COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE STRATEGIC RETREAT OF MEMBERS OF ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS, ENUGU NORTH SENATORIAL ZONE HELD AT JERRY MARRIOT HOTEL AND SUITES, NSUKKA ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 3RD, 2021

Today through the initiative of High Chief Hon Michael Urama Nnaji and carefully piloted by Barr Bartholomew Ifeanyichukwu Ugwuoke. The leaders of APC in the six local government that formed Enugu North senatorial district came together in unity to form a formidable APC that will surely win election in the zone and Enugu State at large.

1.  State of All Progressives Congress in Enugu State

The Strategic Retreat in session observed with dismay the continued abysmal performance of the Party in Enugu State in all the elections – Federal, State and Local Government in which the Party lost woefully. The Party cannot boast of having won in any polling station or even a polling unit in any of those elections.

Members at the Retreat also observed that the Party has never issued a statement, criticizing the PDP-led Government in Enugu State or in any of the Local Governments.  They observed that the performance of PDP-led Government at all levels in Enugu State is a manifestation of crass ineptitude, deceit, treachery, squandermenia and impunity.  Enugu State Government has failed to empower the teaming graduate youths of Enugu State by not creating job opportunities and infrastructures in the State.  

The Government has made land grabbing for private interests and squandermania (which the Governor has christened  “nrashi”  as a new normal; a Government which frequently invites selected individuals and groups to the Government House for a jamboree in which millions of Naira drawn  of the State’s funds and shared to them is certainly not what the people of Enugu State bargained for.  All the promises made by the Governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi that the Government would byild a world class hospital in Enugu North Senatorial Zone and similar promises had remained a campaign gimmick. It is an insult on the people of Enugu State in general and Enugu Senatorial Zone in particular, that within one year of his second tenure as Governor of Enugu State, his preoccupation is how he would become a Senator in 2023, thus giving little or no attention to governance.

Members in Retreat expressed dismay that in spite of this apparent governance deficit in Enugu State and elevation of squandermania to a state craft, the All Progressives Congress has never issued a statement in condemnation of this aberrant disposition of the PDP-led administration in Enugu State.  Of greater worry is the defence of Governor Ugwuanyi by the so called leaders of the party from Enugu North Senatorial Zone who, irresponsibly and unintelligibly argue that the Governor is their own – a nwa Nsukka and it would not be proper for them to criticize him.

2.  Causes of the Poor State of the Party in Enugu State.

(a) Anty Party Acivity

Members in the Strategic Retreat observed that some “key leaders” of the All Progressive Congress in Enugu State are into unholy marriage with the Governor of Enugu State and have reduced themselves to the status of the Governor’s hand bag carrier.  After the 2015 general elections some of the so called leaders, without clearance from the Party nominated to the Governor, persons who were appointed into the illegal Caretaker Committees of the Local Government Councils in the State.  With those appointments, the mouths of the so called leaders were sealed with araldite – they see everything but cannot say anything.

In addition, the Governor, in order to consolidate on his plan to decapitate opposition in the State, gave out brand new Prado Jeeps, allocated parcels of land and awards contracts to the now wonderful leaders of the Party in the State.  With those Greek gifts, the so called leaders became incapable of criticizing the Government.  They thus, reduced the All Progressives Congress in Enugu State to an article of trade where the Party is used as a bargaining tool where the so called leaders are the sellers; Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is the buyer and APC, the commodity.

(b)  Lack of Internal Democracy

Members in the Retreat attributed the poor performance of the Party in the State to lack of internal democracy in the Party which mainly is a result of god fatherism.  This has thrown up a situation in which members of executive committees from ward to state levels are arbitrarily constituted at the whip and caprice of the god fathers who regard the Party as their private estate. In all the cases, competence was thrown to the dogs; emphasis was on loyalty to the god fathers.  The net effect of all this is the factionalization of the Party in the State.  The Party has thus failed to play the traditional role of an opposition Party in the State thereby giving the incompetent PDP Government of Enugu State to ride roughshod on the people of Enugu State with impunity.

3.  The Way Forward

Members in the Strategic Retreat observed that the Party can only come out from the dungeon in which its leaders had dumped it if all hands are on deck in unison in realization that united we stand and shall win.  Members therefore resolved that it would henceforth work together as one united family that is determined to win elections and provide dividends of democracy to the people of Enugu State.  It was resolved that those who have shown interest in lifting up the Party in the Zone shall be constituted into a league of leaders of the Party in the Zone from whom a leader of the zone would be selected.

4.  Condemnation

Members in Retreat condemned in very strong terms the attempt by Senator Ayogu Eze and Barrister Okay Ezea to abort the Strategic Retreat even when the latter had supported the Retreat (which he later described as a jamboree) with the sum of N50,000.00. They tried in vain to discourage Local Governments Caretaker Committee members from attending the Retreat with a threat of sanction if they attended the Retreat. That threat failed as members of the Caretaker Committees in the 6 Local Government Areas attended the Retreat en masse. The threat is empty because those behind it lack the requisite authority to sanction any of them. Their action is a clear case of anti party activity which only serves the interest of the PDP in Enugu State. Members, however calls on Ayogu Eze and Barrister Okay Ezea to repent and embrace the wind of genuine change that is blowing in the APC in Enugu Senatorial Zone.

5.  Appreciation

Members in Retreat expressed profound appreciation and gratitude to the initiators of the Strategic Retreat, notably, Hi Chief Michael Urama Nnaji the political paragon of our time,  Barrister Batholomew Ifeanyi Ugwuoke, Barrister George Ogara, Barrister Eugene Odo and Chief Uzor C. Amadi.  

Equally appreciated are His Excellencies, Chief Ambassador Fidel Ayogu, Ambassador Major General Chris Eze (Rtd.), Barrister Kenneth Okonkwo, Chief Matthias Omeh, all of whom in addition to contributing financially to the hosting of the Retreat, attended and participated actively in the discourse. Also appreciated is Michael Urama Nnaji who supported the meetings of the Planning Committee and also the Retreat financially but could not attend because he lives outside Nigeria.  

Barrister George Ogara was singled out for special gratitude for his unprecedented generousity which contributed largely to the successful hosting of the Retreat and who made a promise of N5,000,000.00 for effective administration of the Party in the 6 Local Government Areas in Enugu North Senatorial Zone.  Equally appreciated are the Retreat Master, Professor Tony O. Onyishi who delivered a masterpiece that is by all standard qualified as a reference point for any political party that is desirous of being stable and strong, and the Retreat Moderator, Rev. Fr. Dr. Emeka Ngwoke for his wonderful intellectual input.  

Members of the Planning Committee of the Retreat were also appreciated for packaging a first class Retreat through which the Party had learned a lot and would draw from for the benefit of the Party and the people of Enugu State.

Signed;

MEDIA AID TO URAMA