2023: What Ndigbo must do to clinch the Presidency – Rep Onuigbo

Ahead 2023 presidential election, the Igbo nation must rejig their political strategies on playing mainstream politics rather than continue sobbing about marginalisation, says Hon Sam Onuigbo representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Hon Onuigbo, speaking during a ZOOM interactive session with Abia Media Forum, a social media platform of top ranking Abia journalists and media practitioners, averred that a Nigerian President of South-East extraction is possible if Ndigbo play smart politics and collaborate with other geo-political zones.
On Ohaneze’s new leadership, he said: “I believe the elected have the capacity and integrity to protect the interest of Ndigbo
“Ndigbo must lay the ghost of marginalization to rest. It is time to restrategize; Ndigbo must play smart politics and collaborate with other tribes and align themselves properly to be able to progress and assume leadership at the center, he maintained,” the lawmaker said.
Onuigbo who in his opening remarks insisted that the session focus on governance and his representation at the National Assembly, spoke extensively on his achievements as the first ever second-term legislator to represent the constituency.
“In my extensive one-on-one consultations with people of my constituency, I coined the acronym EAR which means ‘Effectiveness in performing my duties as a federal lawmaker; Accessible to my person and office; and Responsiveness to the needs and aspirations of my constituency.
“Looking back, from 2015 to now, I know I have performed excellently in these focal areas.”
Onuigbo maintained that he had attracted several multi-million projects spread across the nine clans of the constituency including the Amachara Erosion works in Umuahia North and at Okwe in Ikwuano amongst others.
“I have made moves to attract the construction of a Federal Secretariat in Umuahia, and we are currently working on the construction of an interchange at Abia Tower which will be part of a new dualization project that will go from Amachara through Ossah, Umuahia North, ending in Amawom, Ikwuano.
“This is is of course different from the ongoing reconstruction of Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene road. The actualization of these projects will help in the infrastructural development of Umuahia.
“If other political leaders commit to doing things the way I have, the infrastructural decay in Umuahia will be fixed. There are several persons from Umuahia main town who influence decisions in the State government or are/were part of the State government, if everyone plays their part, the infrastructural decay will be a thing of the past.”
Onuigbo who recently defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also explained that the current palliative works by the Federal Road Management Authority (FERMA) on collapsed portions of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene Road does not in any way negate the full reconstruction work going on on the road, adding that funding constraints had been responsible for the slow pace of works on the road.
He nonetheless affirmed that he is keeping his attention on the project, and has reached an understanding with the Minister that adequate funding will be continously provided for the project.
Among emenint Abia journalists present at the session included Chief Onyema Ugochukwu former Special Adviser, Media to President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Commissioner for Works and Federal lawmaker, Hon Eziuche Ubani; Senior journalist/columnist, Ben Okezie; Public/Reputations Strategist Chido Nwakanma, and several others.
Dr Emeka Nwosu, former Political Editor, Daily Times chaired the session