Ikpeazu, Enelama, other stakeholders strategise for Abia development
In a bid to ensure that all hands are on deck for the development of Abia State, the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, minister of trade and investment, Okechukwu Enelama, and Abia State caucus in the National Assembly have met at the Abia State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja to strategise for the rapid development of the state.
Speaking during the meeting, Governor Ikpeazu, who identified team spirit and unity as the basic tools for development, said the interest and development of Abia State was paramount for all Abians, and should be placed above all other considerations including political affiliations.
The governor, who also used the occasion to host and honour the Abia-born minister of industries, trade and investment, Okechukwu Enelama, noted that if Abia leaders, stakeholders and elder statesmen work as a team, they would leave indelible footprints in the sands of time.
Ikpeazu, while commending President Muhammadu Buhari for the appointment of Enelama as member representing Abia State in Federal Executive Council, described the minister as a detribalised and well-grounded Abian who would represent the state well.
He disclosed that so far, the minister had always ensured that the state did not lose out in what was due her and charged him not to relent.
The governor also described the nomination of another Abian, Obinna Emeka Agbugba, as an ambassador designate, as a good omen for the state and expressed hope that he would also be a good ambassador of the state.
He expressed his happiness for Abia senators and members of the House of Representatives for their support to his administration, and stressed the need for all hands to be on deck in order to leave positive legacies for future generations and take Abia to the next level of development.
In his comment, the immediate past governor of the state and the senator representing Abia Central in the Senate, T A Orji, commended Governor Ikpeazu for bringing all Abians to join him in the development of the state and assured the governor of the support of those at the National Assembly.
Orji also urged Enelema to see his appointment as a call to service and assist in the area of job creation, pointing out that unemployment, hunger and poverty were the basic problems of the people.
Responding, Enelama, who described Governor Ikpeazu as a visionary leader with a listening ear, promised to work with him to bring his visions to accomplishment.
Also in their separate remarks, elder statesmen, Ikechukwu Madubuike and Onyema Ugochukwu, charged the minister to avoid mismanagement of government funds and ensure its judicious use while he strove to achieve tangible things for the state. They enjoined him to always consult other Abians including civil servants, professionals and political leaders while assuring him that they would not misguide him.
The speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, Martins Azubike, in his remarks, thanked the governor for the forum, which brought them together, and prayed God to inspire the governor the more while giving him the wisdom and knowledge to steer the ship of Abia to an enviable height.
Azubuike reminded the minister that Abia was the Japan of Africa, hence the need for him to use his portfolio to bring in investors.
He further stressed the need to sustain and add to the achievements of the past administration at state and federal levels.
Other dignitaries at the event include ambassador designate, Emeka Agbugba, senators, Abia House of Reps members, and some state executive council members, among other distinguished Abians.