By NewsCritic Reporters
A chieftain of the Action Peoples Party, APP, and illustrious son of Ukwa land, Dr. Tom Otuka, has said that the recreation of the existential values of Ukwa transformation of its economic fortunes and emancipation from slavish tendencies lay with the people queuing behind the APP gubernatorial candidate, Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu and all other APP flagbearers in the forthcoming General Electio.
He noted that Mascot having criss-crossed the nooks and crannies of Ukwa in the course of his electioneering campaigns have come to appreciate the enormous plights of the people, which finds expression in the level of infrastructural decay in the area and total neglect of the people in the scheme of things in the last 16 years.
According to Dr Otuka, who is also the leader of APP in Ukwa, the APP gubernatorial hopeful, having closely interacted with the people, have resolved to harness the abundant natural resources domiciled in the area to rejig the economic fortunes of the people with a view to creating job opportunities for the teaming youths.
To this end, he has promised to revitalize the moribund Abia Palm established by the regime of his elder brother, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, and establish a glass industry in Ubaku village, by partnering with relevant foreign bodies and countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the World Bank.
Dr Otuka also stated that if given the mandate to preside over the affairs of Abia State, Mascot Kalu has equally assured that apart from completing the Ntigha Dry Sea port in Isialagwa, he would establish another one in Ubaku Ukwa, which is said to be about 10-15 nautical miles from the Atlantic Ocean. He said this will create the enabling environment for the Igbos and other Nigerians engaged in international trades to do business with ease, just as it will create several thousands of direct and indirect jobs for the people.
Dr Otuka lamented that the people of Ukwa land have in the last 8 years of Gov Okezie Ikpeazu administration been economically, politically and generally emasculated, marginalized, denied and reduced to the level of even less than slaves despite their huge contributions to the economic development of Abia and the country in general, noting that even the accruals to the people from Abia State Oil Producing And Development Commission, ASOPADEC, as an oil bearing community have been appropriated by the PDP cabal and their few cohorts from Ukwa.
