In keeping with his decision that no Government or public property will be named after him while serving as governor of Abia State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has rejected the proposed naming of Abia State Chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Secretariat at Umuahia as "Dr Okezie Ikpeazu Labour House". He rather pleaded with NLC to consider naming its secretariat as "Abia Labour House".
Ikpeazu, while speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the secretariat which he performed, promised that he would not take the cooperation and support of the Labour union in Abia State for granted.
He further vowed to support the leadership of NLC to ensure the completion of the secretariat, and pledged that Abia State Government will support the project with N10m while he as a person will make donations of N2m every month until the end of 2017, to ensure the competition of the building in record time.
While delivering his address earlier, Abia State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe, said: "today, our amiable Governor, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, is here live to not only perform the ground breaking, but to lay the foundation of the edifice to be known and called Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu Labour House Umuahia-Abia State, the first modern Labour house in the South-East geo-political zone."
Speaking before laying the foundation of the secretariat, and in response to the NLC chairman, Governor Ikpeazu said: "I want to say that I appreciate very well your decision to name this building after my humble self but I am constrained by the policy of this government that we don't take credit on our marks; we wait for gold medals when we press the finishing line. For us today, we are on our marks and the race is just beginning, so it will be preposterous for us to take accolades and diadems that should come ordinarily at the breasting of the tape. So I will ask you to wait till we breast the tape, it is at that time that I will take up the acquisition of Excellency, and also accept awards and recognitions like this. I therefore, plead and suggest that this house be called Abia Labour House. Thank you very much and God bless."