The leaders of thought and stakeholders of Ozalla Town in Igboetiti Local Government Area of Enugu State have disassociated themselves from the recent failed attempt to recall Hon. Dr. Martins Oke, the member representing Igboetiti/Uzo-Uwani Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
In a letter of apology addressed to Dr. Oke and other relevant authorities, including the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the National Headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over 30 leaders of the community, including the councillor representing his ward, a former Governor aid and others condemned the recall move as a ploy orchestrated by political blackmailers.
The letter titled “Re: Recall of Hon. Dr. Martins Oke – The Stand of Ozalla People”, accused two members of the community, identified as Chinakwa and Ogbonna, of lobbying various politicians from the Nsukka zone for selfish interests, alleging that they engage in blackmail when their demands are not met.
The community strongly affirmed their support for Hon. Oke, citing his numerous contributions to the development of the constituency and his effective representation at the federal level.
Among the lawmaker’s achievements, they highlighted, include his role as the lead sponsor of the ongoing bill for the creation of Adada State currently before the National Assembly.
They also recalled his involvement in a similar effort in 2005, when he was part of a trio that pushed for the same cause.
On constituency engagement, the letter listed several empowerment programmes facilitated by Dr. Oke, including capacity-building workshops on rice and plantain cultivation, pyramid construction, and palm tree farming, all held at the local government headquarters in Ogbede.
The community further expressed gratitude for the lawmaker’s welfare initiatives, noting that he distributed truckloads of rice and beans to constituents in both Uzo-Uwani and Igboetiti LGAs during the 2024 Easter and Christmas celebrations, with Ozalla Town being one of the major beneficiaries.
The leaders reaffirmed their confidence in Dr. Oke’s leadership, describing the failed recall effort as baseless and unrepresentative of the will of Ozalla people.
