Nnaya Eziyi, Umuahia
One of the founding members and Abia State chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief Ikechi Emenike has come under pressure to run for the governorship of the state in 2019.
Leaders of oil producing communities in Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state made the call when they paid him a thank-you visit in his Umukabia country -home in Umuahia Local Government Area.
They said they were there to appreciate him for facilitating the nomination of one of their indigenes, Chief Nwogu Nna Nwogu as commissioner representing the state on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The communities, which made the state an oil producing state have been clamoring for this position after it became vacant over three months ago just as many other indigenes of the area had been angling for the post.
Speaking for them, Engineer Chinwe Uruakpa said God had used Emenike to bring out a man who knows their problem, adding that they believe he would use the position to touch their lives.
Uruakpa, who ran for the chairmanship of the council in the 2016 local government election in the state on the platform of the APC, noted that Emenike had restored their sense of belonging as oil producing communities in the state.
On behalf of 11 associations operating in the area, Chief Sylvanus Nwazue Ogbuji pledged their support for Emenike if he would, “kindly yield to their call for him to serve the state in that capacity.”
He described Emenike as both visionary and selfless leader “who if he had wanted, he would have nominated one of the money-bags who had indicated interest to buy the seat a what-ever price.”
Adding his voice to the call, Pastor Sam Ugochukwu said God had remembered the communities through the nomination, and commended both President Muhammadu Buhari and Emenike for the choice.
In his remarks, Nna Nwogu, said through his intervention, Emenike, who ran for the office in 2007 on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), had restored their sense of belonging as oil producing communities.
It would be recalled that until the announcement of the appointment by the presidency, the state had been left without a representative on the NDDC board, which was inaugurated on October 11, 2016.
In his response, Emenike, who avoided speaking on the call, insisted that despite its challenges, the party had taken the economy of Nigeria far away from the ruins of the past leadership.
According to the chairman and chief executive officer of Development Economic Resources (DER) Ltd, an indigenous Lagos-based publishing company with global reach, the challenges facing the federal government were enormous.
He said: “APC is trying to fit into the governance of this country. It is not easy. A party had been in power for 16 years. If a new party comes into government, there will be shakes; there will be problems here and there.
“This government is like a plane taking-off on a non-stop flight. It will take some time for it to arrive at the cruising altitude. This is unlike domestic flights that take about 15 minutes or so to reach the required altitude” he maintained.
He said it would take a discipline and determined leader like the president to move the economy of country from the situation he met it when he took over its leadership in 2015, assuring that the end was in sight.
“By the grace of God, we will soon get there and the people will understand that the change we preach is real. Whatever challenges they are going through will be a thing of the past” he noted.
He lauded the people for the visit and added that it would spur him to reach for better things for the communities and the entire state “to assure them that there is great hope for them in the government.”
According to him, “All the thanks belong to President Buhari, while both the praise and appreciation must be directed to God for making the nomination a dream come through despite the challenges.”
