’Prof Agbazuere appears to be losing the ability to grasp and retain basic facts on events that occurred during the administration he served as Chief of Staff | #NwokeukwuMascot

 Opinion 

Re: Prof ACB Agbazuere’s Delusional Statement at Ehi La Uguru Day by N. Mascot Nnamdi | #NwokeukwuMascot

File Image

Many of us are not surprised by the outburst of Professor ACB Agbazuere at the Ehi La Uguru village celebration, though it was very predictable. It is alleged that has been making overtures to some of Otti’s appointees even before moving to the APC. He is free to embark on that journey if they accept him with his past antecedents, but he should not disparage the administration he once served.

He confirmed that he was not invited, as he hails from Ikem Nvosi, and one is taken aback by his decision to gatecrash an event without a formal invitation at his level. Apparently, he is still bearing grudges over his failure in the last election, which he blamed on some of his supporters from his village.

We can attest to his antecedents and role in past administrations. However, we are disturbed that our ACB appears to be deteriorating in his ability to grasp and retain basic facts about events that occurred during the administration he served as Chief of Staff. We listened to his praises of Alex Otti, which he is entitled to, but we feel compelled to correct some of the issues raised in his submission. 

The road he referenced is the RAAMP road, which was initiated, processed, identified, and awarded during his tenure until it was stopped by the World Bank for reappraisal. It was the government in which ACB Agbazuere served that flagged off the RAAMP project, specifically the Itukpa-Amiri-Umuoba road.

The present government had no input in the choice of that road (Itukpa-Amirir-Umuoba); it was entirely a decision of the past administration. We are convinced that, if it were possible, the flag-off road would have been relocated outside Obingwa and Isiala Ngwa. RAAMP is a World Bank program initiated under the Ikpeazu administration, and today, about €60 million has been earmarked for rural roads in Abia, including the flag-off road. The last administration paid the counterpart funds for this program, with the funds received and domiciled in the CBN.

We are aware that, to date, no single road initiated by the current administration in Isiala Ngwa or the entire Ngwa region has been completed—not even a 200-meter stretch. The Umuikaa-Umuene road remains abandoned, while the Eketa-Obikabia road in Isiala Ngwa is progressing at a snail’s pace.

It is on record that no state government project in and around Ngwa-land is being funded at the pace of the RAAMP project. The Nbawsi-Umuala road was merely an audio flag-off, as the contractor is not on-site.

ACB’s position on the announcement of ₦250,000 for Ndi Eze, which is yet to commence, is another source of concern. At the very least, he should be conversant with the current allocations in the country since the assumption of President Tinubu’s administration, during which fuel subsidies were removed and the naira floated, significantly increasing allocations.

In November 2024, a total of ₦1.7 trillion was shared among the three tiers of government, compared to an average of ₦300 billion from 2015 to 2019 and ₦600 billion from 2019 to 2023. From this analysis, while local governments received about ₦1.8 billion to ₦3.1 billion during Ikpeazu’s tenure, the JAAC account received approximately ₦8.6 billion last month(DEC 2024). This is three times what the state received during ACB Agbazuere’s tenure as Chief of Staff in a single month. Does this suggest he never took the time to understand the government he served, or is it merely mischief?

The Ikpeazu’s administration still stands out, despite the negative narratives propagated by those who feel slighted for various reasons. Many people are convinced that, given the financial malfeasance seen today, Alex Otti would not have performed any better than Ikpeazu had he won the election in 2015.

Finally, on the issue of the airport project, it is ironic that those who previously opposed it are now singing its praises. The Ikpeazu administration shelved the project for valid reasons, and it remains unclear whether the current administration’s renewed focus on it is based on sound planning or political expediency. We are almost into the third year of this administration. We will soon take count.

©️NMN

___________________________________