UKWA LA NGWA AND THE ECHOES OF 2023

Part 1

Ebere Uzoukwa

The ceremony was brief and well arranged. “The Journey So Far” which held on January 2, 2022 at Elder Emmanuel Adaelu’s compound, Osisioma LGA, was largely a moment of reawakening the spirit of “Ukwa La Ngwa Struggle” in retrospect and permutations for a better future that will be decisively anchored on 2023. The thought-provoking history of the “struggle” was represented by different speakers who took turns to give lucid accounts of events and activities that represent what is today christened “Ukwa La Ngwa Struggle” though from their respective but framed perspectives.

The convener of the gathering, Rt. Hon. Solomon Adaelu, a two-term representing Obingwa/Osisioma/Ugwunabo Federal Constituency in the National Assembly in his brief opening remarks unambiguously gave an overview as well as background that guided subsequent speakers.

For Adaelu, “it was a moment of evaluation and review of the journey so far”.
It was a reflective atmosphere to recount all that transpired and politically evolved under “Ukwa La Ngwa Struggle”; count the gains and losses as well as make projections for socio-economic and political rebirth in Ukwa La Ngwa and Abia at large. It was a moment of sober reflection as widows whose husbands either died in the cause or by circumstances of natural death were remarkably honoured and the fallen heroes posthumously remembered.

Chief Theo Nkire, one of the foremost leaders and spokesmen in Ukwa La Ngwa, as usual never disappointed his audience. He recounted major events that culminated to “Ukwa La Ngwa Struggle”. Prominent among the events he vividly highlighted was the “Movement for Aba Creation”. The “Movement” according Dee Theo Nkiru, as he fondly and respectfully called in Ukwa La Ngwa and Abia at large established strongly the agitation by Ukwa La Ngwa to have a State of theirs as early as 1940s. This establishes the fact that the “Movement for the Creation of Aba State” predated the creation of Abia in 1992.

The later version of the struggle was highlighted by Elder John Nwangborogwu, who equally featured prominently when Ukwa La Ngwa struggle was re-directed into securing the Governorship of Abia State via democratic intruments and process.

The “Movement” was intensified further by the unjust treatment meted out to His Excellency Enyinnaya Abaribe whose boss at that time and Governor of Abia State nearly rubbished and buried politically. The former Deputy Governor and currently the Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District since 2007 at that point became the arrow-head of the struggle. After surving series of ex-Governor Kalu’s sponsored impeachment courtesy of the resilience of some Ukwa La Ngwa state lawmakers who shunned all forms of betrayals even at the detriment of their future political interest, would later emerge the Governorship candidate of All Nigerians Peoples Party (ANPP). Unfortunately, the struggle failed to produce the desired and expected result as Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu was declared winner of the 2003 Abia Governorship election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe would later bounced back into political relevance in 2007 when he supported the “Umuahia” Governorship candidacy championed by Chief Onyema Ugochukwu under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to enjoy a smooth ride to the Senate.

The “Ukwa La Ngwa Struggle” was strategically rested in 2007 and 2011 respectively in support of the “Umuahia” axis of Abia Central. It was an unpredicted victory for ex-Governor Orji Kalu and his politically un-fancied Progressives Peoples Assembly (PPA) who doggedly and smartly beat the PDP and Chief Onyema Ugochukwu to install his then Chief of Staff, Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji, who was confined in EFCC custody. It is equally worthy to establish at this very point that the inability of ex-Governor Kalu to consider a gubernatorial power shift to Ukwa La Ngwa that controls 9 out of 17 LGAs after repeated verbal promises compounded his political enemity with some major political gladiators from “Ukwa La Ngwa”.

However, time and opportunity beckoned again in 2015. The “struggle” as many will posit took a different dimension that was largely anchored on political consensus. Every political arrangement before and during the gubernatorial primary election of 2015 in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was politically skewed and designed to produce an Ngwa candidate. Every effort made by Dr. Uche Ogah from Isikwuato and Dr. Alex Otti from Isiala Ngwa South though with an ancestral root at Arochukwu was politically diffused and thwarted. Ex-Governor T. A Orji, his son, Chinedu Orji a.k.a Ikuku who wielded enormous political powers and influence insisted on returning an Ngwa man as the Governorship candidate of the PDP. A search team headed by Late Chijioke Nwankodo, Chief Kingsley Megwara and some other silent political operators from Umuahia that are very close to ex-Governor T. A Orji and Chinedu Orji found Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and quickly railroaded him into the gubernatorial race. The Umuahia gubernatorial searchers and their product, Dr. Ikpeazu who was holding the position of Deputy General Manager (DGM) Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), suddely changed the political permutations and gubernatorial landscape. This development politically displaced Chief Eric Acho Nwakanma who never perceived his brother-inlaw as a challenger. Sir Friday Nwosu, Sen. Nkechi Nworgu and other contenders from Ukwa La Ngwa were all dazed politically and systematically displaced from the gubernatorial track under the platform of the PDP.

With Dr. Alex Otti’s emergence as the 2015 Governorship candidate, the gubernatorial battle took an ethnic but frightening dimension. The people of Old Bende comprising Abia North and Umuahia axis of Abia Central especially the voters aligned massively with Dr. Otti and APGA. This posed another form of challenge to the people Ukwa La Ngwa who were desperate to produce a Governor for the first time in the history of Nigeria. The development once again rekindled the Ukwa La Ngwa Struggle”. The people of Ukwa La Ngwa without hesitation mended political fences and reconciled all forms of political interest. Every political arithmetic was forecasted and subsequently deployed in determing the “decisive proportion” of Ukwa La Ngwa on the Governorship hence the Abia North and larger proportion of Umahia axis of Abia Central had already declared support for Dr. Otti. This very political calculation, just to say the least, would later open the eyes of many gladiators vis-a-vis the Governorship of Abia State.

In 2019, this same political calculation was dusted up and once again deployed by the people of Ukwa La Ngwa. Though Dr. Ikpeazu secured more votes this time from Abia North and Umuahia axis of Abia Central to consolidate his second term victory, it was somewhat an opportunity to reconfirm the deciding strength of Ukwa La Ngwa on the Governorship of Abia State.

Reverting now to the meeting convened by Hon. Adaelu wherein some of these past events were politically reviewed, it was perceived by many as a golden opportunity to review the Governorship which an Ukwa La Ngwa son has occupied since 2015. Of course, that path is very thorny to walk. It is obviously a topic many won’t dare to lend their voices especially at the moment. However, some speakers including Elder Chibuike Nwokeukwu SAN, Rt. Hon. Martins Azubuike agreed that what is paramount and permissible at the moment is PEACE and RECONCILIATION. The meeting, going forward, agreed in unism that Ukwa La Ngwa will do all that is expedient and possible to retain the Governorship of Abia State in 2023.

However, the poser in lips of many close watchers of political events and developments Abia State is “why PEACE and RECONCILIATION in Ukwa La Ngwa before marshalling out their plans and strategies on how to retain the Governorship in Ukwa La Ngwa in the face of mounting agitations for power shift to either Abia North or anywhere in Abia Central?

(To be continued on Wednesday)

Ebere Uzoukwa a Political Activist & Media Practitioner Writes From Obingwa