The appointment of an Anambra citizen, Ide John Udeagbala as the Mayor of Aba city is causing ripples in the cosmopolitan city.
The Abia Governor, Alex Otti has recently announced the industrialist as the Major of Abia. Chief Ide John Udeagbala hails from Ozubulu in Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra.
But reacting to the Governor’s announcement through a statement, “Stop Alex Otti before he sets Aba on Fire,” the former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Abia state, Chief Eze Chikamnayo, who described Chief Udeagbala as a non indigene asked Governor Otti to reverse his decision.
According to the former Commissioner, Aba belongs to two related Communities known as Aba Na Ohazu and should not be taken as a no man’s land.
The statement reads in part: “It is mischievous for anyone, no matter his position to arrogate to himself the non-existent powers to mangle this irrefutable fact of history because of temporary political advantage.
“Non-indigenes from other parts of Abia State and or Igbo land like old Bende, Anambra, Enugu, Imo State or Ebonyi, regardless of their wealth or status should never allow themselves to be deceived by Mr Alex Otti to assume that they can mutate into the owners of Aba.
“By declaring that Aba is a No Man’s Land, Mr Alex Otti is inadvertently setting Abia on fire and instigating avoidable unrest in that peaceful city. For reasons best known to him, he is ostensibly trying to stoke this fire of indigene / non-indigene dichotomy to further insult the Ngwa Nation and polarize the polity.
While condemning the statement credited to the Governor, the former Commissioner said Chief Udeagbala has built a name for himself in Aba and has lived peacefully with the people, hence he shouldn’t allow himself to be messed up.
“Aba people, Abians everywhere and all peace-loving people everywhere should shun embrace peace.
“Anything that will destabilize the peace in Aba will destabilize trade and investment in the entire South East and Nigeria.”
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