Abia Lawmaker Chides Wike for Defending Ikpeazu over Project Delay

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

A member of the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Obinna Ichita, has faulted the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for claiming that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu was sabotaged in the ongoing efforts to reconstruct the Ariaria International Market.

Speaking at the birthday celebration of Ikpeazu, who is his friend and political ally, Wike alluded that “some individuals” had conspired and stopped a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s loan meant for the Ariaria market project hence the delay in its completion.

According to the Rivers governor, Ikpeazu was being punished by those who feel uncomfortable that the Abia chief executive is standing by him in the agitation for equity and fairness in the polity.

“Because Ikpeazu supported me, they went and stopped Abia state from getting the money they are supposed to get to develop Ariara market,” Wike said

But in a statement he issued in Umuahia made available to journalists, Hon Ichita said that the excuse given  by Wike, which is being trumpeted by agents of Abia government was untenable, describing it as “a fat lie”.

“That (claim) has no basis in fact, in law or in convention. It is nothing but another hackneyed propaganda technique,” he said.

The APGA lawmaker, who represents Aba South state constituency, where Ariaria is located, said that it was obvious that having run out of excuses on the floundering Ariaria market project, the state government has now resorted to using external persons to deceive Abians.

“The government of Abia knows that the people of Abia have finally decoded all their lies and vain talks, hence they have resorted to bringing in their friends and associates at any little opportunity, to sell new lies to the people in the hope that our people will fall for their propaganda.

He said that propaganda no longer works in Abia because fortunately, but unfortunately for Abia government, “our people are now wiser and smarter.”

Ichita argued that “it is common knowledge that no authority or personality can withhold any money due to any state in the federation, citing the Supreme Court pronouncement in the matter between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the government of Lagos state.

 “It is another insult on our collective intelligence for the government of Abia or any of their proxies, agents or associates to assume that Abia people are uninformed and unexposed.

He challenged the Abia government “to make public, any personality or any authority that has withheld any money due to Abia state”, adding that “the state government should also tell us what the government has achieved with over N100 billion loan it has incurred in domestic debt”.

The Aba South lawmaker noted that Abia has different sources of revenue to generate enough funds, including statutory allocation, ecological fund, 13 per cent derivation, financial donations from international donor agencies as well as the internally generated revenue (IGR).

Hon Ichita further argued that the alleged stoppage of CBN loan to Abia State by some persons apparently as punishment to Ikpeazu was of no consequence as “Abia State does not need any further loans at the twilight of Ikpeazu’s administration.”

 “It is risky for Governor Ikpeazu to go for fresh loan in less than eight months to the end of his tenure when he has not given any good account of how he deployed the previous loans he obtained,” he said.