2023: Ebonyi community clamours for Umahi's Presidency, FON as Governor

 

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State.


By Victor Nwegede


The people of Oferekpe in Agbaja community, Izzi Local Government Area, Ebonyi State have called Governor David Nweze Umahi to contest for Presidency, and also their son, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru (FON) to run for state governorship position in the 2023. 

Speaker Francis Ogbonna  Nwifuru (FON).

The people made the call on Friday while marking Oferekpe Agbaja Day at the village Square, saying the developmental strides of Governor  Umahi in the state and his wealth of knowledge in leadership are his added advantage to win the supports of Nigerians to clinch the apex seat in the country come 2023.
 

While speaking, the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Chief Fred Nwogbaga described the event as a memorable one to the indigenes of Oferekpe Agbaja community. 




He noted that Oferekpe day is well known, of which Governor Umahi has once graced the occasion - the day introduced to unite his people, sharing love to one another and to disengage the leagues of other people talking about kindred dicotomy in Izzi land, because of the good understanding among themselves. 

He thanked Governor Umahi for his evident leadership and prayed for his emergence as the Nigeria President to succeed President Muhammad Buhari in 2023.

He also thanked Speaker Nwifuru, whom he described as the son of the soil, and equally expressed optimism that he would emerge the Ebonyi State Governor in 2023; calling his people to back him with prayer for their yawning to come into fruition.

He said: "It is because when the Speaker rises up to that throne, it is a work of God. It is not by his effort, it is not by his power but a work of God. 

"I think we have been crying and clamouring, before we don't have a ward councilor in this village, and the first we have, was Honourable member in the State House of Assembly, until he became the Speaker and the second term Speaker in the state.

"We are very hopeful, because of his philanthropic nature, that everybody from all parts of the state is clamouring that the Speaker, our illustrious son will become our governor in 2023. We've to adopt him as our sole candidate for the apex seat in the state in 2023. We pray that it will happen one day, reason being that, before Dave Umahi became governor, there was such clamouring until God answered the prayer. All hands should be on deck for us to achieve that success. Then, the celebration of Oferekpe Agbaja Day will be greater.

"His Excellency has graced this Occasion and this is where we gave him the title of Igwe-Ezere-Oha, it is in this Oferekpe, Erinma of Izzi, the chieftaincy title was given to the wife of our Governor by Izzi people here in Oferekpe Agbaja and Onwa Oferekpe, our Speaker received the title from this Oferekpe and myself, Omereoha 1, I received it from Oferekpe here. So, I am very happy with epoch making of the celebration today.

"Indeed, our governor is our pride. We are always proud of him because of his magnanimity. His developmental strides in the state, like I said in an interview yesterday, that if every other state is now spying, looking for a way to come closer to His Excellency, if the governor indicates any interest of contesting or otherwise doesn't indicate interest, but from his developmental strides, he put in place in Ebonyi State, it is our voice, we enthrone him to the Presidency. And it is our ernest prayer, that His Excellency Engr. Dave Umahi will take over the apex seat in the country come 2023," he said.
  
Nwogbaga supported that the zoning system of the state governor's seat should be sustained in Ebonyi State. 

According to him, "the zoning started here in Ebonyi North, after which, it went to Central and South zones respectively. It is a turn of Ebonyi North again in 2023. Izzi precisely, is to take the post because Ohaukwu has occupied the position on behalf of the zone. It is a turn of Izzi to produce the state governor, any other local government outside Izzi extraction, or zone aspiring for the position that supposed to come to Ebonyi North is not following the truth. We stand by the truth, equity and zoning system, and that's why we left our illustrious son in 2025, to support Governor David Umahi. it's our turn in 2023. 

He added: "We have learnt a big lesson of the eight years of Sam Egwu, the first Civilian Governor of Ebonyi State. His tenures would have been the turn of Izzi man becoming the governor of the state. We equally learnt our lessons during time of Martins Elechi and now, our amiable Governor Dave Umahi is on the lead. There are people who believe, there is still kindred dicotomy. We've able to fish them out. We know them and they know us. We don't go with people that have the understanding of kindred dicotomy. We believe in the people who can carry everybody along. That's why you meet crowd here. If you were around when Speaker was paying scholarship yesterday, he is a person who doesn't consider where you are coming from. He may not know your name but provided you complain your problem, he will be able to solve it. So we know these people who are creating the problem of kindred dicotomy in Izzi land and of which, all of us have learned a lesson. We will come out now to achieve a common goal - a common goal to support an Izzi man for Governor in 2023 despite where he belongs to, whether from other side or not. One Izzi man must take the position and all Izzi people must support him."

A stakeholder, Chief David Nwankwo Alo - Ezeudo 1 of Oferekpe Agbaja, and Chairman of Ohaneze in Izzi LGA, who has served as the village head for 21 years, extolled the leadership of Governor Umahi, and Speaker Nwifuru, urging the duo to hearken to their call for run greater positions such as President and governor respectively to better the lots of humanity.

 

Other stakeholders including Chief Anthony Nwigwe Nwori - the overall Village head of Oferekpe Agbaja, Chief Anthony Nwazuphu Egbe (aka Agbara-Ike Oferekpe Agbaja) and Mrs Josephine Nwazuoge - the Education Secretary, Izzi LGA, also extended their hearts of gratitude to the state government under the watch of Umahi, and however, charged youths to stay away from involving themselves in any kind of social vices in the area and beyond while keying into the policies and programmes of the government.

Some of the guests of the occasion, the Deputy Chief Whip of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Chief Benjamin Ezeoma, and Chief Fidelis Ogodo- former Deputy Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, said the event was quite recommendable, commended the Speaker for driving his leadership ingenuities and philanthropic gestures to the hinterland. 

Ezeoma and  Ken Nwovu - the National President of Onwa Oferekpe Foundation,  also described the event as the true demonstration of peace, unity and love for one another in Oferekpe Agbaja, and hinted that, for the Speaker to have achieved such feats, simplified he is due to handle greater position in the state, and urged other communities to follow suite.

Also, Mr Dennis Nwazuoge, the Proprietor of Immaculate Heart of Mary School, and the leadership of the undergraduates union in the community, applauded the Speaker to have attracted diverse amenities including quality roads, electricity, boreholes, and several interventions through his scholarship scheme and empowerment programmes, to add values to the people's lives especially the indigents.

 Meanwhile, the Ebonyi Speaker, Chief Nwifuru has called all the community members who might still engaging in hawking in the streets as a way of doing business to return home, and to acquire one skills or the other, promised to assist them to make their livelihoods blossoming.

The Speaker during the occasion offered cash gifts of over a million Naria, pledged to bring more dividends of democracy to the community and commended his people who contributed immensely for the success of the event.

Recall that the occasion was chaired by the immediate past Caretaker Chairman of Abakaliki Local Government Area, Comrade Ben Nwovu, who is also the National President of Izzi Nnodo Youths Forum and the Special Assistant to the state Governor on Internal Security and Public Utilities, Ebonyi North zone.