…Empowers constituents

By Steve Oko

Member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency, in the House of Representatives, Hon. Amaobi Ogah, has said that the proposed Etiti State as parity state for the South East geo-political zone, is the most viable of other proposals.

He also said that the proposal which, according to him, is enjoying the support of his colleagues and the necessary stakeholders, would soon be realised.

Recall that the Bill for the creation of  Etiti State was jointly sponsored by Ogah and some of his colleagues from the South East.

Each of the existing five states in the zone is to donate two Local Government Areas except Enugu that will cede three LGAs in the new state, while Orlu State proposed by Hon. Ikenga comprises mostly from Imo State and Anambra with a community from Abia State.

Rep Ogah who spoke weekend at his Onuaku Uturu country home where he distributed empowerment items to his constituents, said the proposed Etiti State would help address some of the lopsidedness against the South East.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker who gave out empowerment items worth hundreds of millions of naira to his constituents, said his intention was to enable them become employers of labour and contribute to the growth of the  economy of the state.

He expressed concern over the economic situation in the country, and promised to go outside his core mandate of legislation to help improve the living conditions of his constituents.

The lawmaker who said that the empowerment would be an annual event in addition to his already- existing Christmas palliatives, charged the recipients to put them to good use.

Some of the empowerment items include tricycles, motorcycles, minibuses, cars, sewing machines, grinding machines, bags of fertilizer and rice.

He also promised to distribute cash to some indigent members of the constituency after the compilation of the list of beneficiaries.

Some of the vehicle beneficiaries, Chimaobi Ajala, and Nnenne Orieji from Uturu in Isuikwuato LGA, expressed joy over the gesture and thanked the lawmaker for his benevolence.

Speaking at the event, the National Chairman of Labour Party, Julius Abure, commended Rep Ogah for the “massive and overwhelming empowerment items”, which he described as the biggest from any individual lawmaker so far from the zone.

Abure who was represented by the National Vice Chairman of LP in the South East, Ceekay Igara, said  Rep. Ogah, had proven to be a true ambassador of the party.

He urged other LP lawmakers to emulate Ogah and positively impact on their constituents.

Later in an interview, Igara said that the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP which swept 15 out of 17 Local Governments in the November 2nd Abia council poll, “is no threat” to the ruling LP in the state.

He expressed confidence that LP would retain its position as the ruling party in the state in 2027 despite losing to the little -known ZLP during the council poll.

Igara who acknowledged that Gov. Alex Otti had done well in many sectors in line with the party’s manifesto, said LP could not be easily dislodged in the state any time soon.