The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu

  • Ikpeazu sacks political appointees

    As part of the efforts of the incumbent governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to constitute a new set of people that would form part of his yet-to-be inaugurated government, Ikpeazu on Saturday announced the dissolution of all political appointees.

    According to a release by the permanent secretary of government house, Elder Bernard Ogbonna, those serving in the office of the Deputy Governor and Wife of the Governor are also affected by the order.

    Ikpeazu also directed Commissioners, Secretary to State Government, his Secretary, the Deputy Chief of Staff (both Governor and Deputy Governor) and the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to continue to perform their official duties till further notice.

    Ikpeazu while thanking all the political appointees for their contributions to the success of his administration in the past four years assured that their contributions to the making of a more progressive Abia would never be forgotten.

    The release further disclosed that Ikpeazu also dissolved the board of Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB).

    The members of the board were equally directed members of the board to immediately hand over to the most senior staff in the board.

    READ ALSO: Ikpeazu to Abia workers: we’ll pay your salaries promptly

    The release read, “Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has approved the immediate dissolution of the body of appointees to the Governor, including Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants and Technical Officers..

    “The Governor also directs that Commissioners, Secretary to State Government, Principal Secretary to the Governor, Deputy Chief of Staff (office of Governor and Deputy Governor) and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor continue to perform their official duties till further notice.

    “He wishes to express profound appreciation to all those who contributed to the success of his administration in the past four years and assures that their contributions to the making of a more progressive Abia would never be forgotten”.

    However sources within the Abia State Government House disclosed that there has been intense lobbying among the outgoing political appointees who are seeking for reappointment as party members and close associates to the governor who felt sidelined in the first four years of the Ikpeazu led administration are equally hoping that they would be appointed to one political position as they claimed to have vigorously worked for the reelection of Ikpeazu at the just concluded polls.

  • Ikpeazu reelected in Abia as opposition parties fault results

    The incumbent Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu was on Sunday reelected as the governor of the state.

    Ikpeazu was announced the winner of the 2019 gubernatorial election by the State Returning Officer, Professor Benjamin Ozurumba, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN).

    The Governor after the collation of the entire results from the 17 local government areas in the state polled 261, 127 to defeat his closest rival and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress that pooled 9975 votes where as the runner-up in 2015 general election and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Alex Otti scored 64366 to come third.

    The total valid vote is 433315, while total votes casted is 444376 with 11061 void votes.

    Recall that The Nation had reported that there was voter apathy across the state as the people stayed indoors.

    Governor Ikpeazu while addressing newsmen at the Governor’s Lodge in Umuahia on Sunday evening flanked by the state PDP chairman, Johnson Onuigbo, Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, Hon. Chinedum Orji, his deputy, Sir Ude Okochukwu after the declaration of his victory at the poll said that the victory means more work for the interest of the state.

    The governor while extending hands of fellowship to those that contested with him, stated that the state would be better through the collective participation of all its citizens.

    He used the opportunity to commend INEC for sticking to the rules of electoral process and also Abia youths in particular for maintaining their peaceful disposition throughout the process.

    In the separate speeches, the State Publicity Secretary of PDP, Don Okwubunka and the deputy Governor, Okochukwu, stated that though they were happy over the reelection of Ikpeazu, they maintained that they were confidence that the governor would win the election as he has been able to positively touch the lives of the people.

    Okwubunka while reminding those that contested with Ikpeazu that Abia is an APC state, stated that it would be a journey in futility for anyone among the candidates to challenge the overwhelming support that Abians gave to Ikpeazu.

    Meanwhile the leadership including the Governorship candidates of the APC and APGA who had staged a walkout from the collation center has respectively and collectively rejected the outcome of the poll results.

    Spokespersons of the two opposition parties, Hon Ihenacho Obioma and Uzo Nwachukwu who spoke to our reporter accused INEC of conniving with the incumbent government to deny Abians the opportunity of choosing who lead them.

    They also cited vote buying, ballot box snatching, attack on INEC officials, over voting, non use of card readers and among other electoral anomalies recorded in various polling units and wards and as some of the reasons they were demanding for the cancellation of the results in the state.

    Obioma and Nwachukwu went further to question the second missionary of the UNN VC to state after they alleged that the VC in 2015 superintended the controversial 2015 general election in the state.

