Two protests march today rocked the commercial city of Aba, and also revealed the state of governance and bitter politics that have characterised the Abia State political development in recent times. Aba women in their large numbers today Tuesday, October 8, 20019 staged a peaceful protest against the government of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, accusing him of non-performance.
However, hours later, another group of women staged a counter protest in support of Ikpeazu’s administration, describing the former group as detractors of the government.
The NewsCritic reports that the first group kicked off their protest march carrying placards with various anti-government inscriptions, while chanting anti-Ikpeazu songs. They lamented the poor state of roads in Aba, and gave the government 100 Days ultimatum to fix the roads or face more protests in the city.
They said that the commercial city of Aba is impassable and wondered what the governor has been doing since he assumed office in 2015 without anything to show for it.
However, later in the day a pro-Ikpeazu group demonstrated in support of the governor, telling the first protesters to leave the governor alone because he is working to the admiration of Abians. They called on political opponents to stop distracting the governor, who is focused on his duties to make Abia better.
Some of the placards they carried had inscriptions like, “Abia must move forward, “Our Governor is working, Aba Women support Governor Ikpeazu. “Serial election losers should swallow their pride and accept defeat etc. Observers said that Abians should choose among the two groups of protesters who to believe in their cause.
Governor Ikpeazu has been on the hot seat recently with opponents and concerned Abians accusing him of not doing enough to repair dilapidated infrastructure in the state, despite receiving huge allocations from the federation account and internally generated revenue windows.
They also accused him of non-payment of workers’ salaries especially teachers, pensioners and other categories of state workforce who are owed over nine months of salaries arrears.
