Stone Throwing To Fruitful Trees, Eric Ikwuagwu Example – Hon Obinna Ekekwe

I always thought it a breach of etiquette for the lion to cavil that the tiger’s teeth were to sharp.

Lately you all are witnesses to name calling, character smearing, haranguing, damaging and spiteful remarks by Eric Ikwuagwu to most, if not all our political leaders.

I am pained to join issues with him again, but the records have to be put straight for the sake of posterity.

He accused many of us of ineptitude and lack of performance. I beg to disagree.

I was elected into the Abia State House of Assembly 1991 when I was barely 30 years old.

As a House member and Deputy Minority Leader, my motion on ceding Imo State University, Okigwe to Abia became a resolution of the House that ultimately led the Brigadier Olarewaju Committee to cede that citadel of knowledge to Abia. The government Hansard report is there for perusal.

On November 16, 1993, Gen Abacha truncated that era.

In April 1994-1996, I was appointed by the Ejoor military govt into the Old Isuikwuato LG Caretaker Committee as Supervisor of Works. That era built the 10-room conference Centre(now housing the Chairman’s wife Office and the Social Development Dept).
We brought public light into the Council.

Let me not bore you with my tenure as Special Adviser, Senior Special Assistant and Special Assistant to various governors.

As Council Chairman( Jan 3 2013- May 5, 2014)

Within the period of 16 months I was on the saddle, my humble achievements :

1. Rural Electrification and Energization of Ezere Automous Community.
2. Rural Electrification (1st Phase) Amiyi Obilohia.
3. Rural Electrification Ekebe Eluama.
4. Installation and Energization of 133KVA Transformer in Agbo Obayi Ovim.
5. Drilling a borehole and reticulation of the Council(burnt coil after my tenure stopped water from running).
6. Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Renovation of Okechi Kanu Pavilion.
7. Raising the IGR from N4. 8m to N21. 2m. This I did by reviewing the revenue windows.
8. Furnished the Ralph Ukoro built Council Hall and raising the rent from a paltry N5000 to N15000.
9. Fenced the entire land area of Community Primary School Hopeville, Ututu.
10. Fenced the entire land area of Spence Primary School Ovim.
11. Donated giant generator to Umunnekwu Agbo PHC.
12. Built and donated the Chapel of Grace as my family’s sacrificial offering to God for His amazing grace in my life.
13. By the time I left the Council on May 5, 2014, I had paid April salaries and emoluments. Never owed salaries.
Talk about Mr Project. All claims are verifiable.

As Commissioner :
The Ministry of Strategy and Social Development was brand new. NAPTIP rated Abia as the notorious haven of child and human trafficking in the South-East. I am happy to report to you that Abia is second to Enugu in terms of sanity and procedural adoption process. From 6 certificated homes, I brought the number to 23.

We laid the new ministry on a solid pedestal and ready to take on the challenges ahead.

On Employment: I ensured a total of 42 teachers were employed. 27 of these came from HRH Eze Faraday Chinekwe of Eluama. His phone is 07012131313. With the traditional ruler, I pestered the ES SSMB till these our unemployed were given appointment letters.

It is not noise making. It is about service. For admissions, there is no VC of ABSU, including the incumbent, who will not tell you how I trouble them over admissions for our young people.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am not lobbying anyone to be retained as Commissioner. Once I leave an office, it seizes to motivate me.

I am one immediate past commissioner who has not seen the governor physically since I left office.

Irrespective of deliberate attempt by Eric Ikwuagwu to maligned my person, I will advice him to stop creating disharmony and distrust among all levels of PDP party faithfuls. We need everyone. If there are missteps anywhere, as a family we can smoothen the rough edges and move on.

I want to say in this epistle, I feel very fulfilled in my public service record so far. Nobody can stampede me out of politics. I have moved my environment some notches up, from where I met things.

In the next episode, I am going to be talking on the youth in Isuikwuato politics, the quest for Isuikwuato District for the governorship of Abia State. And any other contemporary issues.

Hon Obinna Ekekwe
OGIRISI OVIM.