POLITICS
Anambra 2021: Anambra Deputy Gov. Canvassing Votes for APC
Dr Nkem Okeke, Anambra Deputy Governor, said that security challenges facing Anambra residents would be tackled as a core need for peaceful co-existence of the all persons in Anambra.
Okeke said that the All Progressive Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Sen. Andy Uba, has reassured him that security of lives and properties of Anambra people would be top on his political agenda of development.
The deputy governor said in an interview with The newsmen in Awka on Monday, that the Uba has a very good manifesto to transform the state to a higher standard that would be across all economic and social strata of the state to yield great opportunities.
Okeke said the opportunities would be inclusive, the young, the aged and the middle aged, would have a say in the running of the state affairs through organised townhall meetings, seminars and workshops.
“Knowledge is power, the ability to listen to all strata of persons would provide inclusiveness in the leadership of APC in the state.
“The needs of the people would be sought as your voices would be needed in taking major decisions in the state,” he said.
He said that the political blackmail of APC being a Fulani party is not true at all, that is a national party, Igbo should not deny themselves their right of ownership in political field of the nation.
“Let us kill this blackmail, all political parties are just platform to achieve ones political aspiration. this is like people doing different types of business or universities to enrich themselves in life.
“Sen. Andy Uba is our brother we cannot wish it away, let rally round him now to get closer to the centre to be able to negotiate easily the agitations we have in Nigeria polity.
“Let us remember that no governor can do as he pleases no matter the connection at the centre because we are in a democratic dispensation, the state lawmakers must pass vital decision before implementation.
“We have a crop of seasoned lawmakers who are very conversant with their duties and will all times stand against what is wrong, it is not about the governor acting as he likes, if he tries, it would be resisted by the people because power belongs to the people,“ he said.
He urged the electorate in the state to shine their eyes and vote massively for the APC candidate for Nov. 6 governorship election and disregard any political black mail against APC and its candidate.
Okeke said “If APC party decides now to zone the presidency to south east, will we reject it and not field in a candidate because it is Fulani party as alleged?
He explained that the political blackmail that APC is a party of Fulani should be disregarded because it is not true, is a political ploy to win over membership to any other political party.
“My brothers this time around let us re work on our political calculations, knowing that politics is a game of number and interest, let us accept APC in our state come Nov. 6, then we will push forward from there.
“We cannot be outside to discuss about our political emancipation, any party that is not wide spread cannot attract that political quest we all are looking for,” he said.
Okeke said as a deputy governor, it has afforded him quality information that informed his decision to switch party at this moment and assured that it is not a selfish one but for the greater development of the state.
“Come Nov. 6, I appeal to all electorate to have a deep think and cast their votes for Sen. Andy Uba, the APC candidate, let’s make a huge sacrifice that will better the lives of our children and unborn children.
“This is not the time for sentiments, bearing grudges, blame game or playing politics with our future but let us correct our past political mistakes so as to regain our presence in national politics,” he appealed.
Okeke said he is a technocrat and have watched over the years the political terrain of the Igbos die gradually because of blackmail of few to imprison conscience of many who had held them in trust and do not really know the truth. (NAN)
The Abia Chapter of the INEC Staff Welfare Association (ISWA) has warned its members to uphold the integrity of the commission and guard against the culture of manipulating election results.
The Abia Chairman of the association, Mr Collins Eze, gave the advice at the group’s general meeting and end-of-year party in Umuahia.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen on the sideline of the ceremony, Eze said that the staff members were adequately aware of their enormous responsibility and should ensure free, fair and credible elections.
He said: “We have also told our colleagues that anywhere they find themselves they should make sure that they do the needful by ensuring transparency in the conduct of elections.
“We have always told them not to allow anybody to induce them with money to manipulate election results.
“I’m happy that they have been building the capacity of our colleagues on election processes.
“So, in the coming years, we won’t have any problem in ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections.”
He said that the end-of-year party was special as it afforded them the opportunity “to wine and dine together as well as thank God for sustaining them in 2024”.
Eze said that his leadership had introduced various means of assisting members in dire financial needs by providing platforms to solicit suppory for them.