  • Breaking: One dead, another trapped in Aba twin building collapse

    Residents of Old Express off Sameck junction by Faulks road in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State were on Wednesday thrown into mourning following the collapse of a three- storey building that killed one of its occupants.

    The incident followed the collapse of another uncompleted three-storey building at Park road by East after a torrential rain that wrecked havocs in Aba and Umuahia,  the Abia State capital.

    While the incident at park road was attributed to use of inferior materials by the contractor, it was gathered the building at Old Express collapsed into the ground as a result of persistent waterlog that weakened its foundation.

    Our reporter, who visited the incident scenes at Old Express and Park road respectively, observed the collapsed building at Park road was under lock and key.

    Efforts were however still ongoing at the time of filing the report to rescue one of the trapped tenants in the rubble.

    Read also: Court reserves judgment in trial of Jonathan’s ex-aide

    The trapped resident was said to have called his relatives to inform them he was under the collapsed structure at Old Express.

    Some of the workers at Park road at the time of the incident were said to have sustained minor injuries but have been taken to hospitals where they were receiving medical attention.

    Some of the eyewitnesses, who spoke to our reporter, disclosed that the two incidents occurred after a torrential rain that hit the city.

    An eyewitness at Old Express, who gave his name simply as Chima, the deceased, a father of three had escaped from the building but couldn’t make it after part of the fence collapsed on him, allowing other blocks to hit him in the process.

    “The owner of the building died many years ago. The people living in the house are his two wives and other tenants.

    Abia

    “We learnt that one of the landlord’s wives noticed that the house was cracking. She raised the alarm, asking their tenants to leave the building that she feared that the building was going to collapse.

    “The man that died, from what we learnt was held back by his wife but he eventually found his way into the building after he said the money that he wanted to use for something urgent.

    “He made it alive but while he was running out of the building part of the fence fall on him but before help could come his way,  other blocks had already collapsed on him and he died.

    “The other person trapped inside is an Okada man. I learnt that he was resting in the house before the unfortunate incident.

    “We started this rescue operation when he called one of his relatives informing them that he was still trapped in the structure.

    “So, what you see going on is an effort to see if he can be rescued alive.

    “You need to see the water log here whenever it rains and this has been happening over the years. We were happy when the Governor of Abia State Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu started construction work on this Old Express.

    “But our joy went down when we discovered that the work stopped just by Sameck. We are appealing to the governor to come to our rescue. We fear that many houses may go this way.”

    Some of the tenants who were seen around the vicinity thanked God for sparing their lives but lamented their loss.

  • APC lambasts Ikpeazu’s car gifts to LG chairmen, Monarchs

    The Abia State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has condemned the donation of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) car gifts to the chairmen of the 17 Local Government chairmen of the state and the state Traditional Rulers’ Council, by the governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu on his 54th birthday.

    The Publicity Secretary of APC, Comrade Benedict Godson in a release on Friday afternoon described as not only inhuman, but an administrative recklessness and wrong placement of priority by the government whom he said is yet to pay workers and pensioners several months of salary and pension arrears to Abia workers and retirees.

    Read Also:S’East govs never against Peter Obi’s candidacy – Ikpeazu

    The APC spokesman who said that he is not against anyone giving a birthday gift to friends and well-wishers, but stressed that it must not be at the detriment of the already impoverished workers in the state who have shown commitment to duties but ended up being owed several arrears of salaries.

    Drawing reference to the Biblical injunction that every worker deserves his wage, the APC spokesman said that it was wrong for the governor of the state to choose buying of brand new cars to LG chairmen that has nothing to point to as what they have achieved in their localities instead of paying the people who have ensured that the state is machinery of the state is up and running.

    He called on the people of the state to rally round the Donatus Nwankpa led APC and give them full support by voting for the party’s candidate, Dr. Uche Ogah whom he said has what it takes to liberate the state from stagnancy in governance.

    Part of the release reads: “The Holy Bible made it clear that a leopard cannot change its skin and the wise words of our elders sounded it aloud that a snake must beget something that’s long. With this in mind, the administrative recklessness and wrong placement of priority exhibited by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu yesterday during his birthday never came as a shock to us, but as a true manifestation of what he has to offer.

