No way for ‘ Mamacracy, okijacracy’ in Abia North again – Abia deputy speaker vows
. Gets new PDP reg card
. Says girl child right bill ‘ll address discriminatory practices against girls
From Steve Oko, Umuahia
Deputy Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe, has vowed that ‘mamacracy and okijacracy’ will not make any inroads into Abia North senatorial district again.
Ndukwe who spoke to newsmen yesterday after obtaining the new Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) registration card at his Item Ward C, country home in Bende Local Government Area, said the zone remains a stronghold of the PDP.
Former administration in the state led by a son of Abia North was generally referred to as ” mamacracy” due to alleged overbearing influence of the governor’s mother in the administration.
The Deputy Speaker said only “PDP is on ground” in the zone , dismissing other political parties as non- existent.
He however, expressed sadness over the malicious destruction of PDP bill boards in the zone by some elements hired by the opposition.
Ndukwe said that the unpatriotic action was an indication that the opposition had run out of ideas and could only resort to ” throwing the mud ” against PDP out of frustration and envy.
The Deputy Speaker described the ugly development as very disturbing but said that PDP would not join the perpetrators in such primitive practices.
His words : ” PDP is still very formidable in Abia North. That they ( opposition) are destroying
our bill boards does not mean we are not on ground. Rather, it is an indication that they are now frustrated.
” What they are doing is undemocratic. To hire thugs and destroy PDP bill boards does not place Abia North under their control. They are suffering from blindness. Billboards don’t make you win election. Abia North can’t go back to mamacracy and okijacracy again.
“‘We are still intact but they are the ones defecting to PDP. All those who were with us in 2015 are still with us.”
On the new registration exercise, Ndukwe said it was a directive by the National Leadership of PDP aimed at accommodating the new entrants to the party.
According to him, the idea was to give everybody equal opportunity in the party because ” PDP’s umbrella is large enough to accommodate everybody”.
Apparently mocking the APC, Ndukwe said ” you will notice that a lot of people are now burning the broom and rushing under the umbrella , and that is why we decided to do away with our old register so as to accommodate our new members”.
He dismissed APC as “a sinking ship” which has lost bearing, and called on Nigerians to vote out the party which according to him, has been sympathetic to killers of innocent Nigerians.
The Deputy Speaker decried the unpatriotic attitudes of the opposition who hire thugs to perpetrate the act, saying that PDP can not join them in such primitive practices.
Ndukwe said PDP would consolidate its grip in the zone in 2019 as most members of APC are now defecting to the party.
The Deputy Speaker said the Girl Child Right bill being currently considered by the House, would address all forms of discriminatory practices against the girl child.
He said the bill which he sponsored had already passed second reading, assuring that when passed into law, would put to rest all forms of discrimination against the girl child.
Dr. Ndukwe decried the despiteful attitude of some cultures against the girl child.
He said that he was moved to sponsor the bill because some cultures in the state treat girls as second class citizens.
” We have some obnoxious cultures which is discriminatory against girls , and that is why I was moved to sponsor the bill”, he said.
The lawmaker said the bill when passed into law, would empower the girl child to have a share in the father’s inheritance.
Addressing the women of Okoko Item earlier during their August meeting, the lawmaker solicited their support against harmful practices against widows and the girl child.
He urged them to support efforts towards curbing prostitution, child trafficking and ‘ baby factory’ which portend grave danger to society.
The lawmaker pledged to complete and equip the on-going maternity health centre in the community to ameliorate the plight of pregnant women in the area who travel to far distances to get maternity care.
He said he took the decision after some women who had gone to neighbouring Igbere community for maternity care were involved in auto crash.
On the new registration exercise, Ndukwe said it was a directive by the National Leadership of PDP aimed at accommodating the new entrants to the party.
According to him, the idea was to give everybody equal opportunity in the party because ” PDP’s umbrella is large enough to accommodate everybody”.
End.
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