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…..Says No Party Is Igbo,Hausa Or Yoruba
Senator ( Mrs) Iyom Uche Ekwunife, PHD, the All Progressives Congress, APC, Deputy candidate in the November 8, governorship election in Anambra state has said that the APC and its candidates are in the race to change the narrative of bad governance and discontinue the recycling of incompetence in the governance of the state.
The party she said was offering a credible alternative that would be beneficial to the people.
“If we allow the incumbent to continue because four years are remaining, it means we will continue to recycle incompetence. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides four years for every elected person, and if he or she is not doing well, the people will show the people the way out.
“No, we have been fed with bad governance all these years. Now, the narrative must change. The people of our state deserve better”, she said.
Senator Ekwunife who addressed members of Awka ward 8, in Awka metropolis Monday evening told the people that they had come to offer a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the state using the vehicle of the APC which is poised to transform Anambra into a state of their dream.
She reminded them that a political party is a platform to get to one’s destination and that they had chosen the APC as a vehicle to reach to that destination where the people would be diligently served in the security of their lives and property, provision of infrastructure and their welfare,as well as healthcare, education and commerce.
She then asked them to ignore those who come to tell them that APC is Hausa or Yoruba party because those were tools designed to deceive and perpetually hold them to the ground and prevent them from seeing the light and question their bad governance.
“A political party is a platform to get to our destination. None is Igbo,Hausa or Yoruba. They are also the same. The people in APC in the state are not from abroad. They are from the state and we are all stakeholders in the party, all of us.
“When they come telling you that this one is Igbo, the other one Hausa or Yoruba party, they are simply deceiving you and want to perpetually keep you on the ground and away from seeing the light.
“Our stay in APC and voting for the party will benefit our people more. I am proud of APC and that is why I am there. If APC succeeds, we all succeed. Choose your candidate and not party – a credible candidate who can deliver. I am running on the platform of APC, what I am selling is APC, if you love me, vote for APC.
“And whether is running as Deputy or Governor is the same. The deputy governorship position offers me the opportunity to serve the people of the state and you are all going to benefit.
“APGA is taking Anambra people for a ride, for granted. You are all enlightened and informed and capable of making rationale decisions. No one person can do it alone. Let us do it together and get rid of bad governance in our state using APC platform”, she said.
The APC deputy governorship candidate told them Nigeria practices a constitutional democracy where political parties will have their candidates in an election and where every party has its own blue print which is the people measure for those of them elected into office after a period of execution.
“If we all agree that security of lives and property is paramount for any government in the saddle, then can we proudly say that it is the case in Anambra. The answer is No. It is zero in our state. A state where people are killed, maimed, kidnapped, live and sleep in fear cannot be said to be secure. It is the living that eats, runs on the road, farms, trades and takes a leisure.
“That is why we are in this race to ensure that people sleep with their eyes closed, without fear of harm or losing their lives to non state actors, to ensure that people are not just kidnapped like straying goats or maimed or killed by Akaodo tax collectors”, she quipped.
The country’s constitution she emphasized provides for the welfare of the people because it envisaged that a hungry man as they say is the devil’s workshop, adding that any government without a human face is not worth believing in.
“There must be empathy and that’s one thing lacking in this state. We believe in also working the people. We believe in stomach infrastructure because it is satisfied person that listens and evaluates your policies.
“Christianity tests our excesses and constrains us from doing certain things.We are going to offer Ndi Anambra those things denied them which they are yearning for. We have all been tested. I am not speaking as a novice in government. I have worked in the private sector, in government, in the legislature and seen it all,” she said.
It is unfortunate in Anambra, she said that people had made politics a buying and selling issue such no matter how bad one has performed abysmally, he brings money and buys his way.
“The President of this country has repeatedly said that we should ask our governors and Local Government helmsmen questions about what they do with the allocations to these tiers of government. This is the only time that allocations to these tiers have increased astronomically, yet people are hungry. What is the problem”, she asked rhetorically and urged the people to not only ask questions and challenge certain things as a right but should support the APC team to transform Anambra into a state of their dream.
The APC administration in the state if given the mandate she said will outside providing the needed infrastructure,embark on massive human capital development, and reintroduce Bursary awards to students to alleviate the suffering of their parents.
“We plan to open a portal for students which will include how they can access scholarships, how they can pursue further education abroad and openings for students holiday jobs to help them during the period of their holidays”, she said.
She educated them on how to vote for APC on election day, reminding them that they will neither see Iyom nor Ikukuoma on the ballot but the APC, stressing that it is difficult to separate the party from the candidate because they are like Siamese twins.
Mrs Amaka Tamuno who spoke on behalf of the ward supporters urged them to be mindful of everything they had heard from the deputy governorship candidate if they carved for a better and accessible government in the next dispensation.
“Ensure that you vote for APC. This is where to be. People who call APC, Hausa party are being deceitful and they have been feeding us with this deceit in the past.
“We all know what government is and we know our rights and what we want. Those things we want are possible, and realisable with this coming election. The Iyom we know is a goal getter. Let us go back to our polling units and work for victory by the grace of God,” she said.