    “For a man whose administration owes workers of different positions, especially teachers and doctors of several backlog of salary arrears to consciously without any duress lavish vehicles worth hundreds of millions of naira to the 17 LGA Chairmen, their Deputies and the Traditional Rulers Council are not only anti-people, but an administrative sacrilege.

    “What the PDP under Ikpeazu is doing in Abia now is a government of few, for few and by few who care less about the people. This is a man who demolished peoples’ buildings all over the city of Aba in the name of road expansion and left those roads unattended to with excuse that there’s no money.

    “With the litany of abandoned projects steering him in the face, he has callously abandoned the people of Abia State and ran to few person’s he thinks will bring him back into the government house come 2019 regardless of the people’s feelings.

    “With due respect to whoever participated in the car sharing, the Abia APC led by Donatus Nwankpa wishes to say without mincing words that it is a shame and a managerial taboo in public administration to leave workers hungry just to satisfy cronies who add nothing to the state revenue.

    “It is obvious that Abia people have been mourning the demise of good governance for several years now. The APC Abia is not left out of the situation our state is into. We commiserate with everyone and assure you that come 2019 as you help us sack charlatans who are currently occupying our government house, positive change will take over

    “We therefore call on all well-meaning Abians to vote out this recklessness. Vote out people who have PhD in project abandonment and elect Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah as governor who can help in creating jobs and execute projects without punishing and impoverishing the people.”

  • Ohanaeze youths task FG on erosion, road challenges in Abia, Ebonyi

    The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide led by Okechukwu Isiguzoro has called on the Federal Government to complement the efforts of  Abia State governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu and his Ebonyi State counterpart, David Umahi in addressing key challenges facing the states.

    The group lauded the two governors for their commitment to the development of their states despite paucity of funds at their disposal.

    In a statement signed by the Deputy President General, Comrade Obinna Achuonye, the group expressed satisfaction with the performances of the governors, adding: “The states have witnessed massive infrastructural facelifts in Abia and Abakiliki. We urge  federal government to compliment the efforts of these two governors in the area of erosion control in Isuikwuato and Abakiliki/Ugep road,which is a death trap for motorists.

    “We applaud the mutual co-operation between President Buhari and these two governors, especially with high regards to ensuring that the South East get their fair share from the projects and economic programmes of President Buhari.

    “Dr Ikpeazu will win in the next polls based on his humility and peaceful disposition and made in Aba products which had restored confidence in local traders and artisans to compete favourably in African markets and world markets. Governor Umahi remains an embodiment of unity among Igbos, His approach to governance in Ebonyi is unprecedented. We advise the federal government to explore this relationship between President Buhari and governors Ikpeazu and Umahi for mutual development.

    “Abians and Ebonyians will be behind their governors in 2019,And let nobody be decieved  that they’re in charge of South East, the Igbo youths will only listen to these two governors as regards to where Ndigbo will vote in 2019. There’s no alternatives to these two governors in Abia and Ebonyi states. We say no vacancy in Abia and Ebonyi government houses.

     

  • Ikpeazu’s stand on plastics

    Abia State on Tuesday, June 5 joined the rest of the world to mark Environment Day. Sunny Nwankwo writes about the position of Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, who was at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike to mark the 2018 edition of the day. The report.

    Plastic are destroying the world slowly, environment-alists have been warning. They are blocking drains in cities, killing sea creatures, even birds, and endangering the entire world.

    That is what informed the growing campaign to limit the use, or check the misuse, of plastics by recycling or safely disposing of them.

    On June 5, the world marked Environment Day, and joining the global event was Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, a biochemist and former waste manager.

    Ikpeazu called for legislation against use of plastics for packaging and storage, saying it will help to check polluting the environment with plastics.

    Governor Ikpeazu spoke at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) during the 2018 World Environment Day titled: “Beat Plastic Pollution, If you can’t, re-use it, refuse it.”

    He said, “The only way forward is to opt for a refusal of the plastics option. Let us legislate against its use for packaging and storage. There are more sustainable and environmentally friendly options. Plastic is an extraneous substance to the environment. It is not naturally occurring and is largely derived from the polymerisation of ethylene.

