Re: Who Remembers The Case Of Rt. Hon. C.O. Enweremadu

Ordinarily, one would not have bordered to react to the media venom that was recently published with the above caption by a faceless individual lamenting on the issue of an ‘Old Bende’ Speakership position against ‘Old Aba’. But in a bid to put the record straight and enlighten the gullible public who might be decieved by that write up, one has to make few clarifications.

First all the writer was so selfish to just mentioned that Rt. Hon. Prince C.O Enweremadu was impeached in the second House of Assembly without informing people that Rt. Hon. Nkem Ike was impeached giving chance for the emergence of Prince Enweremadu who was later replaced by Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka completed the leadership of the House. The ‘expert’ writer failed to state that all of the Speakers of that second Assembly were of Abia Central; while Prince Enweremadu was of Ngwa extraction, Nkem Ike and Stanley Ohajuruka were of Ikwuano /Umuahia extraction. He just selected the issue of Enweremadu to suit his thinking and gain sympathy. So people should recall that 1999- 2003(being the 2nd Assembly) had Rt. Hon. Nkem Ike, Rt. Hon. Prince Christopher Enweremadu and Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka were the speakers of the State House of Assembly.

Similarly, the 6th House of Assemby has been lead by three speakers; Rt Hon. Martins Azubuike, Rt Hon. Bishop Kennedy Njoku and Rt Hon. Chikwendu Kalu. Unlike the second House, where two of the Speakers were from Ikwuano /Umuahia extraction of Abia Central and one from Ngwa extraction, the 6th House was lead by three men from the three Local Government Areas of Ngwa bloc of Abia Central; Rt Hon. Martins Azubuike (Isialangwa North), Rt Hon. Bishop Kennedy Njoku (Osisioma Ngwa) and Rt Hon. Chikwendu Kalu (Isialangwa South).

Going by the forgoing facts, why would someone thinks that a House member from Ikwuano//Umuahia, referred to as an Old Bende man woudn’t emerge the Speaker of the 7th House of Assembly if his colleagues so desire?

The writer and his readers, particularly, the good people Ngwa nation should remember that the father of Hon. Chinedum Orji, who some Ngwa people are fighting was the man that insisted that governoship position of Abia State should be shifted and microzoned to the Abia South zone of the State and not just Old Aba division to ensure equity, fairness and Justice were achieved inspite of the fact that it was not a constitutional thing; the constitution does not provide rotation of governoship position to political zones, it rather varies from party arrangements to other factors.

Of course, the insunuation that one whose father is in Senate cannot become a Speaker is neither here or there. It is the various legislative houses decide who becomes what. Also, for Senatorial seat to be in one LGA neither started today nor is it a constitutional misnormal. One can remember that in 1999, Senator Bob Nwannunu was the senator representing Abia Central Senatorial zone while Rt Hon. Christopher Enweremadu was the Speaker, both of them were from Ngwa extraction of Abia Central. In 2003, Senator Chris Adighije was the Senator representing Abia Central while Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka was the speaker, both of them are from Ikwuano/ Umuahia bloc.

One wonders why people would want to meddle into issues of the House that they are not very much grounded on. Was Prince Enweremadu removed from office by the people of Old Bende Division or his colleagues in the House? The writer should have also accused the Old Bende for impeaching Rt. Hon. Martins Azubike, whose motion of removal was moved by Hon. Solomon Akpulonu, his kinsman from Ngwa, which the writer preferred addressing as ‘Old Aba’ Division.

It is important that people understand the obvious fact that the Speakership position of the current House belongs to the Abia Central zone and not Old Bende or Old Aba Divisions. It is equally imperative to educate the initiator of the article that the right to select the next Speaker lies on the House members, who know that the position is exclusively resserved for the Abia Central members and not paid article writers, who have since lost touch with realities and lack the clout to champion a cause.

Those who still reason well know that in Nigeria today, political power is not shared along ethnic divides but political geopolitical zones or zones as the case may be in the States.That is why a position can be reserved for one from North Central, another from North West and another from North East before it gets to South East, South South and South West. These divisions and shares are inscribed
by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Federal Character policy. The same power sharing system is domesticated in the States via Senatorial zones, hence in Abia, there are three of such zones; Abia Central, Abia North and Abia South. At present, Abia South has the Governoship, Abia North is with the Deputy Governoship position and the Central holds the Speaker.

It has been severally explained that Abia Central has two political blocs; the Ikwuano/Umuahia and Umunnato-Ngwa extractions. In the current House, the three Local Government Areas in Ngwa extraction of Abia Central have occupied the speakership position. Equity, justice and fairness demand that a legislator from Ikwuano/Umuahia occupies the position this time around. Of course, IKUKUOMA ABIA is the only House member from Ikwuano/Umuahia bloc that is a principal officer of the House and could be termed most experienced and qualified for the job. Also, other of his kinsmen are not interested in the position, so why wouldn’t him take the position?

People should know that there is nothing like case of conspiracy in the removing of Prince Enweremadu. In politics and particularly in a legislative house, it is the members that decide what they think is right for them, visa-viz who their principal officers should be. Those who want to detect for the House members through blackmailing can just be described as meddlesome Interlopers and busy bodies, whose views should be discarded with immediate effect.

The writer is so myopic by saying that
“…Rt. Hon Acho Nwakanma was by every criteria the next man in line to replace him, but he was an Ngwa man, so not qualified.” This means
he doesn’t know that there is no how
Rt. Hon. Eric Acho Nwakama would have become the Speaker when Prince Enweremadu was out of office because, sombdy from Abia South (where he(Nwakanma) hails from) was the Deputy Governor at the same time.

The likes of Rt. Hon. Agwu U. Agwu and Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu he mentioned that “served almost two full terms” only enjoyed the favour and mandate of their colleagues and that is not anybody’s business. For the current Speaker Rt. Hon.Chikwendu Kanu, nobody says he has no right to contest for the position. If he feels he has his colleagues’ support, let him contest nah! However, everybody knows the capacity of Hon. Chinedum Orji and nobody can defeat him because he carries the grace of God. In spite of the media gang ups and unwholesome rumour mongering against his person, he would certainly emerge the Speaker of the House next month.