Ahead 2023, the Igbo nation must rejig their political strategies on playing mainstream politics rather than continue sobbing from the sidelines about marginalisation, says Hon Sam Onuigbo representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency.

Hon Onuigbo, speaking during a ZOOM interactive session with Abia Media Forum, a social media platform of top ranking Abia journalists and media practitioners, averred that a Nigerian president of South-East origins is possible if Ndigbo play smart politics and collaborate with other geo-political zones.

Ndigbo must lay the ghost of marginalization to rest. It is time to restrategize,  Ndigbo must play smart politics and collaborate with other tribes and align themselves properly to be able to progress and assume leadership at the center, he maintained.

Onuigbo in his opening remarks insisted that the session focus on governance and his representation at the National Assembly spoke extensively on his achievements as the first ever second term legislator to represent the Constituency.

"In my extensive one-on-one consultations with people of my constituon why I wanted to represent them, I coined the acronym EAR which means 'Effectiveness in performing my duties as a Federal lawmaker;  Accessibility to my person and office; and Responsiveness to the needs and aspirations of my constituency.

" Looking back, from 2015 to now, I know I  have performed excellently in these focal areas"

Onuigbo maintained that he had attracted several multi-million projects spread across the 9 clans of the constituency including the N400m Amachara Erosion works in Umuahia North and another at Okwe in Ikwuano amongst others.

"I have made moves to attract the construction of a Federal secretariat in Umuahia, and we are currently working on the construction of an interchange at Abia Tower which will be part of a new dualization project that will go from Amachara through Ossah, Umuahia North, ending in Amawom, Ikwuano.

"This is is of course different from the reconstruction of Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene road. The actualization of these projects will help in the infrastructural development of Umuahia. 

"If other political leaders commit to doing things the way I have, the infrastructural decay in Umuahia will be fixed.  There are several persons from Umuahia main town who influence decisions in the State government or are/were part of the State government, if everyone plays their part, the infrastructural decay will be a thing of the past".

Onuigbo who recently defected to the APC from PDP also explained that the current palliative works by FERMA on collapsed portions of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene Road does not in any way negate the full reconstruction work going on on the road, adding that funding constraints had been responsible for the slow pace of works on the road. He nonetheless affirmed that he is keeping his attention on the project, and has reached an understanding with the Minister that adequate funding will be continously provided for the project.

Among emenint Abia journalists present at the session includes former Special Adviser, Media to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, former Commissioner for Works and Federal lawmaker, Hon Eziuche Ubani, Senior journalist/columnist, Ben Okezie, Chido Nwakanma, Public/Reputations Strategist and several others. Dr Emeka Nwosu, former Political Editor, Daily Times chaired the session