The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Abia State, has described Abia as a baby that is still crawling 28 years after birth.

In a state on Tuesday, signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Ebere Uzoukwa, the party also blamed the past leaders for failing in providing the rightful leadership that should elicited development and economic growth.

The statement entitled ‘Abia Still Crawling at 28’ reads: “The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Abia State, under the leadership of Hon. Nkem Okoro JP, heartily felicitate with Abians on the occasion of the 28th Year anniversary to commemorate the creation of our dear state.

“It also our wish to salute Abia founding fathers both dead and living for the exemplary vision which 28 years ago led to the creation of the God’s Own State.

“We, therefore, wish to reiterate that Abia, as envisioned and created, has not sojourned towards meeting the aspiration and dream of the founding fathers.

“This is as the bane of our problems, as a people and state, is expressly and unarguably traced to poor and mundane leadership.

“It is incontrovertible that after 28 years, Abia as a state, has remained sickly and stagnant without conspicuously registering economic gains and strides of development as well as social advancement. The most recent and successive administrations have colossally failed in all endeavours to drive the vision upon which Abia was created.

“This occasion of 28 years anniversary, therefore, calls for sober reflection given the fact that nothing at all suggests celebration of any kind.

“The situation, as bad as it is; also given the obvious failures of the present PDP administration led by Okezie Ikpeazu, should elicit the consciousness to collectively fight towards exterminating the monster called ‘bad governance’ bedeviling our dear state to among other things pave way for development and progress in Abia.”

The party also enjoined Abians to pray for its Governorship candidate in the last election, Dr. Alex Otti, stating that the former Bank Chief is determined to fight and ensure the liberation of the people from the hands of those it claimed held the state to a hostage.

“That is also one of the cardinal reasons why Abians should support and pray fervently for Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, the 2018 APGA Governorship candidate, to spiritually fire up his avowed determination to lead the battle of liberation for Ndi Abia.

“We strongly believe that all hope is not lost given the fact that Abia is and will remain the God’s Own State,” APGA said.

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