia, he is literarily walking from door to door reconciling and building up the membership of APC...


Kalu reserves the right to express his resolve for his political party to take over Abia Government House in 2027, his party is in the opposition in Abia and what else should an opposition party do if not to keep the ruling party on its toes 


Unlike Aguocha who is busy playing sychophancy at the centre, Kalu is the  brand ambassador of APC in Abia 


Dear Hon Aguocha, rather than your meddlesomeness in matters clearly out of your depths, be humble, stop your sychophantic posturing and follow the footsteps of Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu and learn how to be a good representative