One of the newly registered political parties in the country, United People’s Congress(UPC), weekend, had its inauguration/flag-off ceremony of the Imo state chapter in Owerri.
The party which got its Certificate of Registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) on 17th August had been in existence since Febuary,2018.
In this interview with CHIDIEBERE IWUOHA, the Imo state Chairman, Henry Ugochukwu Orji discloses the economic blueprint and other facts about the party.
The UPC has been said to be one of the fastest growing political parties in the country, with physical presence in all the 305 INEC wards and 27 LGAs in Imo State.
Tell us about your party’s programme, vision My party, United People’s Congress(UPC)is one of the newly registered political parties in Nigeria.
We got our Certificate of Registration on 17th August, 2018, but we have been in existence since February, when the real struggle started, trying to build structures.
It is all about ideas.
When you put ideas in proper perspective, things would work out fine.
We have been working to bring out structures.
We have physical presence in the 305 wards and the 27 LGAs of Imo State.
We have covered them all.
All our members have been hard working, believing in themselves.
We only have to tell you what we are doing and immediately you key in.
Our motto is: “Join us to bring about a new kind of Transparent Leadership” in Nigeria or Imo State as the case may be.
Our logo is “Packer” used in packing all unclean things in the land into a dust bin.
The 2019 elections are fast approaching and you just got registered.
Do you have politicians who would like to aspire on the party’s platform? Yes, we have a lot of them and we are also expecting defectors from other political parties hoping to join us.
The negotiations are still on- going.
And one good thing is that our primaries will be coming late after the ones of the major political parties.
As the state Chairman of UPC, are you expressing optimism that your party will take over Imo State Government House come 2019? I keep telling people that UPC will form the next government.
If you look at the political development in Imo State, you will find out that something is happening.
The only thing is to take advantage of what is happening to position ourselves because I know that the big parties will make mistakes.
What is your assessment of Governor Okorocha’s eight years administration in Imo state Okorocha’s government has done well ,but the best has not been seen.
In as much as he has constructed sub standard roads, he has created more roads.
But more needs to be done.
Observers think your party will not fizzle out very soon because it may not compete with the existing bigger parties for reasons such as funding UPC has come to stay! The party will give Nigerians and Imolites in particular the desired future and we have no cause to regret.
What is on board is progress and change which we desire.
Anybody that is down and raises his hand up he will be saved.
As things are in Imo State right now, it is not only prayers but actions that will save us.
Our party is the fastest growing party in the state now.
We are here to know what we will do for you.
We have a document that other parties don’t have.
We have the social security document for 2019.
We are going to bring good government so that with your social security you will get whatever you want from the people ruling us.
Giving you N1,000 or N500 whenever election reaches will never help us.
Before our registration with INEC, we discovered that other major political parties did not have it in their constitutions and people have been suffering.
In UPC, we have the social security document which is embedded in the Economic blueprint.
Once it is adopted, everything in Imo will be systematic.
If you eat or mismanage resources you will be captured.
That is how it is in the advanced world.
But here, it is the opposite.
Those who do not know anything about government are ruling us.
It is time we send them out of office to bring in our government and hand over the document so that they will know what to do to better the lot of our people.
It was after discussing this issue among ourselves that we decided to meet INEC for the registration of the party.
We have also decided that we will not come here to share politics money or eat money but work for the betterment of the people.
Anybody who worked for the party will be appreciated and anybody whose hands are clean and tells me what he can do for the party will get my endorsement and it will be well with him.
