Social critic and ardent politician, Dr. Okey Asiegbu has advised the member representing Abia North in the Senate, Senator Uche Chukwumerije to shelve his ambition of returning to the senate for the fourth time in 2015, saying such an ambition could only be explained to be greed and unpatriotism.
Speaking with journalists weekend, Asiegbu wondered why an octogenarian senator like Senator Chukwumerije, whose 12 years in the senate did not enhance the development of the people of the constituency, advising the senator “to go home and have rest and be grateful to God for His blessing instead of looking for another four years in the upper chambers”.
He said if not for sheer greed, people like Senator Chukwumerije, whose representation had nothing to do with the people, would have been contented with what God had given to them, instead of seeking to remain in a seat doing nothing for their constituents in a country of over 180 million people piled up with heavy load of unemployment that has caused restiveness in the country.
in his words, “Please tell senator Chukwumerije that Abia North seat won’t be vacant
come 2015 for him to occupy, because aside his debility and feebleness, he lacks political will to handle issues relating to Abia North in which he represents.
“This is a man who deceived our people to vote for him in 2011 when he claimed that if we elected him, he will use his experience and position as a ranking senator to give unprecedented and effective representation which he acknowledged had eluded us over the years. But unfortunately, all that has become a balloon promise with the senator only remembering his constituency now in four years because election is at the corner”, Asiegbu lamented.
The PDP leader disclosed that party leaders actually rejected Chukwumerije’s third term attempt in 2011 but soft-pedaled after Governor Theodore Orji intervened despite the fact that he never had functional constituency office
He appealed to Governor Orji not to yield top any pressure from Senator Chukwumerije this time around but allow the people of Abia North to elect a more accessible person that would work for the people and deliver democracy dividends that eluded them in the last 12 years.
Asiegbu used the opportunity to caution the people of Abia North to ensure they collect any money that would come from Senator Chukwumerije but reject him at the PDP primaries, because the people of the constituency could not afford making another mistake in 2015.
