By EDISON Okereke
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ugiri Clan, on Sunday, April 7, 2019, in a 9:00 o’clock Mass, at the St. Ita Catholic Church, Ibeme, organized thanksgiving and victory party to thank God for a trouble-free February 23 and March 9 elections respectively in the area.
It also used the occasion to thank God for the emergence of chief Emeka Ihedioha, Hon. Gerald Irona for the state governor-elect and deputy governor-designate, respectively as well as for the re-election of Hon.
Obinna Onwubuariri for the Okigwe North Federal Constituency seat in the Federal House of Representatives in the National Assembly.
In his homily one of the three Rev. Fathers that conducted the Mass, Rev. Father Alphonsus Nkwopara admonished sinners “to turn away from their sins, as Jesus Christ Himself has, on that day, taught us how to forgive those who have sinned against us.”
Addressing the congregation shortly before the end of the Mass, the Campaign Council chairman in Isiala Mbano, sir Don Egwim, explained the reason d’etre when called upon to say a word in the Church.
He said similar mass services were going on in most parts of the state for Ihedioha.
“May the name of God be praised. We’re here to thank God in a special way.
We’re members of the PDP. Before you do anything you should first seek the face of God…
So we thank God to lead the governor-elect, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, his deputy, Hon. Gerald Irona, and Hon. Obinna Onwubuariri.
And we pray God for the governor-elect to fulfill his promises to the people of Ugiri Clan.
“Again, we thank God that in all our to-ings and fro-ings during the period none of us had any mishap.
We had no problems.
So we thank God in a special way. None of us died in the exercise nor got wounded. So whoever is favoured by God should thank Him.
“We also thank God specially that we’ve tried our best, the Ugiri people.
We pray that when the governor-elect takes over that he remembers our people in his appointments, including the reconstruction of our roads, our children for employment and in everything whatsoever in the state….”
“Then this other thing is what consigns me.
Please, for sometime I have not been around.
It could be remembered that I have a charity foundation with which I remember my late parents, Mr. Marcel and Mrs Salome Egwim, called ‘Salmars Charity Foundation’…. I want to bring it back to life with the sum of N5 million.”
He personally made a donation of N100,000 to support the Church.
Others, including party members followed suit by giving different cash donations.
Deacon Engr. Sunny Anusie was one of them, who gave the Church N50,000.
Anusie, the campaign Council chairman for Ugiri Clan corroborated Ewgim’s speech, saying, “It’s now that work has started in earnest.
It is no longer a PDP, an APC or any other party thing so that all hands must now be on deck to develop the clan.”
It could be noted that Anusie made his political leadership aspiration debut for the seat of Okigwe North Federal Constituency and lost.
During the reception at Egwim’s house, free comments were made by party members on the modalities to move the clan forward during the in-coming administration.
In a brief remark, a former aspirant for the state House of Assembly seat, Hon. Vitalis Odinaka Ugwukwu, Ph.D and co-convener of the gathering, thanked God for keeping them alive to witness the turn up of events.
He appealed to his kinsmen to strife to get what is due for them.
Dr. Ugwukwu who is the campaign Council chairman for Ugiri Oka Ward, urged prayers for chief Ihedioha in order to succeed while expressing optimism that the governor-elect would lead the people alright by the grace of God.
A party leader in the state, Dr. Uche Anyanwu (Foreign Chapter) commended sir Egwim for his efforts, pointing out that Ugiri is PDP, and for the place producing more than the required 25% critical votes necessary for the governor-elect to scale through. So he asked the Isiala Mbano people to clap for themselves for helping to form the in-coming government.
He expressed the confidence that Ihedioha would make the state better and that Ugiri would not be forgotten by the in-coming administration.
Sir Oscar Uzoma Oguike assured the people that they had not made any mistakes over their choice for Ihedioha whom he described as a perfectionist who abhors mediocrity.
Sir Egwim appealed to any of his clan’s men (and women) who have been wronged in any way in the cause of the elections, especially by the leaders, to forgive and forget, to enable them chart the way forward.
Speaker after speaker spoke expectedly on how to move the clan forward and position it for development purposes, especially in the years ahead.
The former commissioner for Agriculture in the state, Allwell Onwuka was also present and advised the people on the good steps forward.
The Campaign director-general of Hon. Onwubuariri, chief Eddie Nwosu, commended the people’s efforts in delivering Obinna, Ihedioha and other PDP candidates.
The people were palatably entertained.
Nigeria Horn
