Okigwe youths under the auspices of Network of Okigwe youths NOY, has called for massive votes for the All Progressive Congress APC, candidate for the botched Okigwe senate re-run election and the former Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu, saying that a vote for him is a vote for the future of the zone.
This is even as the group called on Okigwe zonal people to give the ruling All Progressive Congress APC, a chance, having supported the People’s Democratic Party PDP, for 16 solid years without commiserate benefits in terms of dividends of democracy and favorable National appointments, stressing that the inability of the PDP administration to address the marginalization of Ndi Igbo in 16 years by ensuring the creation of an additional state in the Southeast is sufficient reason to give another political party a chance in other to give room for healthy competition.
According to the group who insisted that the PDP members cannot point at any major project it sited or completed in the southeast throughout the 16 years that they held sway of the administration of Nigeria, maintained that all the federal roads in the southeast which includes the Owerri- Portharcourt Road, the Okigwe-Aba Road, the Uwuahia-Ikot Ekpene, the Okigwe- Enugu Road and others, except one or two are all death traps that has over the years killed thousands of Igbo people.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday in Okigwe, President of the group, Barr Ike Echeruo said: ‘’ Only the senatorial aspiration of Rt. Hon Ben Uwajumogu of the APC is best for Ndi Okigwe zone, as it has been determined that the PDP candidate Chief Athan Achonu has nothing to offer Okigwe zonal people in the senate, except to add the acronym SENATOR to his name.
Echeruo said Uwajumogu deserved the votes and total support of Ndi Okigwe, whichever way one looked at it. ‘’ from the point of view of experience and ranking membership, Uwajumogu remained the best having presided over a legislative house as a speaker of a state assembly for an uninterrupted four years period’’.
While calling on Ndi Okigwe to take advantage of Uwajumogu’s ranking status to set the zone on the pedestal of massive economic and infrastructural development, said that Ranking membership procedure in the upper legislative chambers of the National Assembly, is a procedure whereby the House rule, only empowers legislators who got reelected after serving out their first tenure or have served as principal officers of any legislative House, to become principal officers, Chairmen of caucuses and chairmen of important and sensitive committees in the senate.
Explaining further he said, ‘’For those who are conversant with legislative process, as well as, familiar with the perks, incentives and niceties that accompany principal legislative offices and juicy committees in a legislative House, heading an important committee or being elected as a principal officer is seen to be more lucrative and profitable than having three first time senators who will only use the four years period to learn the rudiment and processes of lawmaking ’’.
Continuing, Barr Echerue said, ‘’ from the point of view of party advantage, Uwajumogu remains the best because, as a member of the ruling APC, he will naturally become a member of the various caucuses of the ruling APC, which also includes the membership of the National Executive Committee of the ruling party, in which the president presides over monthly. From the point of view of personality, delivery, accessibility and work already done, Uwajumogu also remains the best as Athan could achieve what he achieved with less than 5 percent of over 70 billion that was paid to Athan for the construction of 774 generals in Nigeria, in which he didn’t remember to build even one in Okigwe zone after receiving counterpart funds of over 50 million from the six local governments that makeup Okigwe zone.
Do we talk about the three higher institutions he attracted, the transformers he donated and Athan’s community even got, the over 900 direct and indirect employment he generated while in office, the health centers he either renovated or constructed, the numerous road projects, new school building projects, Hospital projects, beautification projects, new stadium projects and many other projects he attracted or do we talk about his health and empowerment programs which has today provided succor to a lot of youths and women of Okigwe zone.
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