Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia has called on Nigerians to appreciate the sacrifices of the Armed Forces by engaging in acts that promote peace and harmony in the country.
Ikpeazu made the call on Saturday during this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration at the Aguiyi Ironsi Cenotaph, Umuahia.
The governor, who was represented by Dep. Gov. Oko Chukwu, said that Nigerians should show greater commitment toward nation’s peace and unity.
He said that the occasion ought to serve as a solemn reminder of the need for Nigerians to resolve and renew their commitment to continue to live in unity.
According to him, the gallantry of the nation’s fallen heroes cannot easily be erased because it has been engraved into the nation’s existence.
“We cannot fail to commend the efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the fight against Boko Haram, insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, terrorism and secessionists, among other forms of criminalities.
“We will continue to prioritise security and always partner security agencies in our efforts to sustain the prevailing peace and security in the state.
“As a responsive government, we will continue to encourage and support the Nigerian Legion and security agencies in all areas possible for the sustenance of unity,” Ikpeazu said.
Tag: Governor Ikpeazu
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AFRD: Ikpeazu preaches peace, harmony
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PDP appoints Ikpeazu, Okowa to lead Ozigbo’s campaign council for Anambra governorship poll
The Peoples Democratic Party has, once again, demonstrated its resolve to win the upcoming November election governorship in Anambra State by announcing a power-packed National Campaign Council to support the candidacy of its flag-bearer, Valentine Ozigbo.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, August 25, 2021, signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, the party announced that its National Working Committee (NWC) had approved the appointment of the 145-strong team for the assignment.
The Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has been named as the Chairman of the Campaign Council while the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa will serve as the Deputy Chairman. A former Aviation Minister, Chief Osita Chidoka is to serve as the Secretary to the Council.
The PDP named 10 other governors to the Council. They are Governor Aminu Tambuwal, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum who is the governor of Sokoto State; Governors Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Diri Duoye (Bayelsa), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Darious Ishaku (Taraba).
“The November 6, Anambra Guber Elections is expected to be keenly contested, and the PDP, by this move, is laying the grounds for the party to win the election and bring home the trophy,” Mr Ologbonidiyan said.
“We promised a robust campaign based on the issues affecting the people of Anambra. This is just one more step by our party demonstrating to Nigerians, especially, Ndi Anambra that we are focused, ready, and committed to doing with it takes to rescue them from the atrocious government offered by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
Other heavyweights named to the Council are the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; immediate past Governor of Anambra, Peter Obi; PDP BoT member, Senator Ben Ndi Obi; former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; a former Health Minister, Professor ABC Nwosu; PDP BoT member and a former Women Affairs Minister, Senator Josephine Anenih; the Vice Chairman of the PDP (South East), Chief Ali Odefa; a PDP National Executive Committee member, Chief Barrister Okey Muo-Aroh; a former Aviation Minister and former Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland, Dr Kema Chikwe; Minority leader in the House of Representatives, Hon Ndudi Elumelu; and Hon Boma Goodhead; among others.
Reacting to this development, Mr Valentine Ozigbo, said that this strategic move by the NWC of the Party was one more reason he is assured of a victorious outing in the November election. He expressed confidence in the leadership of Governors Ikpeazu and Okowa and their capacity to deliver on the party’s expectations.
The respected business leader commended the national leadership of the PDP for putting together such an impressive team to support his campaign and promised to put in his best to make the party and Ndi Anambra proud.
“I am thrilled at the announcement of the Anambra State National Campaign Council by my party, the PDP,” Ozigbo told journalists from his Udoka Estate campaign office soon after the list was made public on Wednesday.
“I am confident in the leadership, capacities, and competencies of His Excellencies, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to inspire and empower the team to win the November election.
“I consider it an honour and privilege to have such dignified men and women of our great party come together to help actualise our Ka Anambra Chawapu vision for the people of Anambra.
“I thank and commend our party’s national leadership for their vision and foresight. I also commend and thank all the PDP governors for all they have done and will do to make sure that the dreams and yearnings of the people of Anambra for a credible governor and change in fortunes comes to pass. May God bless them all,” Ozigbo, who is the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, said.
The PDP also named notable Anambra politicians like Senators Uche Ekwunife, who serves as the Chairperson of the State Campaign Council, and Stella Oduah to the Council. Members of the House of Representatives from Anambra State, Hon. Chukwuka Onyeama, Hon Chris Azubogu, Hon Lynda Ikpeazu, Hon Vincent Ofumelu, Hon Chinedu Onwuaso and Hon Obinna Chidoka were named to the Council along with the party’s 2021 guber aspirants.
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Governor Ikpeazu has strong words for Kogi Senator who called him ‘champagne drinking man’
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has reacted to a statement credited to Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC-Kogi West) calling him a ‘drunkard’ on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday.
TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that while contributing to a debate at the Senate on Tuesday, Adeyemi steered reaction in the senate over his comment describing Governor Ikpeazu as a “champagne drinking man”.
Adeyemi while speaking on a motion on Safe School Initiative in Nigeria said Abia State peope are ‘unfortunate’ and governed by “drunkards”.
He said: “Despite that, some governors are doing their best, we are lucky to have a governor who has taken the issue of security as a serious priority.”
“We are bordered by nine states, but we had an experience of the unfortunate incidents that are happening in neighbouring states.”
“Some governors are committed to the protection of their people. In my state, the governor awarded contracts for the renovations of schools and provides security services to them.”
“In some states where we have highly intelligent people, highly educated people, very enterprising people, like Abia, they are governed by drunkards. The governor of Abia is a champagne drinking man.”
“Abia people are impoverished more than ever before. Abia people are unfortunate.”
Reacting in a statement Ikpeazu’s Chief Press Secretary, Onyebuchi Ememanka, described the comments of Smart Adeyemi as lacking coherence.
The governor’s aide said Ikpeazu “does not take alcoholic drinks and he is shocked” by the development.
Ememanka said the senator is suffering from a ”protracted case of mental illness”.
He said ”the urge to ignore the senator became irresistible judging from the total disconnect between the matter being discussed by the Senate and the comments made by the senator as they affect the governor”.
“If Senator Adeyemi was of sound mind, he should have known that when it comes to education, Abia is miles ahead of his home state of Kogi. Indeed, not just in education but in every single area of development,” Ememanka said.
“Under the watch of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia State has maintained first position in WAEC Examinations in the entire country for five years now. Kogi has not come close to the first 20. Never!
“Just last week, the National Bureau of Statistics adjudged Abia state as No. 3 on the list of States that attracted foreign direct investments, with only Lagos and Abuja ahead of Abia state in the entire country.
“It takes much more than drinking champagne to guide a state from zero foreign investments to No. 3 in the country. Kogi state featured prominently on the list of states that attracted zero investments. It is only a state that is peaceful and secure that has the capacity to attract such cross border investments.”
The Abia governor’s aide stated that since the inception of Ikpeazu’s administration there has not been any case of an attack on any school.
“While his state is still awarding contracts for the renovation of schools, Abia had long completed more than 500 classroom projects scattered across schools in Abia State, and still counting,” he said.
“Senator Adeyemi was never heard to have either responded to that statement by the NCDC or raise it on the floor of the senate,” he said.
“Yet, he has the effrontery to abuse a governor whose state has maintained one of the lowest COVID-19 fatality rates in the country through proactive measures to protect our people.
“Between a governor who has consistently denied the existence of COVID and the one who has put in place measures to protect his people, one wonders who is the drunkard.”