Uchechukwu Ogah, the minister of state for Mines and Steel Development, has expressed his willingness to work with the Abia state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu in the development of the state. Ogah said when he paid a courtesy visit to Governor Ikpeazu at the Government House, Umuahia, stressing that politics was over, and now is time for governance.
He said, “I’m a minister representing Abia State at the Federal Executive council.ihavethemandate to always bring out issues that will help to develop this state for the interest of our state. We should all work together as a team to develop the state in the interest of our people.”
He asked the governor to contact him about areas the Federal Government needs to come in to help the state government; adding, “I believe I have the capacity to reach out to the federal government so that the interest of the state is protected.”
He pointed out that there were so much that he and the governor could do together to attract what was due to the state; adding that his visit was among others, to share ideas with the state chief executive on how to move Abia forward.
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The minister who stated that he was in the state to represent President Muhammadu Buhari at the burial of late johnaguiyiironsi, the late son of J.T.U Aguiyi Ironsi former head of state, disclosed that he had necessary contacts at the federal level on how to ensure that Abia benefits from the Federal Government.
The Mines and Steel Development minister assured Governor Ikpeazu that the Federal Government would help in tackling illegal mining activities and erosion menace in the state. He called for more collaboration to achieve that.
Governor Ikpeazu congratulated Ogah on his appointment and for deeming it fit to pay him a visit. He explained that there was a lot they could achieve for the state from the centre.
The governor however, decried illegal mining activities going on in the state; and attributed such development to the issuance of mining licence by the federal government without recourse to the state.
He equally lamented the devastating menace of erosion in the state, saying that about 25 percent of land belonging to the state had been eaten up by erosion.
The Abia governor disclosed that through the intervention of the NEWMAP, three critical erosion sites in the state had been reclaimed; adding that the Isiukwuato erosion menace required urgent attention of the Federal Government. He sought for more collaboration from the Federal Government, expressing confidence in the ability of the Mines and Steel Development minister to represent the state well at the federal executive council.
