By Our Correspondent
As plot thickens in the rumoured move to sack the Abia State Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Rt. Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe over alleged anti-party activities, an aide to the embattled Commissioner has said that his principal would fight back if removed.
The aide stated this in response to calls for Ndukwe to resign or apologise to the speaker , Abia state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Engr) Chinedum Orji over Ndukwe’s unjustifiable attacks on the former, mid last year.
The call for Ndukwe’s resignation or removal came after the Commissioner, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, few days ago, 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 and subsequent alleged participation by the Commissioner in an APC Abia North Caucus meeting held at the home of the Bende Federal House of Representatives member, Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
Among those who have condemned Ndukwe’s actions and demanded apology to Speaker Chinedum Orji from the Commissioner include Deputy Chairman of Bende local government council, Hon. Promise Uzoma Okoro, Chief Ubani Dannie, Prof. Uche Chinonso, Pharm. Francis Chukwudi, Dr. Nwokeocha Alozie and other PDP stakeholders.
But responding to the calls for his principal to resign or be sacked, an aide to the embattled Commissioner, who craved anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said his principal would fight back if removed from office.
He called on Governor Okezie Ikpeazu not to listen to the voice of those he called “enemies of the state” who he said we’re on a sinister plot to distablize his government for selfish reasons.
He further reminded the governor that Cosmos Ndukwe played key role for his election in 2015 and reelection in 2019, and “it’s unafrican for one to bite the finger that feed him.”
He warned the governor and those scheming to remove his principal not to forget that Cosmos Ndukwe has been a top member of their inner circles, and “therefore has very sensitive information that will unsettle them if provoked.”
“Since when did it become a sin for one to host leaders of the opposition party?, I mean not just any opposition leader but a former governor of same Abia state. Everyone, including the governor have also attended events hosted by leaders of the opposition party,” the aide said.
The visit of Senator Orji 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.
