By CHARLES IWUOHA

The immediate past Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ude Oko Chukwu, has formally joined the Labour Party (LP) alongside his numerous supporters and pro-groups in Abia North and the State at large.

Receiving the former Deputy Governor on Saturday, August 23rd, at a reception held at Etitiama Primary School, Nkporo, Ohafia LGA, Governor Alex Otti assured all the new entrants in the Labour Party of equal rights in the party.

“Let me once again welcome our brother to the party and all the people that joined him to our party.

“This is a party that does not discriminate. There is no difference between those who are joining today and some of us who joined in 2022.

“As soon as you are a member of the party, you have equal rights and opportunities. So, those of you who are joining today, you have been conferred with the same rights that I have.

“I’m glad that today, he (Oko Chukwu) has given us a pass mark. He did not only give us a pass mark, he has come fully, full chested, to join us, and I want to thank him,” Gov. Otti stated.

Governor Otti, who announced the award of contract to reconstruct the Abiriba – Nkporo road, used the opportunity to thank Nkporo people for their support in 2023.

This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Otti’s Chief press Secretary, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha and made available to journalists in Umuahia.

“To Nkporo people, I want to thank you for your support. Clearly, we won here in 2023 because of your support, even before the entire community collapsed into the Labour Party.

“So, if there are things that are coming tomorrow, I’m sure that everybody will recognise that Nkporo is Labour Party and Labour Party is Nkporo.

“Your road has been awarded. And we believe you are entitled to good roads in Abia State. Looking at the road, it was done some time ago but the only problem was that it was not done with stone base and anytime you do a road without stone base, after a few rainy seasons, it will collapse.

“But, you cannot do roads without stone base and with very thin, I think, three centimetres asphalt, right? I said, “No, the minimum is five or six. And that’s what the former Deputy Governor was talking about. The quality is as important as the job.

“This school is one of the schools we are ungrading to a smart school. Beyond the smart schools we are doing, we still have a few other schools around that we are fixing.

Our government is a government that believes very strongly that education is the most important thing you can give a child,” Gov. Otti stated.

In his speech, the former Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu said that he decided to join Governor Otti because of his sincere commitment to changing the narratives in various sectors of the economy in the State, saying that, by his leaving the PDP to LP, PDP in Abia State has ‘closed shop’.

While enjoining the Governor to continue in his good job in the State, he assured that he would be on ground to be doing the political works for him, adding that, he is handing over members of Abia Vision Rangers, his pro group to the LP.

“PDP has closed shop effective from today.

“You have made an enormous difference. I decided to join you because I saw the spirit. Continue doing your work. Some of us, who are politicians, will do the political work for you.

“The short and full of it all is that you have done very, very well. The fact of the matter is that today, we can proudly raise our shoulders high and say we are Abians,” Sir Oko stated.

Welcoming Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu, the acting State Chairman of the Labour Party, Sir Emmanuel Nwaeze Oti attributed the influx of people into the Labour Party in Abia to the good works of Governor Otti, saying that the difference is clear as the Governor has affected lives positively, from Abia North to Abia Central and to Abia South and thanked Sir Ude Oko Chukwu for joining the party to contribute in the development of Abia.

Some of the new entrants into the Labour Party, including the PDP Chairman, Ohafia LGA, Chief Egesigh Eze Azu, former PDP State Woman leader, Christie Emenike and former chairman of Arochukwu LGA, Princely Kingsley Ngunu among others said that they were attracted to the LP by Governor Otti’s antecedents which are glaring.

They said that this is the first time development is reaching out to every community in the State and declared that there is no vacancy in Abia Government House come 2027.

The event featured the presentation of the LP flag to Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu and attracted the presence of the Deputy Governor, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, SSG, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Commissioners, including the former Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Eme Okoro, among many other dignitaries and pro-groups.