    “Therefore the chemical structure of plastic renders them resistant to most biodegradation processes. Indicating that they can be retained in the physical as well as biological system for longer period of time. Hence it’s accumulation which constitutes pollution to the environment.”

    He identified a high level of plastics production for storage, packaging transportation and slow degradation processes as major factors that lead to increased levels of plastics in environment.

    He said. “Whereas it is possible to control the method of plastics handling in the developed world, in Africa and indeed Nigeria, more plastics are burnt and the rest are left to block drainages, leading to flooding and utter pollution of our waterways.

    “The implication of handling plastics is far-reaching. If they are allowed into the sea, it takes a long time to degrade. The marine conservancy has predicted that foam will take 50 years to decompose while plastic beverage holder will take 400 years. A disposable napkin will take 450 years while fishing line will take 600 years.

    “Unfortunately, a by-product of this degradation is byphenol which also has profound deleterious impact on aquatic life, as well as consequences for human organs that encounter it.”

    In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Francis Otunta thanked the Governor for making time out of his busy schedule to visit the University and to come and deliver the lecture on plastic pollution in the environment.

    The Governor was accompanied to the University by his Commissioner for Education, Prof Ikechi Mgbeoji, Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Aham Uko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Uzo Azubuike and Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, Dr Uchenna Onyeizu, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment and Climate Change, among other top government functionaries.

  • Chaos in Aba as army, IPOB clash

    Chaos in Aba as army, IPOB clash

    There was tension and pandemonium in different parts of Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State Tuesday evening as soldiers reportedly clashed with members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    Unconfirmed reports have that a number of people reportedly died in the process.

    Trouble was said to have started when some members of IPOB who left Aba in the morning for Umuahia in solidarity for their leader, Mazi Nnamdi kanu over the invasion of his house at Afara Ukwu, Umuahia, were alleged to have been stopped by soldiers at Isiala Ngwa junction along the Enugu/Port Harcourt Express were manhandled, some of them being forced to roll inside muddy water.

    The IPOB members, who escaped the soldiers’ wrath at Isiala Ngwa junction, were said to have met another set of soldiers at Osisioma junction some kilometers away from the heart of the commercial town which led to a face off.

    The soldiers were said to have shot sporadically as the IPOB members were moving towards Ariaria International Market, causing pandemonium as people scampered for safety.

    The chaotic state which enveloped the Osisioma axis stretched beyond Ariaria market, to the Fly Over junction, a distance of over eight kilometres, leading to the destruction of some vehicles and death of unconfirmed number of people.

    There was pandemonium also within the city centre as soldiers condoned off all roads leading to the Aba Central Mosque on Mosque on Hospital by Mosque road to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the situation in the city to vandalize the Mosque.

    As soldiers condoned off the area, they shot sporadically to wade off intruders, and people ran for dare lives, forcing traders to close business for the day and rushed home.

    The situation was still very tense as at the time of filing the report, but to ease tension, Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu declared dusk to down curfew in the city.

    As at the time of filing this report, our correspondent gathered that the 14 Brigade army Chief was addressing Journalists in Umuahia, the state capital.

  • Going global with made-in-Aba products

    Going global with made-in-Aba products

    If you do not say I am here, nobody will say there you are. When a church wishes to expand its membership it embarks on evangelism outside its base. The essence is to find, and minister to the unconverted and convert them.

    Since he became Governor of Abia State on the 29th of May 2015, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has stridently campaigned for and promoted made in Aba brands with unparalleled vigor and focus.

    It all started with his decision that all through his tenure, as Governor, he will only wear made in Aba clothes, shoes and accessories.

    To date, he has kept that promise to the admiration and acknowledgement of all, by always wearing openly branded made in Aba clothes and shoes, even outside the shores of Nigeria.

    In addition, he has added serving of only Abia or Ebonyi rice at Government House, and has even gone ahead to support the large scale production of local rice in Abia.

    He also prioritizes the use of local construction companies to execute his much talked about “caterpillar revolution” that has delivered more than 40 roads, mostly with the innovative Rigid Pavement Technology, also known as cement road construction, at Aba.

