Speakership: Abia Leaders, Groups Adopt Chinedum Orji.

As the June 11 date for the inauguration of the 7th Abia State House of Assembly, draws near, groups and eminent personalities in the state havethrown their weight behind the ambition of the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Hon. Chinedum Orji, to emerge Speaker.The groups and eminent citizens of the state insist that Orji popularly known as ‘Ikuku’ remains the best candidate for the Speakership position as he has worked greatly to uplift the lives of his constituents and Abia youths.Pointblanknews.com gathered that 12 members-elect from the three political parties (PDP, APGA, and APC) in the House have adopted him as their candidate for Speaker. It was also gathered that due to the widespread support for Orji, the incumbent Speaker, Chikwendu Kalu, may not stand for re-election.

Abia Government House sources told Pointblanknews.com that the Speaker recently met with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu pleading to be allowed to conclude his tenure on June 11th.

“The Speaker is aware that he stands no chance against Ikuku. The returning members of the House have vowed that Chikwendu Kalu will not return as Speaker as he failed to carry all members along. The Speaker has read the hand writing on the wall. He has met with the governor and is now seeking soft landing. The 7th House was scheduled to be inaugurated on June 6th, but the Speaker pleaded that he be allowed to conclude his tenure on June 11th. This is why the date of inauguration was shifted,” the source said.

First to adopt Orji was the former Senate President, Chief Adolpus Wabara, who explained that the Majority Leader of the State Assembly is eminently qualified to emerge Speaker, adding that he would use his wealth of experience to support Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to take the state to greater heights.

Wabara, who called for the zoning of the speakership seat to the Ibeku axis of the Abia Central district, recalled that Orji could have been Speaker in 2015, but declined.  “Now, he is interested, he is the most qualified from the Umuahia bloc. The position should go to him.”

He argued that it would be unfair for the speakership seat to remain in the Ngwa bloc since the governor hails from the area. “Our party believes in zoning of political offices. We also believe in macro and micro zoning of offices to ensure that power rotates among the political blocs equally. The Governor is from the Ukwa/Ngwa political bloc in Abia South zone, his deputy is from Abia North zone, so the just thing to do is to zone the speakership position to the Abia central zone.

“But in doing that we must be careful to consider the fact that Abia Central senatorial zone cuts across the Ukwa/Ngwa and old Bende political blocs and for the sake of equity, it will not be just for the Ukwa/Ngwa bloc that produced the Governor to also produce the speaker. “Based on this, Old Bende axis should produce the speaker from the Umuahia area, while Ukwa/Ngwa axis should take the deputy speaker. It is unfair for the speakership seat to remain in Ngwa when they also have the governor. Abia is a state of equity; we the Ukwa/Ngwas got the governorship position because we believe in equity. Hon. Chinedum Orji could have been Speaker in 2015, but he declined. Now, he is interested, he is the most qualified from the Umuahia bloc, the position should go to him.” Another eminent citizen in the state, Prof. Gregory Ibe, who is the pro-chancellor of the Gregory University, has also backed the call for Orji to emerge Speaker, and urged members-elect to support him. ORJI, A STABLIZING FACTOR – EX APGA CHIEFTAIN

Speaking on the opposition against Orji by supporters of the sitting Speaker, a former chieftain of APGA and aide to Dr. Alex Otti, Dr. Ayodele Moses, said,”I know their target is Engineer Chinedum Orji. The fact is that many people were surprised that he didn’t even emerged speaker four years ago. He has been on his own. If what I’ve heard about Chinedum Orji is correct, then he has been more of a stabilizing factor and a staunch supporter of the incumbent government. I don’t see him trying to destroy the house he’s helping to build.

“I don’t buy that scaremongering. He has the requisite experience and he’s capable. He has not been involved in any scandal since he assumed office.  I have not met Chinedum Orji one on one, but I now know that many of us were wrong when we were in APGA in having the impression that once the man is in, he will destabilize the whole place and pave way for himself. I don’t think it will be nice for people to aspire to position of power by scaremongering.”

LEGISLATOR PAR EXCELLENCE

Lending their voices to the ongoing debate on who emerges the next Speaker, two socio political groups; Coalition of South East Youths Leaders(COSEYL) and Reformers Platform, through their spokesmen, Goodluck Ibem and Francis Uguru, described the Majority Leader as a legislator par excellence who had impacted positively on the lives of youths and adopted him as their candidate for Speaker.

“Engr. Chinedu Orji is a consummate politician and a legislator par excellence.  Having gone through his achievements in the House in the area of youth empowerment, scholarship to indigent students, renovation of schools, sponsorship of motion/bills in the last four years; we rate him as the best candidate for speakership position.

“We therefore call on all members-elect of the 7th Abia House of Assembly to unanimously vote Hon. Chinedu Orji as Speaker.”