An Ukwa group under the auspices of Joint Youth Council of Ukwa has dissociate the Ukwa people from the communique issued on Wednesday by a group known Ukwa La Ngwa Elders council calling for the 2023 Abia governorship ticket to be zoned to any of the three Ngwa LGAs of Ngwa Local Government Areas of Isialangwa-North, Isialangwa-South and Osisioma, otherwise known as Umunne Ato Ngwa in Abia Central Senatorial District, in 2023.
The group in a communique released to the public on Thursday 24th June,2021 and and signed by youths leaders from Ukwa clans such as Kingsley Nna Okadigbo,Prince Nwankwo,Paul Udechukwu,Chinonso Innocent Nwagbara,Uzochi Ogbonna,Ugumgba Adiele,Ifeanyi Ogbuji,Sampson Belle,Onwuka Chimezie,Okechukwu Onwuogba and Cyprian Iheanacho adduced that Ukwa as a geographical entity, clan and political divide in the old Aba division from time immemorial has always been known for her age-old penchant for harmony, peaceful propensity and her very genial political proclivity towards other clans and political blocs in Abia State.
The group however stated that on the above predilection that they wish to disassociate the very revered Ukwa clan from any communique whatsoever, which seeks the enthronement of another Ngwa Governor to replace His Excellency, Okezie Ikpeazu PhD, for yet another eight years, totalling sixteen years for the Ngwa divide.
The Ukwa Youth group further stated that it wish to bring to the notice of their brothers from the Ngwa divide of the old Aba division that any penchant, orchestration, composition, arrangement and or agitation for the enthronement of an Ngwa Governor for yet another eight years, would definitely result to humiliating imbalance in the distribution of position(s) of power in Ukwa La Ngwa bloc, hence, they are not party to such arrangement.They group said it also wish to remind their brothers from the Ngwa divide that as at today, the area that is known as Ukwa La Ngwa has the incumbent Governor of the State and a sitting Senator. The two are of Ngwa extraction, none is from the sister divide – Ukwa.
The Youth group opined that it arrived at it’s decision after reaching out to stakeholders, elders, political leaders and all other relevant decision making organs in Ukwa land, to know if they gave their consent to such unseemly, unfair and injurious communique from their sister Ngwa divide, and they were briefed and referred to a communique arising from a meeting of political stakeholders of Ukwa on 15th September,2020, which has the signatures of all major stakeholders, elders and political leaders.The group adduced that in the said communique ,it was agreed that it is the turn of Ukwa people to mount the Governorship position of the State come 2023.
The group said it also wish to reiterate the fact that ,the people of Ukwa East/Ukwa West-that is Ndoki and Asa people ,are, unarguably,a distinct Political Bloc in Abia State,with a distinct histo-cultural pedigree.And as a distinct Political Bloc,they are not,in anyway, unconscious or unmindful of their clans enormous contributions to the economic well-being of Abia state.They argued that they strongly believe that Governorship should be retained in old Aba Division that is Ukwa La Ngwa in 2023.
The Ukwa Youths in communique cited by Afnews stated however ,that like what happened in Old Bende where governorship was held for sixteen consecutive years by core Bende and Umuahia group,it is the turn of Ukwa people to mount the governorship of the state come 2023,saying as a distinct political bloc that has been contributing more than any other political bloc in Abia State,in terms of economic buoyancy, equity and peaceful co-existence,they vehemently believe that,at the appropriate time when equity, fairness and good conscience would naturally demand they will make their interest in 2023 known to other political blocs in the state,and that blocs would have every cause to justify their governorship aspiration and support them.
The Youths however sounded a note of warning to those who think they wear the toga of leadership from Ukwa, just to betray Ukwa interest.Saying they should better have a rethink and retrace their steps or be ready to be treated as enemies of the Ukwa people and would soon be communicated to in a language they will understand.