Factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Enugu State Ben Nwoye who was recently drilled by the EFCC for alleged fraud, has extended an olive branch his persecutors Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geofrey Onyeama and Senior Special Assistant to the President Juliet Ibekaku to join hands with him to build the party.
Both appointees who belong to the faction of the party led by Adolphus Ude, are believed to be behind recent travails of the chairman who is under the close watch of the EFCC.
Nwoye who fielded questions from newsmen at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu, enjoined Onyeama to join hands with his leadership to ensure that APC realizes its dream of taking over Enugu State in 2019.
He said instead of the Minister and Juliet Ibekaku, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari impugning his person, they should fund the party, adding that he has forgiven them for all they did to him.
He reaffirmed the resolve of the party to seize power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, saying the state can no longer afford to be in opposition again.
Nwoye said Enugu has lost a lot at the federal level in terms of infrastructure and appointments simply because PDP is in power in the state and 2019 provides an opportunity to reverse the trend.
The APC chairman said for now, Enugu enjoys the status of a ‘big fish in a small pond’ but by 2019, it would regain its pride as a ‘big fish in a big pond’.
“It is not about me, Ben Nwoye or any other person, but about Enugu State, its people and the development of the State. Anybody saying that Enugu should remain in the opposition does not know what he is saying. The person is probably saying so because of the office he is occupying.
“It is because we are in the opposition that an unknown person was made Minister. Imagine a situation where a sitting Governor cannot per take in appointing the Minister for his state. This is a foremost state and the image of the Igboman. We can no longer afford to be in opposition again.
“Enugu is benefitting from the federal government school feeding programme but we want more empowerment. We want a situation we will benefit immensely from social investment programme” Nwoye said.
EFCC: I have forgiven Minister, Presidential Adviser- Nwonye
