The Media Director to former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, Ikechukwu Kelvin Okorie, has defended the former Speaker’s decision to direct the repair and restoration of boreholes he constructed and reticulated in Umuahia during his tenure in office.

Okorie, in a statement dated September 10, 2026, described criticisms of the intervention as misplaced, stressing that access to water should be viewed as a basic necessity rather than a political issue.

According to him, boreholes were drilled and reticulated at strategic locations across Umuahia during Orji’s tenure as Speaker to provide communities with access to potable water.

He noted that some of the facilities had subsequently fallen into disrepair, arguing that their restoration should be welcomed because it would directly benefit residents.

“The issue is simple, water is a basic necessity, not a political privilege,” Okorie said, adding that where infrastructure provided for the benefit of the people requires attention, the responsible course of action is to restore it.

He urged political actors to distinguish between public service and partisan politics, maintaining that infrastructure such as boreholes belongs to the communities it serves rather than to any political party.

Okorie further questioned why communities should remain without functioning water facilities when steps could be taken to address the situation.

He alleged that three years after Orji left office, no significant effort had been made to retrofit the old boreholes or provide new ones in their place.

According to him, the former Speaker’s intervention should therefore be viewed as an effort to restore essential infrastructure and reduce hardship in the affected communities, regardless of the timing.

He also argued that the intervention should not be judged by who receives political credit, but by whether the facilities are restored and residents regain access to water.

“The focus should not be on who gets political credit. The focus should be on getting the boreholes working and ensuring that our people have access to the water they need,” he said.

Okorie maintained that leadership should be measured by the willingness to identify problems and provide solutions, adding that the people deserve leaders who remain concerned about their welfare beyond election periods.

The statement was signed by Ikechukwu Kelvin Okorie, Media Director to Rt Hon Chinedum E. Orji.