Governor Okezie Ikpeazu today played host to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan,an APC Chieftain who was in Abia to commission the Enyimba Automated Shoe Company ENASCO, in company of notable APC members, as well as honour the Civic Reception organised by the Ukwa La Ngwa people for the Executive Secretary of NALDA.
In this interview with National Ambassador, Govt House Reporter, Amarachi Uzoukwu, Governor Ikpeazu at the Government Lodge Aba, speaks on the visit of the Senate President, insinuations on perceived alliance with members of the APC, the coming together of former Governors of the state,Orji Uzor Kalu and T.A Orji as well as other issues bothering on the socio-political stability of Abia state and Nigeria.
Excepts:
National Ambassador: The Executive Secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne works for an agency of the Federal government and he is a member of the APC. Why did your government choose to get involved in the grand civic reception organised in his honour. Why is a PDP government honoring a man who belongs to the APC?
Gov Ikpeazu: In the first place i want to say that part of what we complaining as a people, as ndị Abia as ndị Igbo is the fact that there is a dearth of high net worth appointees at the National level we are crying that we are excluded from government at the centre to a large extent so whenever we see somebody is recognized and picked, it gladdens our heart. This our clamour for representation from the South East does not wear the toga of any political party.
We are not clamoring because we want a particular individual or group, we are saying that wherever you see an Igbo man with capacity, we should allow that individual to function after all this is our country. Not only is Prince Paul Ikonne from here, he has done very well in driving the hitherto moribund Federal Government agency that is at the jocular of economic development, talking of Agriculture and rationalization of land use so for every intent and purpose. I as an individual felt that i should be part of it. It wasn’t a government function at all. It was a function driven by a social political group under the aegis of Ukwa La Ngwa and we have done this before for Professor Ikonne who did well as Vice Chancellor of Abia state university and i think that i declared it over there that wherever i see a shining light, a brilliant Abian irrespective of political persuasion, local government of origin that i will be part of any group.
Government may not have the resources to fund that kind of event but I’ll give my tacit support and endorsement. I am looking forward to a time when we will celebrate our heroes. We should look at the positive side of life and not only the negative side all the time. I do think that everybody in public service is a thief. I know that some people are bad but i also know that amongst them we have those who are good, diligent, determined to make a difference irrespective of the circumstance.
National Ambassador: Your Excellency, since the return of democracy, today is the first time that two former Governors of the state including yourself the present Governor, are coming together. Sir, what is the significance of this?
Gov Ikpeazu: The event of today was just a coincidence, it wasn’t planned that the three governors, two former governors and myself will be meeting but it is a manifestation of the fact that we strive for peace in Abia and i think in Nigeria also the socio political stability should be uppermost in our agenda going forward because in the absence of socio political stability, every other thing will collapse. There is nothing that will happen, flourish or grow speak about Infrastructure, education etc. Whatever you want to achieve, you must lay that foundation on a solid platform of strong socio political development and that is why we think that in Abia, socio political stability is paramount. Abia is perhaps the most stable State in terms of socio political disposition. Abia is also the safest states in terms of security and all of these dovetail from the fact that we draw our red lines and we have mutual respect for one another. I don’t have anything personal against anybody but we can disagree based on principle, disposition but if the agenda is the development of Abia State, then i won’t shy away from such a meeting.
I thank God that two former Governors were around today and going forward, we want to invite everybody to make contributions to the growth of Abia irrespective of what your religion, political persuasion may be. My promise in 2015 was that i was going to provide a platform for such to happen.
I don’t have respect for people who stay outside and complain, let everybody come into the football field and play. If you can play soccer, don’t talk about soccer, play it. If you can make contributions to the growth of Abia, there’s space for you to come and do it otherwise remain silent.
National Ambassador: Your Excellency, the Senate President categorically asked you to come and join the All Progressive Congress. Should we expect you to cross over to the APC?
Gov Ikpeazu: I did not hear APC from his mouth but he made insinuations that made that suggestion and that is what you expect an APC to say. I’m also trying to woo him to come over to PDP. I’m trying to convince him to come to PDP, he looks to me like a democrat. I have some respect for him, if we have people come here and see for themselves the issues that we are clamoring for; the fact that we don’t have steady power,the fact that we can’t go to Port Harcourt from Aba, the fact that we can’t go to Ikot Ekpene from Aba, the fact that we are almost landlocked and the fact that we hold enormous potential in this place. I alluded to it in my speech that average Igbo man is prepared to be in the kitchen to bake the cake then people can stay in the dining and eat. I know that there are people who don’t have the capacity to bake this cake so anybody who doesn’t have the capacity to sustain the socio economic growth of Nigeria,they have no business in the leadership of Nigeria and so his coming around me as far as I’m concerned will bring out the democrat in him so it’s the other way round. Why won’t i convince him to come to the PDP instead of him convincing me. I’m already a Bishop in PDP with a very big followership and cathedral, so i don’t need to go elsewhere.
