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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has said the essence of conducting local government election in the state despite the huge financial involvement was to deepen democracy and provide sustainable empowerment to the youths by giving them opportunities to be trained in the art of leadership.
He said his administration has changed the narrative in the management of public primary schools resulting in a quantum leap in the enrolment in public primary schools across the state.
Ikpeazu, who spoke when he received the immediate past councillors of the 17 councils at the Governor’s Lodge, Aba, said local government election serves as political ladder to many who aspire to leadership positions. He urged them to always exhibit high sense of loyalty which is a recipe for higher level even while out of office.
The governor gave an example of a former Senate president, Adolphus Wabara, whose political career, he said, started as an elected councillor in Ukwa.
Ikpeazu congratulated the councillors for serving successfully and encouraged them to remain committed towards moving the state forward by voting Peoples Democratic Party and avoid any form of distractions from other political parties.
Chairman of the Former Councillors’ Forum, Samuel Nwachukwu, said they came to thank Ikpeazu for conducting the election that gave them the opportunity to serve their people at the grassroots.
He said the councillors have adopted Ikpeazu as their sole candidate for the senatorial election in Abia South considering the synergy his administration built with the Federal Government which has brought peace and security in the state.
In another development, Ikpeazu said his administration has leveraged on the Free School Feeding Programme as a strategy to make public schools in the state attractive.
Governor Ikpeazu, who stated this while addressing members of the Free Meal Programme from Abia South when they visited him at the Governor’s Lodge, Aba, said the leadership of the programme has exceeded the aims of the project.
He expressed joy that the programme has, in no small means, reversed the poor enrolment of pupils in public schools as well as reduce school drop outs.
The governor noted that apart from the support it has given to the school system, the scheme has provided jobs to over 6,000 Abians, especially women.
