Zoning Arrangement May Suffer Setback In Abia

The existing  zoning arrangement in Abia Central Senatorial zone may be altered if the Peoples Democratic Party accedes to the request by Senator Nkechi Nwaogu for a second term.

At the dawn of the current democratic dispensation, the Umuahia and Ngwa political blocks which make up the zone adopted a rotation formula which saw the blocs alternating the senatorial position after one tenure.

In 1999, the Ngwa bloc took the first slot by producing Senator Bob Nwanunu on the platform of the All Peoples Party.(now All Nigeria Peoples Party) In 2003, Umuahia  took its chance and produced Senator Chris Adighije through the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while the pendulum swung back again to Ngwa bloc in 2007 with incumbent Senator Nkechi Nwaogu clinching the seat also on the platform of PDP.In 2011, it will be the turn of Uumahia bloc.

However, during her recent accountability forum, Senator Nwaogu requested to be allowed a second term, arguing that she has an “uncompleted assignment.”

The Senator, who is the first Abia woman senator, while presenting her scorecard of three years of representation at the apex chamber of the national Assembly, said that she has preformed well to deserve another tenure.

Her score card include award of scholarships to 60 undergraduates under her scholarship scheme, training of 210 persons in various skill acquisition programmes, disbursing of N6million of the N30 million micro credit interest-free loan scheme and attracting numerous water projects and building and rehabilitation of classroom blocks across the senatorial zone.

Chairman of the occasion, Chief Allen Nwachukwu, noted with satisfaction the effective representation by Senator Nwaogu and her accountability to her constituents. Nwachukwu was Nwaogu’s main challenger during the party primaries in 2007.

He said that by showing her score card to the electorate, Senator Nwaogu has done what none of her predecessors from Abia Central was able to do, adding that it has portrayed her as political office holder accountable to the electorate that gave her mandate.

Chairman of Abia PDP, Sir Ndidi Okereke, who led the party to grace the event, said that members of the party’s State Working Committee (SWC), were proud of Senator Nwaogu, given her performance in the Senate.