OZUITEM DOUBLE-HEADER APC MEETING: PROF. VICTOR UKAOGO MARKETS IKECHI EMENIKE, OUK, BEN KALU, OWA TO UMUOBASIUKWU - OZUITEM WOMEN

 

By

Michael Iheke Nwachukwu 

The heavens literally kissed the earth yesterday  18th October 2022 at Umuobasiukwu Ozuitem when Prof. Victor Ukaogo had a heart - to - heart discussion with women of the community.  It was a double - header of a parley; the first of the meeting was at the Umuobasiukwu Hall with women only and the second the same day at the ancestral home of the Ukaogos in Ndiemenu Ogboko Ozuitem in a joint session with select male and female stakeholders. 

The first parley was an all women affair irrespective of party affiliation from the community and was well attended. Mr. Emeka Otah, the erstwhile President General of Umuobasiukwu community and ward coordinator of the Ben Kalu Movement compered the event. He began by thanking the women for finding time to come for the parley and encouraged them to feel free to air their views about political and sundry developments in the community and elsewhere. The women spoke in turns by singly and collectively appreciating the effort of leaders to hear them out. And they quickly enumerated their problems requiring attention. But they first thanked their representatives at the Senate and HoR; Dr. Orji Uzor and  Hon. Benjamin Kalu respectively for their several interventions and wished to have an APC governor in Abia state to get bigger share of dividends of democracy. 

The women requested for the construction of a market to sell their farm wares, road and ecological interventions in Ndiambe, Ndiokala and umuokorieukwu and the rehabilitation of Etitiozu primary school amongst  others. They painfully lamented the deplorable state of Etitiozu primary school without any good building for the young pupils to study in and the complete severance of roads by erosion in the community. 

Issuing from the above, the interaction throughout the meeting dwelt around politics  and community welfare cum development. And as Prof. Ukaogo stood up to address the women, they erupted in thunderous singing, creatively churning out praise songs centred on the  benefits provided to the community by Prof. Ukaogo's party - the APC. It was a sight to behold indeed with crunchy dance steps of the elderly and the not too old women folks.

Beyond the dancing and interactive session,  Prof. Victor Ukaogo unbundled his oratory skills in itemising dividends of democracy attracted by the APC to the community. He took his time to download and dissect the underdevelopment initiatives of the umbrella party - PDP against the community and implored the roaring women to continue looking the way of APC in casting their votes in 2023. 

In a very categorical manner and in response to their wish for an APC governor, he urged them to be partners in realising their dreams by voting wisely and by choosing High Chief Ikechi Emenike as the next governor of Abia state. He made them see reason why it must be High Chief Ikechi Emenike for the Abia government House in 2023 by emphasising the capacity, content, and capability of High Chief Ikechi Emenike. 

He appealed to them not to allow the opportunity slip by as the community has been  forgotten since 1999. Prof. Ukaogo further urged the women to continue to vote and support Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu for the road he attracted before now and Hon.Benjamin Kalu who has also done extremely well for the Ozuitem community by attracting several projects such as the two water schemes at Mba(Agbua) and Isiegbu, a block of  two classrooms at Ozuitem secondary school, provision of classroom seats in two primary schools, road intervention for the abandoned 40 year old Agbua-Elugwumba road, provision of solar powered lights across the community, amongst others. He has done the same across  the federal constituency.  

He finally reminded them about Hon. Kingsley Owa, the APC  HoA candidate for Bende South constituency; urging them to vote him in to serve as a messenger informing High Chief Ikechi Emenike of their needs in time to come. Observably, Prof. Ukaogo informed the women to hope for best as they channel their efforts towards voting for the APC.

In the second meeting involving select male and female stakeholders, Prof. Ukaogo told the group to gird their loins to support APC all the way. He extolled the virtues of the party's candidates and urged them to support all APC candidates in being resolute and committed in voting for High Chief Ikechi Emenike for his inclusive  leadership potentials, doggedness and sincerity,  Hon. Benjamin Kalu for his restless spirit of working for the people as captured elsewhere above and Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu who personally attracted the road (spur) from Mba to Umuobasiukwu and with a promise to extend it to Okwoyi-Ibeku in Umuahia as well as Hon. Kingsley Owa, the face of the youths.

The meeting came to a happy end by 8.15pm with the attendees full of praise for Prof. Ukaogo who came to stir and wake their seemingly dormant disposition on account of unsavoury developments lately. But this came after the Stake holders expressed their happiness for the get together and pledged to work assiduously to guarantee  electoral success of all APC candidates at the polls. Prof. Ukaogo informed them that he will make sure their requests get through to the appropriate authorities.