Somtochukwu

More pressure is piling on the Abia state Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Rt. Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe to apologize to the Abia Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. (Engr) Chinedum Orji over Ndukwe’s unjustifiable attacks on the former, mid last year, IgbereTV reports.

The Deputy Chairman of Bende Local Government Council in Abia State, Hon. Promise Uzoma Okoro, Chief Ubani Dannie and other PDP stakeholders who spoke through several channels called on Ndukwe to apologize to the Abia Assembly Speaker, describing the former as a hypocrite. 

This comes after the Commissioner, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, on Thursday, played host to the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, an All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator, at his (Ndukwe) private residence in Abia. 

The Bende Deputy Chairman said Ndukwe was an hypocrite to have lambasted the Abia Assembly Speaker Chinedum Orji over a courtesy call he (Chinedum) paid on the Abia-North Senator and former Abia Governor, Orji Kalu, in the past. He, therefore, demanded an apology from Ndukwe to Chinedum.

In an article entitled, ‘Time to apologize to Ikuku (Speaker Chinedum Orji)’, obtained by Igbere TV, the Bende local council deputy chairman, while calling for apology to the Speaker, his benefactor, lamented “when it concerns IKUKU, it is called betrayal, but when they are involved, they tag it condolence visit.”

He wrote; “Tentatively 7 months ago, some political jobbers went hellwire(sic), brandishing all manner of write ups against the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji for visiting the Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu in his Abuja home.

”Notable among them were the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Sir Don Ubani, immediate past Transition Committee Chairman for Umunneochi Local Government Area, Barr Eze Chikamnayo and the current Commissioner For Trade and Investment in Abia State, Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe, among others.

“They insulted the Speaker in their write ups to the extent of calling for his Impeachment.

“The script writer in that failed attempt to incite our amiable Governor against his friend and Speaking Speaker, has been using all means humanly and spiritually possible to plead for pardon after abusing his Office.

“Today, the Commissioner for Trade and Investment Hon Cosmos Ndukwe can comfortably host Senator Orji Uzor Kalu in his Akanu Item country home and expect not to be lambasted.”

On why he was writing in official capacity as deputy chairman of a local government council, Okoro, a former media aide to the Abia Assembly Speaker, said “when they attacked my benefactor, they were all occupying sensitive government positions.”

“I am an unapologetic loyalist of Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, therefore, it is not out of place to ask all those concerned to render apology over their insult against him,” the Bende local council deputy chairman insisted.

The visit of Senator Kalu to the home of Commissioner Ndukwe is raising eyebrows within the circles of the ruling PDP in Abia, who have given different political meanings to the visit, with rumours rife that the Commissioner may be on his way to the APC, having been seen in gatherings of the opposition party of recent. 

Giving more credence to the rumour is the recent defection of top chieftains and heavyweights of the PDP in Abia to the APC led by Orji Kalu as Southeast leader amidst rumours that the State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu is warming up to join the ruling party at the national level soon.

Efforts to obtain comment from the Abia State Trade and Investment Commissioner, Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe proved abortive. When this reporter called, on Sunday, Ndukwe hung up immediately he introduced himself as a journalist with IgbereTV.

As at the time of filing this report, subsequent calls placed to Ndukwe’s phone lines went unanswered. Similarly, text messages sent to all his known phone lines were yet to be responded to even though it returned the ‘message delivered’ notification.

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