    Nationally, the focused promotion of Made In Aba brands by the Governor has attracted the attention of the Federal Government with the current Acting President, Prof Yemi Osibanjo, being one of the strongest supporters of the Governor’s MSME growth initiatives. Nigerian military has long ordered for and received more than 50,000 Aba Made shoes while the National Youth Service Corps is currently considering a proposal to make all their uniforms from Aba at a much reduced cost.

    Little wonder Abia State recently won the Best state in Promotion of made in Nigeria products and best state in the promotion of SME in the Businessday Newspaper States Competitiveness and Good Governance Award of 2017.

    While delivering his 2017 budget address to the National Assembly in December 2016, President Muhammad Buhari noted that his administration will focus on local procurement of goods and services to support growing industrial and innovation hubs like Aba.

    According to president Buhari,    “…We will buy Made in Nigeria goods. We will encourage garment manufacturing and Nigerian designers, tailors and fashion retailers. We will patronise local entrepreneurs. We will promote the manufacturing powerhouses in Aba…”

    Many viewed that policy statement as a direct result of the strident promotion of made in Aba brands championed by Governor Ikpeazu.

    Only recently too, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said that tailors and designers in Aba make the best clothes in the world.

    Ngige who equally praised shoes produced at Aba made the assertion while speaking to newsmen in his office at Abuja during the recently celebrated 60th anniversary of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) also urged the group to synergize with Aba SMEs to deliver much better results.

    He said that NECA in its existence has not done well, urging them to do more by bringing other employers across Nigeria  into their folds.

    “Imagine there is no presence of NECA in Aba, the tailors there make the best clothes in the world. The shoe making outlets there are the best shoes producers in African continent and are owned by private owner.”

    After receiving the Best state in Promotion of made in Nigeria brands and best state in the promotion of SME in the Businessday Newspaper States Competitiveness and Good Governance Award 2017, Governor Ikpeazu followed up the following day by launching the made in Aba fashion show that attracted the creme de la creme of the Abuja society, including diplomats, Nollywood practitioners, government officials, entrepreneurs, professionals and the fashion conscious residents of the Federal capital city.

    Since the highly successful event at Abuja, many have come to understand better the evangelistic disposition of the Governor Ikpeazu with his campaign for made in Aba products. In this wise, he considers Aba and Abia the base of the “already converted” and decided to launch out to the deep of Nigeria and the globe to further spread his message of Aba’s technological and innovative ingenuity to others.

    Such is the passion of the Governor to promote products made in his state that even international organizations like Ford Foundation are willing to stake a claim to the positively changing narrative of Made In Aba brands. The organization is sponsoring international media campaigns using CNN and other global media platforms to sensitize consumers of the quality brands being produced at the SME capital of Nigeria.

    Speaking at the Made-in-Aba fashion show, the Executive Director/CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Segun Awolowo, emphasized the need for Nigerians to patronize Aba products.

    He also decried the neglect of Aba by government and commended Governor Ikpeazu for his unflinching desire to reposition Aba and products from the commercial city.

    Testimony from producers of Made in Aba brands confirms the benefits of the focused promotion of the brands by the Ikpeazu led administration. One of the participants at the recent Made In Aba fashion show at Abuja, Mr Andrew Anya Etim of Shoeplanet, captured the gratitude of the participants when he stated during a TV program that his sales of Aba made shoes have grown in leaps over the past one and half years.

    According to Mr Anya, “my company started buying and making Aba Made brands in 2015 and we are now making much more in volumes and profits than we made when we were importing foreign shoes and clothes. My customers are happy to buy our products which are clearly marked as “Made In Nigeria” and I must admit that we owe a lot of that to the Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.”

    A foreign visitor to the Made in Aba Fashion show at Abuja was so visibly impressed by the quality of the products he saw on display and modeled by some of the best models drawn from the Aba environment that he asked his Nigerian escort to swear that “these beautiful products were actually produced in Nigeria”.

    In an interview with newsmen after receiving the Business Day Award, Governor Ikpeazu captured the thinking behind his administration’s efforts to promote Made in Aba brands. According to him, “we want to help our local producers grow and make more profits, contribute to reduction in unemployment and add to the GDP of the nation in such a way that the country will wean itself from over-dependence on oil revenue.”

