11th Senate: Owerri Zone’s quest for equity must begin at home—Greg Egu

By Athan Agbakwuru, Owerri

Leading senatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Imo East(Owerri) District, Hon. Greg .C.
Egu has reiterated his call on all political parties to cede the senatorial slot to Ngor Okpala aspirants, insisting that demand for equity must be reflected within the zone.

Egu, former member of the Federal House of Representatives for Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency between 1999 and 2003 made the call weekend while playing host to members of Association of Ngor Okpala Journalists, ANOJ, during an interactive session at his Umuohiagu country home.

The PDP chieftain revealed that he joined the senatorial race to ensure that Ngor Okpala is in the fray and not schemed out as usual over the years and urged all the political parties to respect equity, fairness and justice by giving their tickets to aspirants from the council area.

His words, “I’m in this business because of Ngor Okpala. If there’s voting and I don’t win, I will know that the people don’t want me. I will go away quietly.

“I looked around and saw what was happening in other political parties and I said alright. I also know there are issues about this Owerri senatorial seat that concerns Ngor Okpala particularly. And that if we don’t get together and drum it, Ngor Okpala will go down again this time around, they will also give it someone else.

“So my mission in this business is not just about what Greg Egu wants . I want us to push the issue that Ngor Okpala has been denied over the years.What I am out for, is for us to go and fight for Ngor. I want all political parties to give their tickets to Ngor Okpala, sons and daughters. Every time I have addressed Owerri people here, I have insisted on the same thing.

“I am running for primaries in the PDP against the likes of Prince Eze Madumere who joined the party about five weeks ago and one other, Summer’s Nwokeke, who left the PDP for APC since and just came back three weeks ago.

“I have been in this party since 2007 and I been here throughout the crisis in the party. I have been teargassed in the party. I have paid for party offices. These people just came from nowhere and somebody is pushing them forward.

“After Wednesday, May 20, win or lose, I will not stop pressing for an Ngor Okpala candidate going to the Senate. So my main mission of getting involved in this race is to push the case of Ngor Okpala. Ngor Okpala has been kicked around several years maybe because they think we don’t exist.

“If Owerri Zone elders are pushing the Charter of Equity for other zones to surrender so that Owerri can produce the next governor, I do not see why the Charter of Equity should stop only at the state level.

“Why can’t the Charter of Equity not get down to the zones. If you want to come to equity, you must come with clean hands. If you are oppressing the people of Ngor Okpala and you want equity at the state level, it doesn’t make sense to me. My brothers that’s my position!”