The Abia State chapter of All Progressive Congress, APC, has called on Abians both home and diaspora to have a sober reflection and a rethink about rebuilding Abia .
The call came on the heels of celebration of the June 12 democracy day.
In a press statement signed by the Abia APC publicity Secretary, Comrade Benedict Godson, the party stated that June 12 as a Democracy Day in Nigeria is one day nobody should joke with especially those who witnessed what military regime looked like in Nigeria.
“Democracy Day is a day engraved in our hearts. It reminds us about efforts of our heroes and heroines who laid down their lives for this beautiful system of government we’re supposed to be enjoying today”, the statement said.
“As we celebrate, we must bear in mind that there are reasons why our heroes and heroines fought hard even placing their lives to make today a reality.
“We must ask ourselves if those reasons are been realised in our own state Abia or are we still on a rigmarole mission around the gate of development while others have entered leaving us behind?
“As Abians, we must ask ourselves where our dividends of democracy are? Democracy as Government of the people, by the people and for the people was never meant to deceive the people.
“It was not founded to gather few individuals who have Masters Degrees and PhDs in ‘Public Confusion and Lying Techniques’ to be confusing and lying to our people.
“All over Abia, people are complaining. Our neighbouring states have all over taking us within few years.
“In fact, in the league of states in the entire Southern Nigeria, Abia is the only state currently crawling behind while others are moving on a light speed towards development.
“What are Abians asking for? Just the dividends of democracy. They’re not even asking for too much. Their needs and demands aren’t outrageous. They’re just asking for the basic needs of every human being in modern world.
“They’re yearning for good infrastructure such as accessible roads, good drinkable water, good public health system with well equipped hospitals to at least handle common diseases, good education with quality schools and good road network between rural and urban areas that will help farmers.
“The propaganda machine of Abia State Government keep telling people how all these have been provided, but the reality is crystal clear. There’s nothing to show in Abia.
“Abia agrarian communities have lost connection with the urban areas. There’s hopelessness everywhere. Old men, women and even hard-working youths suffer on daily basis just to come out and sell their farm produce.
“Many community and village road networks have all decayed while those in our major cities are death traps with perilous potholes waiting to destroy the lives of innocent citizens and their means of livelihood.
“Our educational system is extremely embarrassing. Teachers are not paid and many public schools have turned into markets, hemp smoking centres with some looking more like IDP Camps in war zones.
“We don’t need a prophet to tell us that Abia is in trouble, because we all are having the nightmares of the lack of strategic vision and direction that defines the current PDP led administration in our state.
“Almost all the roads leading to major industries in Aba are in bad shape and we keep hearing and reading empty promises from people who think they are hurting us not knowing that history will judge them.
“They’ll leverage on COVID-19 pandemic to make unpalatable excuses, but we must urge them to look at the neighbouring states and see that Governments there aren’t on break.
“They cannot continue to brood in the shadows; bereft of any idea that can put Abia on the track of development and then turn back to look for ridiculous excuses later.
“If not that it’s publicly known and documented that Abia is an Oil Producing State, we’re sure that many young Abians born recently may argue if we are truly an Oil Producing State because there’s absolutely no sign of that.
“A visit to Ukwa axis of Abia, where all the oil producing communities should be a must journey for everyone who doubt that Abia is retrogressive in development. There they’ll see what it means to be wallowing in poverty while sitting on wealth.
“In all, we must not use the bad democracy in Abia as led by the PDP to define democracy generally. We will rather urge all Abians to remain hopeful because weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
“As we celebrate democracy in its true sense today, our message to you from the All Progressives Congress (APC) is that soon and very soon, these Egyptians you see today in power, lying, owing workers especially teachers, owing pensioners, ignoring your cries for better infrastructure and impoverishing you with their anti people policies, you shall see them no more.
“We all shall save Abia together using our own decision making very soon. As you celebrate today’s Democracy Day, have it in your heart that the mission to liberate Abia has started. We need you because everybody is important in this mission. We cannot continue to crawl while others are on a high speed with accuracy.