    If the success recorded so far is anything to go by, it is expected that over the tenure of Governor Ikpeazu, Aba will move from the production and export of more than one million pairs of shoes weekly to become the African fashion products manufacturing hub. This notion is supported by the fact that Aba producers are supported by one of the best equipment fabrication industry in Africa that produces high quality machines and equipment to aid mechanized manufacturing.

    Made in Aba is already leading at the national front, while making very strong competitive impact globally. Even those who dericively focus on the geographical location of Aba are now taking note.

    When you buy and use made in Aba brands you are contributing to NIGERIA’s socio-economic development.

     

    • Appolos is Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

     

  • Threat to Life: Ikpeazu petitions IGP over Nwosu’s allegations

    Threat to Life: Ikpeazu petitions IGP over Nwosu’s allegations

    Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to thoroughly investigate the allegations of one of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants in the December 14 primaries, Chief Friday Nwosu bothering on threats to his life.

    In a release signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Enyinnaya Appolos, Governor Ikpeazu was not happy at what he described the “penchant for unnecessary and frivolous assertions without proof by politicians to curry attention” and demanded full scale investigation into Nwosu’s allegations.

    Nwosu had in a petition to the Inspector General of Police accused Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Theodore Orji, Hon Chinedum Orji and one Ekpe Ekpe of planning to assassinate him.

    Governor Ikpeazu, in a petition to the IGP through the the Abia State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Umeh Kalu SAN, stated in part: ” the said petition (by Nwosu) contains Weighty criminal allegations that are capable of truncating the enduring peace in Abia State and should be investigated to ascertain the veracity of the allegations.

    “The truthfulness or falsity of Nwosu’s grave allegations has its consequences in our criminal legal system, for those who plot to kill another as well as those who offer false information to the police are culpable of known offences”, the petition further stated.

     

  • Abia, Total meet over unremitted revenue, oil community dispute

    The Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has met with the management of Total E&P Nigeria Ltd over the lingering issues of none-remittances of revenue to the state by the multinational oil firm, and neglect of the oil-bearing communities in Ukwa West LGA of the state.

    The meeting followed complaints by the state and the oil rich communities of Owaza and Asa in Ukwa West LGA of the state which prompted a recent tour of oil facilities in the area by Governor Ikpeazu, with a promise to resolve the lingering issues with Total E&P Nigeria Ltd.

    At the meeting between the government and management of the oil firm yesterday, the Total delegation led by the Deputy Managing Director, Total E&P, Nig Ltd, Mr. Francois Le-Cocq commended the Governor for initiating the meeting, stressing the need for dialogue between the company, the government and the oil-bearing communities.

    “We commend the Governor for visiting our stations in Owaza, and also for calling us to this meeting for Community engagement. I appeal to the community not to prevent or stop us from working in the community,” Le-Cocq said.

    Stressing the need for peaceful coexistence of the state, community and the oil company, Governor Ikpeazu thanked the traditional rulers and people of Ukwa West LGA, especially the youths for the mature way they have conducted themselves in a peaceful dialogue instead of engaging in destruction of oil facilities in their communities despite the obvious neglect by the oil firms.

    He said: “I must commend the oil communities in Abia for choosing the path of peace and dialogue instead of engaging in militancy and destruction of oil installations in the area to show their displeasure over the neglect and destruction of their communities and environment by the oil companies operating in their communities.

    “The misunderstanding between Total and Oil-bearing communities was due to lack of clear-cut communication between the oil company and the communities that have been shortchanged by the oil companies since there is nothing to show in terms of human capital development, infrastructure and job opportunities.

    “The Oil-bearing communities are worried that they do not know what their rights are as they are not aware of what the environmental impact assessment specifies, even as they are not carried along in the company’s policies.

    “As a state, we are not happy that you’re operating in our state and yet you don’t tax to us. You don’t employ our people. It’s now time for the Total and other companies operating in the state should establish a community Relations officer in communities and state to make for greater symbiosis between the company, the locals and the state,” the Governor said.

    Speaking on behalf of the Oil-bearing community, the former Abia Commissioner in the board of NDDC and ASOPADEC chairman, Chief  Sam Nwogu, thanked the Governor for his initiative and expressed the readiness of the Oil community to provide Total with the enabling environment to continue to carry out its operations.