He expressed gratitude to members for their support and cooperation, describing them as the “secret behind the success of this administration”.
He said that 34 of at least 350 staff members of the commission in the state retired from service in 2024.
According to him, the development has placed a huge financial burden on the association, in terms of their welfare and entitlement as members.
Report says that each member received a carton of tomato paste as Christmas gift from the association. (NAN)
A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has told the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to be thankful to God that its 16-year administration was not probed by the successive APC-led governments.Okechukwu stated this on Tuesday in Abuja, while reacting to a statement by PDP congratulating Ghanaians for the conduct of free, fair and transparent general elections.
Report says that PDP had, in a statement, said that the verdict of the people of Ghana in the presidential election was a signal to the APC that its days were numbered. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, had said in the statement that the power of the people in Nigeria, just like in Ghana, would ‘surely prevail and end the APC’s oppressive rule’.This, he said, would “return Nigeria to the path of good governance, security, political stability and economic prosperity on the platform of the PDP in 2027.”However, in his reactions to Ologunagba’s statement, Okechukwu said that the PDP clan should thank God that former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu, out of sheer statesmanship, had refused to probe ‘the 16 locus years of PDP administrations’.Okechukwu, a former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), described the 16 years of PDP administrations as ones full of squandering and lack of plan.He said that Nigeria had yet to recover from the humongous culture of impunity and trust deficit planted by PDP on the Nigerian soil.Okechukwu said corruption was among the culture of impunity, saying it governed the privatisation of Nigeria’s electricity value chain, a key element in the country’s industrialisation drive.“Another is the blatant rigging of the 2007 general elections which the foremost beneficiary, President Umaru Yar’Adua, out of good conscience and noble magnanimity, publicly acknowledged the malfeasance which characterised his victory,” he said.Okechukwu also mentioned what he called conscienceless sale of the legislative and ministerial quarters, the annual rentage of which, he said, was bleeding the country’s treasury.“Another one is the neglect of $23 billion Greenfield Refinery, which could have saved over $70 billion expended on importation of refined petroleum products and which simulated the economic hardship of today,” he said.On why, for nine years, the APC administration could not fix those challenges, he recalled the efforts made by the Buhari administration to reopen talks on the Greenfield Refinery which, according to him, the Chinese regrettably rebuffed.The former VON director-general said that Nigerians were not in a hurry to forget the deliberate breach of the rotational convention of president from the north to the south.He said that the country could not also forget the utter disregard for Section 7 of the PDP’s constitution which expressly mandated zoning.Okechukwu advised the PDP not to insult the sensibilities of Nigerians by assuming that citizens would easily forget how they were put in the harms way.He said that PDP should thank God that Buhari and Tinubu did not want to probe them, adding “that’s why Nigerians cannot decipher the difference between the two political parties.” (NAN)
Sen. Ned Nwoko (PDP-Delta) says that Local Government Administration is central to democracy in Nigeria as it ensures grassroots governance and service delivery at the local level.This is contained in a statement signed by Dr Michael Nwoko, the Chief of Staff to the lawmaker in Abuja on Monday.Nwoko said this on the occasion of the presentation of an award “Icon of Hope” to him by the Association of Local Government Vice Chairmen of Nigeria (ALGOVC).
He was represented by his Chief of Staff. He said that the importance of local government administration in the country could not be overemphasised, as it was the bedrock of democracy.According to him, local governments in Nigeria play key roles in the country’s democracy by promoting participatory democracy, providing services, and representing citizens.“Local Governments help determine local needs and how to meet them. They also act as a link between the centre, state, and local people.“They are created to decentralise power and bring the government closer to the people. They perform both mandatory and concurrent functions.“It is in view of this that I took it upon myself to enhance the viability of local governments through the Paris and London club loan refunds,”he said.Dr Folashade Olabanji-Oba, ALGOVC National Chairman, while presenting the award at its 7th Annual National Conference, said the award was in recognition of the lawmaker’s significant contributions to strengthening local government administration.She highlighted Nwoko’s critical role in ensuring the Paris and London Club loan refunds, a financial breakthrough she said enhanced the capacity of local governments nationwide.(NAN)
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