.Vows To Stand With Uratta Bloc
History was made last Saturday 14th January 2023 at the residence of Eziopara Ben Anyanwu at Umuchoko Egbelu Obube in Ow North LGA as hundreds of Owerri North people who thronged to the venue took a unanimous decision to reaffirm the continuation of the one term rotation for the position of house of Assembly which was started in 1999 by PDP Chieftains in Owerri North State Constituency for the reason of fast tracking the tenures to accommodate the teeming qualified youths who are interested in contesting the position from various blocs within the constituency at various turns.
The occasion was at the instance of OAU/Obibiezena Political Bloc under the auspices of OAU/Obibiezena Forum who converged at the same venue last month and agreed to support the prevailing one term rotation which became due for Uratta bloc in the next dispensation.
The Saturday’s gathering was therefore meant to inform the rest of Owerri North people the position and decision taken by OAU/Obibiezena Forum.
The co-convener of the meeting and leader of OAU/Obibiezena Forum, Eziopara Ben Anyanwu, after stating the position of their bloc received wide applause from across other blocs for such demonstration of audacity for the one term rotation agreement which has held the local government united and peaceful over the years. Buttressing the matter further, the former House of Assembly member for Owerri North LGA and one of the conveners of the meeting, Hon Dan Ikpeazu, while sticking to the prevailing one term rotation remarked that any elected member is capable of using his one term to make laudable impression, noting that a second term is when the lawmakers project to recover their campaign expenses because they are usually the biggest spenders in their avowed bid to return to office. “One term is enough for any elected member to showcase reasonable achievement. Most members who make the most impact are the first timers.
Representatives of various blocs in Owerri North took turns to applaud OAU/Obibiezena Forum and pledged their support for the one term rotation, and they include former Owerri North Council TC Chairman and former Owerri North PDP party Chairman, Hon Lambert Iwueke for Emii sub bloc, former TC chairman for old Owerri LGA, Chief C.C. Osuji (Dacosta) for Emekuku sub bloc, former APGA House of Assembly aspirant, Hon Chijioke Onu (War Lord) for Naze sub bloc, Chief Chukwuemeka Ariri for Awaka/Ihitta sub bloc, Iwuagwu Chibueze for Egbu sub bloc, and former Owerri North TC chairman and former SSA, Hon
Austin Achilike for Orji Uratta sub bloc. There was a general consensus that no particular candidate would be adopted or asked to step down for another as the meeting respected the right of any person to use the platform of his party to contest. The meeting also noted that if a second tenure becomes necessary and desirable in future, that the ongoing rotation should be allowed to terminate after the turn of OAU/Obibiezena. And that such decision shall be made in public by the people of Owerri North. A former Councilor that represented Obibi ward 2 Uratta, Hon Vincent Amadi KSJ, while supporting the position hinted that immediately after the “Onwa Oru” cultural festival that Uratta people will announce their preferred candidate for the house of Assembly.
The APGA candidate in the coming IMHA, Chief Barrister Canice Madukaji who spoke at the occasion thanked the conveners of the forum and pledged to give quality representation when elected and to abide by the rotation agreement by handing over to OAU/Obibiezena whose turn, he said, will be in 2027.
Among those who attended the meeting included 4 past TC Chairmen, a former member of the House of Assembly that represented Owerri North, 4 current House of Assembly candidates and their DGs, 3 former House of Assembly candidates, a serving Special Adviser to the Governor, 2 serving Senior Special Assistants to the Governor, a current senatorial candidate of Accord Party, a candidate of the House of Representatives of the Action Alliance Party, immediate past Councilors and members of Development Centres in Owerri North, President Generals of Communities and Traditional Prime Ministers, Businessmen and women, the clergy, Academics and members of different political parties.
