Kalu
Former minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, and the director-general/chief executive officer, Nigeria Films Corporation (NFC), Dr Chidia Maduekwe have joined forces to support Ohafia Udumeze clan for the governorship of Abia state in 2023.
Kalu and Maduekwe stated this at a forum tagged Abia Dialogue 2019, which was organized by the Mben Political Assembly (MPA) in Ebem Ohafia, the headquarters of Ohafia local government area.
The economists, who latter served in the Budget and Planining ministry, stressed that the people need to design an all-encompassing workable strategy and effective net-working team for the actualization of the dream.
The former minister, who is the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of MPA, further said, “This is time for serious discussions and we need to concentrate on keying into our main objective before inviting others to join us.”
He added that on his part he has been reaching out to other leaders of the clan on the agenda, saying it should not be a one-off affair and must first take root in every nook and cranny of the clan before moving beyond its boundary.
According to Maduekwe, who was the chairman of the occasion, the gathering was an evidence of a new awareness for the people to come together to reason and chart a new map for the future of the up-coming generation.
He went on, “We need to ask ourselves several pertinent questions with a view to finding out who we are? Where we are coming from and where we are going. Do we actually belong or not? We need to know what we want and how to actualize the dream.”
Presenting the keynote speech with the theme, “Abia state narrative: the untold story, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, described the state as a paradox, blaming its woes on false foundation laid by the leaders at the onset of the present democratic dispensation.
Ohuabunwa said going by the source of its name, the Holy Bible, the state should have been a beacon of faith to others with its abundant natural resources and human capital, saying unfortunately the leaders have not been able to harness the resources.
He said for the state to move forward, the people must first recognize the supremacy of God in all their doings and go for leaders with the fear of Him and vision, “rather than mediocre brought in to serve their master’s selfish interest.”
Discussing the speech, Chief Ndukwe Iko, Dr. Ukpai Iro Ukpai, Barr. Ukpai Ukiro, Nze Uche Uche-Ohafia, Hon Kalu Mba Nwoke, and Chief Uduma Olugu agreed that efforts should be made to raise the standard of the state without delay.
The panelists, who overwhelmingly endorsed the agenda, commended MPA for organizing the occassion, which they described as very apt and appealed to the people to search for the most sellable aspirant across the clan for the contest.
One of the high points of the occasion which attracted many political bigwigs from across the political parties from the clan was the investiture of Ohuabunwa and Chief Okwara O. Okwara as patrons of MPA.
Sharing the vision of MPA in his address of welcome, the president, Dr. Eme Uche Onuh, said it was formed to cater essentially to the political interest of the people by looking at their politics retrospectively, with a view to determining its future.
