Socio-cultural groups under the aeges of Abia State Youths Development Organization, ASYDO; Igbo Students Union, University of Lagos, UNILAG; Abia State Students Union, Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH and Abia State Students Union, University of Lagos, UNILAG, have congratulated Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State over his Supreme Court victory in the governorship tussle that engulfed the state since the governorship elections in 2015.
National President of ASYDO, Prince Obinna Ehumadu, while speaking with Journalists, at the Victory Celebration, held at Empire Hotel (Annexe), Jibowu, Lagos, said that Governor Ikpeazu’s victory means unity, progress, greater development and peace in Abia state. He also said that Governor Ikpeazu is a listening governor who has the youths as part of the main crux of his administration.
According to Ehumadu, “We believe in Abia state, in Okezie Ikpeazu and in peace and development. We have come here to show that our Governor’s victory at the Supreme Court means unity, progress and peace in Abia state and Nigeria in general.”
Prince Ehumadu also said that the group would hold a summit termed, “Abia Mega Summit” on the 9th of June, 2017 with a target of building an industrial hall in Abia state and other developmental projects to provide jobs to all Abia youths.
Also speaking, the Patron of the group, Chief Ifeanyi Okorie who thanked God for Governor Ikpeazu’s victory also thanked the group for the congratulatory message to the Governor and promised to deliver the group’s goodwill message to him.
He however charged the youths to always strive to contribute positively towards making Abia great.
He said: “We thank God Almighty for the Supreme Court victory. Any government that does not carry the youths along will fail. When you as a governor carry youths along, things will move forward.”
Chief Okorie also said that the Governor has invested so much in the youths because he believes the success of Abia state lies in the youths.
“We thank Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for starting the Aba shoe industry. He has taken over 120 youths abroad to learn internationally, standard ways of shoe making so that Aba shoes can compete with any made shoe in the world,” he added.
Meanwhile, other eminent personalities at the event were the Mayor, Non-Yoruba Speaking Community in Lagos, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Ngozi Ibekwe (JP), Abia students in Lagos institutions numbering over a hundred.
Igwe Ibekwe also congratulated Governor Ikpeazu on the victory, even as he urged the youths to join hands with the governor to developing Abia state.
In a chat with Journalists, the President, Igbo Students Union, UNILAG, Mr. Chukwuemeka Ezekiel thanked God for the victory.
He however lamented that some Abia students drop out of school even when they had read to 200 levels due to financial constraints.
He therefore pleaded with Governor Ikpeazu to approve grants for indigent Abia students to help them complete their studies in schools.
Also, the Igwe of YABATECH, His Royal Highness, Ikechukwu Egejuru congratulated Governor Ikpeazu on his victory and said that the students are ever in support of his administration.
He said, as the Igwe of the Abia students in YABATECH, all his subjects pledge unalloyed support for Governor Okezie because he is the youths ‘governor.
Earlier, the legal adviser of the group, Barrister Wale Awolu urged the youths to shun violence and embrace education as the surest way of emancipation from the shackles of ignorance, poverty and underdevelopment.
He said he has great trust in the leadership of Governor Ikpeazu and enjoined the youths to put hands on deck to make Abia the Dubai of Africa.
Corroborating Wale, the image maker of the group, Mr. Okechukwu Nzekwe said, “we rejoice with him (Ikpeazu) and we say that the work begins now in Abia towards greatness.”
Recall that the Supreme Court, on May 12, declined to sack Governor Okezie Ikpeazu from office over alleged tax infractions.
The apex court dismissed appeals that were lodged by two contenders for the governorship seat, Mr. Sampson Ogah and Sir Friday Nwosu, as lacking in merit.
Chief Uche Ogah who took Governor Okezie to Court over the 2015 governorship election later accepted the verdict of the Supreme Court and congratulated the Governor on his victory.
Recall also that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the state, Mr. Alex Otti who came second in the election had equally applied to be joined as an interested party in the legal action.
But while dismissing the appeals, the apex court described Otti as a meddlesome interloper in the matter.
Reacting after the Supreme Court’s victory, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said the victory was for the unity and a unified entity called Abia, adding that he dedicated it to the people of Abia State.
Thanking God for the victory, he also called those who contended the matter with him to sheathe their swords and join hands to build a better Abia State.