The difference between Governor Otti’s conviction on the negative economic implication and the larger picture outlook of new States creation versus Prince Ikonne’s narrow – minded and self-serving outlook speak volumes about both characters.
However, in a national discourse, every Nigerian, including Prince Paul Ikonne, is entitled to their positions and opinions.
But, vilifying Governor Otti for critically examining the broader economic implications of new States creation amidst multidimensional poverty, rising debt profile, double – digits hyperinflation, skyrocketing unemployment, alarming insecurity, and high mortality rates, while trivializing and reducing an important strategic National discourse to Abia’s old Bende/Old Aba bloc brotherly banter, Aba na Ohazu Kinsmen (Ama Ala) folklore, and Free Readers Association (Zik Ekwuo Nchaa) idle talks, reveals the elevated bitterness, crass ignorance, the primitive and clannish mindset of the ‘Prince of Enyimba City’ with his selfish and dubious aspiration to become the first Executive Governor of the yet to be created Aba State, re-echoing the petty parochial politics of ‘Iwuru Onye PDP, Iwu Onye Ngwa? Iwuru Onye Ngwa, Iwu Onye Obingwa? Iwuru Onye Obingwa, Iwu Onye Umuobiakwa, Iwuru Onye Umuobiakwa, Iwu Nwanne Okezie?’ as propagated during the immediate past administration.
“LIMITING STRATEGIC NATIONAL DISCOURSE TO THE RIGHT OF ‘NGWA NATION’ TO AGITATE FOR ABA STATE IS PETTY DEMAGOGUERY”.
In the current attempt to explore the possibility of creating new States, the total number of applications submitted for consideration is 31 with hundreds of Local Governments Areas across the country and the tendency for more agitations and applications is just a question of another call for application, without considering the cost implication of running more States and Local Government, underscoring the complexity of Nigeria’s structural debate.
Prince Ikonne’s relentness and persistent bitter criticism and cynicism against Governor Otti, appears to be driven and fuelled by deep rooted hatred and animosity, stemming from the Governor’s singular and unforgivable ‘SIN’ of being an Ngwa-man with Arochukwu ancestry and daring to aspire for the plum position of the Executive Governor of Abia State.
What Prince Ikonne failed to understand is that aspiring to become the Governor of a State in Nigeria is a constitutionally guaranteed right of every citizen of that State unlike some hereditary traditional stools or village head in his village, and that electing the Governor of a State is the exclusive reserve of the people of that State unlike the conferment of Chieftaincy titles in his part of Aba North where Prince Ikonne may play a palace role in the selection process.
Hear this Prince Paul Ikonne and know peace, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti is the Executive Governor of Abia State, overwhelmingly elected through the popular mandate of the people of Abia State and Prince Ikonne must Learn to live with the reality of the time.
He is at liberty and on his right to be angry and bitter about the developmental strides of Governor Otti, especially in Aba and other parts of Old Aba Division where over 70% of Abia resources are being invested with major landmark projects located therein.
In Prince Ikonne’s over 24 years of occupying strategic public offices both at the State and National level, he cannot point to any major impactful legacy he has brought to Ngwaland or just his village people in Aba except his divisive lip services about being an Ngwaman and loving Ngwaland while enriching and pocketing every available opportunity for himself.
He must be reminded that he cannot be more Ngwaman than any other Ngwaman including Governor Otti and inciting the people of Old Aba Division against Governor Otti who has demonstrated genuine love for the area can only expose his deep rooted bitterness and hatred against an innocent man.
Prince Ikonne’s attempt to single out just the proposed Aba State out of the other 30 applications including 4 from the South-East alone to incite and turn the people of Old Aba Division against Governor Otti is nothing but mischief-making taken too far.
One wonders why Prince Ikonne, a chieftain and major stakeholder in the National ruling party cannot leverage on his position in his party to lobby for the creation of Aba State than resorting to misplaced blame game to indict a Governor in a minority party to cover his incapacity to influence National outcomes or his greed in pursuing and lobbying for Federal appointment for himself than his lip service about the creation of Aba State.
“LIMITING STRATEGIC NATIONAL DISCOURSE TO THE RIGHT OF ‘NGWA NATION’ TO AGITATE FOR ABA STATE IS PETTY DEMAGOGUERY”.
Finally, Prince Paul Ikonne’s myopic divisiveness knows no bounds. In his little biased subconsciousness, he has carved out Ngwaland from Igbo Nation.
He is already in possession of an imaginary map of ‘Ngwa Nation’ carved out of the homogeneous Igbo Nation. As a divisive petty character and proud sectional demagogue, the only motivation driving Prince Ikonne’s agitation for the creation of Aba State is bitterness, hate, selfishness, petty greed and desire to dispossess, demolish and revoke the powers of attorneys including certificates of occupancy granted to other Igbos and Nigerians who bought, acquired and developed landed properties and estates in Aba and environs.
In his insatiable greed, he wish he can re-invoke the post civil war abandoned property policy to dispossess other Igbos and Nigerians he sees as ‘Ndi Ohuhu’ of their hard earned properties in Aba and environs just like he callously demolished Duru’s Hotel in Aba as a serving commissioner.
As the ‘Crown Prince of Enyimba City’, he will not stop at dispossessing and expelling the so called ‘Ndi Ohuhu’ from their estates in Aba.
He will start expelling and revoking the properties of non-Aba indigenes of Ngwa extraction as the new emperor of ‘Aba Nation’.
I have just one advice for Prince Ikonne, wake-up! The world has changed and moved. Majority of progressive Nigerians are for returning our governance structure back to regionalism.
However, if any State must be created, it should just be one in the South-East geopolitical zone to balance with other zones and Aba State is not a bad idea if approved, a sentiment also shared by Governor Alex Otti in his position paper.
To Prince Ikonne and his likes with ulterior motives and wishful thinking in their agitation for the creation of Aba State, Nigerians are buying and acquiring properties in different parts of the globe without regular empty threats from the so called ‘Original owners of the Land’ (Whatever that means after selling the Land) and acquired private properties and estates in the yet to be created Aba State will not be an exception to National and global best practices.
“LIMITING STRATEGIC NATIONAL DISCOURSE TO THE RIGHT OF ‘NGWA NATION’ TO AGITATE FOR ABA STATE IS PETTY DEMAGOGUERY”.
END
Citizen Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, is the Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
