Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has declared that there is no rift between him and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji over the control of the affairs of the state.
The speaker is the son of the ex-governor, Theodore Orji, now the senator currently representing Abia central district in the red chamber of the National Assembly.
The Governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Onyebuchi Ememanka, when he appeared in a live radio programme monitored by DAILY POST in Umuahia, the state capital, on Tuesday, also said that he was not interfering in the administration of the present 7th Abia Assembly, pointing out that the speaker, Orji remained in charge.
Ikpeazu added that his government and the Assembly leadership were working harmoniously to ensure democratic dividends were brought to the doorsteps of the Abia citizens.
He berated the opposition in the state for allegedly embarking on a nefarious mission to sow a seed of discord between him and Hon. Orji, as well as to incite Abia leaders and citizens against him in order to score cheap political points.
His words, “The speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly is heading the State legislature, and so far, he has discharged his duty effectively. The State legislature is independent. The governor does not interfere in what they. So, how is the appointment of Chief of Staff or Special Adviser on Communication, a problem to the State Assembly?
“These opposition does not think at all. And you pressmen, when you hear this, you analyse it. You just don’t swallow everything theses people tell you. The opposition still want to recover from the massive defeats they received in the last election.
“They have not recovered. So, their thought is not still organized. What has the following appointments made by the governor got to do with the State legislature? What has it got to do with 2023?
“Governor Ikpeazu will cease to be governor in 2023. The Chief of Staff hails from Abia Central. The SA on Communication and Strategy to the governor is from Abia North, while the governor hails from Abia south senatorial districts of Abia state. That is why these oppositions do not understand simple basic reasoning”
