Orlu Zone 2023: Ohaji/Egbema Stakeholders Insist Chief Charles Ahize Is A Better Bet For Quality Representation 

Apart from the leadership of Ideato Nation, Orlu Elders’ Council and United Isu Progressives’ Union (UIPU), that had on different occasions given their individual blessings and group’s  endorsements, other prominent leaders, sons and daughters of Orlu zone have followed suit without noise while waiting for the right time to pass a strong  message across the 12 LGAs in Orlu Senatorial zone with their votes.

In lieu of the above, last weekend Friday, 3rd February, the Umuokanne  Autonomous Community in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government area of Imo State, closed ranks with its leadership as members of the community threw caution to the wind and unanimously endorsed the Labour Party candidate for Imo West Senatorial District, Chief Charles Ahize, whom they  rated far above the rest of the contenders in the race in terms of courage to address the security challenge in Orlu zone, as he is enriched with the needed social contacts,  network, goodwill, strong character, leaderhip capacity and political sagacity to facilitate Federal Government assisted projects to Orlu senatorial zone, while taking proactive and practical legislative steps in turning it into an industrial hub, where our teeming unemployed youths, who roam the streets aimlessly, will be productively engaged after graduation.

Despite the pressure mounted on him to accept the Greek gift of a fairly used 2001 Toyota Sienna XLE bus from Chief Osita Izunaso; whose second missionary senatorial ambition has suffered huge setback, given his lacklustre performance during his 8 years stint in the National Assembly: a powerful grassroots political mobilizer and respected community leader in Umuokanne, Hon. Dennis Ihezuo (Eze- elect), didn’t succumb to the alluring political Greek gift from the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Osita Izunaso, which is targeted at wooing the votes and supports of his people just a few weeks to the February 25, 2023 general elections. Izunaso is viewed as a class conscious political elite, who was inaccessible as a member of the House of Representatives for 4 good years and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for 4 solid years, without visible and tangible executed projects to his credit in this community.

Speaking during a Town Hall meeting at his Orduta village, Umuokanne Autonomous Community in Ohaji/Egbema LGA, the proactive and respected community leader, Hon. Ihezuo, maintained that he made the singular decision of rejecting Osita Izunaso’s Greek gift because he placed  the people above his personal interest. Recounting a series of disturbing socioeconomic and political pandemonium in Imo State with particular emphasis on the lingering security challenge in Orlu zone, Ihezuo opined that the worst thing that could ever happen to ndi Orlu zone is to vote APC and her senatorial candidate, Chief Osita Izunaso.

When asked what informed his decision in rejecting such political Greek gift from Chief Osita Izunaso at a time like this, the Eze-elect, Hon. Ihezuo, replied in his own words:

“When I found out that Osita Izunaso will not win the election especially, with the quality of leaders behind Chief Charles Ahize and his party, Labour Party, I decided to turn down his gift. Besides, APC has a very bad name in Imo State and Nigeria at large. So, I can’t take such risk of accepting Chief Izunaso’s car gift no matter the  condition or temptation”.

During his remarks, the rave of the moment and leading senatorial hopeful for Imo West Senatorial District, Chief Charles Ahize, who was rather too brief in his speech to enable him catch up with a 12noon scheduled business flight to Lagos, told his audience that he was not an everyday politician, who makes misleading and fake promises to win the votes and supports of the electorate. Chief Charles Ahize disclosed to the good people of Umuokanne community that he is on a mission; which is to recover Orlu zone from the mischievous political grandmasters that had held the zone captive over the years and hand it over to the people.

While soliciting for the the support of the people, High Chief Charles Ugochukwu Ahize-Chukwu (Ugochinyere Mba of Ihioma-Orlu) promised to implement his social contract with Ohaji/Egbema people by securing job opportunities for their youths in the oil companies operating in their zone. Ahize, a man whose word is always his bond, vowed never to sell the Federal job slots and opportunities meant for the senatorial zone to the highest bidders and rich members of Orlu Senatorial zone as  some of the elected officials, who represented them in the National Assembly did.

Addressing the issues presented to him  by the Umuokanne Community for intervention, the selfless development -driven Orlu senatorial hopeful, Chief Charles Ahize, made cash donations to fix their water bolehole that had remained moribund over the years, promising to move men and materials to sight for the grading of a strategic economic road in the community. He however, pledged to contribute his own quota in the renovation of their market in his next visit.

With the above practical steps taken  by Chief Charles Ahize to address the issues presented to him, the venue of the Town Hall meeting erupted into songs  as the obviously elated Umuokanne women, the youths and elders chanted different political victory songs with their full chest; promising to give the Labour Party senatorial candidate in Orlu zone, Chief Charles Ahize, and its presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, the maximum support needed to win their polling booths in Umuokanne Autonomous Community and across Ohaji/Egbema LGA as “Obi-, dient” sons and daughters of God, who earnestly crave for a New Nigeria under the Obi-Datti Presidency.