The people of Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in Abia State have concluded plans for the recall of their representative in the House of Representatives, Hon Ibe Osonwa Okwara over alleged non-performance.
The immediate past Deputy Chairman of Arochukwu Local Government Council, Hon Cletus Kalu Nwankwo who addressed newsmen on behalf of the Leaders of Thought on the matter, said it was regrettable that since his inauguration as a member of the Parliament, Hon Okwara Osonwa has not moved a single motion on the floor of the House, not to talk of initiating a bill.
"In fact, it is as if we don't have any representative in the House. No motion, no bill, no constituency project. This is the worst representation in the history of our federal constituency. "
Hon Nwankwo noted that the worst aspect of it is that Okwara Osonwa's village of Ebem Ohafia is undergoing the worst kind of gully erosion, yet there is no whimper from the representative.
He disclosed that the only constituency project Osonwa has embarked upon in the last one year of his representation is the distribution of cassava stems to few women.
The former deputy chairman said that after careful study of the dismal performance of the representative, the leaders of thought agreed that the process of his recall should be activated.
According to him, " we cannot continue to suffer when we have qualified men and women across party lines to replace him. We have come to the painful conclusion that Hon Ibe Okwara Osonwa should return home since he lacks the capacity to be our representative. "
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Hon Nwankwo said that in line with the zoning formula in the federal constituency, the leaders have commenced a suitable replacement from the same Ohafia where Osonwa hails from.
“While we commence the process of his recall, we have already sent a signal to the people of Ohafia to give us a suitable and capable man or woman who can defend our interests in the House of Representatives," he submitted.
Reacting to the development, Ibe Okwara Movement, the political structure of the member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, described the move as a sponsored campaign of calumny against the lawmaker.
The group in a statement released on Thursday, signed by Chief Ajah Kalu argued that Ibe Okwara Osonwa has been adjudged as an outstanding lawmaker stressing that the verdict of political jobbers won’t be needed since an overwhelming majority are already with the lawmaker.
"In order not to mislead the good people of Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, it is pertinent that we clarify some of the issues we were able to understand from the statement filled with unprecedented errors."
On the contrary, he said the lawmaker co-sponsored the South East Development Commission (SEDC) bill recently signed into law, the Freight Forwarding Bill 2023 and also moved an important motion urging the federal government to urgently intervene in the flooding menace and resultant gully erosion in Amaekpu, Ebem, Nkporo, Ihechiowa, Abam, Arochukwu and Ututu communities of Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in Abia State.
The group also said that Osonwa petitioned the National Assembly, seeking explanations as to why some communities in Ohafia L.G.A. have been denied power supply for five years by Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC). “The petition has yielded positive results as the officials of EEDC appeared before the House Committee on Public Petitions and promised to resolve the issues with the communities and restore back electricity to them.”
“On the much-talked about distribution of cassava stem, what Hon. Ibe Okwara shared was about 30,000 improved agricultural seedlings. Just days ago, he added over 2000 bags of fertilizers to it across the 22 federal wards in Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency.
Hon Ibe Osonwa won the 2023 House of Representatives election to represent Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal constituency under Labour Party.
