Abia State Advisory Council has decided to wade into the controversy being generated by the recent decision of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to zone its 2015 governorship ticket to Abia South senatorial district, saying that zoning is a political equation to be solved by politicians.
Addressing journalists Friday on the 2014 Abia Day celebration, Chairman of Abia Advisory Council, Ezeogo Anagha Ezeigbe said though zoning was enshrined in the Abia Charter of Equity scripted by the founding fathers of the state to ensure equity in the state, the document was however not binding as it was yet to be signed into law.
He explained that the charter of equity was a document written in good conscience by the founding fathers but the failure of subsequent sessions of the state’s House of Assembly to pass into law a bill to that effect severally sent to them by the elders council had made the good intentions of the document unenforceable.
Ezeikpe said “right now there is no law giving zoning a legal backing, so it is a political decision which only politicians will account for,” stressing however, that the good intension of the founding fathers which is to promote peace, unity and equity in the state should not be ignored.
The Octogenarian hinted that very soon, the state’s Advisory Council would make public standards it had set which anybody aspiring to be governor in the state must meet.”
Adding his voice, Secretary of the council, Sir Bob Ogbuagu, appreciated the developmental strides of various administrations in the state especially the current Gov. Theodore Orji-led government, saying that “Abia is not backwards when compared to states created before it.”
He, however, regretted that if the rapport and cordiality currently existing between the state and the federal governments had started early enough, more developments would have been recorded in the state.
On the proposed creation of additional states in the country, the elders advised Abians to guard their utterances and avoid inflammatory remarks capable of causing disaffection “because in the final analysis we are still Igbos and must stick together like the Jews whereever we find ourselves.”
The Committee enumerated some of the activities lined up for the commemoration of Abia’s 23rd anniversary to include Jumat service on Friday, Special Church Service on Sunday, Anniversary lectures on Monday, cultural exhibition on Tuesday, while the grand finale would be staged on Wednesday, August 27. Punch
