BY O J, UDEMEZUE, Awka, 10/5/2022
The leaders of Thought and traditional rulers in Ayamelum State Constituency, Anambra State House of Assembly, have endorsement the Speaker of the State Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Okafor, for re-election in the coming 2023 general elections.
They said they endorsed him for re-election to ensure that their area retained the position of the number three citizen of the state.
Leaders of the Ayamelum state constituency who spoke included Chairman of the Leaders of Thought, Chief Tony Chinedu, a former Secretary to the Anambra State Government, SSG, Chief Paul Odenigbo, immediate past Chairman of Transition Committee, TC, Ayamelum local government council, Mr. Benjamin Okafor, chairman of Presidents-general of town unions in the state constituency, as well as president-general of Ifite-Ogwari town, Mr. Okonkwo Oliver, and, Chairman of Ayamelum Traditional Rulers Council, His Royal Majesty, Igwe B. O. Ikeji, traditional ruler of Omasi kingdom.
They explained that after a critical review of the current distribution of the major political offices among the three senatorial districts in the state where the state governor, Professor Charles Soludo hails from the Anambra South Senatorial District; his Deputy, Dr. Onyekachi Ibezim, Anambra Central Senatorial District, they became convinced that the slot for the Speaker of the State Assembly would be reserved for their Anambra North Senatorial District
According to them, in the circumstance, their area stood a better chance of retaining the Speakership of the State Assembly if they re-elect Hon. Uchenna Okafor.
Chairman of the Leaders of Thought, for instance stated that the relative peace now prevailing in their area after the communal clashes between Omor and Umubo communities, and later Omor and Anaku communities during which over 150 buildings were raised down and scores of lives lost, was made possible because Hon. Okafor used his position as Speaker of the state Assembly to attract the intervention of the state government and security agencies to quell the skirmishes.
Also, former SSG Odenigbo argued “It is obvious that since other two senatorial zones, the Anambra South and Anambra Central have produced the Governor and Deputy-governor respectively, the slot for the Speaker of the state Assembly will automatically be zoned to the Anambra North, and, since Rt. Hon. Uchenna Okafor as the Speaker of the state Assembly will be going back to the House of Assembly as a ranking member from the Anambra North senatorial zone, he will be better qualified to be re-lected Speaker of the state Assembly.
“And the gains of having a Speaker of the House of Assembly will certainly outweigh any gain a constituency whose representative is not the Speaker stands a chance to benefit”, Odenigbo stated further.
On his part, Igwe Okeji stated that all the traditional rulers in Ayamelum had met and after appraisals of the political situation in the state ” We resolved that Hon. Uchenna Okafor will be re-elected so that he will deploy his wealth of experience as Speaker of the state Assembly to help the incumbent governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo and his government to move our state forward. This is because, we know that Hon. Uchenna Okafor will be retained as Speaker if we re-elect him to the House “, Igwe Okeji added.
Mr. Oliver told KPAKPANDO FM that leaders of town unions in Ayamelum endorsed re-election of Uche Okafor because their area stood a better chance of benefitting more when they have a ranking member in the legislature.
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