The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Enugu State, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, has bemoaned the poor state of roads infrastructure in Nsukka under the administration of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi even as he vowed to restore credibility to governance through quality service delivery if elected governor.
Speaking at a Townhall Meeting organised by Nsukka Progressives Forum, a non-partisan political pressure group, in Abuja on Saturday, Hon. Edeoga expressed sadness that Nsukka became more underdeveloped under the Ugwuanyi administration, a supposed son of Nsukka, than under any other past administration in the state.
To the admiration of the audience who watched in consternation as Edeoga reeled out the myriad failures of Ugwuanyi administration, especially in the area of roads infrastructure in Nsukka, the Labour Party guber candidate received multiple applauds from the audience who were thrilled by his deep insights into the depth of challenges facing the State.
While lamenting the refusal of Gov. Ugwuanyi to dualize the Opi-Ugwogo-Nike Road, which has become a flashpoint for kidnapping activities, Edeoga regretted that the Abakpa-Nike flyover project of the Ugwuanyi administration is a white elephant project which has become a drain on the treasury of the State, yet the project has remained uncompleted. He promised to be a hands-on leader who will bring leadership to the State and promised further to ensure a comprehensive development of Nsukka Cultural Zone when elected in 2023.
Also speaking, the keynote speaker, Dr. Kenneth Okonkwo, while lamenting the docility of the Enugu people in standing against bad governance since 1999, regretted that Enugu has remained the only state in the South East where opposition has failed to make inroads, ostensibly due to the aloofness of our people on political issues. In making reference to “Living in Bondage”, a 90s classic that literally birthed the Nollywood, a movie wherein Dr. Okonkwo played the lead role of Andy Okeke, the Keynote Speaker expressed sadness that Enugu State has been “Living in Bondage” since the return of democracy in 1999.
While speaking on the topic “Circumventing Money Politics as a Panacea for Defeating the Incumbent in Nigeria”, Dr. Okonkwo enjoined the Enugu electorates to shun the temptation of falling for the lucre of vote-buying if they truly want to see all their lofty dreams of a new Enugu actualized through the Labour Party.
The spokesperson for ObiDatti Presidential Campaign Council also charged the Enugu people to redefine their politics with a view to demanding quality leadership from their leaders. Dr. Okonkwo further appealed for support – both financial and moral – for Hon. Edeoga as, according to him, much as we all desire the end of money politics in our system, money is indeed required to run a seamless campaign against the PDP administration in the State.
On his part, Prof. Tony Onyishi, a professor of political science, who was a guest speaker at the event, spoke on the topic:
“Weak Institutions, Weaponization of Poverty and democracy in Nigeria”. According to the celebrated professor of politics, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s penchant for sharing of meal tickets and handouts to visiting groups to his office amounts to weaponization of hunger against the masses of the State wherein communities are falling over themselves to be part of the Governor’s largesse. He likened the trend to Nrashi politics that has defined the administration’s core values since 2015.
Prof. Onyishi censured the Governor for dispensing the commonwealth of the State in a manner that has succeeded in throwing more people in the State into poverty than in the alleviation of same.
In the same vein, the Labour Party senatorial candidate for Enugu North senatorial district, Barr. Okey Ezea, also admonished Nsukka people to register their anger against Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s maladministration by ensuring his failure in the coming election. Barr. Ezea alleged that Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has demonstrated, both in words and in action, that he hated Nsukka people and the hatred, according to him, could be exemplified in the way he has punished Nsukka in the last eight years of his administration.
Mr. Cyril Chukwuemeka Ugwoke, the Convener, Nsukka Progressives Forum, while welcoming the guests appealed to Nsukka people to ensure that Labour is voted into power in Enugu state in the 2023, beginning from the governorship to the state assembly elections. He pleaded for the support of Nsukka progressives to ensure that a new story is told in Enugu State in 2023 through the Labour Party.
The event attracted top dignitaries from Enugu, including Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, Dr. Kenneth Okonkwo, Barr. Okey Ezea, Mr. John Nwokeabia, the Labour Party deputy governorship candidate for Enugu State; Prof. Tony Onyishi, Chief Steve Ozioko, the CEO New Health Pharmacy; Chief Chinwe Ugwu, the CEO Hara Foam, Hon. Chidi Mark Obetta, the Labour Party candidate for Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency; Hon. Denis Agbo, Labour Party candidate for Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, Mr. Eugene Edeoga, Barr. Chijioke Ugwoke, Chief Ejiofor Ayogu, Mr. Cyril Chukwuemeka Ugwoke, Chief Kelvin Ayogu, etc.
