Youths of old Akabo, comprising Akabo and Abazu, as well as market women from the area, on Friday, gathered at Orie Akabo where they raised their voices in prayer, raining courses on persecutors of Hon. (Amb.) Uche Ogbuagu, member representing Ikeduru in Imo State House of Assembly.
The youths and women groups used substances/objects/institutions such as; water, market, expressway and sand as universal symbols that will rise against any one bent on persecuting Uche Ogbuagu because of his good works and stance against obnoxious policies that are against the masses.
They called on the speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Paul Emeziem to immediately halt any further probe of Ogbuagu, threatening that further persecution of their House member could attract unfavorable consequences from youths of Akabo and entire Imo State, who are beneficiaries of his magnanimity and masses oriented leadership.
In a press release signed by Prince Norris Nwansi, Convener and Comrade Noble Ewurum, Secretary of the youth group, they called on leadership of the House not to continue the persecutions of their lawmaker which they termed unwarranted.
The youths and women groups said they have enquired from Ogbuagu to know if he committed any criminal offence that warranted the current persecution and the answer from him was capital ‘NO’, even as their investigation proved that he was being persecuted just for speaking up against injustice.
They recounted numerous achievements of Uche Ogbuagu such as; first road built with interlock in the area, construction of Orie Akabo, Nkwo Imo, Orie Umueze market, all in Ikeduru and Afo Nnudo market in Mbieri, Mbaitolu LGA. They also mentioned the ongoing construction of Iho sports stadium, ongoing construction of Ikeduru High Court, bridge construction, donation of transformers, drilling of boreholes, all by Uche Ogbuagu.
Other achievements of Uche Ogbuagu mentioned by the group included; Empowerment of women with soft loans, sponsoring youths abroad for various sports development. They also mentioned that Uche Ogbuagu has sponsored quite a number of motions and bills in the House that have impacted positively on the lives of Imolites.
Adding her voice, leader of the market women, Mrs Maryjane Ejiofor, prayed God to intervene in the situation, calling on all those who are ganging up against their house member to retrace their steps, to avoid attracting God’s wrath.
