S’East should embrace APGA now for regional recovery – Ichita
* Says APC, PDP ‘ve no plans for Igbo
* Demands accountability over N27b W/bank largesse for infrastructural dev in Aba
* Claims Abia has more mortuaries than hospitals
By Steve Oko
Leader of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, in Abia State, and the member representing Aba South state constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Obinna Ichita, has urged South East zone to embrace APGA as their regional party to recover their lost political grounds and re-negotiate power with other ge-opolitical zones and regions.
Ichita accused the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, in the country; and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; of having no good plans for the South East.
The lawmaker who spoke while addressing APGA Local Government and Ward Chairmen at the party’s state secretariat Umuahia, ahead of their three-man congress, called on Ndigbo to be politically wiser.
According to him, the inability of both parties to zone their presidential tickets to the South East despite the zone’s sacrifices in both parties, is a confirmation that the zone is not in their agenda.
” I can declare without equivocation that PDP and APC have no good plans for the Igbo. APC is exceptionally tribalistic. PDP failed woefully after many years of being in charge of South East.
” So, PDP and APC have nothing in stock for the South East; the only alternative is APGA. APGA will field its first 11 to reclaim South East in 223.
” With what is already happening in Anambra under Professor Chukwuma Soludo, we need technocrats and Igbo best 11 to take over all the states in South East and rebuild our economy like the late Michael Okpara era.”
Hon. Ichita who charged APGA members to remain committed and steadfast in their support for the party, predicted that ” APGA wave will sweep through the state in 2023″.
The lawmaker who also decried the level of infrastructural decay in Aba renewed his call for the State Government to account for how it deployed the $ 56.4 million ( equivalent of N27.4 billion) largesse it received from the World Bank for infrastructural development in Aba.
Hon. Ichita said the call had become necessary as there was no evidence on ground to suggest that such whopping amount of money was spent on infrastructure in the commercial city.
He expressed concern over the sanitary condition of the state and wondered where the monthly allocations for the state’s environmental sanitation agency goes.
Ichita also demanded accountability over Council funds, wondering why there is nothing on ground to justify the huge monthly allocations to Councils in the state.
” My LGA, Aba South receives N204 million every month as allocation from the federal government but there is no evidence on ground.
The lawmaker decried the deplorable condition of the health sector in the state, alleging that “Abia has more mortuaries than functional hospitals”.
He accused the State Government of abandoning the health care sector, a development, he said, posed existential threat to residents.
His words: ” The number of mortuaries and funeral homes in Abia is more than the number of hospitals in the state. Go and check, from Osisioma to Umuahia what you will see along the expressway is mortuaries.
” Check again from Umuahia to Aba through the Old road, all that you get on the way is mortuaries and funeral homes except only one health centre at Mbubo.
“In Abia State, Thursdays and Fridays have now been converted to burial days. Why wouldn’t people die like chicken when workers and pensioners are owed and the economy of the state is comatose?
” Go to Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba and you will confirm that the only functional unit in that hospital is the mortuary department. For 25 months, the staff are owed and they have been on strike for 18 months.
” Why will you be surprised that the ABSU medical school lost NUC accreditation? It’s no longer a question of Hon. Ichita criticising Government, even the Nigeria Medical Association is also lamenting over this devastating development.
” Those who survive in Abia are surviving by miracle because the Government has almost abandoned the people to their fate.”
The lawmaker also bemoaned the fate of traders in Ahia Ohuru Market Aba whose shops were demolished by the State Government for nearly a year now without any indication it would be rebuilt any time soon.
He said he had advised against the planned demolition then but his advice fell on deaf ears.
” When Government was pulling down the market then we shouted but they suppressed our voices, and promised to get the market ready in six months time but it’s almost one year down the line.”
Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria. 
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