‘Why Anambra people must vote wisely’

The Director-General of Godwin Chukwunaenye Ezeemo Campaign Organisation, Dr Chira Obiora, in this interview with OKEY CHRIS , explains why Ezeemo who is the governorship candidate of Progressives Peoples Alliance will defeat the sitting Governor, Willie Obiano, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)

Governor Obiano has failed on his campaign promises. He was voted in because of his mantra that he continues and complete all the projects started by Peter Obi, his predecessor. But he never did. For instance, the bridge between Nteje and Umunya is still the way Peter Obi left it and is even worse now. Another road between Awkuzu and Umunya is yet to be completed though started by Obi. Many roads are left uncompleted.

Th e fl yover which Peter Obi started, which the incumbent governor managed to complete, could not be delivered to specifi cation, but has now increased the problems of road users. It was intended to move traffi c off the streets but with the crossbar, the aim of moving traffi c is defeated. Other roads like Ifi te road are still left abandoned. Th e bridge which Obiano managed to build at his hometown and the road at Aguleri Otu are counterfeit; substandard. Some of them have started spoiling.

When you want to judge, you judge from what precedence that was set by his predecessors. Th e quality of roads built by Ngige and Peter Obi are way better. Th e truth is that Obiano is yet to add a meaningful kilometre of road since his tenure and he is just in his fourth and last year. On tackling issue of electricity Yes, he was able to put street light but I don’t think that is the priority now for our state; putting streetlight that is powered by generator. Other state governments have used the same strategy and it failed them.

Delta State is a case in point. So, why would Obiano embark on a project that has failed other states? Why would he put the people’s hard earned resources on such a project when he could have pooled the resources to attract more electric power rationing down to Anambra State. When Peter Obi was setting up industrial base at Onitsha, he had to attract a dedicated line from Benin Edo Stated, own to the industrial base.

We expected the incumbent governor to have more dedicated lines to Anambra state to increase our power ration, and thereby the number of hours our power supply improved. Look at our people; if they want to invest they take it to Emene (Enugu) industrial layout because that is where they are closer to the 11 and 33 KVA grid. In Anambra State, we do not have something like that, given that we have so many industrial bases. Using diesel to power street light has never worked.

Th e governor could have put that money in area that is needed. On agriculture Th e claim that the governor is exporting vegetables worth billions of Naira is unverifi able. I do not know which airport the governor is using to move these vegetables. He keeps telling Anambra people that he has exported vegetables worth of 5 million pounds. Our research however shows that the claims are false. Peter Obi gave us airport at Anambra East; Umuleri, to be precise. Th is governor did the opening ceremony of the airport.

Th is is the second time he is doing opening ceremony of the airport and this time, he said he is building an international airport. Th e governor does not have the right to give Anambra State an international airport. Th e power to do so belongs to the exclusive list of the federal government. We know how many years it took Enugu State airport to be converted to International airport. May be Governor Obiano takes us as people that lack reasoning and do not understand issues in the state.

On plans for education Peter Obi gave us an educational system that made Anambra State kept taking fi rst position in rating by external examinations but, today we are coming out 6th in external certifi cate examinations. Obiano has renegade on his campaign promises with regard to education. I don’t see why we should continue in the same pattern. He lacks the capacity to improve on what his predecessor has achieved. We cannot be doing the same thing and expect that we will get a diff erent result. We will be having negative growth if he continues this way. We are still keeping afl oat because of the depth of the resources Peter Obi left behind.

If we allow Obiano to continue, we would get to a stage where we may not be able to pay salaries. Some government institutions have already started experiencing that diffi culty presently. Th is is why there is a need for change and a change that is to specifi cation.

Th e kind of change that a quality leader that has built institutions, grown businesses from scratch; someone that understands what it takes to manage resources, people, time and money and how to build institutions with these resource. A change that is targeted is what we are bringing to Anambra people. None of the candidates contesting for the election today has been able to grow business from scratch and has made appreciable success, save for Godwin Ezeemo.

Th is man has grown businesses and understands what it means to grow and sustain systems with more than 20 years experience, and appreciable progress is better than a technocrat who has only worked in establishment developed by other people.

To manage a state as complex as Anambra, you must have learnt how to manage time, money, material. Secondly, the kind of leader we are bringing is someone that has a stake in Anambra state. Godwin Chukwunaenye Ezeemo is the only genuine stakeholder in Anambra State among his contestants.

He has over fi ve billion naira worth of investment in the state. Ezeemo was the fi rst person to categorically speak out against the occupation of the south east region by the Nigerian military because he has interest in the region given his high stake here. We should start voting in people who have stake in the state, so they will act more assertively in such situations.

On plan for worker’s salaries Th ese are gotten from federal allocation and should therefore not be seen as achievement. Th ese are people that have worked for their money. Our governor gets the money from Abuja and he is meant to distribute the money to those who have worked for it.

He is talking about salary when we are talking about meaningful projects; building infrastructure, improving on our IGR base. You cannot build IGR without having the infrastructure. We are yet to know what happened to the Paris Club refund. So, paying salary should not be used as a yardstick for measuring dividend of democracy.

It is government’s responsibility. On industrialisation Th e incumbent has done nothing on investment. What is the government doing to improve or encourage investment in our home grown car factory that is about to start export? So he has not done really done much on the aspect of investing or encouraging investors.

With the election drawing closer the government has lost focus. Impact of incumbent in the senatorial zones Th ere is no impact in any of the senatorial zones. Th e incumbent’s only impact is in Aguleri and the roads are even substandard. No standard impact so far. We have existing industries in Nnewi and he has not encouraged any of them.

 

 

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